Principle 7: Information about employment conditions and protection in case of dismissal - European Pillar of Social Rights Flashcard Tool

Principle 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."

- Principle 7 of the European Pillar of Social Rights

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Information about employment and dismissals as a determinant of health

We spend a large part of our lives at work, and while it is well known that bad working conditions or unemployment can harm our health, public health often overlooks how important it is to know and understand our rights at work. Having clear, written information about things like probation periods, notice, dismissal rules, and how to make complaints can help reduce stress, insecurity, and vulnerability at work.

When this information is unclear, hard to find, or not well explained, it especially harms people in insecure or low-paid jobs, such as young workers, migrants, or those in informal or temporary work. This can make existing health and mental health inequalities worse.

Informing all workers about their employment rights from their first day at work is essential for fair, healthy, and stable working lives. It also helps build better public health and a more inclusive economy focused on wellbeing.

Knowing your rights at work is not only about following the law—it is also important for protecting your health. Having clear and written information about job conditions can act as a public health measure. Workers need to understand their job duties, working hours, right to disconnect, pay schedule, social security benefits, probation and dismissal rules, and how to raise complaints. When workers have this information, they can better handle changes and challenges, improving their own and their families’ wellbeing. This helps prevent long-term stress that can damage both mental and physical health.

Workplaces that are secure and flexible can support good health. They not only prevent injuries or stress but also promote wellbeing. When job conditions fit workers’ needs and abilities, they can improve both health and productivity through fair pay, reliable hours and contracts, family-friendly policies, and access to social protection.

On the other hand, insecure work and unstable income can seriously harm health and increase the risk of poverty and social exclusion, especially for people already facing disadvantages in the labour market.

The WHO 2025 World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity reaffirms that the working conditions—such as job stability, decent contracts, clear terms, and access to social protection—are key factors affecting health. The report stresses that transparent and predictable work conditions reduce stress, financial insecurity, and mental health problems. It also shows that access to good jobs and reliable information is uneven—many workers in informal, temporary, or low-paid jobs do not receive written contracts or understand their rights, which increases inequality and mental health risks.

When workers lack information or find it hard to understand, they often face job insecurity, financial worries, tiredness, and disengagement. Studies show that job insecurity increases the risk of mental health problems and stress-related illnesses by 33–39%. It can also lead to depression, burnout, heart disease, injuries, and unhealthy habits—especially in places where health care is hard to access. In contrast, informed and stable employment can reduce serious psychological distress by up to 26% and improve wellbeing and productivity.

Workers who have little control over their jobs, unclear expectations, or are always 'on call' experience much higher levels of stress and mental health problems. Many cannot leave or change jobs, especially those in low-paid or insecure work.

Employees without written contracts are two to three times more likely to face sudden job loss or experience in-work poverty. Nearly 30% of minimum wage workers in the EU struggle to make ends meet—twice as many as higher-income workers—with figures above 50% in Croatia and over 90% in Greece. Those in precarious jobs earn around 15% less on average and face greater health risks.

In today’s digital world, technology is increasingly blurring the boundaries between work and personal life. The average person in the EU spends about 6–7 hours online each day, and over 90% of employees use digital tools at work. Around 8 in 10 European workers say they receive work-related messages or emails outside of their regular working hours. As notifications, emails, and online meetings continue beyond the workday, many people feel they must always be 'digitally present,' leaving little time for rest or recovery.

This issue is especially serious in fields such as healthcare, education, finance, technology, and social services, where being available after hours has become an unspoken expectation. It affects women, young professionals, platform workers, and migrants the most—groups that already face unstable work conditions. The problem is even greater in emotionally demanding jobs, where being reachable can feel like part of one’s professional duty. Workers with low control but high responsibility—such as junior staff, part-time employees, frontline carers, or gig workers—often cannot set digital boundaries unless clear and enforceable rules are in place. Voluntary guidelines or “codes of conduct” are rarely enough unless they are backed by law.

Without a right to disconnect, many workers experience ongoing stress and 'digital presenteeism'—the pressure to always be online. The health effects are serious: 33% of workers report burnout or anxiety, 41% suffer from headaches, and others experience sleep problems, heart disease, reduced self-care, and strained family relationships. In sectors where boundaries are unclear, 45% of employees say after-hours calls or emails harm their wellbeing and work–life balance, especially among women and workers aged 25–39. According to WHO and ILO estimates, long working hours cause over 745,000 deaths every year from stroke and heart disease, making overwork one of the world’s biggest job-related health risks. Yet only 9 EU countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Croatia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, and Slovenia) have clear rules for monitoring remote working hours.

