UK passes new sexual harassment law

A new law on the prevention of sexual harassment has been passed in the UK. What do employers need to know, and what should they be doing now? The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act) Act makes a significant change to the law on an employer’s obligations to protect employees from sexual harassment. Although it has been watered down compared to the original proposals, the…

France reforms pension system

France adopted controversial changes to its pension system on 14 April 2023, with most relevant provisions coming into effect from 1 September. Here is an overview of some of the most important changes. Raising the minimum retirement age France’s statutory minimum retirement age is 62 for those born on or after 1 January 1955. However, in order to qualify for a full, maximum-rate pension at…

Belgium’s new whistleblowing law

The EU Whistleblowing Directive has been implemented in Belgium and SMEs have only until 17 December to act. Here we consider some of the key details of the new Belgian legislation. Background The EU Whistleblowing Directive had to be transposed into Belgian national law by 17 December 2021 at the latest. This deadline was not met by Belgium. The Directive was, however, transposed into Belgian…

Bringing employees back to the office

Remote work has proliferated since the pandemic, but now some companies are trying to bring their employees back to the office. What steps might employers need to take? Here we present insights from 17 jurisdictions. Background In recent years companies have implemented remote work schemes, both as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic and as a measure to offer a better work-life balance to employees…

Pay transparency in the EU: it’s time to prepare

15 November is European Equal Pay Day. To mark the occasion, we take a look at the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive, passed earlier this year. What will it mean for businesses? And what can employers do now to prepare for implementation in 2026? Background On 10 May 2023, the EU adopted a new Directive to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for…

Can employers monitor their employees’ social media posts?

Increasingly, employers are being made aware of employee misconduct that is evidenced by photos, videos or other social media posts. What are employers allowed to do when it comes to their employees‘ posts, what are the limits, what should they bear in mind when using these posts? Here we consider the situation in Germany, with comments from our experts in 19 other jurisdictions. Employee posts…

Neurodiversity, autism and work

Neurodiversity is a relatively new term, but increasing numbers of employers are seeking to plug their skills gap by developing a more neurodiverse workplace. This article gives some guidance on how HR can assist. There has been growing interest in recent years in neurodiversity, which often refers to people with some form of autism spectrum disorder (‘ASD’ or ‘autism’ for short) or Asperger syndrome. It also covers other conditions such…

SAF Logistics fined for mishandling employee data

French authorities have fined an air freight company for a string of employee data violations, and for its failure to fully cooperate with their investigation. Background SAF Logistics, a French air freight company linked to a Chinese parent company, Sinotrans Hongfeng Shanghai Ltd, has recently been fined €200,000 by the French data protection authority (the CNIL) in a stern response to the company’s breaches of…

Pay Transparency Directive: what is a Joint Pay Assessment?

The Pay Transparency Directive will bring gender pay gap reporting to the entire EU and introduce sweeping changes to the equal pay landscape. A key part of the package of measures is the mandatory ‘Joint Pay Assessment’. This article explains when Joint Pay Assessments are required and what they will involve. The Pay Transparency Directive will require employers throughout the EU to implement gender pay…

Mental health at work: what can employers do?

The World Health Organization has designated 10 October as World Mental Health Day. Work can be vital for our mental wellbeing, giving purpose and financial stability, but there is also a growing awareness of the dangers of anxiety, depression and burnout in the workplace. Not all employers are multinationals with resources aplenty, but there are still things that many employers can do to head off…