Work/Life: international employment news update

Issue 64

Welcome to the latest edition of our international employment news update.

"Work from anywhere" jobs searches increase along with part-time job offers

Amidst the return-to-office battle between employees and employers and the cost of living forcing employees back into offices, research has found that the desire to work from any location has led internet searches for "work from anywhere" jobs to increase by 48% since 2021.

With only 6% of employers in Czech Republic offering part-time jobs, the Senate is set to introduce new legislation which will give employers a discount on insurance premiums for specified groups of employees to enable companies to provide disadvantaged groups with more opportunities.

"Long Social Distancing" cost U.S. economy $250bn in 2022

Covid fears amongst the American workforce has meant that three million employees have avoided returning to the labour force so as to avoid taking public transport and other pre-pandemic activities. Worries of a resurgence in cases have highlighted the socio-economic impact that still lingers from the pandemic.

UK talent shortages and the expansion of Poland's Business Harbour Program

The Office for National Statistics found that only a small percentage of UK employers currently hold sponsor licences for EU or non-EU workers to aid in recruitment. This "severely restricts the available talent pool" following Brexit and the two to three months wait for sponsor licence applications to process worsens skills shortages amongst businesses.

Meanwhile, a new visa has been created in Poland which allows IT specialists, start-ups, and small, medium and large companies to relocate to the territory of the Republic of Poland from around the world without needing to obtain a permit. More than 55,000 visas have already been issued which allows holders to set up a business and take their immediate family with them.

UK prime minister considers scrapping or delaying review of EU laws

Newly appointed Rishi Sunak may be ditching plans to scrap retained EU laws by the end of 2023 which would involve reviewing 2,400 pieces of EU legislation. This means that the prime minister has also U-turned on his shredded promise to create a "Brexit delivery unit", implying that Brexit has hardly begun.

However, a clause in the Retained EU Law Bill states that the 2023 deadline can be extended until 2026.

UK employers could be liable for third-party harassment under new Bill

The new Worker Protection Bill, currently at the committee stage having passed through its second reading in the House of Commons on 21 October, could introduce a duty on employers to take proactive steps to prevent third-party harassment in the workplace if passed.

Section 40 of the Equality Act 2010 which prevents employee harassment by their employer does not currently make employers liable where staff are harassed by third parties following government decision to remove such provisions in 2013.

Algorithms used in recruitment in the Netherlands confirm existing prejudices

Research has found that algorithms used in recruiting staff confirm existing biases. Women and men were matched with jobs in traditional sectors such as childcare and construction and women were also matched with jobs where they received much lower salaries.

French President to raise retirement age to 65

Emmanuel Macron has vowed to increase the retirement age from 62 to 65 by 2031 under a pension reform. Macron says that implementation is based on the fact that "Since we are living longer, it's to work longer" and so as not to impact the size of state pensions that workers receive.

91% of Hungarian companies have increased wages in 2022

In order to mitigate the effects of rising inflation, some 91% of Hungarian firms had some degree of wage increase between January and August, according to a survey conducted by Edenred Hungary at the beginning of September.

Fathers in Slovakia to be entitled to two weeks' paid paternity leave from November 2022

The Slovak parliament have approved an amendment to the Labour Code which introduces a new concept of "paternity leave" in which a father can receive two weeks of paid leave during the first six weeks of the birth of a child.

A father who is on paternity leave will also be protected against employment termination.

Calls for strikes as well as minimum service levels

Trade union IG Metal Kueste has called on thousands of workers in Germany to strike at 15 Airbus sites this week due to a dispute over the company's future structure. The union has said that strikes could last for up to four hours. On 20 October, the British Parliament introduced the Transport Strike (Minimum Service Levels) Bill to ensure minimum service levels during transport service strikes. Both unions and workers will be at risk of losing protection rights if they do not comply with requirements and continue to strike. The Bill is expected to become enforced as law in 2023.