Work/Life: international employment news update

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Issue 73

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

Pay-transparency measures accepted by European Parliament

EU companies will be required to disclose information to enable employees to compare salaries and to expose existing gender pay gaps under the Pay Transparency Directive that has been accepted by the European Parliament. If accepted by the European Council, EU member states will be obliged to implement proportionate penalties for employers that do not comply with the rules, and employers must conduct a pay assessment if pay reporting shows a gender pay gap of at least 5%. Workers who have suffered harm as a result of an infringement of the rules will have the right to claim compensation.

Dutch government to ban zero-hours contracts in proposed labour reforms

In a new package of legislation set to be introduced in 2024, the Dutch government is set to ban zero-hour contracts and provide temporary workers with fixed contracts more quickly, in an attempt to provide workers with more job security in the labour market. The legislation would also oblige freelancers and self-employed workers to take out disability insurance to ensure they are paid a basic income should they become unable to work.

Netherlands' highest court rules Deliveroo couriers are salaried employees

The Netherlands Supreme Court has ruled that Deliveroo couriers are employees and not freelancers, providing them access to a broader range of employment rights. Despite Deliveroo leaving the Dutch market in 2022, the ruling is expected to have an extensive impact on the wider Dutch labour market and especially for companies that operate a business model like Deliveroo.

Predictable working rights for zero-hours contract staff

Employees, agency staff and casual workers on zero-hours or short contracts in the UK would be given the right to request a predictable pattern of working hours under the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill, a government-backed private member's bill which has just passed third reading and will soon be considered by the House of Lords. The inclusion of casual and agency workers in the bill is expected to have an impact on those businesses that experience peaks and troughs and need to call workers at short notice, such as start-ups and retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.

Immigration reform in Germany

To counteract the looming shortage of skilled workers in Germany, the Government has presented a new draft law on immigration. The reform would include a scoring system and intends to ensure that qualified workers from non-EU countries achieve better and faster access to the German labour market. According to estimates, the reform should increase the number of people immigrating to Germany from outside the EU by around 60,000 per year. Proposals are not yet definitive and could change.

Staff could sue employers for harassment by customers under new UK law

Having recently passed second reading and if passed into law, the government-backed Worker Protection Bill would amend the Equality Act to introduce a legal requirement for employers to take preventative steps to stop harassment of employees by third parties, such as customers or the public. The bill is intended to reduce harassment of workers and limit occurrences such as the Presidents Club charity fundraiser scandal in 2018, at which numerous female hostesses were subjected to sustained sexual harassment by members of the all-male guest list.