The PERHOUSE seeks to improve working conditions and personal and household services through industrial relations in Central European countries.
The PERHOUSE project seeks to analyse the current characteristics and challenges related to service provision and working conditions in the personal and household services (PHS) sectors in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries
Demand for PHS has been increasing within the broader trend of de-institutionalising the care sector due to the lack of available services in integrated care and non-care services.
Understanding and strengthening the role of industrial relations would improve the working conditions in the PHS sector in CEE countries.
It would also help systematise the workplace fundamental definitions and set benchmarks for the quality of services, working conditions, and access to care and non-care services provided in home settings.
In turn, regularisation of the sector would facilitate integration into broader industrial relations structures for seeking multiplier effects on the provision of care and non-care-oriented services by public and private providers, would contribute to tackling the high share of undeclared work in the sector and to providing decent working conditions to PHS workers.
The project has a strong regional focus on CEE. It will be carried out at the EU level and in 12 countries: Poland, Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.
Data will be collected via surveys and qualitative interviews both at the national and EU levels, processed in the form of research reports and policy briefs, and innovative dissemination materials, including audio-visual tools and exchanges among social partners and other EU-level and EU-level national- level stakeholders via project meetings and workshops.
The general objective is the explore industrial relations to improve the working conditions and services in the PHS sector of CEE countries.
There are three main targets groups in the project: domestic workers, social partners and service receivers.
The total duration of the project is 24 months, starting from August 2022 until August 2024.
Additionally, the project counts with different associated partners:
National reports for six Central and Eastern European countries
These reports provide information of the main characteristics and challenges of the PHS sector in their respective countries. The reports also provide policy recommendations to improve working conditions and social dialogue in the country.
Read the full reports here:
Comparative report on industrial relations across the 12 CEE countries
The report addresses the similarities and differences of the social dialogue of the sector across 12 CEE countries: Poland, Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. The report also identifies common challenges including the underfunding of the sector, high levels of undeclared work, low wages and low investment for public services.
Read the European Comparative Report here.
Read the EU policy briefing on Social Dialogue in CEE here.
Informative videos:
The key messages of the reports have been summarised in several videos available here:
PERHOUSE Social Dialogue in PHS in Central and Eastern European Countries – Comparative video
PERHOUSE North Macedonia Video
Final Conference
The materials of the PERHOUSE project were presented during the project’s final conference. Hosted online speakers and participations shared their different PHS of using and working in PHS and identified what is needed to improve working conditions and industrial relations in the sector.
The agenda and the presentation are available here.
To find all of the PERHOUSE resources, click here.
A social Europe that works for every home