Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Overview of measures by target group – category: Workers
Eurofound has identified 95 measures for this target group. Most of these measures fall into the category Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery (48%).
Ensuring business continuity and support for essential services |
|
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27 November 2020 |
Temporary interventions in labour law
Slovenia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
26 October 2020 |
Care jobs for temporary unemployed
Belgium, Other initiatives or policies |
20 May 2022 |
Identifying Finnish companies to employ refugees
Finland, Other initiatives or policies |
20 May 2020 Updated |
Creating incentives for unemployed to work in horticulture and other essential services and flexibilisation of successive fixed-term contracts
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Removal of income ceiling for student aid to facilitate work in essential services
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 |
Temporary and exceptional support to the emergency reinforcement of public and solidary health and social care services
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Supporting businesses to stay afloat |
17 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary amendment to the regulation of layoffs
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Employment protection and retention |
29 June 2020 Updated |
Special support schemes for workers and businesses
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Income protection beyond short-time work |
13 November 2020 |
Unemployment benefit and extension of protection to the cultural sector
Spain, Other initiatives or policies |
28 October 2020 Updated |
Extension of unemployment benefits to self-employed
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 October 2021 |
Special support scheme for the unemployed in the hotel sector
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
29 July 2021 |
Discipline of the unemployment benefit
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 July 2020 |
Suspension of conditionality requirements for income support measures
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 July 2020 Updated |
Lump-sum payments for unemployed and children
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 July 2020 Updated |
Temporary job-search benefit for unemployed who would otherwise not be eligible to receive benefits
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 July 2020 Updated |
Exceptional unemployment benefits
Slovenia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 May 2020 Updated |
Suspension of the degressivity of unemployment benefits during the crisis
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
25 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment introduced
Ireland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
25 April 2020 Updated |
New compensation scheme for laid off apprentices
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary prolongation of the payment period during layoff
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Extension of expired or expiring unemployment benefit payments
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Financial support for suspended and dismissed employees
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Three months' suspension of eligibility criteria for long-term unemployment benefit holders
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 April 2020 Updated |
Increased access to unemployment benefits and sickness benefits
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Online application for unemployment benefit and top-up of emergency assistance
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Stricter rules on leave for family reasons in connection with the Coronavirus epidemic
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary reinforcement of unemployment insurance
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Temporarily shortened working requirement for unemployment benefit eligibility
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Cancellation of the unemployment allowance deductible period in the case of temporary layoff or dismissal
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
State-funded unemployment security during the waiting period
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 |
Extension of unemployment benefit entitlements for jobseekers
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19: Unemployed can take seasonal work in agriculture without loss of benefits
Bulgaria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2021 |
Further extension of the unemployment benefit period
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2020 Updated |
Extraordinary extension of unemployment benefit and social benefit
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Extension of the support period for unemployment benefit
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
04 April 2020 Updated |
Additional unemployed benefit
Malta, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
31 March 2020 Updated |
Extension of protection for unemployment benefits
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 January 2021 Updated |
Unemployment benefit for recent graduates
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Measures to prevent social hardship |
01 September 2020 |
Water and energy premium in case of temporary unemployment
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
01 June 2022 |
One-time inflation compensation payment for people in need
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 May 2022 |
One-time payment for receivers of unemployment and social assistance and unemployment benefits
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
11 May 2020 |
Automatic extension of unemployment benefits
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
26 April 2021 |
Assistance benefit for unemployed with expired unemployment benefit period
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Governmental GBP 500 million fund for council tax relief for people in need
United Kingdom, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 family hardship fund and family crisis fund
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 |
Mortgage debt moratorium
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 April 2020 Updated |
Extension of meal/eco/gift/sport/culture cheques
Belgium, Non-binding recommendations or other texts |
07 February 2021 |
“Alliance against COVID”: Joint action by the social partners GSEE and GSEVEE and the radio station Alpha989
Greece, Other initiatives or policies |
11 January 2021 Updated |
