The French government recently passed amendments to the Labor Code increasing government-paid bereavement leave following the passing of an employee’s child, as well as government-paid leave that may be taken following the diagnosis of a child’s disability or serious health condition.
The amendments entered into effect on 19 July 2023.
The Spanish government passed legislation transposing the European Union (EU) Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers into local law. Royal Decree Law 5/2023 entered into effect on 30 June 2023 and introduces, among other provisions, unpaid parental care leave, paid force majeure leave, and extensions to current carers’ leave provisions and other existing leaves.
On 12 June 2023, the National Assembly of the South African Parliament passed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill (the “Bill”). The Bill aims to establish a universal healthcare system supported by a National Health Insurance Fund (the “Fund”). As it stands, the Fund is expected to be financed by monthly employee payroll contributions and through general tax increases.
The Bill has advanced to the next stage and has been referred to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for review and possible revisions. Once final, the Bill will be sent to the President for assent.
Lockton’s global benefits experts have compiled information on flu vaccines to assist multinational employers in evaluating the ability to provide preventive treatment to their global workforce.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government had previously introduced legislation increasing the number of UAE nationals who are working in the private sector by increasing quotas under its existing Emiratization framework. All private sector employers with at least 50 employees will be required to increase Emiratis’ proportion in the workforce to at least 10% of the workforce by 2026.
The Emiratization requirements which entered into effect on 30 June 2023 increased the Emiratization quota from a 2% to a 4% Emiratization quota.
European Union (EU) Directive 2023/970 on pay transparency (the “Directive”) which entered into force on 6 June 2023, requires each EU member state to pass legislation enacting the requirements as outlined in the Directive by 7 June 2026.
The goal of the directive is to further reduce or eliminate gender pay inequity within the EU through measures aimed at countering gender pay discrimination, through the collection and disclosure of pay gap data, compensation for those who have suffered pay discrimination, and penalties against employers for violations.
The Irish government passed the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 which introduces a right to request flexible working arrangements, five days of government-paid domestic violence leave, and five days of unpaid carer’s leave (called “serious medical care leave”).
The Bill is currently in its third reading before the Irish parliament and is expected to enter into force in the near term (the exact date is yet to be determined).
The government of Uruguay has passed legislation (Law No. 20130) creating a new Common Pension System (Sistema Previsional Común) which modifies many aspects of the existing statutory pension arrangements, including increasing the state pension age, allowing retirees to continue working, and requiring greater participation in the mandatory individual account scheme. As with other countries around the world, Uruguay has recognized the rising pressure of an aging population on state-funded retirement benefits, and these modifications aim to encourage people to work longer and to reduce financial liabilities on the public system.
Luxembourg has amended its Labor Code under articles L. 312-9 and L312-10 to introduce an explicit right to disconnect for employees and implement fines for employers who fail to take action or breach the provisions of a right to disconnect agreement. The law came into force on 4 July 2023.
Effective 1 July 2023, Poland has cancelled the epidemic state of emergency along with a number of concessions that had been granted to employers. Employers have varying deadlines by which to meet the restored obligations.