The conference, held on January 24, 2025, in Vienna and online, provided an opportunity to highlight the poor working conditions in Austria's 24-hour care sector and to discuss potential solutions.

Care workers and experts shared their experiences and insights, drawing attention to the causes of care workforce outflow from countries of origin, such as Slovakia and Romania. They also presented a study on the employment model for care workers in Austria, prepared as part of the CARE4CARE project.

Home care plays a central role in long-term care in Austria, heavily relying on the migration of care workers from Eastern Europe. The sector is primarily based on a self-employment model and largely organized by profit-driven intermediary agencies.

This industry in Austria remains insufficiently regulated, and cross-border placements often operate beyond oversight. As a result, care workers are frequently exposed to stress and labour law violations without enjoying the protections of labour legislation.

The event was organized by LEFÖ-IBF (Intervention Center for Trafficked Women) in collaboration with IG24 (Interest Group for 24-Hour Caregivers) in Austria, which supports caregivers during conflicts and provides advice in their native languages throughout Austria. Event partners included CELSI - the Central European Labour Studies Institute from Slovakia and the Feminist Front - Asociaţia FRONT from Romania.

More about the CARE4CARE project at: https://www.celsi.sk/en/care4care/

Promising Practices for the Employment of Live-In Care Workers in Europe: https://ig24.at/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Promising-Practices-for-the-Employment-of-Live-In-Care-Workers-in-Europe_Care4Care-Study.pdf