Easing access to basic income scheme
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery |
23 December 2020 |
Agreement on measures targeted at the long-term unemployed
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
30 November 2020 |
Special vocational educational scheme for the unemployed in public and broader public sector and NGOs
Cyprus, Other initiatives or policies |
26 October 2020 |
Subsidised employment: Incentives for companies to hire unemployed
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
24 October 2020 |
Programs to improve the employability of unemployed people
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 October 2020 |
Subsidy for 100,000 recruitments of unemployed
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 October 2021 Updated |
Springboard initiative for long-term unemployed
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 October 2021 |
Corona Job offensive
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
11 October 2021 |
Training and employment for youth and people with a guaranteed minimum income
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 October 2020 |
Supporting the labour market integration of young people - internships ATIVAR.PT
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 October 2020 |
Financial support for the hiring of young unemployed - Incentive ATIVAR.PT
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 October 2020 |
Wage subsidy in agriculture
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 October 2020 |
Internship ATIVAR.PT - Internships for unemployed persons with disability or impairment
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 October 2020 Updated |
Re-start bonus (combination wage allowance)
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
01 October 2020 Updated |
Wage support to re-employ previously laid off staff
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
28 September 2020 |
Employment reintegration contract for disadvantaged workers
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 September 2020 |
Support for self-employment of people with disabilities
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 September 2020 |
Tripartite educational programmes for the laid off and the unemployed
Norway, Other initiatives or policies |
08 September 2020 |
ATIVAR.PT Labour market integration internships
Portugal, Other initiatives or policies |
08 September 2020 |
Special vocational and educational schemes and subsidy of wage costs
Cyprus, Other initiatives or policies |
07 September 2020 |
Incentive ATIVAR.PT - Financial incentives to hire registered unemployed
Portugal, Other initiatives or policies |
24 August 2020 |
Employment grant to promote access to employment
Malta, Other initiatives or policies |
26 July 2021 |
Re-employment contract
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 July 2020 Updated |
Measure: 'Employment for you': subsidised employment for hiring unemployed
Bulgaria, Tripartite agreements |
13 July 2021 |
New Pathways to Work strategy as part of National Recovery Plan
Ireland, Other initiatives or policies |
13 July 2020 Updated |
Wage support for job creation/workforce support programme for companies (2021)
Hungary, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 Updated |
Increased unemployment benefit rate granted during education
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 July 2020 Updated |
Right to combine unemployment benefit with training
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
01 June 2021 Updated |
NL Keeps Learning: Training subsidy for the unemployed (NLLD - S)
Netherlands, Other initiatives or policies |
20 May 2022 |
Pathways to integration through economic activity for Ukrainian refugees
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 May 2022 |
Increase in social benefits to mitigate effects of increased cost of living
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 May 2022 |
Access to the labour market for Ukrainian refugees
Slovenia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
24 April 2021 |
Financial incentives to hire unemployed on an open-ended basis
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 April 2020 |
Guide to the COVID-19 'Job-VET-model'
Denmark, Non-binding recommendations or other texts |
16 April 2020 Updated |
More opportunities for VET
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 |
More places and more distance learning at higher education institutions for unemployed
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
More active labour market policy
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 |
Distance learning introduced for public training programmes
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2021 |
Assistance in hiring the unemployed
Bulgaria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2021 Updated |
DKK 50 million for the upskilling of unemployed from the mink industry
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
03 April 2020 Updated |
Extension of the employee re-employment obligation to nine months
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
11 March 2021 |
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities: A pilot to overhaul hiring processes in the wake of COVID
United Kingdom, Company practices |
02 February 2021 |
The new annual programme of Public Employment Services Network
European Union, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 January 2022 |
Governmental investments in green jobs
Sweden, Other initiatives or policies |
12 January 2022 |
New measures concerning re-employment contracts
Luxembourg, Other initiatives or policies |
12 January 2022 |
Measures on work placement
Luxembourg, Other initiatives or policies |
02 January 2021 Updated |
COVID-19 education bonus
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
19 May 2022
This publication consists of individual country reports on working life during 2021 for 28 countries (the 27 EU Member States and Norway).
Publication24 June 2020
COVID-19: Policy responses across Europe
This report aims to present an overview of both large-scale government measures and collective agreements that impact on large groups of workers.
16 June 2022
Throughout 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, specific occupational health and safety rules were reintroduced due to increases in infection rates.
Article16 June 2022
Back to work after COVID-19: Testing, vaccines and green certificates
In the second pandemic year 2021, access to one's place of work was increasingly dependent on providing proof of either having been tested, vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 in several countries.
Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.