What can companies do to spark innovation in the workplace?
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.
Topics: Employment issues
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Mental health in Slovenia above EU average during COVID-19 pandemic
Slovenians have fared comparatively well in terms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to their EU counterparts standing at 53.2 on a scale of 100, behind only Denmark and Finland. According to Eurofound’s large-scale Living, working and COVID-19 online survey, the EU average was 45.3 in spring 2021.
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Almost three quarter of people in Croatia are struggling financially during COVID-19 pandemic, but minimum wage increases slightly
74% of people in Croatia report difficulties making ends meet, according to Eurofound’s large-scale Living, working and COVID-19 online survey. This is the highest figure among EU Member States, where the average was 45.1%. For Croatia, this number remained consistently high throughout the pandemic at 73.5% in April 2020 reporting a difficult personal financial situation.
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Financial situation in Luxembourg improving following COVID-19 pandemic
The financial situation of people in Luxembourg is significantly better than the EU average with 11.3% of respondents reporting difficulties in making ends meet in February and March 2021, according to Eurofound’s large-scale Living, working and COVID-19 online survey. This is the third lowest figure among EU Member States with the EU average at 23.6%, just behind Denmark and Sweden.
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COVID-19: Could businesses have done better?
Are there any lessons to be learnt about the factors that helped some organisations to navigate through the crisis more smoothly than others?
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Gender pay transparency: Advancing the cause through a truly European proposal
With its proposed directive on gender pay transparency, the European Commission has significantly bolstered the set of tools for delivering its objectives compared to those presented in its 2014 Recommendation. The proposed portfolio of measures addresses many shortcomings of the instruments that national authorities currently employ.
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EU minimum wages grew cautiously amid COVID-19 economic uncertainty
The economic uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic slowed, but did not stop, overall minimum wage growth in the EU in 2021. Minimum wages were raised cautiously in most Member States, with the median country recording an increase of 3%. Only a few Member States froze their minimum wage rates, marking a very different approach to that taken in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
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Minimum wages rise again, but the pandemic puts a brake on their growth
Decision-makers approached minimum wage setting for 2021 cautiously due to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Despite this, nominal statutory minimum wages rose in most Member States and the UK, although at lower rates than in recent years.
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Trust in national government has declined in Sweden throughout the COVID-19 pandemic
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, trust of people in Sweden in their national government has declined from 6.4 to 5.1. Respondents rated their trust levels at the onset of the pandemic (data collection April 2020) at 6.4 on average, which decreased to 5.5 during the summer months of last year and then to 5.1 in February and March of this year.
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Denmark only EU country where trust in national government increased since summer 2020
Trust in the national government in Denmark ranked highest among EU countries at 7 out of 10, according to Eurofound’s large-scale Living, working and COVID-19 online survey. This marked an increase of 0.5 points compared to the summer of last year. This pattern goes against the trend observed in all other EU Member States, where the average trust rating fell to just 3.9 from 4.6.
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Reduced feeling of financial strain in Italy
Pessimism about one’s future financial situation has decreased in Italy compared to summer 2020, according to Eurofound’s large-scale Living, working and COVID-19 online survey. In February 2021, over one fifth (22.5%) of people in Italy expected a worsening of their situation compared to 27.6% in June/July of last year.
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Just 12% in EU feel pandemic support measures are fair
Just 12% of people surveyed in the third round of Eurofound’s Living, working and COVID-19 online survey believed the support measures rolled out to help deal with the implications of the pandemic were fair, with the same proportion believing that the measures reached those who needed them.
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As Member States take different approaches to regulating telework, will the EU bring them into line?
Now that the pandemic is receding and wholesale telework seems to be here to stay, governments are faced with the need to properly regulate such arrangements. Member States are following different paths, but the EU might step in to promote some level of standardisation.
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Ivailo Kalfin takes over as Eurofound Executive Director
Ivailo Kalfin begins his mandate as Executive Director of Eurofound today, having been approved by the Eurofound Management Board on 5 March and presenting his priorities for the position to the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee on 13 April.
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Eurofound explores the rise of the telework generation
Eurofound Research Managers Tina Weber and Oscar Vargas will explore developments in teleworking in Europe and present latest data at a LIVE #AskTheExpert webinar on Thursday 3 June 2021 at 10:00 – 11:00 IST/11:00 – 12:00 CEST.
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Over a quarter of adults in EU indicate they are unlikely to take COVID-19 vaccine
Over a quarter (27%) of adults in the EU are vaccine hesitant, with 29% of men and 25% of women indicating that they were either ‘very unlikely’ or ‘rather unlikely’ to take the COVID-19 vaccine in Eurofound’s large-scale Living, working and COVID-19 online survey.
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Mental health, trust in decline across the EU and inequalities rise as pandemic enters another year
Across Europe, citizens are feeling the divisive social and economic fallout of the pandemic and a dwindling number now view crisis support measures as fair and efficient.
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2020 exposed fault lines in Europe’s labour market and society which may serve to shape the debate on the Future of Europe
Released just before the publication of the results of the latest Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey, Eurofound's 2020 yearbook takes stock of how much has happened in just 12 months, projects what might lie ahead, and sets the scene for EU policymakers as they seek to shape Europe’s policy responses.
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COVID-19 could be a catalyst for fundamental change that will define the Future of Europe
On 9 May, the Conference on the Future of Europe will get underway. Floated well before the COVID-19 outbreak, its timing in the wake of the seismic shifts precipitated by the pandemic, and its implementation alongside the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, means that the outcomes could be far-reaching.
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Good news for gender equality as we exit the COVID-19 crisis?
The pandemic has had differential impacts on women. Raised consciousness about them must be applied to advance gender equality in recovery measures.
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