Background information

For employers who, due to business difficulties, need to make workers redundant and companies currently establishing redundancy programmes. The importance of mobile teams was very high during the economic and financial crisis which lasted in Croatia almost until 2014. In the few last years, unemployment in Croatia decreased and there is a significant shortage of the labour force almost in all economic sectors. Therefore, mobile teams now are more oriented towards the finding of the needed labour force, particularly among refugees from Ukraine.

Content of measure

Mobile teams are available from each regional office of the Croatian Employment Service. They prepare workers facing redundancy for conditions in the labour market and help them search for a new job while they are still employed.

The teams consist of a labour market advisor, a legal advisor and a psychologist, as well as some other team members if necessary. The services they provide include: information on current demands in the labour market; business advisory services; visits to potential employers; group and individual advice on termination periods; and legal advice. Targeted employees are those involved in the redundancy plan, especially those employed by employers experiencing financial difficulties. A mobile team helps to prepare workers to enter the labour market by identifying their strengths and weaknesses and the possible future roles for which they can apply.

Other activities include: organising training for efficient job hunting; helping workers to write their CVs and to prepare for job interviews; recommending worthwhile training and education to improve workers' professional skills; organising training for those willing to establish a start-up company; and announcing suitable vacancies on the announcement board in the company.

Use of measure

The use and participation in this measure have varied throughout the years. In 2011, 3,945 employees for 1,085 employees were advised by mobile teams, as compared to 2010 when 1,272 workers participated. In 2014, mobile team counsellors carried out individual informing activities in 353 companies involving 826 workers, while group informing activities were conducted for 1,542 workers. Such activities were not mentioned in Yearbook by the Croatian Employment Services for 2016 and 2017. In 2018, mobile teams realised individual advising and group informing for 208 workers in 21 firms. In 2019 mobile teams visited 24 companies and provided individual and group info sessions to 1,747 employees.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Employees in standard employment	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Local / regional government Public employment service	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The representatives of social partners - from representative trade unions, primarily two biggest TU confederations - the Union of Autonomous Trade Union of Croatia (Savez samostalnih sindikata Hrvatske) and Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (Nezavisni hrvatski sindikati) from workers' side and representatives of Croatian Employers’ Association, from employers' side, are members of the Governing board of the Croatian Employment Service. Therefore, in that way they participate in the design, implementation and monitoring of the measure. Experience has shown that the work of mobile teams is successful if it is supported by trade unions. A consensus among the management and the trade union of the company in question is needed regarding the number of workers who are to find another job in the labour market or regarding the workers who need to be relocated to other positions within the same company.

Views and reactions

Social partners are fully aware of the importance of the mobile teams as a timely and effective active employment policy and always support its implementation.

Sources

• 01 July 2013: Croatian public employment service, 'Mobile teams of the Croatian employment service' (Mobilni timovi Hrvatskog zavoda za zapošljavanje) (www.hzz.hr)
• 30 May 2015: Croatian Employment Service, Yearbook 2014 (Godisnjak Hrvatskog zavoda za zapošljavanje 2014) (www.hzz.hr)
• 03 May 2016: Croatian Employment Service, Yearbook 2015 (Godisnjak Hrvatskog zavoda za zapošljavanje 2015) (www.hzz.hr)
• 03 May 2017: Godišnjak Hrvatskog zavoda za zapošljavanje (Yearly Report by the Croatian Employment Service), 2016 (www.hzz.hr)
• 07 May 2018: Croatian Employment Service, Yearbook 2016 (www.hzz.hr)
• 05 May 2020: Croatian Employment Service, Yearbook 2019 (www.hzz.hr)
• 07 June 2021: Godisnjak Hrvatskog zavoda za zaposljavanje (Yearly Report by the Croatian Employment Service), 2020 (www.hzz.hr)
• 23 March 2022: Mobilni timovi pomažu kod zapošljavanja izbjeglica iz Ukrajine (Mobile teams support the employment of refuges from Ukraine) (novac.jutarnji.hr)