Sense out of uncertainty, HR without borders
Welcome to the leading organisation for multinational employers.
Global employers belong to FedEE because we provide the kind of fast, practical, affordable, high quality and far-sighted service that gives HR professionals in multinationals the edge they require to stay ahead of the game. An illustration of this is the fact that we have predicted not only 9/11, the 2007/8 meltdown, the Brexit result, the pandemic (six months before it happened) – as well as the latest surge of hyperinflation, back in May 2020. One FedEE Member put it this way.
“I do not have the time to brief outsiders and start worrying about professional fees before I can get a job done. I just need someone I can trust who will give me an honest second opinion and help me sort things out so that I can move onto other things. My company cannot carry all the expertise about international HR laws and practices it needs in-house – so the next best thing is FedEE. You have no equal and those who do not know about you do not know what they are missing.”
〠 Join our top Multinationals: We are Chaired by the Ford Motor Company, whilst Latham and Watkins – the world’s second largest law firm – is on our board. In fact, 40% of the top global companies are FedEE corporate members.
〠 Legal Counsel: FedEE Members have access to our legal knowledgebase, helpline and customised legal services.
〠 Monitoring Developments: FedEE differs significantly from others in how we communicate complex laws, court decisions and HR practices.
〠 Our latest 100-page report (free to Members) explains in detail the current laws relating to short-term mobility across Europe. Do you know what constitutes a “business trip” in each State? Are you risking the penalties under new Job Posting laws?
International HR Answers in Seconds
FedEE was developed to provide a “right hand” professional support service to those in multinational HR departments.
We focus on key developments so you can get on with your core day-to-day activities. You do not need a legal database containing 1000s of new laws and court cases to read every day, nor do you have the time to wait for a call-back from a law firm – but you do need to know if your company faces a new employer obligation in a particular country, if a key deadline is coming up on the radar, or how to resolve a difficult employee problem in real-time.
FedEE also produces news reports you would never receive from any other source. This is partly because we monitor changes in over 30 languages. We also have a tiered support system so that if you need to know more, you may go to our online knowledgebase, or simply call our multinational helpline. 85% of helpline enquiries are resolved within two hours, after just one direct call to an Advisor. Our service is also multi-user – so several colleagues may access it in their own right. Few lawyers have hands on HR experience and so their guidance is often rigid, obscure and off the mark. We go beyond the law and aim at finding practical, management solutions that stick and make good economic sense.
You could probably secure a near alternative to FedEE by hiring a talented HR professional with years of working in many jurisdictions and industry sectors, then by arming them with numerous costly online legal database subscriptions – or you could simply sign up to FedEE at fraction of the cost. That is perhaps why many HR departments around the World have relied on FedEE for over three decades.
FEDEE – WE HAVE THE ANSWERS
☞ A recent landmark court decision in Malaysia has been the first to challenge the country’s Islamic laws concerning sexual orientation.
☞ We chart the COVID-19 travel restrictions and lockdown requirements as they happen. Our expertise in Epidemiology allows us to track and evaluate emerging threats.
☞ How many US States now ban the use of non-compete clauses and which is the latest?
☞ Are casual workers unlawful in Australia? We show you why not.
☞ What are the latest changes to Singapore’s Child Development Co-Savings Act? What do they mean?
☞ What has happened to the legal loophole in Belgium that allowed employers to hire workers on a succession of alternating temporary and replacement contracts?
☞ May an employer in Kenya dismiss an employee serving a probationary period “at will”?
☞ What are the HR data retention periods around the World?
☞ Which multinational companies are leading the way in introducing hybrid work practices?
The FedEE Story
FedEE was supported initially by the European Commission.
FedEE Services
FedEE offers a range of “must have” services to the Multinational employers.
FedEE Achievements
Some achievements since foundation in 1988.
Aftermath
FedEE’s frightening analysis concerning prospects for a post-pandemic World.
Work is not about place, but about outcome
The international health crisis has driven a revolution in our concept of the workplace.
* Teleworking is not just the reserve of a few IT specialists, but has opened up to cover a substantial proportion of those who previously worked in conventional offices – with attendant savings in commercial real estate overheads.
