Eurofound's COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the crisis, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Overview of measures by category
Cases in this category mainly relate to measures which ensure that employment is protected and maintained, at least in the short- to medium term through re-regulating temporary dismissals. It includes employment protection schemes for workers, such as short-time work, partial unemployment or other wage subsidy schemes, changes to dismissal and employment protection legislation, adaptations of working time arrangements, and measures to promote the employability of the workforce in downtimes. It also includes examples of collective agreements which aim at protecting and retaining employment, as well as some selected company examples on how such schemes are applied.
Overall, Eurofound has identified 112 measures in 27 countries for this category.
28 December 2020 |
First aid Plus Measure 3: Support to employers retaining jobs
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
19 December 2020 |
First Aid Plus - Measure 6 (Employment support at preschools during pandemic)
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 December 2020 |
First aid Plus - Measure 1: Support for employers of compulsorily closed enterprises
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
03 December 2020 Updated |
Wage support for the catering and recreation sectors
Hungary, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
01 December 2020 Updated |
Kurzarbeit: New short working time adopted
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
30 November 2020 |
Agreement on maintenance of employment in Continental Matador Company
Slovakia, Company practices |
30 November 2020 |
COVID-19 recovery agreement for pilots at Aer Lingus
Ireland, Company practices |
04 November 2020 |
Benefits for employees
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
03 November 2020 |
Technical unemployment benefit in case of epidemiological investigation
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
29 October 2020 |
Joint social partner proposal for measures to face the coronavirus crisis
Spain, Non-binding recommendations or other texts |
29 October 2020 |
Commission issues first emission of EU SURE social bonds
European Union, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
27 October 2020 |
Trade unions’ joint positions on COVID-19 measures
Hungary, Non-binding recommendations or other texts |
10 October 2020 |
Reimbursement of the monthly crisis allowance for people with disabilities working in social enterprises
Slovenia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 October 2020 Updated |
New temporary tripartite agreement on work sharing
Denmark, Tripartite agreements |
03 October 2020 Updated |
The new Jobs Support Scheme
United Kingdom, Other initiatives or policies |
02 October 2020 |
Expansion and increase of the job security allowance and wage allowance
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
24 September 2020 |
Agreement relating to the setting up of a specific partial activity system within the Bosch France group
France, Bipartite collective agreements |
18 September 2020 Updated |
New wage subsidy scheme (EWSS) is less generous, but fiscally more sustainable
Ireland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 September 2020 |
Anti-crisis shield: Wage subsidies for employees with disabilities
Poland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 September 2020 Updated |
Extension of temporary unemployment due to force majeure for specific sectors and companies in trouble
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
05 September 2020 |
Creation of a new instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE)
European Union, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
26 August 2020 Updated |
Measures for tourism and hospitality
Croatia, Bipartite collective agreements |
04 August 2020 |
Long term short-working scheme
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 July 2020 |
Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS)
Ireland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 July 2020 |
Measures for maintaining employment in transport and tourism
Bulgaria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 |
Support measures regarding seasonal employees
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 |
'SYNERGASIA': Income support for employees working fewer hours
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
05 July 2020 |
Support to employers in keeping the workplaces
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 July 2020 |
Subsidies for older employees in companies that have announced downtime
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 July 2020 Updated |
Subsidies for short-time work
Slovenia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
29 June 2020 Updated |
Special support schemes for workers and businesses
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
26 June 2020 Updated |
Co-financing of wages for reduced working hours (SURE implementation)
Croatia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
31 May 2020 Updated |
Support to self-employed - First aid Measure 2
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
31 May 2020 Updated |
Wage support for companies
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
14 May 2020 Updated |
Additional support for the service voucher sector
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 May 2020 |
Social and solidarity agreement, protecting the health of the employees and the company of the PSA Group
France, Bipartite collective agreements |
23 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme
Ireland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary emergency measure for the preservation of jobs
Netherlands, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 April 2020 |
Metalworking national agreement on the organisation of work to deal with the COVID-19 epidemic
France, Bipartite collective agreements |
21 April 2020 |
Company-level agreement at Daher group to cope with COVID-19 crisis
France, Bipartite collective agreements |
20 April 2020 |
Extension of short-time work to new categories of workers
