IMPROVEMENT OF TRANSPARENCY AND PREDICTABILITY OF WORKING CONDITIONS

The European Commission, as part of the follow-up to the European Pillar of Social Rights, adopted a proposal in December 2017 in order to improve transparency and predictability of working conditions across the EU.

The prior consultations of social partners confirmed the need for more transparent and predictable working conditions in the EU. Given the fact that the working system is changing fast and the number of non-standard jobs and contracts are also growing, there are more and more people at risk of not being covered by basic rights (e.g. the right to know the terms under which they work) anymore.

The new proposal complements and modernises the existing obligations to inform each worker of his or her working conditions. Furthermore, it creates more predictability and clarity with its new minimum standards for all workers, including the aforementioned those on atypical contracts. In the meantime, the Commission introduces measures that ensure not to put administrative burden on employers (e.g. electronic notices).

The Commission estimates that 2-3 million additional workers on atypical contracts will be covered and protected by the proposal compared to the existing legislation.