* It has also fundamentally changed our understanding of flexitime, with vast improvements in the way employees can balance work and family life and avoid conventional commuting “rush hour” delays.
* The embracing of Emeetings has meant that business travel for both internal discussions and interaction with Clients can now be heavily curtailed – with huge expense account cost savings.
* Managers have overcome previous fears that control will be lost unless there is physical proximity and well-defined work routines.
* Mandatory vaccinations have forced companies to recognize that morality is about principles, not opinion. Many human choices are non-negotiable because potential harm to others places a clear limit on individual choice.
OBSTACLES AND DOWNSIDE RISKS
* If the majority of those embracing distance working are women and office working are men, then there will be a huge danger that male colleagues will revert to a dominant position and seize all available career opportunities.
* Without careful control of work demands and routines there will be a real risk of either under or over work by distant workers.
* Not every domestic environment lends itself to remote working
* The potential IT and other security/data protection concerns about distributed working need to be carefully addressed.
* The new distributed office will redefine the notion of the “virtual workplace” – meaning that it can more easily embrace other players than conventional employees and raise questions about where virtual workers are taxed.
If an organisation wishes to address these issues and optimize the opportunities that now present themselves they should enlist our support by joining FedEE.
Services Tailored for You
Your Employment Law Questions Answered – Practically and Fast
If a quick check of the FedEE Knowledgebase does not come up with all the details you are looking for then the FedEE legal helpline is just a phone call, or email message, away. We seek to answer all email questions raised within four working hours. In fact, over 90% of telephone enquiries about our core 35 countries are resolved during a 15-minute call.
Updating Your HR Policies to Comply with Statutes and Rulings
The most constant concern that arises in our periodic member surveys concerns the updating of HR policies. If a policy is out of date, and thus at variance with the law, or phrased in an ambiguous way a company can find itself being challenged by employees with whom they are in dispute, an ex-employee or a factory inspector. All policies should therefore ideally be reviewed on an annual basis. FedEE offers a policy review service that could be just for one policy in a single jurisdiction, a complete handbook or for multiple countries. This service is at a fraction of the cost charged by a conventional law firm.
Let FedEE-Legal provide you with the employment law assistance you need during the current crisis
FedEE Legal are Legal Counsel to the Federation. We offer expert advice, information and support at less cost and much faster than an old-style legal firm. Our expertise is also based on a depth of international HR experience and is led by a former Advisor to The European Commission and the ICO who also has a track record in mining, electronics and engineering. We cover over 120+ country jurisdictions, plus federal laws, from a single international centre. For statutory reasons FedEE Legal is not open to non-members of the Federation. Call us today on (+1) 857 576 8452 or email enquiries@fedeeglobal.com.
Ask FedEE Legal’s research team to undertake an investigation into a difficult legal challenge, or brief you on a particular jurisdiction
We have undertaken numerous customised research exercises for major public and private organisations to assess, for instance, the best jurisdiction and labour market for expansion into Eastern Europe, restructure the business, convert independent advisors into permanent employees, or set out all the steps necessary for a major transfer of undertakings. We specialise in M&A HR legal strategy – and in 2019 we were a key player in one of the largest mergers in recent times.
Becoming a multinational for the first time? Let FedEE help reduce the delays and risks
Membership of FedEE will be an invaluable aid to successful growth in other countries. Not only can we show you how to avoid the legal pitfalls, but can put you in touch with local service providers and provide statistics to help you assess things like the size and nature of local labour markets.
Mandatory Vaccination Update
An increasing number of countries are introducing mandatory vaccinations for some, or all, of their populations.
In the USA, an OSHA mandate for companies with 100+ employees has been clearly backed by the 6th Circuit Federal Appeals Court – although it may still be challenged before the Supreme Court.
*** Meanwhile, the OSHA has warned larger employers that they will begin fining them if they have not introduced vaccine mandates by February 10th 2022. This will affect 80 million workers across the country.
Here is the latest situation in Europe:
- In Austria a new law is being debated that would apply a mandatory vaccination regime for all those aged 14+. It would come into force in February and fines of €600 per offence (up to an annual total of €2,400) will apply from March 2022.
