On 28 November 2022 was published the long-awaited decree of the Minister of Labour, in agreement with the Ministers for Equal Opportunities and for the Economy and Finance, which defines the criteria and modalities for the use of the contribution exemption for private employers who obtain gender equality certification.
The exemption applies only to private companies that have achieved gender equality certification, while public administrations are expressly excluded.
In 2021, the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Ireland and the Diligent Institute conducted the first research to understand how boards address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and integrate ESG-related risks and opportunities into their strategies.
In 2022 followed, a second research initiative, described in the 2022 report launched last November, covers the importance of ESG, including board oversight and structure, strategy, risk, and boardroom practices, skills, and EU legislation.
On 29 September 2022, Parliament approved the final text of the new Labour Deal that brings with it significant changes to employment laws and practices. On 10 November 2022, the Various Labour Provisions Act was published in the Belgian State Gazette.
In 2020, Microsoft launched in Switzerland the Skills for Switzerland learning platform, aiming to help job seekers, students, and the wider Swiss workforce gain the foundational, role-based, and technical skills needed nowadays.
On 30 November 2022, Microsoft and LinkedIn announced the next step in the Skills for Jobs programme, providing people free access to 350 courses and six new Career Essentials Certificates for six of the most in-demand jobs in the digital economy (Administrative Professional, Project Manager, Business Analyst, Systems Administrator, Software Developer or Data Analyst).
On 25 November 2022, Lavazza Group signed the new company agreement with the united union representation of the management centre and the Fai-Cisl and Uila-Uil organisations.
It widely expands the corporate welfare package for the three-year period 2023-2025., seeking a work-life balance for all employees.
A technical meeting on the future of work in the oil and gas industry was held in Geneva from 28 November to 2 December 2022, as decided at its 341st Session (March 2021) by the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The meeting discussed opportunities and challenges for a just transition to a future of work that contributes to sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions.
The report analyses how employers promote health and wellbeing at work in ten countries, including G7 countries and OECD countries in the Asia/Pacific region (Australia, Korea and New Zealand), including regulation, financial incentives, guidelines, and certification and award schemes.
On 17 November 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on corporate welfare in the case of a UK company that offered vouchers to its employees as part of a programme to reward the most deserving and efficient staff.
According to the European Court of Justice, such provision does not fall within the scope of Article 26 paragraph 1(b) VAT Directive, and those vouchers are not subject to VAT.
According to a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court, employees dismissed during the Covid-19 pandemic are not automatically entitled to reinstatement.
The decision of 19 October 2022 clarifies an interpretative doubt that had led to the assumption that any dismissal linked to the Covid 19 crisis was forbidden, entailing its automatic nullity and the consequent reinstatement of the dismissed workers.
On 9 October 2022, the Portuguese government, the leaders of the employers' confederations (of Industry, Agriculture, Tourism, and Commerce and Services), and the trade union (UGT) signed a national agreement for the improvement of income, wages, and competitiveness until 2026.
It aims to balance the weight of wages in national wealth, strengthen the competitiveness of companies, retain young talent and support families and companies to face the crisis.
On 30 November 2022, Eurofound published its research report, carried out in the context of the three-year pilot project (2021–2023), ‘Role of the minimum wage in establishing the Universal Labour Guarantee’, mandated to Eurofound by the European Commission.
It aims to understand how minimum wages, wage rates, tariffs, fees and other forms of pay could be fixed for specific jobs or professions in sectors with a high level of ‘vulnerable’ workers and ‘concealed’ self-employed by mapping national and sectoral approaches.
On 5 October 2022, the French multinational retail corporation Carrefour announced the second renewal of the global framework agreement on promoting social dialogue and diversity, extended until October 2025.
It confirms its commitment to promoting social dialogue, diversity, and fundamental labour rights in the workplace.
On 19 September 2022, during the Singapore Workplace Safety and Health Conference, Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower, announced the adoption of a Code Of Practice (COP) that clarifies the organisational systems and culture to be implemented by directors of all companies to be compliant with the Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006.
It aims to strengthen ownership of companies’ Chief Executives’ and Board of Directors' workplace safety and health roles and duties.
It had been gazetted with effect from 31 October 2022.
On 28 September 2022, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed into law Act No. 82-2022, that amended Act No. 17-1988 (“Law to Prohibit Sexual Harassment in the Workplace”) and requires employers to implement a protocol to manage sexual harassment incidents in the workplace.
On 8 November 2022, the Puerto Rico Department of Labour (PRDOL) published the Model Protocol that employers have to adapt to investigate sexual harassment allegations.
On 26 August 2022, the Portuguese government released plans to introduce a new digital nomad visa to encourage remote workers to live and work in the country.
