Israel Launches Flexible Work Pilot to Combat Social Worker Shortages
Israel launches a new pilot project via the Ha-Masyet digital platform to combat severe social worker shortages by offering flexible, high-paying part-time roles.
A pilot project launched by the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel, the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, and the Joint aims to bring back social workers who left the profession by offering flexible, part-time employment of up to 20% of a full position. The initiative targets former professionals, those who moved to the private sector, and retirees to help alleviate the severe staffing shortage in municipal social services departments.
The pilot will include up to 30 social workers working roughly 35 hours per month, offering a relatively high hourly wage ranging from 85 to 130 NIS. The total project budget is approximately 1.5 million NIS, with 1 million NIS funded directly by the Ministry of Welfare. Program director Hila Moyal noted that the digital platform "Ha-Masyet" is spearheading the recruitment, offering roles such as home visits, intake assessments, needs mapping, and rights acquisition.
Implementation Across Strong Municipalities
The pilot is launching in six prominent local authorities to ensure a smooth rollout: Rishon LeZion, Netanya, Rehovot, Hod Hasharon, Ra'anana, and El'ad. Employment during the pilot phase will be handled via the Association of Community Centers. However, the Social Workers Union has clarified that it will only tolerate contractor-based employment for the duration of the pilot, demanding direct employment thereafter.
"We are allowing you to do the work you studied social work for, while giving you the freedom to work in high-tech the rest of the time," said Ha-Masyet director Hila Moyal, highlighting the flexible approach tailored to modern professionals.
Growing Workload and Unfilled Positions
The acute staffing shortage comes against the backdrop of rising social demands. According to State Comptroller reports, the number of unfilled social worker positions in local authorities grew from 13% in 2022 to 16% by mid-2025, reaching 1,155 vacant posts. By March 2026, Taub Center data showed that unfulfilled quotas reached 18%, translating to roughly 1,300 empty positions.
In her reaction, Inbal Hermoni, chair of the Social Workers Union, criticized the project as a temporary fix. While the union agreed to the pilot to mitigate damages and maintain professional standards, she insisted that the current framework must transition to direct hiring once the six-month pilot concludes.
