Summary (English)

Focusing on social protection issues in SMEs, this study particularly examines the gaps in social protection experienced by workers. Its primary objective is to explore related impacts on productivity and their interrelation with other working conditions. As workers in SMEs in both the formal and informal economy make up the majority of the global workforce, this information is crucial for an encompassing global dialogue on universal social protection coverage, particularly in health.

The study investigates the major causes of inadequate or non-existent social protection coverage of workers in SMEs, in both the formal and informal economy, and identifies barriers regarding coverage and access to social protection in health,
employment injury, paid sick leave and other social protection benefits. The review discusses the impact of social protection gaps on productivity and the subsequent cost borne by enterprises and society as a whole. In addition to global and national experiences, a specific country study on social protection of SME workers in India is presented.

Key findings relate to the lack of reliable and comparable empirical data regarding social protection in SMEs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and especially of SMEs in the informal economy. As part of the conclusions, this study therefore outlines a research agenda of how to close some of these knowledge gaps.