The climate emergency: the missing factor in remote working requests?

Tackling the climate emergency should be high on everyone’s agenda. But should employers give greater weight to the environment when deciding whether to say yes or no to an employee’s request to do their job remotely? One of the legacies of the COViD-19 pandemic is that remote working has become normal. Workers in the so-called knowledge economy are now commonly working remotely on a hybrid…

Does a new Dutch law let employees ‘work where you want’?

Employers in the Netherlands may soon be required to balance their own and employees’ interests when evaluating a request to work from another place within the EU. But does this mean employees could work from anywhere they want? On 5 July 2022, a proposal for a ‘Work Where You Want’ Act was adopted by the Dutch House of Representatives. The proposal was subjected to a…

Is medical history protected by discrimination law?

Belgium has expanded its Anti-Discrimination Act to cover individuals’ ‘state of health’, which means their past medical history is now covered. Belgium has prohibited discrimination based on an individual’s ‘current or future state of health’ since 2007. On 7 July 2022, a bill was passed which broadens this. The concept of ‘current or future state of health’ is replaced by ‘state of health’, meaning that an…

Are ESG performance indicators becoming a must-have in bonus plans ?

The results of a Ius Laboris survey show that environmental, social and governance KPIs are becoming an increasingly common part of incentive schemes across the world. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors are a key way to measure organisations’ commitment to sustainability. There is a long road ahead to build an ESG-compliant corporate world, but creating a working environment that is as close as possible…

Supreme Court overturning constitutional right to abortion will impact employee benefit plans

The US Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade will have a significant impact on abortion procedures offered under employee benefits plans. On Friday 24 June 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the US Supreme Court reversed its holding in Roe v. Wade, which found a constitutional right to obtain an abortion. InDobbs the Court held the US Constitution does not confer a…

LGBTQ employment protection in Turkey: what is the law?

What protection do LGBTQ individuals have against workplace discrimination in Turkey? Currently, the issue of LGBTQ rights is a topic that is finding its place on the agenda in Turkey. It is an area to which employers should pay attention, while ensuring they fulfil their legal obligations. Some of the key issues under Turkish law are explained below. Under the Turkish Constitution and Turkish Labour…

Tracking service vehicles in Luxembourg: data privacy pointers for employers

The Luxembourg data protection authority, the CNPD, recently fined an employer for failing to comply with the GDPR in its use of geolocation devices when tracking service vehicles. The decision highlights some key learning points for employers. On 8 April 2021, the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) imposed a fine of EUR 2,800 on an employer whose use of geolocation devices violated the…

UK Court of Appeal rejects challenge to Deliveroo riders’ self-employed status

The UK Court of Appeal has unanimously and emphatically rejected an appeal, based on novel human rights arguments, that Deliveroo riders were ‘workers’ for the purposes of the UK’s trade union recognition legislation. In November 2017, the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) rejected an application from the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) for collective bargaining rights in respect of Deliveroo riders. The CAC ruled…

Gender critical beliefs are considered as philosophical beliefs in the UK

The UK Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled that ‘gender critical’ beliefs are protected philosophical beliefs for equality law purposes, while confirming that a belief in ‘gender identity’ is also a protected characteristic. This means that it is unlawful to discriminate against someone because they do or do not hold either of those beliefs. Background to the case Maya Forstater was a consultant for CGD Europe, a not-for-profit…

Ireland moves one step closer to introducing statutory sick pay

The Irish government has announced more details of its mandatory sick pay scheme. The new law will give employees in Ireland a right to sick pay for the first time from 2022. Currently Ireland is one of three EU member states to have no sick pay at all. In its latest announcement, the Irish government confirmed that it has approved the drafting of the General Scheme of…