This temporary renewable visa, which can be obtained from 30 October 2022, is available to individuals earning at least four times the national minimum wage (the current minimum monthly income is €705 but is increasing to €750 in 2023), that provides a work contract or proof that they are self-employed.
On 22 September 2022, HORNBACH Baumarkt announced that, from 2023, employees will be able to change their working hours to suit their needs.
The new working hour system aims to facilitate employees’ work lives and work-life balance and to address recruitment problems due to Germany’s growing shortage of qualified, skilled workers.
E-commerce giant Shopify changed its compensation system, introducing a new approach to reward employees with more financial flexibility as part of a long-term strategy to attract and retain talent.
Using proprietary software Flex Comp, employees can choose how they want to allocate their total reward between base salary, Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Stock Options, with new features like Shop Cash in the future.
On 4 October 2022, the Slovak parliament adopted an amendment to the Labour Code (the "Amendment") effective from 1 November 2022.
It mainly aims to implement two EU directives: No. 2019/1152 on transparent and predictable working conditions in the EU and No. 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers.
ILO just released the Global Wage 2022-2023 Report, one of its flagship reports on wage trends and policies at national and global levels that looks at the global economy and labour market context and the impact that the pandemic has had on wages.
This edition shows that, in the first half of 2022, there was the first negative global wage growth recorded since the start of the 21st Century.
In a recently released report The Word 2022, experts from Ius Laboris alliance answer some key human resource (HR) issues, covering the proliferation of changes in the workplace and how employers can face them.
The addressed topic are talent and attraction, the uncertain economic outlook, HR technology, and HR’s increasing role in engaging with and recognising ethical issues that are important to employees.
The Adecco 2022 global study provides insights into the attitudes of the current workforce and offers food for thought to help organisations future-proof their talent.
It is the third edition of the research, as it follows “Resetting Normal: Defining the New Era of Work” of 2020 and 2021, we reported here.
On September 2022, in the case of Kaushal Kishor Singh v/s M/S Sita Kouni World Travel India Limited (Writ Petition (c) 11631 of 2008), the Dehli High Court addressed the issue of the distinction between freelance and employee.
The Court defined a “freelancer” as a person who acts independently, without being affiliated with an organisation, in the business of selling his services and skills to different employers for a specified period, with the ability to pick and choose assignments.
On 27 September 2022, the National Labour Council approved the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) no. 162 on the right to request flexible working arrangements.
On 17 October 2022, the European Council approved the EU Directive , which aims to promote a balanced gender representation on the boards of listed companies.
The Directive stipulates that members of the under-represented sex should hold at least 40% of non-executive board positions in listed companies by 2026.
On 18 October 2022, the European Commission adopted its 2023 work programme, setting out targeted action to further steer the Union towards a sustainable recovery.
The Commission aims at supporting people and businesses by reducing energy prices, securing the supplies critical for our industrial competitiveness and food security, or reinforcing our social market economy.
On 29 September 2022, Paychex released its 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, detailing the progress the company made as well as new initiatives related to the nine pillars of the ESG programme: Ethics, Governance, Privacy and security, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Employees, Environment, Community, Empowering businesses and Occupational Safety.
On 13 September 2022, Perù’s Minister of Economy and Finance presented to representatives from private sector business and labour associations the government’s Plan Impulso Perú.
The Plan aims to restart the country’s economic growth and promote job creation.
The Federal Center for Conciliation and Labour Registry is the new body responsible for settling labour law disputes in Mexico, replacing the former conciliation and arbitration boards.
It became operational with effect on 3 October. This is the final phase of the implementation of the labour reform passed in Mexico in 2019.
A new policy brief on mental health at work, developed jointly by World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), provides a pragmatic framework for implementing the WHO guidelines on mental health at work.
On 3 October 2022, The International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and the World Employment Confederation (WEC) released a new report on Diverse forms of work in the platform economy.
It outlines the regulatory context, benefits and challenges of platform work, providing detailed insights and information on how it has become an enduring feature of labour markets.
The proposal to revise the Employment Protection Act (EPA), presented on June 2021, was finally adopted.
The reform described as the “greatest reform of Swedish employment law in modern times” entered into force on 30 June 2022 and applied for the first time as of 1 October 2022.
Randstad recently released its “Gender equality in the workplace 2022” report, based on the surveys of 6,000 workers across the construction, education, healthcare and technology sectors.
It aims to gain detailed insight into the status quo of UK workplaces and assess the persistence of gender discrimination.
It seeks to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 to include a restraint of trade provision that will “prohibit the use of restraints of trade in employment agreements for lower and middle-income employees”.
The Bill will also require employers of higher income employees to carefully consider whether a restraint of trade is appropriate to those employees and, if they insist on a restraint of trade, to compensate the employees for it.
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