Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis triggered an outrage when he proposed that the “unemployment benefits” should last just two months in order to force jobless to take up a work. According to Greek legislation, the unemployment benefit of 526 euros per month increased by 10% for each child runs for maximum 12 months provided that the […]
A new study claims to show the scale of psychosocial risks, stress and mental health of those in work.
The findings were made public just ahead of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) vote on psychosocial risks, stress and mental health at work.
The “unique” mapping was carried out across all 27 EU member states
It reveals what it calls “significant differences” in national approaches to tackling the issue.
There are, it goes on, “uneven levels” of worker protection, a problem which “strengthens” the case for a common preventive approach at EU level.
The good news is that a majority of European countries have already introduced legislation to address the problem.
Social partners and courts have also taken action to address these risks, says the report.
It was conducted by the European Trade Union Institute, he independent research and training centre of the European Trade Union Confederation.
The research was authored by Aude Cefaliello, ETUI Senior Researcher and conducted along with colleagues, Aditya Jain and Stavroula Leka
Cefaliello said: “It is not a lack of action that makes the case for an EU initiative, but rather the fragmented nature of that action and the uneven levels of protection that result from it.”
The report says, “Psychosocial risks at work constitute a major and growing occupational health problem.
“Almost 45% of workers in the EU report being exposed to risks at work that could negatively affect their mental health, and almost one-third experience stress, depression or anxiety linked to work.
What makes the ETUI’s mapping “unique”, says the authors, is that it examines not only how work-related psychosocial risks are defined, regulated and prevented across the Member States, but also the role played by collective bargaining and the courts where legislative frameworks are incomplete.
It states that Europe is “not starting from scratch – but action is urgently needed.”
The findings build on those of the ETUI Policy Brief published in the spring.
“While EU occupational safety and health legislation requires employers to protect workers from all work-related risks, psychosocial risks at work are still neither explicitly defined nor specifically regulated at EU level.
“The absence of clear legal obligations contributes to the fragmented national approaches highlighted by the mapping, generating legal uncertainty and uneven levels of worker protection across the EU.”
AI is playing a bigger role in hiring, but laws protect you. Here is what you need to know.
Europe needs top talent, and employers want high-quality hires – the best person for the job – quickly and in a cost-efficient way. So, given this urgency, it’s no surprise that more and more companies are using AI in their hiring processes. From CV screening to interviews, AI can streamline each stage, reduce hiring times and make the whole process more cost-effective.
But there’s a downside to AI-driven recruitment, as a recent Instagram post highlighted. It describes how a jobseeker from Vienna felt ‘dehumanized’ by an AI interview.
The EU takes AI action
This concern isn’t limited to Austria, which is why the EU AI Actclassifies using AI in employment decisions as ‘high-risk’. Given the growing AI adoption in HR by businesses across the globe (39 % by the end of 2025), the AI Act addresses risks by introducing rules that help make its use more transparent and accountable.
Under the AI Act:
No AI tool can make final hiring decisions without a qualified human in the loop.
Using AI to infer emotions, stress levels or personality traits and assign people numerical scores is banned.
Starting 2 August 2026, companies using AI tools for hiring, evaluating performance or other employment decisions must check regularly for safety risks and bias, keep detailed technical records, ensure human oversight and transparency, and continuously monitor their systems.
Obligations apply not only to the providers of these AI systems, but also the businesses that use them.
These rules even apply to non-EU companies, if their AI system is used or affects people in the EU.
As for the Viennese candidate, here’s what went wrong during the AI interview process:
It repeatedly interrupted the interviewee, jumped to the next question and moved on even when asked to go back.
If the jobseeker paused even briefly during a response, it sometimes took it for a complete reply.
There were errors in the interview transcript.
Instead of answering the applicant’s questions, the AI just recited the company’s ‘About Us’ page.
be informed beforehand on its use and the role it plays in the company’s hiring decision;
ask that a human reviews the hiring decision;
not to have your facial expressions, voice tone or body language analysed by AI during an interview; and
know what data is being collected and, in many cases, to have it deleted once the hiring process is over.
In an increasingly AI-driven labour market, EURES continues to offer human support through its network of trainedadvisers, who can provide information and guidance on practical, legal and administrative matters related to living and working across Europe.
In the meantime, online interviews are here to stay, so gear up for that final step by reading up on some tips for tackling remote interviews.
