Personal and Household Services

As an area of employment, PHS has the potential to grow significantly. Increasing the number of regular PHS employees will be necessary to meet the growing demands for PHS, many of which stem from the demographic changes taking place across Europe. A growing population of older people will require more support to stay in their own homes, while the shrinking working-age population will necessitate initiatives that help activate and reactivate as many working-age individuals as possible, for example by a better work-life balance providing more choices for women in employment. Evolving expectations, inspired by international human rights legislation such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, are also leading to an increase in demand for PHS. The Advancing Personal and Household Services (Ad-PHS) Project aims to create a common discursive framework around PHS among different actors in the different Member States. Within this context, creating a common discursive framework would imply an awareness for the different definitions of PHS in different member states and a joint communication effort in order to find a definition that is feasible for all the actors implied, a shared classification of the different approaches used for the promotion of this field and a shared understanding of the guidelines for action, that would support its further development. Therefore, the goal of the present project is to understand how PHS currently function in different contexts and to use this information to develop frameworks that support all EU Member States to develop their PHS policies. Discover clicking below the English version of the State of Play report in the 21 EU member states or find it in your own language on the Country Profiles!

The severe disruption to services caused by the COVID-19 crisis has led most EU Member States to adopt measures designed to address this impact on the PHS sectors.  The Ad-PHS project carried out a study and produce a report on the short-term impact of COVID-19 on the PHS sectors. The report analyses the steps that governments across Europe have taken to absorb the shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the scope/quality of services and the level of employment in different PHS sectors. Furthermore, it presents recommendations for furthering the development of the PHS field in the EU Member States. Discover clicking below the English version of the short term impact of Covid -19 report or find it in your own language on the Country Profiles!

The Personal and Household Services (PHS) sectors are a complex field in which it is essential to ensure a common understanding of certain key concepts. Our understanding of concepts such as professionalisation or undeclared work shapes the content of the Ad-PHS report and we wish to ensure that our readers are aware of our conceptualization of these items. We have thus included below a short Glossary referencing the key terms for which provides a definition that has been deemed relevant. For further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the project partners.”

