The European Commission has recently adopted a Proposal for a Directive aimed at modernising existing obligations to inform each worker of his or her working conditions. This comes after the need to modernise existing rules, particularly Directive 91/533/EEC, and ensure that existing legislation can cater for changing labour market realities.  

In addition, the proposal creates new minimum standards to ensure that all workers, including those on atypical contracts (i.e. employment contracts that do not conform to a standard, open-ended and full-time contract), benefit from more predictability and clarity as regards their working conditions. 

The Commission estimates that 2 to 3 million additional workers on atypical contracts will be covered and protected by the proposal compared to existing legislation. At the same time, the proposal also puts measures in place to avoid administrative burden on employers, for instance by giving them the possibility to provide the requested information electronically. The new rules will also create a level-playing field for companies, so that employers will benefit from fairer competition in the internal market, with fewer loopholes. 

The proposal is part of a follow-up to the European Pillar of Social Rights.