On May 7th, 2025, the PHS Social Partners – EFFAT, EFFE, EFSI, and Uni Europa – hosted a webinar as part of the EU-funded project PHSDialogue. The event was dedicated to gathering stakeholders from across the board – including employers, trade unions, policymakers, experts, and civil society – to share key insights on securing access to labour and social protections.

The distinguished panellists discussed how the PHS sector faces significant challenges, including undeclared work, poor working conditions, persistent gender gaps, lack of recognition, labour and skills shortages, and the rise of unregulated digital platforms. While these are not easy issues to solve, addressing them is essential for the well-being of a society that increasingly depends on care and support services.

From the Margins to the Centre: Advancing Labour and Social Protections for PHS Workers in the EU

Dalila Ghailani (Senior Researcher, European Social Observatory) introduced the first panel discussion with a presentation of the 2024 ESPAN report. The report examined access to labour and social protection for domestic workers across 34 European countries.

Among the core findings:

• While domestic work accounts for around 4 million formal jobs across the EU, legal definitions of domestic workers remain inconsistent or absent in many Member States.
• Most domestic workers are hired directly by households, yet indirect employment through intermediaries is common in many countries.
• The sector is disproportionately affected by bogus self-employment and undeclared work, which undermines access to rights and protections.
• In terms of labour protection, only 14 Member States grant domestic workers the same rights as other workers.

Dalila Ghailani also highlighted the uneven ratification of ILO Convention 189 – 18 Member States have yet to ratify it. Reasons range from reluctance to change national regulatory frameworks to claims that existing legislation already complies with the convention.

Following this, Serge Da Mariana (CEO, IRCEM) shared insights into France’s model of social protection for PHS workers. He introduced the structure and governance of Groupe de Protection Sociale (GPS), a system led by social partners that provides tailored insurance and pension coverage. The parity-based governance model offers a valuable example of how sustainable, worker-focused protections can be built within national systems.

Digital Enablers or Gatekeepers: Ensuring Fair Working Conditions for PHS Workers on Care Platforms

The second panel explored the role of online platforms in shaping care and domestic work. Prof. Dr. Valeria Pulignano and Claudia Marà (KU Leuven) presented their research on the platformisation of the sector, focusing on how digital tools can deepen informalisation and precarity.

Unlike ride-hailing or food delivery services, care platforms typically adopt a marketplace model. Rather than acting as employers, these platforms present themselves as intermediaries of services – thus avoiding obligations related to wages, social security, and worker protections. Workers must constantly seek clients and are left to navigate risks such as harassment or injury without formal support.

Their research illustrated the contradictory nature of labour formalisation in platform care work. While transactions may be digitally registered (e.g. via fiscal schemes), the actual labour remains informal.

Case studies of platforms revealed that:

• Work is often paid under the table, with no access to social security or collective bargaining.
• Matching is algorithmic, but practical arrangements and working conditions are left entirely to workers and clients.
• Gendered inequalities are reinforced, particularly in how tasks are valued and compensated.

Their intervention underscored that the use of platforms must not come at the cost of fundamental rights, and that regulatory approaches must evolve to close the growing protection gap in the digital care economy.

Looking Ahead

At a time when care is often sidelined, ongoing dialogue and research are more important than ever to drive meaningful change, and lead to a future where the PHS sector is recognised, valued, and empowered. The webinar highlighted the need for continued joint action to address persistent gaps in the PHS sector – whether in traditional forms of employment or new platform-based models.

On behalf of the PHSDialogue social partners, EFSI extends its sincere thanks to the speakers for their insightful presentations and to all participants for their valuable contributions.