An August 2026 report on remote work destinations in Europe found that Palencia, Spain, is the best small town for digital nomads. A new study by the digital entertainment platform BC Game reveals the top 10 hidden gems where remote workers can spend this summer.
Palencia, Spain, is the best small town for working remotely in Europe, offering fast 267 Mbps Wi-Fi and safe neighborhoods.
With rent at just $525 a month, Le Havre is the cheapest way to spend summer on the French coast as a digital nomad.
Akureyri is the best reason to finally make the Iceland trip happen, with close to 30 places to open a laptop and Arctic scenery all around.
The research examined 20 European towns with smaller populations to find which ones work best for remote workers. The report looked at factors like average Internet speeds, monthly rent for a one-bedroom city center apartment, and personal safety ratings. It also considered the number of cafes and coworking spaces, coffee prices, and the cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant. Each town received a final score out of 100, with higher scores meaning that the city is more suited for digital nomads.
Here's a look at the top 10 European small towns for remote workers:
City
Country
Safety Index
Average Broadband Download Speed (Mbps)
Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom/City Centre)
Coffee
Palencia
Spain
94
267
$698
$1.8
Soria
Spain
87
277
$582
$2.2
Vaduz
Liechtenstein
92
286
$1,427
$6.7
Le Havre
France
43
312
$524
$2.7
Angers
France
61
257
$664
$2.8
Akureyri
Iceland
80
279
$1,783
$4.9
Reims
France
45
288
$705
$3.7
Dijon
France
47
271
$646
$3.9
Tartu
Estonia
77
136
$659
$4.2
Matera
Italy
80
87
$737
$2.1
You can access the complete research findings here.
1. Palencia, Spain
Safety Index: 94.12/100
Broadband speed: 267 Mbps
Monthly rent (1BR, city center): $698
Coffee price: $1.75
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $11.64
Score: 100/100
Palencia is the best small town in Europe to work remotely this summer. The destination has a 94/100 safety rating, which matters a lot for anyone arriving in an unfamiliar city for the first time. The Internet is also fast at 267 Mbps, so video calls and file transfers are never going to be an issue. One-bedroom rentals in the city center go for around 700 USD a month, and staying fed and caffeinated while working from a local spot costs very little, with meals under 12 USD and coffee at 1.75 USD.
2. Soria, Spain
Soria is the most affordable hidden gem for remote workers looking to set up a base for a couple of months. Rents here average just 580 USD a month, and Internet speeds reach 277 Mbps, so there's no trade-off on connectivity. The safety score of 87/100 also means it's a comfortable place to be, whether walking home late or leaving a laptop at a cafe table. It's also a small city of around 41K people, quiet and easy to get around, which is exactly what a lot of remote workers are actually looking for.
3. Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Vaduz is for digital nomads who put safety and connectivity above everything else. The city’s safety rating of 91/100 is second only to Palencia, and Internet speeds exceed 285 Mbps, making it one of the best-connected small towns in Europe. The trade-off is cost: rent runs at around 1,440 USD a month, and a coffee is nearly 7 USD, so the daily expenses add up fast. But for anyone earning well and looking for a calm base with fast Internet in the middle of Europe, Vaduz is hard to look past.
4. Le Havre, France
Le Havre has the best Internet of any small town in Europe at 312 Mbps, faster than even the capital, Paris. That alone is a good reason to be here for anyone doing heavy digital work. Rent is also among the cheapest at around 525 USD a month, and a meal at a local restaurant costs under 14 USD. Beyond that, the city has up to 20 cafes and co-working spaces where remote workers can get the job done.
5. Angers, France
Angers rounds out the top five small towns for digital nomads. Typical studios here get listed for under 670 USD a month, while the Internet is fast enough for stand-ups, deadlines, and everything in between, at 257 Mbps. Angers is also quite safe for a city this size, and there are plenty of cafes and coworking spaces (up to 20) to rotate between when working from home gets boring. With around 161K residents, the city also has an active social scene to make longer stays feel less isolating.
The CEO of BC Game commented on the study:"Most remote workers pick their next destination based on photos on Instagram or a Reddit thread someone wrote two years ago. The problem is that those places are usually packed by the time you get there, and the rent has gone up. The smarter move is to look one step outside the obvious choices. If everyone is going to Lisbon, look at a smaller Portuguese city like Faro. If Madrid is getting expensive, look at a town two hours away. The infrastructure is usually the same, the costs are lower, and you actually get to feel like you live somewhere rather than just being another nomad in a queue for a coworking desk."
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