Exploring the contribution of social dialogue and collective bargaining in the promotion of decent and productive telework in the post-Covid scenario (TWING)
Main funder
Funder's project number: 101052332
Funds granted by main funder (€)
- 70 154,50
Funding program
Project timetable
Project start date: 01/11/2022
Project end date: 31/10/2024
Summary
The unprecedented extension of telework as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19 gives rise to questions about the impact of this form of work organisation in the longer term, particularly because there are many reasons to believe that it will accelerate pre-existing trends towards the digitalisation of work and the increasing flexibility of work arrangements. Telework has traditionally been associated with increased savings to companies (costs associated with property, energy, water, etc), as well as losses to workers (costs related to energy, water, meal and transport subsidies). Relevantly, telework has also been associated to potential risks to the well-being and health of employees, mainly related to the pervasiveness of information and communications technology (ICT) (e.g., work overload, working long hours and informal overtime), blurring boundaries between work and private life, isolation and diverse ergonomic risks. Working outside the employer’s premises increases the complexity of risk assessment and the difficulties with enforcement of occupational safety and health (OSH) standards by both the company and/or workers’ representatives. This is an under-researched aspect which is likely to gain relevance in the coming years (Oakman et al. 2020).
The objective of the project is to analyse how the experience of extended telework, since the outbreak of the pandemic, has been addressed by social partners (trade unions), governemental (EU member states) and suprnational actors (EU). The project proposed aims to respond the following questions: How the experience of extended telework since the outbreak of the pandemic has been addressed in: 1. national social dialogue in selected countries; 2. collective bargaining in selected sectors and countries; 3. company collective bargaining and information and consultation practices in selected countries and sectors? and 4. which good practices of social dialogue at company level addressing the topic of telework since the outbreak of the pandemic can be identified?
The project will combine desk research analysing relevant literature, legislation and social partners’ documents and collective agreements, with qualitative fieldwork (semi-structured interviews and case studies). The results will be disseminated in form of national reports and a final joint report. An important part of the study comprises of exchange of knowledge and best practices in workshops and seminars with union activsts, companies and govrenemtnal actors.
Call: SOCPL-2021-IND-REL-Improving expertise in the field of industrial relations
The objective of the project is to analyse how the experience of extended telework, since the outbreak of the pandemic, has been addressed by social partners (trade unions), governemental (EU member states) and suprnational actors (EU). The project proposed aims to respond the following questions: How the experience of extended telework since the outbreak of the pandemic has been addressed in: 1. national social dialogue in selected countries; 2. collective bargaining in selected sectors and countries; 3. company collective bargaining and information and consultation practices in selected countries and sectors? and 4. which good practices of social dialogue at company level addressing the topic of telework since the outbreak of the pandemic can be identified?
The project will combine desk research analysing relevant literature, legislation and social partners’ documents and collective agreements, with qualitative fieldwork (semi-structured interviews and case studies). The results will be disseminated in form of national reports and a final joint report. An important part of the study comprises of exchange of knowledge and best practices in workshops and seminars with union activsts, companies and govrenemtnal actors.
Call: SOCPL-2021-IND-REL-Improving expertise in the field of industrial relations
