What we mean by ‘pay’

Notwithstanding the ‘love’ cited by Raymond Carver in his masterpiece, one of the main reasons why people work is the pay. You might even say that people love pay. Even if the younger generations do not base their employment decisions merely on pay (as shown by the ‘Great Resignation’ phenomenon), the latest human resources survey reports that increased salary is the primary motivation that drives Italians to look for a new job, even eclipsing the opportunity for professional growth or a more advanced role in line…

Changes to Ukrainian immigration rules against a backdrop of war

In light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the country is reforming its immigration policy to combat the severe labour shortage. The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for two years and has changed the lives of Ukrainians everywhere. Due to the danger in the country, 2.7 million Ukrainians, young and old, have left the country and have not returned. Most of those who left…

Refusing requests to work remotely in a hybrid workplace

Increasing office attendance remains high on the agenda for many employers, but upcoming changes to the UK flexible working regime could prompt more requests to work from home. A recent Employment Tribunal judgment provides employers with some comfort that, if handled correctly, they can refuse requests to work entirely remotely, especially from employees in managerial positions where a degree of in-person time may be needed….

New Year, new changes to HR rules in the Netherlands

Employers in the Netherlands should be aware that in addition to previously announced (expected) legislative changes, the following rules in the HR field have come into effect as of 1 January 2024. Statutory minimum hourly wage As of 1 January 2024, a legal minimum hourly wage applies to employees. For employees aged 21 and older, a single minimum hourly wage applies, regardless of the sector. This currently…

EU takes important step on supply chain due diligence

The European Commission and European Parliament recently reached agreement on the details of a new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The Directive will require large organisations to implement due diligence processes with regard to human rights and environmental impact in their supply chains. A number of European countries have legislation in place or under consideration requiring companies to perform supply chain due diligence. These rules…

New Polish government makes whistleblowing directive a priority

Implementation of the EU’s 2019 whistleblowing directive is a priority of the new Polish government. Despite its status as the fifth largest economy in the EU, Poland is the only EU member state that has not yet implemented the directive on the protection of persons reporting violations of EU law. The deadline for implementation of the directive into local law was 17 December 2021. The…

Occupational asbestos exposure: new rules from the EU

Asbestos is an extremely dangerous carcinogenic substance, which unfortunately is still present in some economic sectors. For this reason, the European Union has once again intervened with a Directive in November 2023, which integrates and amends a previous Directive issued in 2009. The new Directive aims to ensure better protection for people who, during their work, are or may be exposed to dust from asbestos or materials containing this mineral….

Employer’s ‘springboard injunction’ attempt falls flat

On 4 January 2023, Hong Kong’s Court of First Instance refused to grant a ‘springboard injunction’ against a former employee to protect the employer’s confidential information. Background A former employee of DCL Communications left DCL in 2019, and more than 18 months later joined a competitor, Reach Technology Solutions Limited. Both DCL and Reach were in the business of providing services relating to IT infrastructure….

Korean employees justified in covering security cameras

The Korean Supreme Court has held that employees were justified in covering security cameras that had been installed without proper consultation. The case This case involved union members who covered various security cameras at the work site, and were prosecuted and convicted for interference with the employer’s business. On 29 June 2023 the Korean Supreme Court upheld the guilty verdicts against the union members with…

New pay equality rules in Brazil

New regulations have been issued strengthening Brazil’s equal pay framework. On 3 July 2023 Brazil passed a new Gender Pay Gap Law, which, for the first time, will oblige companies with more than 100 employees to report salary differences between men and women in management and leadership positions. The Brazilian government has now issued a Federal Decree and an Ordinance providing important details for the…