Europe

Europe is giving more parental leave to its workers

Submitted by pmassetti on Fri, 03/22/2024 - 14:50

economist.com (21.03.2024) Most European countries have been making parental leave more generous since the 1980s. The eu sets a statutory minimum of 14 weeks leave for mothers and, since 2022, two weeks for fathers. But many member states offer leave that is much longer: the average across the eu is 21 weeks for women and three weeks for men, but lengths vary wildly. Paternity leave has been changing the most. Nordic countries were the first to introduce it by statute. Sweden had in 1974 introduced shared paid leave that could be taken by either parent; it now amounts to 69 weeks.

Regions / Country
Europe
Topics
Family benefits
Document Type

EU lawmakers nail down rules for platform workers

Submitted by pmassetti on Fri, 12/15/2023 - 14:49

 EURACTIV.com (13.12.2023) The Platform Workers Directive is a bill to regulate the gig economy and ensure that workers of digital platforms like Deliveroo and Uber have the correct contractual status based on their treatment and working conditions. According to the European Commission, almost one in five platform workers ought to be reclassified from self-employed to full-time employees. The Directive intends to establish a harmonised mechanism to assess and operate contractual changes across the bloc.

Regions / Country
Europe
Document Type

Platform workers and social security: Recent developments in Europe | International Social Security Association (ISSA)

Submitted by rruggia on Thu, 11/02/2023 - 16:33

In Europe, as globally, platform work remains a growing phenomenon. This article explores how recent developments in Europe affect platform workers’ rights and access to social security. In particular, it considers recent steps toward the appropriate classification of certain workers, changes in working conditions, and the extension of new rights and responsibilities

Regions / Country
Europe
Global challenges
Topics
Difficult-to-cover groups
Digital economy
Digital Economy Topical Cluster
Digital Platforms
Digital Economy Observatory : Only Tags
Document Type

EU policymakers brace for clash in thorny debate over platform workers’ status

Submitted by pmassetti on Tue, 10/31/2023 - 15:36

euractiv.com (31.10-2023) EU institutions are preparing for confrontation over the functioning of the legal presumption of employment, the most sensitive aspect of the Platform Workers Directive, in a trilogue next Thursday (9 November).

Regions / Country
Europe
Topics
Legal frameworks
Document Type

Towards a more digital social security coordination: Commission proposes steps to make it easier for Europeans to live, work and travel abroad

Submitted by pmassetti on Tue, 09/12/2023 - 16:09

European Commission (06.09.2023) the Commission has proposed concrete steps to further digitalise the coordination of social security systems in Europe, in a dedicated Communication. The communication lays out actions to make access to social security services quicker and simpler across borders by making full use of digital tools, reducing administrative burden for citizens and business. This will improve the exchanges of information between national social security institutions and speed up the recognition and granting of eligible benefits across borders.

Regions / Country
Europe
Global challenges
Topics
Data sharing
Interoperability
Digital Economy Topical Cluster
Service delivery
Document Type

The digital age: Implications of automation, digitisation and platforms for work and employment

Submitted by pmassetti on Tue, 08/29/2023 - 16:48

eurofound.europa.eu (2021) Technological change is accelerating as the capacity of electronic devices to digitally store, process and communicate information expands. Digitalisation is transforming the EU economy and labour markets: nearly one-third of EU workplaces are categorised as highly digitalised. What are the implications of the digital revolution for employment and work? And how might it affect social dialogue? Eurofound has produced a body of work to explore these questions.

Regions / Country
Europe
Global challenges
Topics
Technological transition
Digital Economy Topical Cluster
Societal Impact
Document Type

Social services in Europe: Adapting to a new reality

Submitted by pmassetti on Mon, 08/28/2023 - 15:55

Eurofound (16.08.2023) This report addresses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on social services in the EU. While the pandemic negatively affected social services, it nevertheless provided lessons on how to adapt them in response to new challenges and social risks. One lesson, for instance, is that policies should be developed to make better use of digitalisation in the sector, to improve access to new technologies and training for both workers and services’ target groups.

Regions / Country
Europe
Global challenges
Topics
Digital inclusion
Social assistance
Digital Economy Topical Cluster
Service delivery
Document Type

Digital Platform Observatory - Establishing workers representation and social dialogue in the platform and app economy

Submitted by xaltamirano_rosas on Wed, 06/28/2023 - 10:55

The digital platform observatory is a joint initiative of ETUC, IRES and ASTREES, funded by the European Commission. It brings together trade unionists, experts, activists, specialists of workers representation and collective action in the  platform economy.

Regions / Country
Europe
Document Type

Eurofound Platform Economy Database

Submitted by pmassetti on Fri, 04/28/2023 - 11:49

Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 296 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in February 2023 and provides metadata for each entry, such as geographical scope, year, type of initiative, actors involved, sector and companies concerned. Initiatives include legal instruments such as legislative changes or court decisions, as well as voluntary interventions undertaken by different stakeholders to address issues around platform work.

Regions / Country
Europe
Digital Economy Topical Cluster
Digital Platforms
Document Type