To address the increasing demand for flexibility in cross-border working arrangements, the EU Commission launched an initiative to design a solution in the context of rules for social security that would allow for more work from home without triggering changes in the country that is responsible for social security. The Framework Agreement for social security resulted from much input from various stakeholders and extensive deliberation. It allows continued affiliation to the social security system in the country of the employer when an employee works from home in his/her country of residence less than 50 percent and the rest of the working time is spent at the employer’s premises.
As noted earlier, the Framework Agreement was implemented on 1 July 2023, in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. In addition, Slovenia implemented the Framework Agreement for social security on 1 September 2023, and Italy on 1 January 2024 (for prior coverage, see GMS Flash Alert 2024-020, 23 January 2024).
The Framework Agreement can apply only when both the country of the employee’s residence and the country of the employer have signed the agreement.