European Employment Laws
European Employment Laws
A comparative guide
The book reviews the evolution of labour law within the EU, analyses the distinct regional approaches to employment and welfare, and looks at the pressures for change within a further enlarged EU. The authors then provide a basic outline of employment law in each of the 28 member states, and in Turkey, Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina (all of whom are preparing for membership). It is intended for HR persons, lawyers looking for basic knowledge, policymakers & lawmakers elsewhere in EU, and EU bodies.
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The book reviews the evolution of labour law within the EU, analyses the distinct regional approaches to employment and welfare, and looks at the pressures for change within a further enlarged EU. The authors then provide a basic outline of employment law in each of the 28 member states, and in Turkey, Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina (all of whom are preparing for membership).
In the six years since the second edition of this book was published in 2010 the economic consequences of the global financial crisis of 2008 onwards have forced many EU member states to revisit their labour laws, and attempt to make their labour markets more competitive while remaining in the EU framework. These changes have been incorporated into the third edition.
The book identifies those areas where the law is unified by the enactment of European Directives, and regional differences which are potential pitfalls for employers with workers in more than one EU state.
It is intended for HR persons, lawyers looking for basic knowledge, policymakers & lawmakers elsewhere in EU, and EU bodies.
About the authors:
Stephen Hardy LLB PhD FRSA MCIArb FHEAcad, is Professor of Law and formerly a practising barrister specialising in employment law. He is also a Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber).
Mark Butler LLB LLM PhD is a non-practising barrister and Lecturer in Law at Lancaster University. He is the author of Spiramus’s Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law (2016) and the Deputy General Editor of Sweet & Maxwell’s Encyclopaedia of Employment Law.
Contents
Foreword to First Edition.. iii
About the authors. vi
Preface vii
Contents. ix
Cases xxi
PART 1: Posting Workers in the EU
Introduction.. 1
Enlargement towards EU27. 2
EU27 - mission accomplished?. 6
Fifty years on – the new challenges facing EU27. 10
Opportunities for EU28 and beyond.. 13
New Governance for an enlarged social EU 28. 16
Putting EU labour law into practice. 18
EU labour law... 19
Transnational employment: the mandatory rules on forum... 21
Which law applies? - Applicable law solutions. 28
PART 2: EU27 Employment Laws
1. AUSTRIA.. 31
1.1. Contracts of Employment 31
1.2. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 31
1.3. Working Time. 32
1.4. Pay. 34
1.5. Deductions from Pay. 34
1.6. Sick Pay. 34
1.7. Notice Periods. 35
1.8. Termination without Notice. 35
1.9. Dismissals. 36
1.10. Redundancy. 38
1.11. Family Friendly Rights. 38
1.12. Equal Treatment 39
1.13. Employment Relations. 40
1.14. Trade Unions. 43
1.15. Works Agreement 44
1.16. Collective Bargaining. 44
1.17. Employment Disputes. 45
2. BELGIUM... 47
2.1. Contracts of Employment 47
2.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 47
2.3. Varying Belgian Contracts of Employment 48
2.4. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 48
2.5. Working Time. 49
2.6. Pay. 49
2.7. Deductions from Pay. 50
2.8. Sick Pay. 50
2.9. Social Welfare. 50
2.10. Notice Periods. 51
2.11. Dismissals. 51
2.12. Redundancy. 51
2.13. Family Friendly Rights. 52
2.14. Equal Treatment 53
2.15. Employment Relations. 53
2.16. Employment Disputes. 54
3. BULGARIA.. 57
3.1. Contract of Employment 57
3.2. Varying Bulgarian Contracts of Employment 57
3.3. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 58
3.4. Working Time. 58
3.5. Pay. 58
3.6. Deductions from Pay. 59
3.7. Sick Pay. 59
3.8. Notice Periods. 59
