What are the new green reporting duties in France?

The French Climate Law introduced new environmental reporting obligations for companies. Now, a recent decree has set out details of these obligations. In France, in companies with at least 50 employees, the employer must provide the staff representatives (the ‘Social and Economic Committee’) with an economic and social database, which gathers all the information necessary for the numerous consultations and recurrent information requirements with regard…

Using ‘mystery calls’ to detect discrimination in recruitment in Belgium

A recent change in the law in Belgium lowers the threshold for labour inspectors to use ‘mystery calls’ to test for discrimination in recruitment. Our annual survey of HR trends showed that one in five companies have been faced with an informal or formal discrimination complaint, mainly on the grounds of apparent race or ethnic origin. Discrimination in recruitment still seems to be difficult to…

New protection against hair discrimination in Illinois

Illinois is set to join 13 other US states in introducing protection against discrimination based on hair styles and texture, particularly those associated with Black natural hair. On 9 April 2022, the Illinois Senate passed House Amendment 1 to SB 3616, joining the Illinois House, in unanimously passing legislation referred to as the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act. It…

ESG policies in Australia

How do organisations in Australia address environmental, social and governance issues in their policies? Most public organisations in Australia will have in place a code of conduct, a diversity policy, anti-bribery and corruption policy and a whistleblower policy, in accordance with the recommendations set out in the ASX Corporate Governance Council’s Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations (4th Edition) (ASX Principles & Recommendations). ESG developments have…

From the Ukrainian Ius Laboris lawyers: Keeping the economy running during war in Ukraine

Life and employment go on in Ukraine but the war has created many pressing and unprecedented issues for employers and employees. Our lawyers in Ukraine have been keeping us posted about the numerous labour law questions that are arising from both the employer’s and employees‘ point of view.  New legal provisions have established some temporary rules. Recruitment issues Provisions of a new law are aimed…

New agreement on initiatives against sexual harassment in Denmark

The Danish government and social partners have entered into a tripartite agreement on sexual harassment to support and encourage a cultural change in this area. The Danish government and social partners have entered into a agreement on initiatives to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. Composed of 17 initiatives, the agreement will provide the necessary tools for employers to prevent and deal with sexual harassment…

‘Living with Covid’: what does it mean for UK workplaces?

Under the UK government’s new Living with Covid strategy, mandatory self-isolation has now ended in England and free testing will end on 1 April. What does this mean for employers? On 21 February 2022, the UK government published its plan for Living with Covid including the timetable for removing Covid measures in England. From 24 February, the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test was replaced…

Top ten practical tips for improving diversity in the workplace

Improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a key focus for businesses. Having a more inclusive workplace is something to strive for; one that fosters a culture where staff can thrive regardless of their personal characteristics (which includes protected characteristics such as gender, race or disability). We often talk about the challenges associated with implementing changes to improve diversity in the workplace, not least…

Implementing the EU Work-Life Balance Directive in Poland

Member states must implement the EU Work-Life Balance Directive by 2 August 2022. Poland has published draft legislation, but current indications suggest it may not meet this deadline. By 2 August this year, Poland must implement the so-called Work-Life Balance Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers). One of…