Equal opportunities and access to the labour market
Education, gender equality, equal opportunities and active support to employment.
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Brussels, |
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European Social Policy
The 20 Principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights
A structured guide to the EU’s social rights framework: equal opportunities, fair working conditions, social protection and inclusion.
The European Pillar of Social Rights was presented by the European Commission on 26 April 2017 and proclaimed by EU leaders at the Social Summit in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017.
It sets out 20 key principles designed to support fair labour markets, inclusive welfare systems and better social standards across the European Union.
Fair working conditions
Secure employment, wages, labour rights, social dialogue, work-life balance and safe workplaces.
Social protection and inclusion
Childcare, social protection, pensions, healthcare, disability inclusion, housing and essential services.
Chapter I
Equal opportunities and access to the labour market
Education, training and life-long learning
Everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning to acquire the skills needed to participate fully in society and manage labour-market transitions.
Gender equality
Equality of treatment and opportunities between women and men must be ensured and fostered in all areas, including employment, working conditions, career progression and equal pay.
Equal opportunities
Everyone has the right to equal treatment and opportunities regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Active support to employment
Everyone has the right to timely and tailored assistance to improve employment or self-employment prospects, including job-search support, training and re-qualification.
Chapter II
Fair working conditions
Secure and adaptable employment
Workers have the right to fair and equal treatment regarding working conditions, access to social protection and training, regardless of the type and duration of employment.
Wages
Workers have the right to fair wages that provide a decent standard of living, while minimum wages should help prevent in-work poverty.
Employment conditions and dismissals
Workers have the right to be informed in writing about their employment rights and obligations and to receive protection in case of dismissal.
Social dialogue and worker involvement
Social partners should be consulted on economic, employment and social policies, and workers should be informed and consulted on relevant workplace matters.
Work-life balance
Parents and people with caring responsibilities have the right to suitable leave, flexible working arrangements and access to care services.
Healthy, safe and adapted work environment
Workers have the right to high levels of health and safety protection, adapted working environments and personal data protection in employment.
Chapter III
Social protection and inclusion
Childcare and support to children
Children have the right to affordable, good-quality early childhood education and care, and protection from poverty.
Social protection
Workers and, under comparable conditions, the self-employed have the right to adequate social protection.
Unemployment benefits
The unemployed have the right to adequate activation support from public employment services and unemployment benefits of reasonable duration.
Minimum income
Everyone lacking sufficient resources has the right to adequate minimum income benefits ensuring life in dignity.
Old age income and pensions
Workers and the self-employed in retirement have the right to a pension ensuring adequate income.
Health care
Everyone has the right to timely access to affordable, preventive and curative health care of good quality.
Inclusion of people with disabilities
People with disabilities have the right to income support, services enabling participation in society and adapted work environments.
Long-term care
Everyone has the right to affordable, good-quality long-term care services, especially home-care and community-based services.
Housing and assistance for the homeless
Access to social housing, housing assistance, protection against forced eviction and shelter for homeless people should be provided.
Access to essential services
Everyone has the right to access essential services such as water, sanitation, energy, transport, financial services and digital communications.
eEuropa Social Pillar resources
Continue exploring the European Pillar of Social Rights
Move from the list of principles to eEuropa’s Action Plan page, the European Pillar overview and the Social Policy Hub.
The Pillar of Social Rights has been presented on 26 April 2017. EU leaders proclaimed the Pillar at the Social Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 17 November 2017.
The today work of the EU Institutions is to implement al 20 Principles.
The today work of the EU Institutions is to implement al 20 Principles.
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The EU Social Pillar has 20 key objectives, structured around 3 categories:
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3. Equal opportunities
The EU will act in order that, regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, everyone has the right to equal treatment and opportunities regarding employment, social protection, education, and access to goods and services available to the public.
Equal opportunities of under-represented groups shall be fostered.
4. Active support to employment
The EU want that everyone has the right to timely and tailor-made assistance to improve employment or self-employment prospects. This includes the right to receive support for job search, training and re-qualification. Everyone has the right to transfer social protection and training entitlements during professional transitions.
