Work/Life - international employment news update

Quick read

Issue 119

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

In this edition we look at:

Our strategic alliance with leading Spanish law firm ECIJA means clients looking to do business in Spain, Portugal and Latin America are supported by one of the best multidisciplinary law firms in the legal sector with a well-established reputation for innovation and success. Furthermore, this alliance enriches our newsletter as ECIJA regularly contributes insightful content, broadening our insight on legal matters.

(you may require a subscription to view some of these articles).

Fines for French non-poaching agreements

The French Competition Authority has issued fines worth EUR 29.5 million to three engineering and technology companies for non-poaching agreements. In breach of competition law, the companies entered into agreements preventing them from hiring or soliciting each other's staff. The regulator commented that no-poach agreements limit job opportunities and worsen working conditions for employees.

White Paper could create labour shortages

The immigration law changes proposed by the UK government's White Paper are expected to result in a drop in net migration. Professor Brian Bell, an independent government adviser has suggested that some sectors, such as retail and hospitality, may face labour shortages as a result of the reforms. Other sectors also look set to be impacted, like the IT field, according to a recent report by the Migration Advisory Committee. Those working in IT often have higher wages so a reduction in migrant workers in the sector could impact the UK's tax revenue.

For more information about the changes proposed by the government, please click here and contact Vikki Wiberg and Charlie Pring if you have any questions. We will be discussing the changes at our upcoming webinar, which you can register for here.

'Life leave'

A number of employers have introduced 'life leave' as an additional discretionary employee benefit. The purpose of the leave is to allow staff to take days off for important life events, without using up their holiday entitlement. For example, the time can be used for attending funerals, children's sports days or for moving house. Companies vary in the size of the life leave entitlement, with Molson Coors giving two weeks of paid leave and Clarion Housing Group giving five paid holiday days.

Portugal champions menstrual rights

A recent amendment to Portugal's labour code means female employees suffering from endometriosis or adenomyosis can take up to three consecutive days of leave per month during their period. To access this leave, employees need to supply medical evidence showing their diagnosis and explaining their symptoms. This follows Spain introducing menstrual leave in 2023, although a study found it was only utilised 1,559 times in a year. This reduced uptake may be due to the delays in diagnosing endometriosis, with a Spanish study finding that the average time to diagnose endometriosis is almost 10 years.

For our comments on menstrual leave policies, click here.

Employers fear workers' rights reforms

Research by the Institute of Directors found that 72% of British business leaders believe the Employment Rights Bill (ERB), in its current form, will impact growth, with over 50% going as far as saying it would have a "strong negative" economic impact. There are concerns that the boosted workers' rights will result in increased bureaucracy for employers and greater exposure to tribunal claims. The study found that almost 50% of respondents are less likely to hire staff due to the ERB. Concerningly there also appears to be a lack of understanding by employers around the practical impacts of the proposed changes, according to polls undertaken.

Please contact Sean Nesbitt or your usual Taylor Wessing contact if you have any questions about the proposed changes.

Dutch banks encourage return to office

Hybrid work has generally been encouraged in the Netherlands, however major Dutch banks ING and ABN Amro are implementing guidelines increasing office attendance to at least two days a week. The change has left some employees upset, due to concerns around overcrowded offices and potential breaches of collective labour agreements. ING's spokesperson commented that the 'physical presence of staff improves collaboration, strengthens connection with the company [and] stimulates creativity'.

We have run a series of webinars about hybrid working in Europe. Register here for our next webinar.