FedEE Services
FedEE provides a practical HR resource for companies operating internationally across Europe, with a focus on employment law, pay and labour relations. First established with EU funding in 1989, it is now a rapidly-growing independent organisation serving the needs of multinational employers worldwide.
Whether you have major operations in several European countries or just a few sales offices in different states, FedEE membership is a cost-effective way to achieve legal compliance and deal with human resource issues as they arise.
European HR Knowledgebase
Whether you need to find out the statutory trial period for a new employee in Belgium or the normal working week for an employee operating on a two-shift system in the Czech Republic, the information is at your fingertips in our European HR knowledgebase. With a variety of search and browse methods to help you find the precise information you need, the knowledgebase offers a comprehensive resource on HR practice and employment law across Europe.
What does the knowledgebase cover?
The following gives an overview of the information resources contained in the knowledgebase. It is available exclusively to FedEE members and may be consulted on-line 24/7 in the members’ area of the website.
- List of countries covered
Country-specific employment law data:
- Constitution and the courts
The courts – constitutional rights – country status – political division – EU membership – public statements by employees – labour law - Discrimination
Discrimination – equal pay – harassment – disability – age - External resources
Links to primary legislation – to official forms and guidance – further information on income and related taxes - Other employment law issues
Transfer of undertakings – business transfers – share options – training (DIF) – smoking in the workplace – labour inspectorate – corporate governance rules – subcontractors – inspection and compliance - income tax – health and safety – outplacement – outsourcing – relocation – workforce funds – corporate ethics - Pensions and social security
Pensions and social security – private pension schemes – phased early retirement – retirement – retirement age - Privacy at work
Privacy at work – email and internet monitoring – email use – international data transfers – holding data on employee dependants – employee disclosure – whistleblowing – corporate confidentiality - Representation and bargaining
Industrial relations – industrial action – closed shop agreements – internal labour regulations – trade union recognition – collective agreements – worker participation – safety representatives – worker directors – European company statute – two-tier boards – changes in working conditions – social partnership – European works councils – financial participation plans - Resourcing
Recruitment – recruitment agencies – temporary workers – interview expenses – medical examinations – medical benefits – definition of employment – remuneration – payments in kind – bonus payments – overpayment – luncheon allowances – employee benefits – company cars – salary administration – work regulations – statement of employment particulars – young employees – employment contracts – dirigenti – contractual amendments – non-compete clauses – non-solicitation clauses – self-employment – fixed-term contracts – unfixed-term contracts – part-time contracts – commercial agents – home workers – teleworking – apprenticeships – reserve workers – occupational duties – redeployment – ongoing medical examinations – posted workers – per diem expenses - Termination
Termination – grounds for dismissal – notice periods – selection for redundancy – individual redundancy – collective redundancy – holiday pay on termination – severance payments – tax on severance payments – TFR – unfair dismissal – case law concerning dismissals – disciplinary procedures - Work and residence permits
Free movement of workers - Schengen – employment of foreign nationals – visa regulations – immigration rules – quotas – expatriate arrangements - Working time and leave
Working patterns - working time records – on-call time – night work – shift work – overtime – weekly rest – limitations of the 35-hour week – time-saving accounts – time banking – life course plans – salary savings schemes (PEE) – time credits and work reduction – public holidays – annual leave – short-term leave – days off work – leave reduction – maternity leave – breastfeeding at work – pregnant women at work – paternity leave – parental leave – adoptive leave – parental career breaks – emergency leave – carers’ leave – leave for family reasons – marriage leave – study leave – time off for personal reasons – prevention leave – sickness absence – lay-offs. - Comparative data
Consumer prices – weekly working hours – social security – comparative price levels – foreign assignments – minimum pay rates – employment – company cars – freedom of movement- price and salary budget projections. - Guidance notes
Contract compliance – cross-border and posted employees – cutting employee costs – developing a diversity policy – developing a social plan – driving in Europe – equal treatment -individual redundancy procedures – performance appraisal - Income tax – measuring service performance – pension systems – pre-employment reference checks – trade unions and employers’ associations – transfer of personal data – transfer of undertakings. - HR toolkit
Business transfer checklist – recruitment checklist – model EU contract of employment – model policy on dismissal – model policy on employee monitoring – model policy on recruitment – job description template – model company wellness policy – model policy on German parenting time (Elternzeit) – collective agreements – corporate social reports. - European Union
Summary of key elements from EU Directives adn European Court of Justice cases - business transfers – equal opportunities – from hiring to firing – health and safety – holiday carryover – trade union rights and employee participation. - Service providers
Law firms – management and HR consultants – medical insurance providers – payroll providers – recruitment agencies – translators and interpreters.
