The #PHSDay is the first European awareness day dedicated to recognising the essential role of Personal and Household Services (PHS) and highlighting innovative examples of good practices across the sector. Organised within the framework of the EU-funded project Scale Up (No. 101197690), this initiative brings together stakeholders to strengthen social dialogue, connect the realities of workers, employers, and service users, and inform European policy development.

At the heart of this effort is the PHS Network, built under the Scale Up project. The network brings together organisations active in the PHS sector that have the potential to represent employers, creating a collaborative space for knowledge exchange, and joint action across Europe. It was through discussions within the network that the idea for #PHSDay emerged: to create a coordinated Europe-wide moment that explains what the sector is, highlights challenges on the ground, and showcases tangible initiatives from organisations active in personal and household services.

The first edition of the European Day dedicated to Personal and Household Services (#PHSDay) takes place on 29 October, aligning with the UN International Day of Care and Support. This date was chosen to anchor the personal and household services sector, a cornerstone of Europe’s care economy, within the global movement recognising care and support as essential to gender equality, decent work and sustainable, inclusive societies. The main element of the day is a Europe-wide social media campaign, with posts and content shared by participating organisations to raise awareness and celebrate best practices. This first edition focuses on explaining the sector, highlighting key challenges such as undeclared work, workforce shortages, and affordability, and showcasing inspiring examples from different countries.

By participating in #PHSDay, organisations have the opportunity not only to engage with the wider European PHS community but also to share their own innovative initiatives, highlight successes that may not yet be widely known, and inspire others.

Across Europe, Personal and Household Services (PHS) play a fundamental role in supporting everyday life. From childcare and long-term care to cleaning and household support, these services contribute directly to the well-being of individuals and families, while enabling work-life balance and labour market participation. 

Despite their essential contribution to society and the economy, PHS remain insufficiently recognised and understood. The sector has evolved alongside major demographic and societal shifts (ageing populations, changing family structures, and increasing participation of women in the workforce), all of which have significantly amplified the demand for care and household support services. 

This lack of recognition is documented by the PHS Employment Monitor, the largest European survey of the sector, carried out by the EU social partners in PHS (EFFAT, EFFE, EFSI and UNI Europa). Its 2026 edition gathered more than 8,000 responses from workers, user-employers, service users and provider organisations across 36 countries. Its clearest finding: all stakeholder groups agree that the sector needs greater institutional recognition and respect, meaning workers treated like other workers in Europe, with the same rights and protections, and public support in line with the sector’s social importance. 

The PHS sector faces persistent structural challenges, including a high rate of undeclared work, poor working conditions, limited affordability and accessibility, labour and skills shortages, and poor structural representation. These challenges are shared across countries, reflecting the complexity and diversity of PHS systems in Europe. Addressing them requires not only recognition of the sector’s value, but also a better understanding of how it operates and the conditions needed for it to thrive.

However, good practices already exist. From innovative policy frameworks to specific programmes supporting formalisation, affordability, and workforce development, many organisations and stakeholders are actively working to address these challenges. It is precisely this combination of lessons learned and cross-border collaboration that the European #PHSDay seeks to highlight: shedding light on realities of the sector and showcasing concrete good practices while bringing together actors committed to strengthening the PHS sector across Europe.

Across Europe, innovative initiatives are already addressing these challenges. Discover how organisations are strengthening the PHS sector and driving positive change under this link.

The diversity of challenges and solutions across Europe clearly shows that no single approach can address all the challenges of the Personal and Household Services sector alone. While effective practices already exist at national and local levels, their impact remains limited if they are not shared, adapted and scaled. Strengthening the sector therefore requires greater coordination, continuous exchange of experiences, and stronger collaboration between employers, workers’ organisations, policymakers and other stakeholders.

This is why the PHS Network was created: to support this collective effort. By bringing together actors from across Europe, it aims to foster dialogue, promote good-practices, and contribute to building sustainable, high-quality PHS systems. On this European #PHSDay, we invite all organisations committed to advancing the sector to engage with us and be active in shaping the sector’s future.