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Les conditions de travail et le travail durable

Les conditions de travail et le travail durable constituent l’une des six principales activités du programme de travail d’Eurofound pour la période 2021-2024. Eurofound continuera à fonctionner comme un centre d’expertise pour la surveillance et l’analyse des évolutions dans ce domaine, y compris la manière dont la crise de la COVID-19 a eu un impact sur les conditions de travail et la qualité de l’emploi, ainsi que sur les pratiques sur le lieu de travail.

Au cours de la période 2021-2024, Eurofound fournira des informations importantes sur les défis et les perspectives liés aux conditions de travail et au travail durable dans l’UE. S’appuyant sur une expertise de longue date dans ce domaine, Eurofound examinera les tendances et les progrès réalisés au fil du temps et identifiera les nouvelles préoccupations concernant les conditions de travail et la qualité de l’emploi. L’analyse portera sur différents pays, secteurs, professions et groupes de travailleurs concernant des problématiques telles que l’organisation du travailet le télétravail, le temps de travail, l’équilibre entre vie professionnelle et vie privée, l’égalité de traitement, la santé et le bien-être sur le lieu de travail , les compétences et la formation, la rémunération et les perspectives, et la satisfaction professionnelle. Les formes d’emploi atypiquesferont l’objet d’une attention particulière, en particulier le travail indépendant.

Compte tenu du défi démographique que représente pour l’UE le vieillissement de la populationet la diversité croissante de la vie professionnelle, Eurofound continuera à explorer les facteurs permettant à un plus grand nombre de travailleurs de rester plus longtemps en activité. Eurofound mettra également l’accent sur l’amélioration de la qualité de l’emploi en tant que facteur propice à une participation accrue au marché du travail et à l’accroissement de la motivation des salariés, cette amélioration contribuant ainsi à un travail durabletout au long de la vie.

Les liens entre travail et santé seront examinés en étroite collaboration avec l’Agence européenne pour la sécurité et la santé au travail (EU-OSHA). Eurofound entend poursuivre sa collaboration avec l’Organisation internationale du travail (OIT) au sujet des questions relatives à l’avenir du travail et aux conditions de travail au niveau mondial.

«C’est globalement une bonne nouvelle, car les conditions de travail dans l’Union européenne s’améliorent - même si cela se fait très lentement - mais, constat préoccupant, ce n’est pas nécessairement le cas pour tous les groupes de travailleurs. Cela dépend beaucoup du secteur dans lequel vous travaillez, cela dépend de votre niveau d’éducation, et franchement, cela dépend aussi du fait que vous soyez un homme ou une femme.»

— Barbara Gerstenberger, cheffe de l’unité «Vie professionnelle»

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Recent updates

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Messages politiques clés

Infographie 2021

Les principaux résultats des recherches d’Eurofound servent de base de travail aux décideurs politiques pour aborder certaines des questions clés dans ce domaine.

  • L’amélioration des conditions de travail est essentielle pour les travailleurs et les employeurs. De nombreux aspects différents de la qualité de l’emploi doivent être pris en compte. Des emplois de qualité permettent aux personnes d’avoir une vie professionnelle plus longue et de meilleure qualité, et contribuent ainsi à un travail durable et à un équilibre positif entre vie professionnelle et vie privée.
  • Globalement, les conditions de travail dans l’UE s’améliorent, même si les progrès sont graduels. Les progrès n’ont toutefois pas été aussi rapides pour certains groupes de travailleurs: cela dépend du type de contrat de travail, du secteur et du niveau d’éducation.
  • Il existe de nombreux moyens d’améliorer les conditions de travail et la qualité de l’emploi dans l’UE. Les gouvernements ont certainement un rôle important à jouer dans l’établissement d’un cadre, par l’adoption de réglementations. Mais les travailleurs, les employeurs et leurs organisations sont également des acteurs importants. Pour de nombreuses dimensions de la qualité de l’emploi, le lieu de travail est l’endroit où les changements se produisent.
  • Un cinquième seulement des entreprises européennes ont trouvé le secret pour atteindre un bien-être parfait et un rendement optimal sur le lieu de travail. Il a été démontré que les lieux de travail «à haut niveau d’investissement et d’engagement» offrent les meilleurs résultats pour les travailleurs et les employeurs, en stimulant les performances et en améliorant la qualité de l’emploi grâce à l’accroissement de l’autonomie des personnels, à la facilitation de l’implication des employés et à la promotion de la formation et de l’apprentissage.
  • De nombreuses personnes, en particulier les parents et autres aidants, ont du mal à concilier leurs obligations professionnelles et non professionnelles. Si une organisation plus flexible du travail peut contribuer à résoudre ces difficultés, elle entraîne également des défis. Le télétravail, par exemple, offre une plus grande liberté de choisir où et à quel moment travailler, mais il peut aussi entraîner des horaires de travail plus longs, une intensité plus élevée et plus de difficultés à se déconnecter du travail.
  • L’augmentation du télétravail pendant la pandémie de COVID-19 a mis en évidence un brouillage des frontières entre le travail et la vie privée. De nombreux gouvernements et partenaires sociaux étudient des initiatives de «droit à la déconnexion» afin d’éviter que de larges segments de travailleurs ne soient exposés à un risque d’épuisement physique et émotionnel.
  • À l’avenir, les partenaires sociaux devraient viser à inclure dans tout cadre juridique ou toute convention des dispositions concernant les travailleurs sur le caractère volontaire du télétravail ou l’adéquation de tâches spécifiques pour le télétravail. Il sera également essentiel de clarifier la manière dont les employeurs peuvent contribuer aux dépenses liées au travail à domicile, ainsi que de garantir l’égalité de salaire et l’accès à la formation pour les personnes travaillant à distance.