3.9. Dismissals. 59
3.10. Redundancy. 60
3.11. Family Friendly Rights. 61
3.12. Equal Treatment 61
3.13. Information and Consultation of Employees. 61
3.14. Employment Disputes. 62
4. CYPRUS. 63
4.1. Contracts of Employment 63
4.2. Varying Cypriot Contracts of Employment 63
4.3. Working Time. 63
4.4. Pay. 64
4.5. Deductions from Pay. 64
4.6. Sick Pay. 64
4.7. Notice Periods. 64
4.8. Dismissals. 64
4.9. Redundancy. 64
4.10. Family Friendly Rights. 65
4.10.1. Maternity pay. 65
4.11. Equal Treatment 66
4.12. Employment Disputes. 66
5. CZECH REPUBLIC.. 67
5.1. Contract of Employment 67
5.2. Varying Czech Contracts of Employment 67
5.3. Working Time. 67
5.4. Pay. 67
5.5. Deductions from Pay. 67
5.6. Sick pay. 68
5.7. Notice Periods. 68
5.8. Family Friendly Rights. 68
5.9. Equal Treatment 68
5.10. Information and Consultation Rights. 69
5.11. Temporary Agency Workers. 69
5.12. Fixed-term Workers. 69
6. DENMARK.. 71
6.1. Contracts of Employment 71
6.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 71
6.3. Varying a Danish contract of Employment 71
6.4. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 71
6.5. Working Time. 71
6.6. Pay. 72
6.7. Deductions from Pay. 72
6.8. Sick Pay. 72
6.9. Social Welfare. 72
6.10. Notice Periods. 72
6.11. Dismissals. 73
6.12. Redundancy. 73
6.13. Family Friendly Rights. 73
6.14. Equal Treatment 73
6.15. Employment Relations. 73
6.16. Employment Disputes. 74
7. ESTONIA.. 75
7.1. Contracts of Employment 75
7.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 75
7.3. Varying an Estonian Contract of Employment 75
7.4. Working Time. 75
7.5. Pay. 76
7.6. Unemployment Benefit 76
7.7. Notice Periods. 76
7.8. Family Friendly Rights. 76
7.9. Information and Consultation of Employees. 77
7.10. Employment Disputes. 77
8. FINLAND.. 79
8.1. Contracts of Employment 79
8.2. Varying Finnish Contracts of Employment 79
8.3. Working Time. 79
8.4. Pay. 79
8.5. Deductions from Pay. 80
8.6. Notice Periods. 80
8.7. Dismissals. 80
8.8. Redundancy. 81
8.9. Family Friendly Rights. 83
8.10. Equal Treatment 83
8.11. Collective Agreements. 85
8.12. Employee Participation.. 86
8.13. Fixed-Term Contract 88
8.14. Part-Time Work. 88
8.15. Employment Disputes. 89
9. FRANCE. 91
9.1. Contracts of Employment 91
9.2. Varying French Contracts of Employment 92
9.3. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 92
9.4. Working Time. 92
9.5. Pay. 93
9.6. Deductions from Pay. 93
9.7. Social Welfare. 94
9.8. Notice Periods. 94
9.9. Dismissals. 94
9.10. Redundancy. 96
9.11. Family Friendly Rights. 97
9.12. Equal Treatment 97
9.13. Employee Relations. 98
9.14. Employment Disputes. 99
10. GERMANY.. 101
10.1. Contracts of Employment 101
10.2. Terms and Conditions of employment 102
10.3. Varying German Contracts of Employment 102
10.4. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 102
10.5. Working Time. 103
10.6. Pay. 103
10.7. Social Welfare. 104
10.8. Notice Periods. 104
10.9. Dismissals. 104
10.10. Family Friendly Rights. 106
10.11. Equal Treatment 107
10.12. Employee Relations. 107
10.13. Works Council Law... 108
10.14. General Changes in German Labour law... 109
10.15. Part-time Work. 110
10.16. Fixed-term Work. 111
10.17. Employment Disputes. 111
11. GREECE. 113
11.1. Contract of Employment 113
11.2. Certificate of Employment 113
11.3. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 113
11.4. Working Time. 114
11.5. Pay. 115
11.6. Sick Pay. 115
11.7. Notice Periods. 115
11.8. Termination of the Contract of Employment 116
11.9. Resignation.. 116
11.10. Dismissals. 117
11.11. Disciplining an Employee: Reprimand and Fine. 117
11.12. Redundancy. 117
11.13. Severance Pay. 118
11.14. Family Friendly Rights. 119
11.15. Equal Treatment 120
11.16. Works Councils. 120
11.17. Employment Disputes. 121
12. HUNGARY.. 123
12.1. Contracts of Employment 123
12.2. Working Time. 123
12.3. Pay. 123
12.4. Sick Pay. 124
12.5. Notice Periods. 125
12.6. Family Friendly Rights. 125
12.7. Information and Consultation Rights. 125
12.8. Atypical Workers (Part-time and Fixed-term workers) 126
