On your radar | Issue 18

Key employment issues to be aware of internationally

Not surprisingly a dominant theme in this edition of OYR is the war in Ukraine. We hear from our remarkable Ukrainian colleagues how labour law has been deregulated during the period of martial law. Further across Europe, we see how the war has had an impact on employment law. Several countries (Czech Republic, Belgium, Slovakia, Poland) discuss new immigration rules introduced to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to work as they are forced to relocate. In Spain, new measures have been introduced to avoid dismissals as a response to the economic effects of the war and high energy prices.

Transposing EU Directives into national legislation is often discussed in OYR. While the Whistleblowing Directive has been the most recent focus of attention in this regard, in this edition the Netherlands explain their measures to implement the EU Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions.

Covid-19 continues to cast its long shadow over the world of work as some countries (Portugal and Norway) address the introduction of remote working laws, while in Colombia they have introduced a new right to disconnect. The changing nature of Covid-19 restrictions is also mentioned by Poland; while in Italy new rules for entering workplaces have been introduced, as they move beyond the state of emergency. In contrast, several provinces in China have experienced an increase in restrictions with some workplaces facing temporary closures.

And finally, although common themes exist in employment law, there are always nuances in different jurisdictions. On this occasion Switzerland explain what an employment certificate is and why employers need to retain data for 10 years following the end of an employment relationship, while France outline their new rules on gender equality.

The CMS Employment Team