AUTHOR=Teissl Verena , Unnold Yvonne 
  
TITLE=Doing fair pay. Implications from the Austrian experience
  
JOURNAL=European Journal of Cultural Management and Policy
  
VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2026
  
YEAR=2026
  
URL=https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/european-journal-of-cultural-management-and-policy/articles/10.3389/ejcmp.2026.16458
  
DOI=10.3389/ejcmp.2026.16458
  
ISSN=2663-5771
  
ABSTRACT=Since 2020, Austria has introduced measures for fair pay in the independent arts and culture sector as part of a broader fairness reform. Drawing on policy documents and monitoring reports, this policy brief analyses the first years of the framework’s implementation. The learnings show that the Fair Pay initiative demonstrates a strong commitment to closing remuneration gaps, while a structural transformation of longstanding precarious working conditions requires a broader systemic approach. The Austrian case reveals that sustainable reform of working conditions in the independent non-profit arts and culture sector hinges not only on fiscal commitment but also on governance coordination, interest-group representation, adequate statistical visibility, cross-domain cultural awareness, and supportive transnational regulation. These insights contribute to the growing movement across Europe that aims to strengthen cultural policy commitment, the status of artists and professionals, and the principles of public goods.