Employment law for HR professionals – On-line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The FedEE Law Programme offers on-line briefings from top employment law experts in different European jurisdictions, together with updates on recent developments across the European Union. This time and cost-saving resource is free and exclusive to FedEE corporate members and is available on-line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Each audio-visual presentation lasts for around 25-40 minutes, after which participants may pose questions to our guest speakers by email or telephone.
View a typical presentation
David Diaz’s briefing on Employment law in Spain is currently available here on our public site. This may be viewed with broadband or any similar fast internet connection. All the presentations have been prepared to a consistent format making it easy to access the information you need.
Presentations now on-line
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Employment Law in France: an introduction prepared and written by Denise Broussal, Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Paris |
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Employment Law in Germany: an introduction prepared and written by Dr Gregor Dornbusch, Employment Law Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Frankfurt |
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Employment Law in Italy: an introduction prepared and written by Avv. Uberto Percivalle, Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Milan |
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Employment Law in the Netherlands: an introduction prepared and written by Mirjam A de Blécourt-Wouterse, Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Amsterdam |
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Employment Law in Poland: an introduction prepared and written by Sylwia Puzynowska-Sech, Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Warsaw |
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Employment Law in Spain: an introduction presented by David Diaz, Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Madrid |
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Employment Law in Sweden: an introduction prepared and written by Sten Bauer, Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Stockholm |
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UK Employment Law: an introduction prepared and written by Nigel Moss, Consultant, Baker & McKenzie, London |
All-presentations are in Flash format, which will run on any browser with Flash Player 6 or later installed. The latest version of this may be downloaded via the button.
On-line assessment
FedEE certificate in European employment law
FedEE certificates provide objective confirmation of knowledge gained through the Law Programme. They can help HR professionals to:
- Improve their own knowledge of employment laws in Europe.
- Invest in the future by increasing their labour market potential.
- Show commitment to the international dimension of HR.
- Ensure that staff have achieved the required skills to do their jobs.
- Build capability to assess legal compliance in key operating areas.
Certificates are awarded to individuals who achieve pass levels of 80% or more in our on-line assessment centre. Participation in this scheme is currently free to individuals in FedEE member organisations. You will need to be registered as a named contact if you wish to participate.
Certification is currently available for:
- Employment Law in France
- Employment Law in Germany
- Employment Law in the Netherlands
- Employment Law in Poland
- Employment Law in Spain
- Employment Law in Sweden
- Employment Law in the United Kingdom
Certificates are available in six European languages: Czech, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. They are presented in pdf format for immediate download and may thus be printed for display purposes or transmitted electronically as part of a CV.
Frequently asked questions
Is there any additional charge for on-line assessment?
On-line assessment is currently free to individuals in FedEE member organisations. You will need to be registered as a named contact if you wish to participate. This registration is an additional step after logging into the members’ area and an additional username and password must be created.
What kind of questions are in the tests?
Each test contains 15 multiple-choice questions and you will be allowed a maximum of 15 minutes to answer all of these. If you run out of time, the test will be automatically submitted with the answers you have given so far.
What score do I need to gain a certificate?
Certificates will be awarded for scores of 80% or more (ie 12 correct answers out of 15).
How should I prepare for taking a test?
You will need to view the Law Programme presentation(s) covering the subject you have chosen.
If I run out of time and an incomplete test is submitted, will I be able to try again?
Once a test is submitted, you will not be able to edit your answers. If you try again, you will have to start afresh with a new set of questions. Please note that questions are randomised and will not be the same for each new attempt. You may submit each test up to three times, and a certificate will be awarded if any submission scores 80% or more.
I was interrupted while taking my third test and an incomplete test was submitted. Now the system will not let me take the test again. What can I do?
Contact FedEE and let us know what happened. Additional submissions may be allowed in certain circumstances, but this will be entirely at our discretion. Otherwise, you may try again in six months’ time, when your current test results have expired.
How do I download my certificate?