12.9. Employment Disputes. 127
13. IRELAND.. 129
13.1. Contracts of Employment 129
13.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 129
13.3. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 130
13.4. Working Time. 130
13.5. Pay. 132
13.6. Sick Pay. 132
13.7. Social Welfare. 133
13.8. Notice Periods. 133
13.9. Dismissals. 134
13.10. Redundancy. 135
13.11. Family Friendly Rights. 135
13.12. Equal Treatment 135
13.13. Fixed-term Work. 136
13.14. Employment Relations. 137
13.15. Employment Disputes. 138
14. ITALY.. 139
14.1. Contracts of Employment 139
14.2. Pay. 140
14.3. Working Time. 140
14.4. Time-off 141
14.5. Social welfare. 141
14.6. Notice Periods. 142
14.7. Dismissals. 143
14.8. Dirigenti – a special case. 144
14.9. Redundancy. 144
14.10. Family Friendly Rights. 145
14.11. Equal Treatment 145
14.12. Employment Relations. 146
14.13. Employment Disputes. 146
15. LATVIA.. 149
15.1. The Labour Code. 149
15.2. Contract of Employment 150
15.3. Working Time. 150
15.4. Pay. 151
15.5. Sick Pay. 151
15.6. Sickness and Welfare. 151
15.7. Notice Periods. 152
15.8. Family Friendly Rights. 152
15.9. Employment Disputes. 153
16. LITHUANIA.. 155
16.1. The Employment Code. 155
16.2. Employees and Employers. 155
16.3. Contracts of Employment 155
16.4. Illegal Work. 156
16.5. Probationary Periods. 156
16.6. Employment Contract 156
16.7. Working Time. 157
16.8. Limitation of Overtime Work. 158
16.9. Public Holidays. 160
16.10. Annual Leave. 160
16.11. Other leave. 161
16.12. Pay. 162
16.13. Notice Periods. 162
16.14. Restrictions on the Termination of an Employment Contract 163
16.15. Guarantees to Pregnant Women and Employees Raising Children.. 164
16.16. Guarantees to Worker Representatives. 164
16.17. Termination of the Contract of Employment 164
16.18. Severance Pay. 165
16.19. Family Friendly Rights. 165
16.20. Part-time Work. 166
16.21. Seasonal Employment Contract 166
16.22. Collective Labour Relations. 167
16.23. Workplace Representation.. 167
16.24. Regulatory Bodies. 167
16.25. Employment Disputes. 168
16.26. Limitation of Actions. 168
17. LUXEMBOURG.. 169
17.1. Contract of Employment 169
17.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 169
17.3. Confidentiality /Non-competition /Restraint of Trade. 169
17.4. Working Time. 169
17.5. Pay. 170
17.6. Sick pay. 170
17.7. Social Welfare. 170
17.8. Notice Periods. 170
17.9. Dismissals. 170
17.10. Redundancy. 171
17.11. Family Friendly Rights. 172
17.12. Equal Treatment 172
17.13. Employment Relations. 172
17.14. Employment Disputes. 174
18. MALTA.. 175
18.1. Contracts of Employment 175
18.2. Pay. 176
18.3. Sick Pay. 176
18.4. Working Time. 177
18.5. Notice Periods. 177
18.6. Family Friendly Rights. 177
18.7. Employment Disputes. 178
19. NETHERLANDS. 179
19.1. Contract of Employment 179
19.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 179
19.3. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 179
19.4. Working Time. 180
19.5. Pay. 180
19.6. Sick Pay. 181
19.7. Social Welfare. 181
19.8. Notice Periods. 181
19.9. Dismissals. 182
19.10. Family Friendly Rights. 183
19.11. Equal Treatment 183
19.12. Employment Relations. 184
19.13. Employment Disputes. 184
20. POLAND.. 187
20.1. Contracts of Employment 187
20.2. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 187
20.3. Working Time. 187
20.4. Time off 188
20.5. Pay. 189
20.6. Termination of the Contract of Employment 189
20.7. Family Friendly Rights. 190
20.8. Employment of Foreigners. 190
20.9. Employment Relations. 191
20.10. State Labour Inspectorate and State Sanitary Inspectorate. 191
21. PORTUGAL. 193
21.1. Employment Status. 194
21.2. Contracts of Employment 194
21.3. Working Time. 195
21.4. Pay. 195
21.5. Sick Pay. 196
21.6. Dismissals. 196
21.7. Redundancy. 196
21.8. Family Friendly Rights. 196
21.9. Equal Treatment 196
21.10. Collective Labour Relations. 197
21.11. Employment Disputes. 197
22. ROMANIA.. 199
22.1. Contracts of Employment 199
22.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 199
22.3. Working Time. 199
22.4. Pay. 199
22.5. Dismissals. 200
