Digital technologies are fundamentally transforming how public services are designed and delivered. This article zooms in on the implementation of digital inclusion strategies among European ISSA member institutions.
Human Resource Management in Social Security Administration
While social security administrations have gradually pursued digital strategies over the past decades, the COVID-19 crisis accelerated their digital transformation journey. The resilience and scalability of digital systems in responding to unprecedented needs despite operational constraints has dramatically moved the needle on organizations going “digital by default”. This article builds on the experiences of social security institutions in Europe.
The Regional Social Security Forum for Europe took place from 2 to 3 May 2022. This was a long‑awaited opportunity for member institutions of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) to finally meet, discuss and network in person after over two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
The essential role of social security systems in Europe has once again been demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remaining coverage gaps, demographic changes and labour market transformations require adaptations and reform. The International Social Security Association (ISSA) has released a
The ISSA Good Practice Award for Europe 2022 has been awarded to the Swedish Pensions Agency for its Withdrawal Planner, an easy-to-use digital tool for retirement planning integrating both public and private pensions.
The social security systems of the region of Europe have a track record of promoting inclusive growth and social cohesion. In addition to workers’ social insurance, systems typically address income poverty and its root causes through tax-financed income transfers and social assistance. A life-course approach to social protection is a priority, especially for the region’s comprehensive systems. Generally, social protection in Europe mitigates risks that occur from birth through to the start of the working life, as well as in work and during periods of unemployment, incapacity for work or when work is no longer possible.
The region of Europe is characterized by the diversity of its national social security systems, as well as by the scale and scope of the coverage these provide.
Social security institutions in the region of Europe are fostering institutional maturity in governance and performance, and embracing information and communication technologies (ICT) to achieve service excellence in the programmes they administer.
The final issue of 2021 of the International Social Security Review is now available online via My ISSA. The content of this special double issue, Social protection for digital platform workers in Europe, talks to current debates on social security coverage in a context of evolving labour markets
The European Commission recently published the EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027. The strategy adopts the Vision Zero approach to eliminate work-related deaths in the European Union (EU). This demonstrates how Vision Zero, developed by the International Social Security
As part of the wider economic stimulus packages to respond to the second wave of COVID-19, governments continue to temporarily defer the collection of social security contributions (SSC), or to exempt from or reduce the contribution payments of some population groups. To date, 68 countries have introduced at least one of these measures (ISSA Coronavirus Country Measures Monitor). An April 2020 communication from the European Commission supported these as a “valuable tool to reduce the liquidity constraints of undertakings and preserve employment” during the COVID-19 crisis (EC 2020a).
In Europe, the second wave of the coronavirus has since September prompted the re-introduction of social distancing measures, restrictions to economic activity, telework, curfews and lockdowns. Without certainty on the duration of the health crisis and its knock-on effects on the economy, governments have been re assessing the status of social security benefits and measures introduced since the onset of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed work arrangements. Teleworking has been introduced or expanded around the world to reduce the risk of infection at the workplace. This has also affected frontier workers in the European Union (EU). As they normally work in one country and reside in another one, changing the place of work to one’s home can influence which country’s social security legislation is applicable to them.
Does self-employment come at the cost of poverty in old age? A new report examines developments in terms of new forms of work, and implications for pension contributions and benefits. It finds that alternative forms of work are not necessarily excluded from social security coverage and pensions, but
Europe is known for its comprehensive social security systems. In spite of being confronted by numerous shared challenges, a key conclusion of a new ISSA report – Ten Global Challenges for Social Security: Europe – is that European social security continues to set the pace for the values of
(Baku, Azerbaijan) The public social security institutions of Belgium have been awarded the ISSA Good Practice Award for Europe for digitizing and automating their services.
While universal social security has existed for a long time in the Eurasia region, its countries now face some difficult decisions in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of schemes and prevent the shrinking of coverage due to growing informal employment. The ISSA is working with its members
Inequalities across the life course impact the access to social security and therefore on the level of benefits. Women are particularly affected by these inequalities. During its recent European seminar on this issue, the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and its members discussed
The world of work is changing rapidly, with platform workers, non-standard contracts and self-employment becoming more and more common. This presents a challenge to social security systems to guarantee effective access to all branches of social security for all kinds of workers, without
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