To tackle this, more countries are adopting the 'right to disconnect'—the legal and cultural right to ignore work communications outside official hours. As of 2025, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Slovakia, Portugal, Greece, Luxembourg, and Slovenia have introduced this right into national law. These laws protect workers from constant digital demands and help restore healthy boundaries. Early results show that such policies maintain or even improve productivity, while increasing job satisfaction, mental health, and staff retention. Workers in companies with a right-to-disconnect policy are twice as likely to be highly satisfied with their jobs and report better work–life balance (92% vs. 80%).

Protecting the right to disconnect supports key social determinants of health, including fair working conditions, gender equality, and mental wellbeing. In an age of digital work and constant connectivity, ensuring this right is essential for mental health, fairness, and sustainable employment, particularly for younger and more vulnerable workers.

Healthcare is one of the largest employment sectors in Europe, making up about 11% of the EU workforce, and it continues to grow—by around 20% between 2008 and 2023. However, many health workers face unclear contracts, unpredictable schedules, and insecure jobs. This is especially common among nurses, midwives, support staff, home care workers, and those in temporary or agency positions.

When frontline staff do not have clear, written information about their rights, responsibilities, or benefits, it can cause high stress, anxiety, burnout, and even push them to leave the profession. This not only harms workers’ wellbeing but also weakens the healthcare system. For example, when there are too few nurses—meaning a higher patient-to-nurse ratio—rates of burnout, stress, and fatigue can rise by up to 178%, which increases the risk of mistakes and accidents. Health systems that ensure transparent and fair employment practices help both staff and patients—improving quality of care, trust, and system resilience.

Women, migrants, and younger professionals make up most of Europe’s health and care workforce and are disproportionately affected by poor working conditions. Around 78% of all health and care workers in the EU are women, and in long-term care this rises to nearly 90%. Over 80% of lower-status care roles are held by women. Migrants are also vital to the sector, representing 28% of personal care workers in the EU. During the COVID-19 pandemic, migrant workers were heavily represented in essential but low-paid roles, often without clear information about their rights or adequate job protection.

The European health and care workforce is also getting older. To maintain current service levels, the EU estimates that the number of doctors and nurses will need to increase by 30% and 33%, respectively, by 2071. Between 2012 and 2021, early- and mid-career entry into health and care jobs grew by 14%. It is especially important that these newer workers are informed about their rights and know how to protect themselves from risks that can harm their health.

Across Europe, one in three health and social care workers report poor mental health linked to difficult working conditions, such as long and unpredictable hours or insecure contracts. The WHO Working for Health Action Plan (2022–2030) identifies fair employment, job security, and workforce protection as key priorities. It highlights the importance of transparent and accessible information about working terms and rights to build trust, accountability, and informed decision-making among health workers. The COVID-19 pandemic showed how unclear job roles and insecure contracts worsened staff shortages and retention problems across healthcare systems.

About principle 7

What does the EPSR Action Plan say?

The EPSR Action Plan sets out several overarching goals for EU Member States for Principle 7:

Increase employment: By 2030, at least 78% of those aged 20-64 should be employed, focusing on young, female and low-skilled workers vulnerable to labour market shifts and economic shocks.
- At least half the gender employment gap compared to 2019 in order to progress on gender equality and achieve the employment target on for the entire working age population.
- Decrease the rate of young people neither in employment, nor in education or training (NEETs) aged 15-29 from 12.6% (2019) to 9% by improving their employment prospects.
Reduce poverty and social exclusion: By 2030, lift at least 15 million people (including 5 million children) out of poverty or exclusion through a life-course approach tackling its root causes.
Enhance digital skills: By 2030, at least 80% of those aged 16-74 should have basic digital skills, at least 60% of all adults should participate in training every year to ensure inclusion and participation in the labour market and digital society.
Ensuring the full participation of underrepresented groups, including older individuals, low-skilled workers, people with disabilities, and marginalised communities, in the labour market will foster more inclusive employment growth.

Where are we now?

Where are we now?

The Social Scoreboard measures progress on the Principles of the EPSR. In the EU in 2024:

Unemployment rate was 5.9% among the total EU population, with 9% of all unemployed long-term, while young people aged 15-29 not in employment, education or training (NEETs) stood at 11% (12.1% among young women vs 10% among young men)
EU female employment rate was 70.2% (against 80.4% for men), translating to a gender employment gap of 10%
The EU gender pay gap was 12.7
Disability employment gap of 24%
Basic or above basic digital skills among EU population aged 16-74 stood at 56%
9% of employed individuals were in-work poor, meaning earning an income that is below the poverty threshold, despite having a job
Transition from temporary to permanent contracts 36.3%

What are public health actors doing?

The following actions taken by public health actors at (sub)national level can support the implementation of EPSR principle 7.

What EU tools are out there?

EU tools that help implement Principle 7

There are EU policies and instruments that can help relevant actors in the field, including public health, to work together to achieve EPSR Principle 7.

More information about the EU institutions and programmes is available on EuroHealthNet's Health Inequalities Portal.