Young people have the right to continued education, apprenticeship, traineeship or a job offer of good standing within 4 months of becoming unemployed or leaving education.
People unemployed have the right to personalised, continuous and consistent support. The long-term unemployed have the right to an in-depth individual assessment at the latest at 18 months of unemployment.
The EU will act in order that, regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, everyone has the right to equal treatment and opportunities regarding employment, social protection, education, and access to goods and services available to the public.
Equal opportunities of under-represented groups shall be fostered.
4. Active support to employment
The EU want that everyone has the right to timely and tailor-made assistance to improve employment or self-employment prospects. This includes the right to receive support for job search, training and re-qualification. Everyone has the right to transfer social protection and training entitlements during professional transitions.
Young people have the right to continued education, apprenticeship, traineeship or a job offer of good standing within 4 months of becoming unemployed or leaving education.
People unemployed have the right to personalised, continuous and consistent support. The long-term unemployed have the right to an in-depth individual assessment at the latest at 18 months of unemployment.
Chapter II: Fair working conditions
5. Secure and adaptable employment
Regardless of the type and duration of the employment relationship, workers have the right to fair and equal treatment regarding working conditions, access to social protection and training. The transition towards open-ended forms of employment shall be fostered.
In accordance with legislation and collective agreements, the necessary flexibility for employers to adapt swiftly to changes in the economic context shall be ensured.
Innovative forms of work that ensure quality working conditions shall be fostered. Entrepreneurship and self-employment shall be encouraged. Occupational mobility shall be facilitated.
Employment relationships that lead to precarious working conditions shall be prevented, including by prohibiting abuse of atypical contracts. Any probation period should be of reasonable duration.
6. Wages
Workers have the right to fair wages that provide for a decent standard of living.
Adequate minimum wages shall be ensured, in a way that provide for the satisfaction of the needs of the worker and his / her family in the light of national economic and social conditions, whilst safeguarding access to employment and incentives to seek work. In-work poverty shall be prevented.
All wages shall be set in a transparent and predictable way according to national practices and respecting the autonomy of the social partners.
7. Information about employment conditions and protection in case of dismissals
Workers have the right to be informed in writing at the start of employment about their rights and obligations resulting from the employment relationship, including on probation period.
Prior to any dismissal, workers have the right to be informed of the reasons and be granted a reasonable period of notice. They have the right to access to effective and impartial dispute resolution and, in case of unjustified dismissal, a right to redress, including adequate compensation.
8. Social dialogue and involvement of workers
The social partners shall be consulted on the design and implementation of economic, employment and social policies according to national practices. They shall be encouraged to negotiate and conclude collective agreements in matters relevant to them, while respecting their autonomy and the right to collective action. Where appropriate, agreements concluded between the social partners shall be implemented at the level of the Union and its Member States.
Workers or their representatives have the right to be informed and consulted in good time on matters relevant to them, in particular on the transfer, restructuring and merger of undertakings and on collective redundancies.
Support for increased capacity of social partners to promote social dialogue shall be encouraged.
9. Work-life balance
Parents and people with caring responsibilities have the right to suitable leave, flexible working arrangements and access to care services. Women and men shall have equal access to special leaves of absence in order to fulfil their caring responsibilities and be encouraged to use them in a balanced way.
10. Healthy, safe and well-adapted work environment and data protection
Workers have the right to a high level of protection of their health and safety at work.
Workers have the right to a working environment adapted to their professional needs and which enables them to prolong their participation in the labour market.
Workers have the right to have their personal data protected in the employment context.
Regardless of the type and duration of the employment relationship, workers have the right to fair and equal treatment regarding working conditions, access to social protection and training. The transition towards open-ended forms of employment shall be fostered.
In accordance with legislation and collective agreements, the necessary flexibility for employers to adapt swiftly to changes in the economic context shall be ensured.
Innovative forms of work that ensure quality working conditions shall be fostered. Entrepreneurship and self-employment shall be encouraged. Occupational mobility shall be facilitated.
