Working conditions and sustainable work

The main findings emerging from Eurofound research serve as input for policymakers to address some of the key issues in this area.

• Improving working conditions is crucial for workers and employers. Many different aspects in job quality need to be considered. Good-quality jobs enable people to have longer and better working lives, contributing to sustainable work and a positive work–life balance.
• Working conditions in the EU are generally improving, even if the pace of progress is gradual. Progress has not been as fast for some groups of workers: it depends on the type of work contract, the sector and the level of educational attainment.
• There are many ways to improve working conditions and job quality in the EU. Governments certainly have an important role to play in establishing the framework through regulation. But workers and employers and their organisations are also important actors. For many dimensions of job quality, the workplace is where change happens.
• Only one-fifth of European companies have found the secret for attaining optimal workplace well-being and business performance. ‘High investment, high involvement’ workplaces have been shown to offer the best outcomes for workers and employers, boosting performance and improving job quality through increasing employee autonomy, facilitating employee involvement and promoting training and learning.
• Many people are struggling to combine work and non-work commitments, in particular parents and other carers. While flexible working arrangements can help address these difficulties, they also bring challenges. Telework, for example, offers more freedom to choose when and where to work, but it can also lead to longer working hours at higher intensity and with greater difficulty to disconnect from work.
• The rise in telework during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the blurring of lines between work and private life. Many governments and social partners are discussing ‘right to disconnect’ initiatives in order to prevent large segments of workers being at risk of physical and emotional exhaustion.
• In future, social partners should aim to include provisions for workers on the voluntary nature of telework or the suitability of specific tasks for teleworking in any legal frameworks or agreements. Clarification about how employers can contribute to expenses linked to working from home, as well as guarantees of equal pay and access to training for those working remotely, will also be critical.

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 teleworking, working time, work–life balance, equal treatment, workplace health and well-being, skills and training, earnings 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.

• Podcast: Eurofound Talks - Sustainable work

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.

• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: An economy that works for people

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.