Member organizations of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) that are involved in the management of employment insurance and assistance schemes, either directly or indirectly, comprise a broad and diverse group of social security institutions. In addition to evolving economic, demographic and labour market changes, new and significant challenges are being imposed on many of these organizations. These have, on an institutional basis, led many to develop specific approaches to better address the needs of the unemployed by facilitating their integration in the labour market, incentivizing higher labour participation rates, continuously improving workers’ employability and meeting demands for benefits.
These ISSA Guidelines aim at assisting ISSA member institutions in making informed strategic choices in the design and delivery of programmes and services intended to help people access employment and remain employed, to improve their employability through ongoing access to lifelong learning and to facilitate the return to work. The concrete implementation of these guidelines is illustrated by examples of good practices from ISSA member institutions.
Some of the guidelines deal with administrative functions and can therefore be readily implemented by the institution. Others may require legislative or regulatory changes that are beyond the mandate of the institution. Given its expertise and experience, the management can help increase awareness among policy-makers and promote the advantages of innovative policy measures. The administration can make specific policy proposals based on lessons learnt from successful practices in other countries. In that respect, the guidelines provide a unique window into practices from around the world.
These Guidelines supplement the ISSA Guidelines on Return to Work and Reintegration for workers with work-related illnesses or injuries resulting in partial loss of their work capacity.
They should be read in conjunction with other related ISSA Guidelines, particularly on good governance, service quality and information and communication technology, which are of value to all social security institutions.
The fundamental principle underlying the ISSA Guidelines on the Promotion of Sustainable Employment is to give the best possible support to the unemployed and jobseekers in order to ensure their rapid and lasting return or entry to employment, which ultimately avoids unnecessary dependency on social security benefits. These Guidelines also have a preventive dimension, which aims at anticipating the causes of unemployment and finding appropriate responses to keep at-risk workers economically active.
Therefore, access to employment and worker retention, the return to work and sustainable employability are the objectives of a set of mechanisms and processes designed to facilitate the occupational integration of young jobseekers and the professional reintegration of individuals who have lost their jobs or have been outside the labour market for a prolonged period. These mechanisms also facilitate job retention for those who are at risk of losing their jobs (excluding the risks of illness or injury) and help minimize the further loss of employment by improving lifelong employability.
Reaching these objectives requires an integrated approach to the design of interventions, involving different actors to ensure the adequate planning and coordination of actions.