Seniority systems – schemes that allot improving employment rights or benefits to employees as their length of employment increases – have not been widely studied. This report provides the first comprehensive study comparing the design and spread of seniority-based entitlements (SBEs) in Europe and
Industrial relations have been studied at a national level for more than 100 years. This study, however, shows for the first time that industrial relations vary more by sector than by country. The authors also argue that this sector-focused research can provide a far more detailed picture of
Seniority entitlements have largely been on the decline since the 1990s, and have been gradually phased-out from legislation in Europe, as well as in collective agreements. However, it would be premature to dismiss seniority-based entitlements as a thing of the past, as they remain in force across E
