Sustainable work
Updated: 10 July 2026
Working life research
Franz Ferdinand Eiffe
Franz Eiffe is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. He is involved in projects on sustainable work, quantitative analyses and upward convergence in the EU, as well as in the preparation of the fourth European Company Survey. Before joining Eurofound in 2016, he was Head of Unit ‘Analysis’ at Statistics Austria in Vienna and project leader of ‘How is Austria? Measuring wealth and progress beyond GDP’. He holds a PhD in Economics from Vienna University of Economics (WU), where he also worked as research associate from 2005 to 2009 and lecturer until 2016.
Topics of expertise
Franz Ferdinand is an expert in the following topics.
Research outputs
Franz Ferdinand is the author of the following publications.
Events, podcast and blog
Franz Ferdinand has contributed the following events, blog posts and podcast episodes.
30 May 2025
Blog post
Europe must adapt to its ageing workforce
As the continent's birth rates decline and its population ages, policymakers face the urgent task of retaining experienced workers and adapting workplaces to meet the needs of an older demographic.
10 April 2025
Podcast episode
How can Europe adapt to an ageing workforce?
How can Europe adapt to an ageing workforce? What impediments do older workers face at the workplace? How are changing technologies and job quality influencing the retention of older workers on the labour market?This episode sets out to answer these questions in the context of changing demographics in Europe and the need to make work more sustainable.
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21 June 2021
Blog post
COVID-19: Could businesses have done better?
COVID-19 has shown that some things can hit us out of the blue. The pandemic sent a shockwave through businesses all over the world and has brought massive changes to work organisation, internal communication and day-to-day operations for many companies. Doubtless, the depth of the pandemic’s impact on workplaces depended on many factors: the nature of the business, for instance, or the sector of activity. But are there any lessons to be learnt about the factors that helped some organisations to navigate through the crisis more smoothly than others?
20 March 2019
Blog post
We need to boost motivation at work to ease Europe’s demographic headache
Motivated workers have higher levels of engagement, better health and are able to work longer. Improving motivation at work is therefore a key component in meeting the challenges of Europe’s ageing workforce and improving the EU’s long-term competitiveness on a global scale. This means that fostering motivation at work isn’t just about personal or business success, it is also about Europe’s success.
18 June 2018
Blog post
The human factor in innovation
Companies are constantly competing for the next big thing in innovation – the next-generation 3D phone, the quantum computer, the virtual doctor. They fixate on technological breakthroughs and look for new business models. But innovation also needs systems, an organisational structure and people who work together. The human factor in innovation is often forgotten or neglected – the employees’ skills, their level of input, their autonomy in their jobs and the rewards they receive. Or do such factors really play any role in innovation?
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