Under the new rules, workers will have the right to greater predictability of their working conditions, for example in terms of task assignments and working time.
Today is the deadline for the transposition of the directive on transparent and predictable working conditions into the national law of EU member states. The directive provides more extensive and updated employment rights and protection to the 182 million workers in the EU.
Under the new rules, workers will have the right to greater predictability of their working conditions, for example in terms of task assignments and working time. They will also have the right to receive timely and more complete information about key aspects of their work, such as place of work and pay. This marks an important step towards a strong social Europe and helps turn the European Pillar of Social Rights into a tangible reality for citizens across the EU.
The Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Mr Nicolas Schmidt, said: “The directive on transparent and predictable working conditions is a direct response to the rapidly changing realities of our labor markets. People have the right to more complete information about their employment conditions and greater predictability in their daily lives. The new rules will help ensure quality jobs, give workers stability and allow them to plan their lives.”
Labor rights and protection are being expanded and updated in the new world of work
With the Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions, EU workers will have the right to:
- In fuller information about key aspects of their work, which must be received in a timely manner and in writing;
- In limiting the length of probationary periods to six months upon commencement of employment;
- Take another job at another employer; any restrictions on this right should be justified by objective reasons;
- Be told a reasonable amount of time in advance when the work will need to be done — especially for workers with unpredictable working hours and on-demand work;
- on effective measures to prevent the abuse of zero-hours contract labour;
- Receive a written response to a request for transfer to another safer job;
- To receive free compulsory job-related training where the employer has a duty to provide it.
An estimated 2 to 3 million additional workers in precarious and informal forms of employment, including part-time, temporary and contract work, will now have rights to information about their terms of employment and new protections, such as the right to greater predictability of their working time . At the same time, the Directive respects the flexibility of informal employment, thus maintaining its benefits for workers and employers.
The directive will also benefit employers by ensuring that worker protection remains in line with the latest developments in labor markets, reducing administrative barriers for employers, e.g. enabling the electronic provision of information, and creating a level playing field between employers in the EU, allowing fair competition based on the same minimum level of employment rights.
Next stages
Member States must have transposed the directive into their national law by today. At a later stage, the Commission will assess the completeness and compliance of the national measures notified by each Member State and will take action if and where necessary.
Record
The European Pillar of Social Rights mentions “secure and flexible employment” and “information about employment conditions and protection against dismissal” as key principles for fair working conditions. It states that employees have the right to be informed in writing at the beginning of their employment about their rights and obligations arising from the employment relationship, including the trial period.
The new directive on transparent and predictable working conditions (EU/2019/1152) replaces the written declaration directive (91/533/EEC), which has been in force since 1991 and gives workers starting a new job the right to they are informed in writing about the essential aspects of their employment relationship.
Today’s milestone will be followed by another major achievement under the European Pillar of Social Rights tomorrow. EU-wide rules to improve work-life balance for parents and carers introduced in 2019 will have to be transposed by member states into national law by 2 August 2022.
Athena Papakosta
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