Observatory Space Professions

Professionals

In professional firms a contract to value women and young people

The Confprofessioni collective agreement takes into account the peculiarities and needs of realities that are small but show signs of consolidation

by Maria Carla De Cesari

26 November 2025

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Work in professional offices is increasingly governed by the collective agreement signed, on the employers' side, by Confprofessioni - the trade union confederation of the members of the Orders - and by Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucs on the workers' side. An increasingly wide-ranging application and in structures that, while still characterised by a small size, show a tendency to be somewhat more structured. This is what emerges from an analysis of the data of Cadiprof and Ebipro, the two bilateral bodies of the contractual system of studies, the first dedicated to supplementary health care and the second to welfare.

The Observatory's data

'In the decade 2015-2024,' the analysis by the Osservatorio libere professioni di Confprofessioni explains, 'the number of firms in which the contract and bilaterality institutions (with enrolment in Cadiprof, Ebipro and Fondoprofessioni) are applied will increase by 26.9%, from just under 71 thousand in 2015 to over 90 thousand in 2024. The number of employees rose from 178 thousand to over 261 thousand, an increase of 47.1% between 2015 and 2024. The average number of employees per firm rises from 2.5 to 2.9 employees, "an apparently contained trend," explains the Observatory's research, "but one that in reality tells of a gradual transformation towards more integrated operating models.

Firms are faced with the difficulty of finding suitable profiles and the need for tools to retain and retain employees, mostly women. In general, there is an increasing demand for specialisation and the use of artificial intelligence that rewrites many automatable functions. This is the framework for the contract for professional firms. Welfare, focus on training, work-life balance are some of the regulatory cornerstones of the renewal in February 2024.

"The contribution to the bilaterality provided for by the contract has been earmarked to strengthen welfare benefits in general as well as to extend health cover to the family members of workers enrolled in the sector's supplementary health care fund (Cadiprof)," explains the Observatory on the Liberal Professions.

A paid leave was provided for carrying out prevention activities under the health plan.

Welfare measures

The welfare measures covered by Ebipro, the national bilateral body for professional firms, include on the one hand the protection of employees - with refunds of university fees, subscriptions to sports activities or nursery school fees - and on the other hand the strengthening of guarantees in favour of free professionals through a special autonomous management of the same bilateral body and supplementary health coverage.

The contract gives a signal in favour of maternity: the period of compulsory abstention is covered with an allowance of 90 per cent, through a contribution of 10 per cent to be paid by the employer to supplement the 80 per cent paid by the INPS.

In order to promote work-life balance, the regulation of smart working has been specified. The 'agile' mode of working provides for certain priority recipients: first and foremost, female workers in the three years following the end of maternity leave and employees with disabled family members.

L’apprendistato

The regulation also touched on the institution of apprenticeship at the three levels. Apprenticeship is understood as one of the channels through which young people can enter the world of work, with a connection between curricular training and apprenticeship in economic realities. The most significant novelty is the regulation of the third-level apprenticeship, which allows for the practice apprenticeship for access to the state examination for a profession. It is aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 29 in possession of the diploma or qualifying qualification required for entry in the register of practitioners. At the dominus's disposal there is therefore a contractual institution that provides contributory and economic advantages and allows the trainee to receive training and a paycheck with all the associated protections (sickness, social security).