News Flash

New Zealand: ‘Trading in’ annual holidays for cash

After 12 months in a job, an employee may ask their employer (in writing) to swap 1 week of their 4 weeks’ minimum statutory annual holidays entitlement for cash – although the employer may refuse and need not give a …

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India: Flexibility for IT sector in Karnataka may be about to end

Since 2014 employers in the State of Karnataka have been generally required to draw up employment ‘standing orders’ and submit them for certification by the State Labour Department … Please login to view this content or become a member by …

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Hong Kong: Increase in the tax rate for top earners (April 2024)

From 1st April 2024 a new two-tier income tax structure will be introduced … Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now …

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Slovak Republic: Falling real wages, although year-end reversal (2023)

During last year the average wage in Slovakia rose by 9 … Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now …

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Scotland: Clean break provisions in settlement agreements

There is always some concern that although a “full and final settlement” clause is included in a mutual severance agreement the employee could still return with a claim, especially if a future risk had not been considered in the settlement …

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Lithuania: Recent legal amendments

Several changes have been made during the last three months to the Labour Code and Immigration Law … Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now …

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Jersey (Channel Islands): Real earnings and gender pay gap (June 2023)

According to the latest available figures from ‘Statistics Jersey’, over the year to June 2023, overall median earnings fell in ‘real terms’ by 2% … Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now …

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USA: Employer notification duties

Employers in California must now hand new employees the official DIR ‘Time of hire pamphlet’ … Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now …

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Canada: Mexican entry facility

Mexican citizens who hold a valid US non-immigrant visa, or have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years and are travelling by air on a Mexican passport will now be able to apply for an electronic travel authorization …

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United Kingdom: Multinationals exempt from collective consultation for small TUPE transfers

From 1st July 2024 a company of any size subject to a merger, or other transfer of undertakings, can dispose of the need to consult employee representatives if the number of people being transferred is less than ten … Please …

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South Korea: Samsung unions merging to form a super-union

Around 17,000 employees working for Samsung in South Korea have decided to merge their subsidiary union structures and press for greater freedom to reach agreements at a local level which are free from uniform limits imposed by the Group company …

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Italy: Email retention periods

The Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali) has decided to hold a 30-day public consultation prior to introducing a mandatory retention period for the metadata regarding employee emails … Please login to view this content …

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Germany: Underperforming disabled employee protected – even during probation

The Cologne Labour Court has found that an employer had not provided the necessary support to a disabled employee which it later sought to dismiss … Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now …

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European Union: Governments relent on EU platform Directive

Last year, the European Commission launched its attempt to force companies using “platform” modes of operation to convert self-employed workers into regular employees … Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now …

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Panama: Urgent need to raise productivity

In its Mission statement earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pointed out that “about three quarters of the improvement in Panama’s income level vis a vis the US in the 25 years preceding the pandemic was the result …

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