European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
15-12, 15-5, 17-4
Dismissals can be tried in court in order to be ruled invalid. If a dismissal is in contravention of the Working Environment Act, the court shall, if so demanded by the employee, rule the dismissal invalid. In special cases, and if so demanded by the employer, the court may decide that the employment shall be terminated if, after weighing the interests of the parties, the court finds it clearly unreasonable that employment should continue. This is seen as a safety valve, and could for instance be used in cases where the employee is to blame for the situation, for instance by having been active in developing a conflict with the manager .
An employee might also claim compensation. The amount is set by the court on basis of financial loss, circumstances relating to the employer and the employee, and other facts of the case.
Employees can take action through the courts following negotiation (for up to eight weeks, or six months if only compensation is claimed) with employees entitled to remain in their posts during this period. If the notice contains formal errors, is not given in writing or does not include the required information, the employee can initiate legal proceedings within four months. In such cases the notice shall be ruled invalid unless special circumstances make this clearly unreasonable.
There is no fixed compensation; compensation is awarded on the basis of case law.
Eurofound (2015), Norway: Effects of non-compliance with dismissal regulations, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/effects-of-non-compliance-with-dismissal-regulations/norway
Between the end of 2022 and the first half of 2023, almost 300,000 employees working for ‘big tech’ companies were laid off across the world, making headlines for months in global media. This development has been a shock, considering the high numbers of jobs in well-known tech corporations with a reputation for offering good working conditions and well-paid positions.
The retail banking sector is fertile ground for studying the impacts of digitalisation on work and employment. Financial services are increasingly provided online, without the intermediary of customer-facing institutions. Many banks in the sector have been undergoing serial restructuring since the global financial crisis, and it is one of the few service sectors with stagnant or declining employment.
Since 2011, the Restructuring support instruments database of the EU PolicyWatch has been collecting information on measures that assist companies and workers to anticipate and manage restructuring. This article looks at measures in the database aimed at supporting employees and employers during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022).
Eurofound’s European Restructuring Monitor database reveals the impact of the energy crisis on employment in the EU. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, energy prices have hit record highs. The European Commission imposed sanctions and limitations on the import of oil and gas from Russia, which has reacted by reneging on supply commitments to many Member States.