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 April 2020 |
Collective corona-protection agreement on short-time working in system catering
Germany, Bipartite collective agreements |
16 April 2020 |
State pays part of the Easter bonus for employees with suspended employment contracts
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 April 2020 |
Audiovisual sector: First collective agreement on short-time working
Germany, Bipartite collective agreements |
15 April 2020 |
Agreement on the anticipation by banks of wage subsidies measures ex-COVID-19
Italy, Other initiatives or policies |
15 April 2020 Updated |
Wage support programme for job retention - Kurzarbeit with training obligation
Hungary, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 April 2020 Updated |
Tripartite agreement on wage compensation in the private sector
Denmark, Tripartite agreements |
15 April 2020 |
First collective agreement on short-time working for municipal workers
Germany, Bipartite collective agreements |
14 April 2020 |
Interruption of the calculation of the maximum duration of temporary contracts
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
14 April 2020 |
Measures to speed up the processing and payment of unemployment benefits
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Short-time work allowance
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 |
Unemployment benefit guarantee in case of temporary collective dismissal or reduced working time
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 |
Flexibilisation of temporary adjustment of business activities to avoid layoffs
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Easier access to short-time work
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Anti-crisis shield: Employment protection and wage subsidies
Poland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 |
Tourism company Valamar sets up the employment retention programme 'Pause, Restart'
Croatia, Company practices |
12 April 2020 |
Government support to assist the sports sector in wage payments
Croatia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19: Income support for workers
Bulgaria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 April 2020 Updated |
Short-time working
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 April 2020 Updated |
Antivirus employment retention programme
Czechia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 Updated |
New agreement on partial unemployment establishes minimum social wage for unskilled worker as new compensation floor
Luxembourg, Bipartite collective agreements |
09 April 2020 |
Metal and electrical sector: Social partners settle crisis agreement
Germany, Bipartite collective agreements |
09 April 2020 Updated |
Ordinary wage guarantees and new regulation of the exceptional wage guarantee fund
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 |
Chemical sector: Collective agreement for getting through the COVID-19 pandemic
Germany, Bipartite collective agreements |
08 April 2020 Updated |
Extension of temporary unemployment due to force majeure
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2020 |
Indemnity for technical unemployment
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2020 Updated |
Support for preservation of jobs in sectors affected by COVID-19
Croatia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2020 |
Special scheme for partial suspension of business
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2020 Updated |
Special scheme for complete suspension of business
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary subsidy programme
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Wage subsidies for companies declaring idle time due to quarantine/emergency situation
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Measures for short-time working in cases of force majeure related to the Coronavirus
Luxembourg, Tripartite agreements |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Idle-time allowance for employees
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Broadening active labour market policy programmes - supporting job retention
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
03 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 wage supplement
Malta, Tripartite agreements |
31 March 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 short-time work scheme
Austria, Tripartite agreements |
31 March 2020 |
Danone guarantees jobs and salaries to all its employees for 3 months
France, Company practices |
31 March 2020 |
Emergency measures relating to short-time working
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
31 March 2020 Updated |
Coronavirus job retention scheme
United Kingdom, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 February 2021 |
Fourth tripartite agreement in defense of employment
Spain, Tripartite agreements |
14 January 2021 |
Wage subsidy for short time employees
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
14 January 2021 |
Idle-time allowance for self employed (re-introduced)
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 January 2021 |
Idle-time allowance for employees (re-introduced)
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 January 2021 |
Supporting unpaid workers
Bulgaria, Tripartite agreements |
06 January 2021 |
New dispositions on partial unemployment
Luxembourg, Tripartite agreements |
05 January 2021 |
Recovery and solidarity fund for businesses
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
04 January 2021 |
Compensation of employment costs in the Ida-Virumaa region
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
30 December 2020 |
Social partners address economic challenges: central government
Poland, Other initiatives or policies |
26 November 2020 |
Airbus: Two agreements to adapt its workforce without forced departures
France, Bipartite collective agreements |
25 November 2020 |
Agreement for maintenance of employment in Inditex
Spain, Bipartite collective agreements |
02 February 2021 |
The new annual programme of Public Employment Services Network
European Union, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process. All information is preliminary and subject to change.