Employment relationships that lead to precarious working conditions shall be prevented, including by prohibiting abuse of atypical contracts. Any probation period should be of reasonable duration.
6. Wages
Workers have the right to fair wages that provide for a decent standard of living.
Adequate minimum wages shall be ensured, in a way that provide for the satisfaction of the needs of the worker and his / her family in the light of national economic and social conditions, whilst safeguarding access to employment and incentives to seek work. In-work poverty shall be prevented.
All wages shall be set in a transparent and predictable way according to national practices and respecting the autonomy of the social partners.
7. Information about employment conditions and protection in case of dismissals
Workers have the right to be informed in writing at the start of employment about their rights and obligations resulting from the employment relationship, including on probation period.
Prior to any dismissal, workers have the right to be informed of the reasons and be granted a reasonable period of notice. They have the right to access to effective and impartial dispute resolution and, in case of unjustified dismissal, a right to redress, including adequate compensation.
8. Social dialogue and involvement of workers
The social partners shall be consulted on the design and implementation of economic, employment and social policies according to national practices. They shall be encouraged to negotiate and conclude collective agreements in matters relevant to them, while respecting their autonomy and the right to collective action. Where appropriate, agreements concluded between the social partners shall be implemented at the level of the Union and its Member States.
Workers or their representatives have the right to be informed and consulted in good time on matters relevant to them, in particular on the transfer, restructuring and merger of undertakings and on collective redundancies.
Support for increased capacity of social partners to promote social dialogue shall be encouraged.
9. Work-life balance
Parents and people with caring responsibilities have the right to suitable leave, flexible working arrangements and access to care services. Women and men shall have equal access to special leaves of absence in order to fulfil their caring responsibilities and be encouraged to use them in a balanced way.
10. Healthy, safe and well-adapted work environment and data protection
Workers have the right to a high level of protection of their health and safety at work.
Workers have the right to a working environment adapted to their professional needs and which enables them to prolong their participation in the labour market.
Workers have the right to have their personal data protected in the employment context.
Chapter III: Social protection and inclusion
11. Childcare and support to children
Children have the right to affordable early childhood education and care of good quality.
Children have the right to protection from poverty. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds have the right to specific measures to enhance equal opportunities.
12. Social protection
Regardless of the type and duration of their employment relationship, workers, and, under comparable conditions, the self-employed, have the right to adequate social protection.
13. Unemployment benefits
The unemployed have the right to adequate activation support from public employment services to (re)integrate in the labour market and adequate unemployment benefits of reasonable duration, in line with their contributions and national eligibility rules. Such benefits shall not constitute a disincentive for a quick return to employment.
14. Minimum income
Everyone lacking sufficient resources has the right to adequate minimum income benefits ensuring a life in dignity at all stages of life, and effective access to enabling goods and services. For those who can work, minimum income benefits should be combined with incentives to (re)integrate into the labour market.
15. Old age income and pensions
Workers and the self-employed in retirement have the right to a pension commensurate to their contributions and ensuring an adequate income. Women and men shall have equal opportunities to acquire pension rights.
Everyone in old age has the right to resources that ensure living in dignity.
16. Health care
Everyone has the right to timely access to affordable, preventive and curative health care of good quality.
17. Inclusion of people with disabilities
People with disabilities have the right to income support that ensures living in dignity, services that enable them to participate in the labour market and in society, and a work environment adapted to their needs.
18. Long-term care
Everyone has the right to affordable long-term care services of good quality, in particular home-care and community-based services.
19. Housing and assistance for the homeless
a. Access to social housing or housing assistance of good quality shall be provided for those in need.
b. Vulnerable people have the right to appropriate assistance and protection against forced eviction.
c. Adequate shelter and services shall be provided to the homeless in order to promote their social inclusion.
20. Access to essential services
Everyone has the right to access essential services of good quality, including water, sanitation, energy, transport, financial services and digital communications. Support for access to such services shall be available for those in need.
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