Work/Life: international employment news update

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Issue 1

We are lucky.

As leaders and managers who deal with people issues, you are involved with some of the most interesting, relevant concerns of our time – in business and beyond. Us too: at Taylor Wessing, we’re fortunate to learn from forward thinking clients and our involvement in policy formation around the world.

Here, we will distil the most relevant news and share what matters most. This week, in light of the recent approval of a bill giving US federal government employees paid parental leave for the first time, we see that attitudes towards parental leave, particularly for fathers, vary wildly across the world.

In this edition, we highlight two different perspectives. The first one comes from Scandinavia, with the Danish employers' organisation Dansk Industri arguing that men should be forced to take over two months paternity leave to give women better opportunities in the workplace. The second comes from the US, with the New York Times addressing why so few American men are willing to take any paternity leave.

Latest news

Newly elected Austrian government to abolish existing early retirement option

The controversial law enabling men to retire without any deductions after 45 years of work will be dismantled by Austria’s newly formed coalition of conservatives and the green party. The law is criticized for being an enormous burden on the budget and for neglecting gender equality. Its dismissal is praised highly by the business lobby.

Dansk Industri pushes for enforced paternity leave for men

The Danish employer's organisation Dansk Industri is arguing that men should be forced to take over two months of paternity leave to give women better opportunities in the workplace.

Why aren't American men taking paternity leave?

The New York Times addresses why so few American men are willing to take any paternity leave at all.

New immigration law for 2020 to tackle skills gap in Germany

The Skilled Immigration Act – which will come into effect in March 2020 – is designed to attract more skilled workers from outside the EU to work in Germany. The Act removes the so-called 'priority checks' that exist at present which demand that the German unemployment agency checks whether a German or EU worker is available for a job before the working permit can be granted to a non-EU worker to pick up the job.

Changes to Dutch labour law designed to make it more attractive

The main goal is to make it more attractive for employers to hire permanent employees. Employers will pay lower unemployment insurance contribution for an employee if they are employed on a permanent basis. The measures are designed to improve workers' sense of job security as well as to increase certainty for employers.

French supermarkets avoid strict labour laws with automated cashiers

The New York Times reports that the introduction self-checkout machines is allowing French supermarkets to stay open on Sundays. French labour laws heavily restrict employing workers on a Sunday and so before the introduction of these machines most supermarkets were closed. A leading union figure is quoting as saying that "Sundays are sacred" for French workers and this measure will "change French society".

Robots to rise in the 20s

The Financial Times looks ahead to the key trends of the next decade, with the UK’s Office for National Statistics suggesting 7.4% of the workforce is at high risk of being replaced by robots.

Hong Kong protests cause worker anxiety

The escalating political unrest in Hong Kong is causing anxiety and depression within its workforce. The study conducted by the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists revealed that journalists and property managers were most affected.

McDonald’s new CEO takes aim at the company’s "party" culture

The new McDonald's CEO, Chris Kempczinki, has committed to restoring a professional culture at the company, and end the current practice of late night socialising between senior managers and more junior employees. He replaces Steve Easterbrook, who was fired in November for having a relationship with a junior colleague.

Top bosses earn average worker’s annual wage by 6 January

On average, it takes FTSE chief executives three days to earn the average wage of £29,559 (UK), meaning that if they returned to work alongside much of the nation's workforce on 2 January, they would have reached this figure by 6 January. The figures reveal that chief executives' pay is on average about 117 times higher than the average wage.

UK tribunal rules that ethical veganism is a protected belief

The case was brought by a former employee of the League Against Cruel Sports, who claims he was unfairly dismissed after he raised a grievance about the group's pension fund investing in animal testing companies. The tribunal decided that his beliefs as an ethical vegan were protected beliefs under the Equality Act (UK). So if the employee was discriminated against or dismissed on the basis of these beliefs, his dismissal will be unlawful. A full hearing will decide whether this is so.