2021–2024 work plan

During 2021–2024, Eurofound will provide important insights into the challenges and prospects related to working conditions and sustainable work in the EU. Building on long-established expertise in this area, Eurofound will look at trends and progress over time and identify emerging concerns around working conditions and job quality. The analysis will cover different countries, sectors, occupations and groups of workers on issues such as work organisation and teleworkingworking timework–life balanceequal treatmentworkplace health and well-beingskills and trainingearnings and prospects, and job satisfaction. Non-standard forms of employment will be a specific focus, particularly self-employment.

In light of the EU’s demographic challenge of an ageing population and the increasing diversity of working life, Eurofound will continue to explore the factors enabling more workers to stay in employment longer. It will also put the spotlight on improving job quality as an enabler of greater labour market participation and increased employee motivation, contributing to sustainable work over the life course.

The links between work and health will be investigated in close consultation with the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Eurofound aims to build on its collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) on issues around the future of work and working conditions at global level.

Addressing stakeholder priorities

Eurofound’s research aims to assist policy action to improve working conditions and job quality, while progressing towards sustainable work, helping to address the challenges facing the EU and national levels in the areas of work and employment. It focuses on identifying pressing issues and specific groups at risk and analysing selected elements.

The Agency’s work plan is aligned with the European Commission’s political guidelines over the next four years, directly feeding into a number of key policy areas aimed at creating a robust social Europe. In particular, Eurofound’s research will support policy initiatives under the European Pillar of Social Rights in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis and activities linked to, among other initiatives, the European Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025, the reinforced Youth Guarantee, the Youth Employment Support package, the skills agenda, as well as innovation and job creation and the European Commission’s proposal for adequate minimum wages in the EU.

Eurofound research

Eurofound continues to monitor developments in working conditions, with a particular focus on improvements in the job quality of older workers, the challenges associated with specific types of self-employment and the longer-term structural impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In 2024, fieldwork commences for the newest edition of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), which includes questions on working conditions and work–life outcomes relevant to the aftermath of COVID-19. The first results are planned for the end of 2024. 

Final analysis of data from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 (EWCTS) feeds into three studies in 2024: an analysis of working conditions and work practices in the hybrid workplace; an investigation of changing working time patterns; and an examination of the job quality of older workers.

Research commences on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe, examining levels of digitalisation, digital skills, innovation and training strategies. This research assesses how workers in SMEs compare to the average in terms of working conditions, job quality, digital skills and take-up of training. 

Research in 2024 also aims to identify the most vulnerable group of workers by examining employment relationships that combine several unfavourable characteristics. The research investigates the job quality of workers in these employment relationships, their access to social protection and training, as well as ways to support the transition to more secure forms of employment. 
 

Key outputs

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L’année 2022 a débuté sur fond d’optimisme prudent. Alors que l’Europe sortait de deux années de pandémie de COVID-19 et que, dans le cadre de NextGenerationEU, un plan pour la...

4 mai 2023
Publication
Annual report

Eurofound expert(s)

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Barbara Gerstenberger is Head of the Working Life unit at Eurofound. In this role, she coordinates the research teams investigating job quality in Europe based on the European...

​Head of Unit,
Working life research unit
Publications results (569)

Interaction between workers and robots is expected to increase in modern workplaces due to rapid advancements in robotic technologies. This report explores the opportunities and challenges that come with closer human–robot interaction.

22 July 2024

Workers will experience the effects of climate change in many ways: job insecurity, changes to their work tasks and responsibilities, and changes in their workplaces that may involve different work practices and the development of new activities and products. Climate change risks are associated with

01 July 2024

The post-pandemic recovery of Europe continued in 2023, with strong job creation despite subdued economic growth, against a background of rising geopolitical tension. Eurofound’s research over the year brought to light evidence on the key issues shaping the daily lives and work of Europeans.

02 May 2024

Ensuring greater social protection for self-employed people has been the subject of much policy debate in recent years. In 2019, the Council of the European Union adopted a recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed. Sudden reductions in income during the COVID-1

30 January 2024

This report explores EU Member States’ legislation around the right to disconnect and assesses the impact of company policies in this area on employees’ hours of connection, working time, work–life balance, health and well-being, and overall workplace satisfaction.

30 November 2023

Using data from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 and building on a theoretical model that differentiates between job stressors and job resources, this report examines key psychosocial risks in the workplace and their impact on health.

23 November 2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a diverse collection of workers ensured the functioning of our societies. In a time of crisis, they maintained access to healthcare, long-term care and other essential goods and services, including food, water, electricity, the internet and waste treatment.