EU Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions EU Directive on Improving Working Conditions in Platforms Work EU Working Time Directive Employer Insolvency EU Pay Transparency Directive

EU Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions

The EU Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions strengthens protections for all workers, especially those in precarious or non-standard employment, including platform and domestic workers. It ensures access to clear information on working terms, limits probation periods, safeguards the right to take secondary employment, and introduces measures against exploitative practices like zero-hour contracts. From a public health perspective, these rights support more stable and secure employment—key social determinants of health—helping to reduce stress, income insecurity, and health inequalities across Europe.

The directive also contributes to gender equality by improving conditions in sectors where women are overrepresented in insecure or informal work. Its implementation is an opportunity for Member States to build fairer labour markets and healthier, more inclusive societies.

EU Directive on Improving Working Conditions in Platforms Work

This EU Directive is crucial for public health, as it tackles precarious employment conditions that contribute to stress, mental health challenges, and occupational health risks. Member States are expected to implement measures ensuring fair wages, social protections, and access to healthcare for platform workers. By clarifying employment status and extending social security rights, the directive improves access to preventive care and reduces the burden of untreated work-related health conditions.

As more platform workers gain formal protections, healthcare systems may see shifts in demand, requiring adaptations in service delivery to accommodate previously underserved workers. Ultimately, secure and dignified work conditions benefit not only platform workers but also public health systems and societal well-being.

EU Working Time Directive

The EU Working Time Directive sets minimum standards for working hours across all Member States to safeguard workers’ health, safety, and dignity. It guarantees core rights and appropriate information about their application, including a maximum 48-hour working week (on average), minimum daily and weekly rest periods, rest breaks during shifts, and at least four weeks of paid annual leave. Special protections are in place for night workers, including health assessments and limits on hazardous tasks.

From a public health perspective, the directive helps prevent chronic stress, burnout, and work-related illnesses, conditions that disproportionately affect low-income and precarious workers. Limiting excessive working hours and ensuring adequate rest promotes work–life balance, mental well-being, and social equity, especially in sectors where women, young people and migrant workers are overrepresented.

Its effective implementation is key to creating healthier, more resilient, and inclusive labour markets across the EU.

Employer Insolvency

EU Directive 2008/94/EC ensures that employees are protected if their employer becomes insolvent, by guaranteeing payment of outstanding wages and entitlements through national guarantee institutions. This reinforces Principle 7 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which affirms workers' right to clear information on working conditions and fair treatment in the event of dismissal or loss of employment.

From a public health perspective, this protection reduces the financial and mental health stress linked to sudden job loss—supporting income security, stability, and resilience, particularly for vulnerable workers. Safeguarding livelihoods in moments of crisis is essential for reducing health inequities and promoting social cohesion.

EU Pay Transparency Directive

The Pay Transparency Directive mandates equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between women and men, using transparency and enforcement to close the gap. It introduces binding measures to tackle pay discrimination, such as mandatory salary range disclosure in job postings, bans on asking applicants about past salaries, workers’ rights to request pay data disaggregated by sex for comparable roles, and compulsory reporting of gender pay gaps for large employers (250+ staff), triggering joint action if disparities exceed 5% without objective justification.

This framework empowers workers with clear, accessible information about pay structures and their rights, reinforcing transparency as a cornerstone of fair employment. The directive also improves access to justice for workers – they can claim full compensation for discrimination, lack of or concealed information. It also supports public health goals by addressing gender- and socio economic background background-related wage inequality, which contributes to economic insecurity and poverty – key social determinants of health, equity and well-being.

Read about EU funding and contact points

Available resources

For more supportive policy instruments on the topic, consult our other flashcards:

More information about the EU institutions and programmes is available on EuroHealthNet’s Health Inequalities Portal.

Have your say

Would you like to share promising policies or practices carried out by your public health institute, which support the implementation of this EPSR principle?

Feel free to reach out to our EuroHealthNet colleague Silvia Ganzerla.

What's next?

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Principle 7

Information about employment conditions and protection in case of dismissals

Information about employment and dismissals as a determinant of health

Information rights at work – a public health measure

The right to disconnect – protecting workers’ health in the digital age

Walking the talk: health systems as role models upholding the right to information, accountability for and transparency in employment conditions

What does the EPSR Action Plan say?

Where are we now?

What are public health actors doing?

Finland – Mental health at work programme and occupational health Toolkit

Bulgaria – Enforcing employment rights through occupational safety committees

Austria – Workplace health promotion: digital world of work and transition management

Germany – Volkswagen's tech-based after hours policies

Belgium – National strategy for wellbeing at work

Wales - A public health informed response to mass unemployment

EU tools that help implement Principle 7

Available resources

Available EU funding

Contact points for further assistance

Technical resources

Have your say

What's next?

About EuroHealthNet