Workshops

Ad-PHS project's workshop in Finland
On Monday, November  30, 2020, EFFAT organized an online workshop to review the current state of PHS in Finland as well as to share promising practices and connect various stakeholders. To start off the workshop, Kerstin Howald (EFFAT) gave a presentation of the project. Following that, Miia KULMALA, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Paivi KANTANEN, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and Laura TUOMINEN (JHL) introduced and discussed the current dynamics of the PHS sector(s) in Fi…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Austria
On Thursday, November 19, 2020, EFFAT organized an online workshop to review the current state of PHS in Austria as well as to share promising practices and connect various stakeholders. To start off the workshop, Kerstin Howald (EFFAT) gave a presentation of the project. Following that, Michaela GUGLBERGER (VIDA), Mag. Christoph LIPINSKI (VIDA flex) and Marcela STRAHODINSKY, ( Vienna Chamber of Commerce) introduced and discussed the current dynamics of the PHS sector(s) in Austria. Kerstin Ho…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Bulgaria
The AD-PHS Bulgarian seminar took place on Zoom on November 17th 2020. During the workshop, Dorotea Daniele welcomed the participants and presented the project with all changes that occurred because of the pandemic challenges, including the study and survey on the consequences of COVID-19 in the PHS sector. After review of the Country fiche by Yuliya Simeonova with focus on the changes and amendments made during the previous meetings, by phone and e-mails, the participants shared their opinions…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Denmark
On Monday, December 7th, 2020, EASPD organized an online workshop to review the current state of PHS in Denmark as well as to share promising practices and connect various stakeholders. To start off the workshop, Trine Pernille Larsen, Associate Professor and researcher at the FAOS research group of the University of Copenhagen, introduced the current dynamics of the PHS (sub)sector(s) in Denmark along with empirical examples of the eldercare and cleaning sector. Following that, Renaud Scheuer (…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Estonia
On October 29, 2020, the Estonian webinar of the “Ad-PHS project” organized by EFFE took place. Initially scheduled for March, the latter had to be postponed due to the deterioration of the health situation in Europe. The objectives of the workshop were to introduce the Ad-PHS project, to connect various PHS stakeholders, to review the current state of PHS in Estonia. During the workshop, Jean-François Lebrun, former PHS specialist at the European Commission introduced the PHS situation at EU l…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Slovakia
On October 6, 2020, the Ad-PHS project partners hosted an online workshop on PHS in Slovakia. This Workshop was attended by Aurelie Decker (EFSI), Thomas Bignal, and Renaud Scheuer (EASPD). The objectives of the workshop were to introduce the Ad-PHS project, to connect various PHS stakeholders, to review the current state of PHS in Slovakia, as well as to present guidelines and promising practices. The workshop was hosted by the partners and by the Slovak network Tenenet. Initially, the work…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Malta
republic-of-malta The EU-financed Ad-PHS Project, organised by UNI Europa – UNICARE, held its online workshop for Malta on 8 October. The meeting brought together employers, trade unions, academics from the University of Malta, civil society and service-users organisations. Participants highlighted how the Maltese population has been ageing and to what extent this demographic change implies a changing culture around PHS service provision. Consequently, the country has relied on migrant worke…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Hungary
Hungary, like many other EU countries, is seeing the need for PHS workers increasing, but a system that lacks the ability to meet the needs of workers or end-users. A stakeholder workshop was held on June 24th which brought together academics, employers, workers, and other leaders to discuss ways of improving the industry. Similar to other countries in Europe, Hungary is seeing the effects of decades of underfunding the current pandemic has only exasperated that. Many PHS workers are finally get…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Poland
UNICARE hosted the project partners and local community members in a half-day workshop on June 24th. The stakeholders were a mix of academic, governmental, employer, worker, and labour representatives. Together they discussed PHS services in Poland, and the impact of the upcoming demographic shift will have for the country. Poland has several issues, including the urban-rural divide, lack of investment in the industry, and a low rate of unionization that has significant impacts for workers and e…
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Ad-PHS project’s workshop in Slovenia
On March 10, Association Social Economy Slovenia organised the Slovenian workshop in Ljubljana, in the framework of the Ad-PHS project. The purpose of this workshop was to highlight the characteristics, challenges and possible solutions in the personal and household services sector that are important for Slovenia, and to draw up a document of national and European importance for decision makers and service providers in this sector. To this end, a German project partner drew up a draft Country…
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Ad-PHS project’s workshop in the Czech Republic
On February 19, 2020, the Ad-PHS project partners hosted a workshop in Prague, Czechia. This Workshop was attended by Aurelie Decker (EFSI) and Renaud Scheuer (EASPD).   The objectives of the workshop were to introduce the Ad-PHS project, to connect various PHS stakeholders, to review the current state of PHS in the Czech Republic, as well as to present guidelines and promising practices.   The workshops was hosted by the Czech Association of Social Care Services UZS and gathered a diversi…
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Ad-PHS project’s workshop in Romania
On February 11, 2020, the Ad-PHS project partners hosted a workshop in Bucharest, Romania. This Workshop was attended by Aurelie Decker (EFSI), Thomas Bignal, and Renaud Scheuer (EASPD).The objectives of the workshop were to introduce the Ad-PHS project, to connect various PHS stakeholders, to review the current state of PHS in Romania, as well as to present guidelines and promising practices.The workshops was hosted by the Romanian network Dizabnet and gathered a diversity of speakers represe…
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Ad-PHS project’s workshop in Luxembourg
The Luxembourg workshop organized by the European federation for family employment and home care (EFFE), partner of the Ad-PHS project, took place on December 5th 2019 in the premises of the Permanent representation of the European Commission in Luxembourg. Several stakeholders from the PHS sector were able to give their feedback on the situation in Luxembourg and share good practices of their organizations. The meeting gathered representants from: The EC in Luxembourg DG Empl…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in the Netherlands
On December 12, 2019, the Ad-PHS project partners hosted a workshop in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. This Workshop was attended by Aude Boisseuil (EFFE), Grace Papa (EFFAT), Benedetta Baldini (EFSI), Nico Daenens (Dienstenaanhuis), Mathieu Raafenberg and Jolanda van der Staaij (Care 2 Get There), and Renaud Scheuer (EASPD). Dienstenaanhuis is a Belgian organization, established in 2004 and employing over 2800 workers, mainly in Flanders and in the Walloon Brabant. Dienstenaanhuis focuses on clean…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Sweden
On November 13, ESFI organised the Swedish workshop, in the framework of the Ad-PHS project. Firstly, EFSI member Almega – the employers’ organisation for the Swedish service sector – presented the RUT avdrag system. Launched in 2007, the system was initially criticised by the fact that it could primarily be used by high income households, although funded by all taxpayers. Nonetheless, the system was eventually recognised as an effective mechanism to reduce black labour and increase work-life ba…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Italy
On  September 13, Diesis organised the Ad-PHS National seminar held in Rome at Confcooperative premises. Several stakeholders of the PHS sector such as Trade Unions, Social Economy representatives and private organisations, explored the state of art and the potential of the PHS sector in Italy. Firstly, Valerio Pellirossi from Federsolidarietà - Confcooperative and Diego Dutto from Legacoopsociali welcomed the participant to the seminar and presented briefly the role of cooperatives in PHS sect…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in France
On July 1, EFFE hosted the French country seminar in the framework of the Ad-PHS project. The seminar explored the PHS sector in France. Contrary to most European countries, the sector is not divided between car and non care sector but rather with different models of employment: direct employment and service providers.The workshop organized in Paris was organized around the country fiche and debate around two best practices identified in the French legal and legislative landscape in PHS: structu…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Spain
EFFE together with AESPD, the Spanish association for personal services organized on June 25 in Madrid the national Ad-PHS seminar. Taking place at the Representation of the European Commission in Spain, it gathered numerous Spanish institutional and civil society actors. Firstly, Aude Boisseuil, EFFE General Delegate, presented the Country in focus document. Stakeholders actively participated in the revision of this report, providing significant contributions, both for the care and non-care se…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Germany
On June 17,  the Institute for Economics, Labour and Culture (IWAK)/Centre of Goethe University Frankfurt,  organised the German workshop, in the framework of the Ad-PHS project. The aim of the Ad-PHS workshop in Germany was to bring together different key actors relevant for developing the field of personal and household services (PHS). As several instruments for supporting the development of PHS exist in Germany (e.g. the “minijob” or tax deductions), it was important to discuss how well thes…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Ireland
On 30 May 2019, UNI Europa organised the national meeting of the ‘Advancing Personal and Household Services’ project in Drogheda, Ireland. Divisional Organiser of SIPTU trade union’s Health Division Paul Bell opened up the meeting listing the factors supporting the growth and development of the PHS sector, the demographic changes that have contributed to the sector, the particular issues that women workers face, and the current challenges for unions in the Personal and Household Services sector…
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Ad-PHS project's workshop in Belgium
On May 6, ESFI hosted the first country seminar in the framework of the Ad-PHS project. The seminar explored the PHS sector in Belgium. Firstly, Aurélie Decker, EFSI Director, presented the Country in focus document. Stakeholders actively participated in the revision of this report, providing significant contributions as for policy instruments available either in Flanders, Wallonie and/or Brussels regions, both for the care and non-care sectors. Secondly, two panel discussions focused respecti…
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