Observatory Space Professions

Professionals

A contract to promote women and young people in professional practices

The Confprofessioni National Collective Labour Agreement takes into account the specific characteristics and needs of organisations that are small in scale but are showing signs of consolidation

by Maria Carla De Cesari

26 November 2025

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Work in professional practices is increasingly governed by a collective agreement signed, on the employers’ side, by Confprofessioni – the trade union confederation representing members of professional bodies – and, on the workers’ side, by Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucs. This collective agreement is being applied on an increasingly wide scale and within organisations which, whilst still relatively small in size, are showing a tendency to become slightly more structured. This is what emerges from an analysis of data from Cadiprof and Ebipro, the two bilateral bodies within the professional practices’ collective bargaining system, the former dedicated to supplementary healthcare and the latter to welfare.

Data from the Observatory

In the decade 2015–2024 – as explained in the analysis by the Confprofessioni Observatory on the Liberal Professions – the number of practices applying the contract and the bilateral institutions (through membership of Cadiprof, Ebipro and Fondoprofessioni) will increase by 26.9 per cent, rising from just under 71,000 in 2015 to over 90,000 in 2024. The number of workers covered has risen from 178,000 to over 261,000, representing a 47.1 per cent increase between 2015 and 2024. The average number of employees per practice has risen from 2.5 to 2.9, “a trend that appears modest,” explains the Observatory’s research, “but which in reality reflects a gradual shift towards more integrated operating models”.

Accountancy firms are facing the challenge of finding suitable candidates and with the need for tools to retain and build loyalty amongst staff, the majority of whom are women. Generally speaking, there is an increasing demand for specialisation and the use of artificial intelligence, which is reshaping many functions that can be automated. It is within this context that the contract for professional firms is situated. Welfare, a focus on training and work-life balance are some of the key regulatory pillars of the renewal that took place in February 2024.

“The contribution towards bilateral arrangements provided for in the contract has been allocated to strengthening welfare benefits in general, as well as to extending healthcare cover to include the family members of workers enrolled in the sector’s supplementary healthcare fund (Cadiprof),” explains the Observatory on the Liberal Professions.

In order to carry out the preventative measures set out in the health plan, provision has been made for a paid leave.

Welfare measures

The welfare measures covered by Ebipro, the national bilateral body for professional firms, provide, on the one hand, for the protection of employees – including reimbursements for university fees, sports membership fees or nursery fees – and, on the other hand, the strengthening of safeguards for self-employed professionals through dedicated, autonomous management by the bilateral body itself and supplementary health cover.

The contract sends a positive signal regarding maternity: the period of compulsory leave is covered by an allowance amounting to 90 per cent, with the employer contributing 10 per cent to top up the 80 per cent paid by INPS.

To promote a better work-life balance, the rules governing smart working have been clarified. This ‘flexible’ way of working is intended primarily for certain groups: first and foremost, female employees within three years of the end of their maternity leave, and employees with family members with disabilities.

Apprenticeships

The regulations also covered the apprenticeship scheme across its three levels. Apprenticeships are seen as one of the routes through which young people can enter the world of work, with a link between formal education and work placements in the workplace. The most significant change concerns the regulations governing third-level apprenticeships, which allow young people to undertake a work placement in order to sit the state examination for a particular profession. It is aimed at young people aged between 18 and 29 who hold the diploma or qualifying qualification required for enrolment in the register of trainees. The employer therefore has at their disposal a contractual arrangement that offers social security and financial benefits, whilst enabling the trainee to receive training and a salary with all the associated safeguards (sick pay, pension contributions).