SURE: EU support to national short-term working schemes and its openness to non-standard workers

Abstract

In response to the labour market effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union (EU) implemented ‘Temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency’ (SURE). This instrument enables loans to be made under favourable conditions from the EU to affected Member States, covering part of their costs for national short-time work (STW) schemes or similar policies. In essence, STW prevents unemployment by helping employers to temporarily reduce the working hours of their personnel, while providing these employees with income support from the state for the hours not worked. During the COVID-19 crisis, non-standard workers in particular experienced job loss or a reduction of working hours, while often having inadequate access to social security. This article assesses the inclusiveness of SURE in terms of providing, via national STW, support to all workers. Firstly, it explores the options provided by the SURE Regulation to finance STW schemes which also cover non-standard workers. Secondly, it gives an EU-wide overview of which schemes and which types of workers have been supported. Thirdly, the paper analyses in detail how three Member States – Belgium, Cyprus and Poland – have used SURE to support non-standard and self-employed workers. The article adds to the currently scarce analyses on how SURE is used by countries with various STW systems. Moreover, it shows whether SURE may fit the growing EU focus on providing access to social security for all types of workers irrespective of their employment relationship, as for instance codified in the EU Pillar of Social Rights.