- In the Czech Republic the Health Ministry has prepared plans to mandate vaccination for all health workers, police officers, soldiers and all those aged over 60.
- A tripartite agreement between employers, unions and the government in Denmark is now law. This gives employers a right to require employees to show a corona pass to enter company premises, or face dismissal. Face masks are also required on public transportation, in taxis, retail and health clinics and when visiting a face-to-face service.
- There has been a requirement for some time in France for public employees to have a health pass proving that they are vaccinated against or recovered from COVID-19 or that they have had a negative test result.
- In Germany, the government has agreed to impose compulsory vaccination for all adult residents – probably from February 2022. Until the vaccinations are completed all unvaccinated individuals will be banned from public transport, all non-essential shops and cultural/recreational venues. Moreover, face masks will be generally required, even for children in schools.
- After January 16th 2022, a mandatory vaccination law takes effect in Greece for those aged 60+, with a fine of €100 for non-compliance.
- The Hungarian government has given employers the right to make it compulsory for employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19
- Italy requires State employees to be vaccinated. It has also introduced a new “supercertificate” that excludes a COVID-19 test result as a basis for admission to bars, restaurants and a wide range of venues. Holders will have to either have had full vaccinations or be recovered from the virus. The old green certificate will be the minimum necessary for access to hotels and public transport.
- Swiss border crossings are now requiring those aged 18+ to possess a PCR test certificate undertaken in the last 72 hours and a repeat test must be submitted to the authorities between the 4th and the 7th day of entry into Switzerland.
- In the UK all NHS patient-facing personnel must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from April 2022, unless they have a special exemption.
- The Vatican City was one of the first States to order that all employees must be fully vaccinated.
Other European Countries requiring State employees to be vaccinated are: Croatia, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Ukraine.
Mandatory vaccination in the healthcare sector are being considered in Belgium and the Republic of Ireland. Meanwhile, Slovakia is offering cash incentives for the over 60s to get vaccinated and Bulgaria remains Europe’s least vaccinated country.
Rest of the World
In Cyprus, a QR Code based pass is required for access to most shops, malls and public events.
Adults must be vaccinated in Indonesia, Malawi, Micronesia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In Western Australia all employees must be vaccinated unless they have a government exemption certificate. In New Zealand certain types of workplaces must operate mandatory vaccination (health, education, handing food and drink etc).
All federally regulated employees in Canada must be vaccinated and most State employees in the following countries: Costa Rica, Egypt, Fiji, Ghana, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, and the USA (including contractors). It is also lawful in many States for private sector employers to require employees to be vaccinated.
Regular updates are received by all FedEE Members – contact us for details.
Press Releases and Newswires
White papers
FedEE Member companies gain access to a wealth of information and guidance.
Press Releases
Examples of past press releases distributed to media, newspapers and agencies.
Past Newswires
Examples of our fortnightly newswires sent to all FedEE Member organizations.
Join FedEE Today
Many of the world’s largest multinational companies already belong to The Federation of International Employers (FedEE®). We have a Worldwide Membership – with particular concentrations in North America, Western Europe, India and Japan. We were founded in 1988 and are regularly voted by our Members as an organisation they would recommend to other multinationals.
If your company has over 150 employees in two or more countries, has its own in-house HR department, and has been operating for two or more years then you really cannot afford to operate without being part of the Federation. The approval process takes less than a day and for immediate access to our services we have an online credit card payment facility. Membership costs as little as €998.00 a year. Please check here to view the table of our membership services. Sign up now.
Why not take a short tour of our knowledge-base before joining FedEE® to see the nature and extent of the employment law, HR data and support that we offer? Please contact our Membership Secretary on membershipservices@fedee.com to arrange for a one-to-one webinar for you and your colleagues, arranged without obligation and entirely at your own convenience.
Contact Us
Address, email, telephone numbers and on line payments so you can get in touch from anywhere around the world.
Senior Management Team
Introducing our key staff and Board Members.
Training and Events
The World’s advanced professional transnational law training course.
Clear Thinking
Most people are not taught to think and few realize that clear thinking originates in perceptions and personal identity.
