MANAGEMENT APPROACHES TO SOCIAL PROTECTION OF NON-STANDARD WORKERS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstrakt

THE RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY is determined by the increase in non-standard forms of employment in the European Union, which requires the improvement of approaches to ensuring social protection for this vulnerable category of workers.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY was to evaluate the effectiveness of current policies in the social protection of non-standard workers in EU countries and identify ways to improve them. The methodological basis of the research consisted of a comparative analysis of legislative norms, an evaluation of existing social security models, and a study of best practices for adapting social guarantees for non-standard workers in the EU. The results demonstrated that an integrated social protection model, which combines updated elements of traditional guarantees with the introduction of adaptive support mechanisms, is the most effective in ensuring social justice for workers with non-standard forms of employment. The analysis covered practices in Germany, Spain, and Sweden, demonstrating different approaches to regulating flexible employment, including legislative initiatives, voluntary insurance programs, and measures to expand access to social services. It was established that, with proper legal support, temporary contracts and alternative forms of employment can provide a basic level of stability, legal protection, and social welfare. A particular role in this is played by regulatory flexibility, as well as digital tools that optimise the management of social guarantees. Based on the results, recommendations were proposed for improving social protection for workers with non-standard forms of employment, including creating unified social programs, flexible funding mechanisms, and introducing educational programs for upskilling. The obtained results emphasised the importance of adapting modern approaches and models to form effective socio-economic policies that will improve social protection systems in EU countries and other states seeking to respond to changes in the labour market.

Keywords: legislative provision; digital solutions; financial incentives; professional mobility; support mechanisms.