Click on the menu link to ‘View my test certificates’. Then select the language in which you wish to receive your certificate, indicated by the country flag and abbreviation. Either click on the link to view the certificate, then select ‘Save a Copy’ from the Adobe Reader menu, or right-click on the link and select ‘Save Target As…’. You will then need to browse to the location on your computer where you wish to save the file, and type in a file name to identify it.
Can I download a certificate in more than one language?
You may download your certificate(s) in as many of the available languages as you wish. The certificates will be stored on our server for six months, after which they will be deleted. You may download certificates as many times as you wish during this period.
Will there still be a record of my having achieved a certificate after six months?
FedEE will keep a complete record of all certificates that have been awarded. Any certificate may be verified by contacting FedEE.
My company is a corporate member of FedEE. How do I register as a named contact?
Ask the person registered as the company’s main contact to send us an email with details of your name, job title, and email address. Only corporate email addresses may be used for registration. If you do not know your company’s FedEE account manager then contact admin@fedee.com or call us to obtain the necessary details.
I have entered my username and password correctly. Why does the system tell me they are incorrect?
If this is your first visit to the on-line assessment area, you will need to create a user profile before you can log in. Follow the menu link to ‘Create user profile’ and complete all fields of the form.
If you are still having difficulties logging in after your profile has been created, please check that you are entering your username and password in lower case. If you are cutting and pasting your details, please also check that you have not picked up any extra spaces.
I am trying to create a user profile. Why does the system reject the username/password I have chosen?
The system has been designed so that it may only be used by registered FedEE members. When creating a user profile, you will need to use the FedEE username and password that have already been issued to you. If you have forgotten your username and password, please contact FedEE for a reminder.
It is also important that you enter your username and password in lower case, and that you do not include any spaces.
Why does the system tell me that my username/password is already in use?
You may have already created a user profile on a previous visit. If so, you may now log in using the form on the left. Otherwise, you may have shared your access details with someone else in your organisation, who has already created their own profile. If you think this may be the case, please contact FedEE to obtain a new username and password.
Why do I need to enter my username and password twice?
When you participate in on-line assessment, the personal data you enter is stored on our server. A separate login is necessary to identify you as an individual for the purpose of recording your test results, whilst at the same time providing an additional level of security.
Mettre à Jour: the European HR newswire
FedEE’s English-language newswire, Mettre à Jour, brings news and analysis of HR developments throughout Europe to your desktop every fortnight by email.
The Following is an example of a FedEE newswire: Mettre a Jour: November 23rd 2011
Mettre à Jour has been keeping the HR community informed since 1989 and is one of the services most valued by our members. Our news items focus on the practical implications of events as well as getting behind the news to reveal pathfinding trends and ideas. We are often the first to report on important court rulings and can keep you up to date with the latest developments in the drafting of new laws.
FedEE corporate members receive the full version of Mettre à Jour on a fortnightly basis, together with a great package of membership benefits. For further information about joining FedEE, please visit our membership page.
Fedee Helpline
This is a service to assist members with individual queries, in order to clarify and expand upon information we provide in our Knowledgebase.
Pay in Europe
FedEE’s annual Pay in Europe report is now available to FedEE member companies. The report provides benchmark salary data for 47 European countries and territories. Each table contains 32 standard job positions within two categories of company size or type. Hourly pay is presented in the form of a midpoint and spread to reflect the range for each job.
The tables may be used to produce a framework for pay relativities and an initial market guide when establishing a new operation in a particular European country. They will also be of value to those with established operations who require an objective reference point during pay negotiations, annual reviews or for general salary administration purposes.
Download sample table and explanatory notes from the 2010 report (pdf format)
To download, right-click (Windows) or hold down the mouse button (Mac OS) and select ‘Save Target As…’
On joining FedEE for the first time, you will receive a printed version of the latest report. All subsequent updates will be available on-line in the members’ area of our website.
Title: Pay in Europe 2011
Reference date: April 1st 2011
Format: Available to FedEE members in printed and pdf format.
The FedEE Job Evaluation and Pricing System
This interactive facility is designed to help multinational employers establish rationally determined reference pay levels for private sector positions in 47 countries and territories. It is available exclusively to FedEE corporate members and may be accessed through the members’ area of our website. To sign up now for FedEE membership, please go to our application form.
Click here to view the example form.