22.6. Family Friendly Rights. 201
22.7. Employment Disputes. 202
23. SLOVAK REPUBLIC.. 205
23.1. Contract of Employment 205
23.2. Varying a Slovakian Contract of Employment 205
23.3. Working Time. 205
23.4. Pay. 206
23.5. Deductons from Pay. 206
23.6. Family Friendly Rights. 206
23.7. Employment Disputes. 206
24. SLOVENIA.. 207
24.1. Contract of Employment 207
24.2. Varying a Slovenian Contract of Employment 208
24.3. Working Time. 208
24.4. Pay. 208
24.5. Notice. 208
24.6. Family-Friendly Rights. 209
24.7. Employment Disputes. 210
25. SPAIN.. 211
25.1. Contracts of Employment 211
25.2. Confidentiality/Non-competition/Restraint of Trade. 212
25.3. Pay. 212
25.4. Social welfare. 213
25.5. Working Time. 213
25.6. Time-off 214
25.7. Notice Periods. 214
25.8. Dismissals. 214
25.9. Redundancy. 215
25.10. Family Friendly Rights. 215
25.11. Equal Treatment 216
25.12. Employment Relations. 216
25.13. Employment Disputes. 217
26. SWEDEN.. 219
26.1. The Employment Contract 219
26.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 219
26.3. Varying Swedish contracts of employment 219
26.4. Working Time. 219
26.5. Pay. 220
26.6. Deductions from Pay. 220
26.7. Social Welfare. 220
26.8. Notice Periods. 220
26.9. Dismissals. 221
26.10. Family Friendly Rights. 222
26.11. Equal Treatment 222
26.12. Employment Relations. 222
26.13. Employment Disputes. 222
27. UNITED KINGDOM... 223
27.1. Categories of employment rights. 223
27.1.1. Individual rights. 224
27.1.2. Collective rights. 225
27.1.3. Equality (Discrimination) 225
27.2. Contract of Employment 226
27.3. Collective Agreements. 226
27.4. Express terms and reasonableness. 227
27.4.1. Implied terms. 227
27.5. Temporary and fixed-term employment 228
27.6. Probationary/trial periods. 229
27.7. Employee status and continuity. 229
27.7.1. Employee status. 230
27.7.2. Personal service companies (PSCs) and managed service companies (MSCs) 233
27.8. Working Time Regulations. 233
27.9. Discrimination Legislation.. 237
27.9.1. Equality Act 2010. 237
27.10. Legislation on equal pay. 241
27.10.1. Genuine occupational qualifications. 241
27.10.2. Sexual orientation. 243
27.10.3. Religion and belief 244
27.10.4. Age. 244
27.11. Maternity Rights. 245
27.12. Paternity leave. 246
27.13. Adoption Leave. 247
27.13.1. Statutory Adoption Pay. 248
27.14. Maternity Leave. 249
27.14.1. Statutory Maternity Pay. 249
27.14.2. Maternity Allowance. 250
27.15. Flexible Working. 251
27.16. Fixed Term Work. 252
27.17. Family friendly. 253
27.17.1. Paternity. 253
27.17.2. Adoption leave. 254
27.17.3. Parental leave. 254
27.18. Dismissal law in the UK.. 255
27.18.1. Reasonableness. 255
27.19. Notice period.. 256
27.20. What may be a valid reason for dismissal?. 257
27.20.1. UK unfair dismissal 257
27.20.2. When is dismissal unquestionably unfair?. 258
27.20.3. Dismissal in connection with illness. 259
27.20.4. Dismissal on grounds of redundancy. 259
27.20.5. Dismissal during an industrial dispute. 260
27.20.6. Automatic unfair dismissal 260
27.21. Minimum wage. 260
27.22. Litigation in the UK – Employment Tribunals. 261
27.22.1. The composition. 261
PART 3: Further EU Enlargement
28. TURKEY.. 265
28.1. TURKEY EMPLOYMENT LAWS. 265
28.2. Contract of Employment 266
28.3. Terms and Conditions of Employment 266
28.4. Working Time. 267
28.5. Pay. 267
28.6. Social Welfare. 267
28.7. Notice Periods. 267
28.8. Dismissals. 268
28.9. Redundancy. 269
28.10. Labour Disputes. 269
29. CROATIA.. 271
29.1. Contracts of Employment 271
29.2. Terms and Conditions of Employment 271
29.3. Working Time. 272
29.4. Pay. 273
29.5. Notice Periods. 273
29.6. Dismissals. 274
29.7. Redundancy. 274
29.8. Family Friendly Rights. 275
29.8.1. Paid Leave. 275
29.8.2. Maternity Leave. 275
29.8.3. Short-time Working Hours for Parents. 276
29.8.4. Transfer of Rights to the Father. 276
29.8.5. Parental Leave. 276
29.8.6. Adoption Leave. 276
29.9. Equal Treatment 276
29.10. Information and Consultation of Employees. 277
PART 4: EU Information Centre
KEY SOURCES: 281
INDEX.. 283
Index of European Union. 283
Index of individual countries. 285