Work/Life: international employment news update

Issue 68

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

German companies to monitor suppliers under new supply chain law

1 January saw the Supply Chain Act come into force in Germany which has resulted in companies with more than 3,000 employees being required to monitor the human rights and environmental standards of their entire supply chain. Non-compliance could lead to fines of up to €8m or 2% of global sales, whichever is higher.

The law will also apply to companies with 1,000 employees from 2024.

Uber France ordered to pay €17 million to employee drivers

After a legal battle that started in 2020, a French court has ordered Uber to pay €17 million to 139 drivers in damages and lost salaries. It was said that the company should have treated them as employees, not as self-employed. This means that Uber should have paid the drivers professional expenses such as the purchase of a car, fuel and overtime.

The ride-hailing company has said it plans to appeal the ruling.

Uber drivers in France are also to earn a minimum of €7.65 per ride after a union deal was struck.

Polish Labour Code amended for remote working (and sobriety)

The Polish Parliament will introduce remote working permanently into the Labour Code. The amendment provides for both full remote working and hybrid working, according to the needs of the employee and the employer. The new legislation will also regulate employee sobriety checks. The new measures will come into effect in spring 2023.

France faces strikes and protests about pension reform

The January 2023 announcement of the increase in retirement age in France from 62 to 64 has caused nationwide strikes as unions fight against the planned pension reform. Contemplated measures of the reform project include increasing the minimum monthly pension allowance and counting maternity leave towards a woman's years of work.

The planned reform will be reviewed by the French Parliament in March with measures due to come into force in September.

Labour shortages

The Polish government is hoping to make it easier for businesses to employ foreigners with an amendment to the Employment Services Act. Foreigners will no longer need to do the labour market test if they need to renew their residence permit for the purpose of being employed for the same job. This change aims to simplify access, and especially the stay of foreigners from third countries on the labour market.

A new labour law reform in Germany will allow employees to undertake a period of educational leave for up to one year financed by the job centre. The Ministry of Labour expects the reform to enable more employees to retrain in occupational fields particularly affected by a shortage of skilled workforce.

Due to the ending of free movement of labour with the European Union, it is estimated that the UK labour force is facing an estimated shortfall of more than 300,000 workers in the post-Brexit economy.

Polish employees are more likely to look for workplaces committed to ESG

Poles are more likely to choose workplaces that have a clearly defined sustainability strategy. The recently published ManpowerGroup's report "ESG in Poland. Labour Market” finds that there is a range of emphasis placed on employer activities related to human and social work (35%), the environment (28%) and corporate governance (18%). Due to the impact of the data, organisations anticipate hiring employees in related specialisms.

Sierra Leone introduces new law to tackle gender inequality

The Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act has been introduced in Sierra Leone which requires companies to reserve a 30% quota of jobs for women. Women are also entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave along with equal pay and training opportunities under the new law. Non-compliance can result in fines of 50,000 leones ($2,600, €2,400) per incident.

UK Prime Minister pledges not to dilute workers' rights

Rishi Sunak has pledged not to remove existing rights and protections for UK workers when reviewing whether to remove, retain or reform EU laws. This comes as more than 60 organisations warned the Prime Minister of the risk of undermining crucial protections by repealing EU law which could affect more than 8.6 million UK workers.