European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level responses

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

COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch currently contains 1091 measures introduced by governments and social partners to cushion the social and economic effects on businesses, workers and citizens.

Use the side navigation to find measures by country, type of measure, category, or target group.

Categories

Target groups

The database indicates for each measure to which target groups it applies, broadly differentiating between workers, businesses and citizens.

The database contains 42 specific target groups, including for example:

Recently updated measures

Baden-Württemberg: Emergency aid for businesses with up to 50 employees

The Ministry of Economics, Labour and Housing Baden-Württemberg has launched an emergency aid program: Commercial companies, social enterprises and members of the liberal professions who are in an exi...

Germany | 09 April 2021

Recommendation for a gradual relaunch of work - focus on office routine

In order to support the gradual relaunch of the work following the lock-down phase during March and April, the Austrian Ministry of Interior has published recommendations how to organise the return to...

Austria | 08 April 2021

COVID-19 wage supplement

This measure provides employees with a basic wage cover in view of the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic to certain industries. Funds are forwarded to employers who are in turn obliged to forwar...

Malta | 07 April 2021

Involvement of social partners in legislation

Eurofound identified 676 legislations and other statutory regulations, 410 of which have been created entirely new in the context of COVID-19. This section gives an overview of social partner's involvement in designing and implementing these measures.

Role of employers' organisations in designing the measure

  • In 362 measures, employers' organisations were involved:
  • In 186 measures, there was no involvement;
  • For the 128 remaining measures the involvement is unknown, or they were considered as being out of the social partner's domain.

Role of trade unions in designing the measure

  • In 338 measures, trade unions were involved:
  • In 190 measures, there was no involvement;
  • For the 148 remaining measures the involvement is unknown, or they were considered as being out of the social partner's domain.

Implementation, monitoring and assessment phase

  • In 104 measures, social partners were involved:
  • In the remaining 572 measures, there was no involvement or the involvement is unknown.

    • Exceptional aid for the recruitment of young peoples

      Introduced as part of the "One young person, one solution" plan, the aid for hiring young people under the age of 26 has been available since 1 August 2020. This scheme allows the employer to benefit ...

      France | 08 April 2021

      Offset of additional corona-related income against pension removed

      On 24 February 2021 the Danish Government concluded an agreement, which ensures that additional corona-related work taken on by retirees and/or their spouse/live-in partner is not set off against thei...

      Denmark | 23 March 2021

      Partial reimbursement of the minimum wage increase

      The Act Amending the Minimum Wage Act (ZMinP-B), entered into force on 1 January 2021, brought about a new formula for the minimum wage, a 20% increase above the minimum living costs. Consequently, th...

      Slovenia | 22 February 2021

Collective agreements

The COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch database contains 95 collective agreements. Most of them were identified in France and the most commonly found provisions relate to employment retention, income protection, and health and safety.

Contents

21 agreements additionally contain other provisions not mentioned above.

    • Fourth tripartite agreement in defense of employment

      On 19 January 2021, the IV Social Agreement in Defense of Employment was reached, whose content reflects precisely the trust between social partners and the government in the measures that, since 1 Oc...

      Spain | 09 February 2021

      Collective agreement signed in the police sector

      On 7 December 2020, the Enforcement Officers Federation of Lithuania (LTPF) and police trade unions represented by it signed a sectoral collective agreement with the Police Department (PD). The collec...

      Lithuania | 12 January 2021

      Supporting unpaid workers

      The state will pay for no more than 60 days compensation to workers who are on unpaid leave for businesses closed by order. If the working day lasts for 8 hours, the employee will receive €12 per day ...

      Bulgaria | 08 January 2021

Social partner initiatives

The COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch database contains 68 social partner initiatives. Most of them were identified in United Kingdom and belong to the category Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace.

Main themes

Company practices

The COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch database contains 139 company practices. Most of them were identified in Germany and the most commonly found provisions relate to health and safety, work organisation, and telework.

Contents

35 company practices additionally contain other provisions not mentioned above.

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process. All information is preliminary and subject to change.