10 October 2023

Le terme «travail hybride» a été popularisé avec la forte augmentation du télétravail pendant la pandémie de COVID-19, lorsque les entreprises et les salariés ont commencé à discuter des moyens d’organiser le travail après la crise. Le terme a été de plus en plus utilisé pour désigner les situations

25 May 2023

L’année 2022 a débuté sur fond d’optimisme prudent. Alors que l’Europe sortait de deux années de pandémie de COVID-19 et que, dans le cadre de NextGenerationEU, un plan pour la reprise visant à construire un avenir solide et durable était présenté, l’attaque menée par la Russie contre l’Ukraine au

04 May 2023

Le rapport explore des scénarios plausibles et imaginables examinant comment le télétravail et le travail hybride dans l’UE pourraient évoluer d’ici à 2035, et les implications pour le monde du travail. Dans quelle mesure les dirigeants et les salariés, les organisations patronales et les syndicats

28 April 2023

Online resources results (1779)

Human–robot interaction: What changes in the workplace?

Explore our digital report summary. Understanding how workers and robots interact and the implications for work organisation and working conditions is crucial for robots’ successful integration into the workplace.

In this episode of Eurofound Talks Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Research Manager Tina Weber about new research on the right to disconnect, the evolution of the right to disconnect in Europe, the reasons why legislative and procedural actions are being called for, the impacts that effective

15 avril 2024

Flexible work increases post-pandemic, but not for everyone

Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, various forms of flexible work, such as teleworking and flexitime, were in place across EU Member States. However, the pandemic led to a surge in flexible working practices with many workers wanting to focus on their work–life balance and have more time for

Eurofound presentation to the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound, 24 January 2023.

23 janvier 2023

The rise in cost of living and energy poverty: Social impact and policy responses. 14 October 2022, Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers (EPSCO). Presentation by Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound.

14 octobre 2022
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COVID-19 in the workplace: Employer’s responsibility to ensure a safe workplace

Throughout 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, specific occupational health and safety rules were reintroduced due to increases in infection rates. Mandatory face masks, physical distancing and hygiene measures were enforced, and the recommendation to telework was largely re-instated in

Female teleworker taking notes during video conference on her laptop

Workers want to telework but long working hours, isolation and inadequate equipment must be tackled

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in telework, with dramatic increases in the number of employees working from home (teleworking) in many European countries. What for many employees started out as a mandatory move seems to have transformed into a preference among the majority for part-time or


Blogs results (61)

There is no one future of work for all jobs – policymakers will have their work cut out to ensure that remote and platform working, artificial intelligence and climate change policies will benefit and not disadvantage workers.

There’s a demographic shift sweeping Europe: people are living longer and working longer. Older workers, however, face significant labour market barriers.

25 janvier 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic made us acutely aware of how dependent our society is on certain essential workers. We felt deep gratitude towards workers in healthcare especially, because they worked ceaselessly in often-difficult conditions.

22 novembre 2023

The jury is still out on the question whether men and women are from distinct planets. When it comes to the world of work, however, they are worlds apart.

25 octobre 2023
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Women and frontline workers are most exposed to the risks of adverse social behaviour at work, such as burnout, exhaustion, anxiety and depression. This is according to the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 (EWCTS). In this data story, we dive into EWCTS data (EU27) to examine the pr

A worker sitting on the floor

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work. With the lifting of restrictions across the globe, we are now able to examine the many repercussions on the world of work. In particular, the unique demands of the last few years have shone a harsh spotlight on the pressures brought to bear

17 janvier 2023
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Telework has become a permanent feature of working life in Europe. While we’ve seen the benefits of more flexible ways of working – particularly during the pandemic – the problems that arise from an increasingly connected life are also becoming clearer. Unfortunately, legislation alone may not be en

13 juillet 2022
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The answer is yes – potentially. Assessing the environmental benefits of telework is a complex task, because any move to work from home involves a series of changes in individuals’ daily lives and activities, as well as company-level decisions, that may positively or negatively influence the level o

23 juin 2022
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As we leave behind the lockdowns and business disruptions of COVID-19 and enter a ‘new normal’, it is time to talk about how workplaces might be transformed to drive innovation. Some may baulk at this suggestion, as we continue to grapple with the pandemic fallout, but crises have always been a crad

28 juin 2021
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COVID-19 has shown that some things can hit us out of the blue. The pandemic sent a shockwave through businesses all over the world and has brought massive changes to work organisation, internal communication and day-to-day operations for many companies. Doubtless, the depth of the pandemic’s impact

21 juin 2021

Upcoming publications results (2)

This policy brief investigates how organisations are adapting their work organisation and practices to hybrid work. Based on case studies and on data from the European Working Conditions Survey 2024, the policy brief examines how hybrid work is being managed in organisations and profiles t

April 2025

The European population is living longer, with a declining natural population since 2014, offset only by positive net migration. The proportion of older people, especially those over 50, is increasing. Demographic ageing, where the working-age population shrinks while the number of older individuals

March 2025
Data results (1)

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