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in the development of better social, employment and
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EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

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.

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Overview of measures by type

Tripartite agreements

Austria

Employment protection and retention
31 March 2020 Updated	COVID-19 short-time work scheme Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work)

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Bulgaria

Employment protection and retention
08 January 2021 Updated	Supporting unpaid workers Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work)
Ensuring business continuity and support for essential services
10 September 2020 Updated	COVID-19: Assistance for frontline workers in health care services Remuneration and rewards for workers in essential services
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
10 September 2020 Updated	Support for medium-sized enterprises Measures to support a gradual relaunch of work
16 July 2020 Updated	Measure: 'Employment for you': subsidised employment for hiring unemployed Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.)

View all cases in Bulgaria

Denmark

Employment protection and retention
06 October 2020 Updated	New temporary tripartite agreement on work sharing Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work)
15 April 2020 Updated	Tripartite agreement on wage compensation in the private sector Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work)
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
12 October 2021	New wage subsidy scheme for apprentices, students, and companies Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.)
Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
10 January 2022	Tripartite agreement and Act allowing companies to require corona passports and self-testing Occupational health and safety

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Germany

Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
02 October 2020	Guidelines for the support of people with special needs Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.)
15 September 2020	Pact for German Rail Support for spending, stimulus packages

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Ireland

Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
24 July 2020 Updated	Return to Work Safely Protocol Occupational health and safety

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Italy

Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
12 April 2021	Updated measures for preventing contagion in workplaces Occupational health and safety
12 April 2021	Protocol for vaccination in the workplace Well-being of workers

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Luxembourg

Employment protection and retention
06 January 2021 Updated	New dispositions on partial unemployment Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work)
Ensuring business continuity and support for essential services
30 November 2020	Tripartite agreement in the aviation sector foresees redeployment and early retirement of workers Smoothing frictions or reallocation of workers
10 November 2020	Temporary employee-sharing between LUXAIR and other firms Smoothing frictions or reallocation of workers
Measures to prevent social hardship
13 May 2022	Adjustment of the rent subsidy Keeping or obtaining a safe home
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
30 November 2020 Updated	Unions want to speed up tripartite national social dialogue Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.)
15 May 2022	Subsidy for costs of electricity and gas for high-energy intensive companies Responses to inflation
14 September 2020	Negotiations by the Tripartite coordination committee on the COVID-19 crisis Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.)
Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
06 November 2020	New regulation on a series of occupational health and safety measures in the fight against COVID-19 Occupational health and safety

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Malta

Employment protection and retention
03 April 2020 Updated	COVID-19 wage supplement Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work)

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Portugal

Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
13 August 2020	Tripartite Declaration of Commitment to jointly promote the economic and social recovery Other

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Slovenia

Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
08 October 2021	The obstruction of the tripartite social dialogue Other

View all cases in Slovenia

Spain

Employment protection and retention
09 February 2021	Fourth tripartite agreement in defense of employment Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work)
11 October 2021	VI Social Agreement in Defense of Employment Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work)
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
01 November 2020	Tripartite Social Dialogue Agreement in Cantabria in the face of COVID-19 Support for spending, stimulus packages
08 August 2021	Regional Pact of Social Dialogue for the Economic and Social Reactivation of the Region of Murcia Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.)
30 October 2020	Extraordinary plan for the economic recovery of Castilla-La Mancha due to the COVID-19 crisis Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.)
30 October 2020	Agreement for the Social and Economic Reactivation of Andalusia Support for spending, stimulus packages
06 July 2020	Tripartite agreement for economic reactivation and employment Other
05 June 2020	Tripartite agreement to extend the special unemployment protection scheme associated to temporary collective redundancy or short-time work regulation Flexibilisation and security
Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
02 October 2020	Tripartite agreement for the prevention of occupational hazards in the Madrid Region Occupational health and safety

View all cases in Spain

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

19 May 2022

Working life in the COVID-19 pandemic 2021

This publication consists of individual country reports on working life during 2021 for 28 countries (the 27 EU Member States and Norway).

24 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

COVID-19 in the workplace: Employer's responsibility to ensure a safe workplace

Throughout 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, specific occupational health and safety rules were reintroduced due to increases in infection rates.

16 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.