Seminar: Flexicurity - State of the Art in European ResearchFAOS, University of Copenhagen

Dr. Hartmut Seifert

Flexicurity: A German Perspective

Copenhagen, June 9, 2006

Dr. Hartmut Seifert2

Forms of flexibility  internal external

numerical

Working time accounts Hiring and firing

Working time adjustments Temporary agency workers

introduced to secure jobs Fixed-term employment

functionalFurther training 'Transfergesellschaft'

Work organisation  

temporalPetty employment/mini-jobs  

Part-time work  

wage

Clauses allowing divergence Wage cost subsidies

from collective agreements  

Alliances for jobs  

Petty employment/mini-jobs  

Performance-related pay  

Dr. Hartmut Seifert3

Criteria for social security

decent income (above minimum wage)

entitlement to social security benefits

employability/stability of employment

access to further training activities

Dr. Hartmut Seifert4

Components of flexicurity

strengthening of internal flexibility (pacts for employment and competitiveness, working time accounts)

strengthening of functional flexibility (lifelong learning activities, collective agreements on further training)

transitional labour markets (creation and support of transitions between different forms of paid employment and non-working periods

reforms of provision for old age: basic provision