Employment Practices

Globe

Cross-border telecommuting and employee benefits: What employers need to know

Global telecommuting creates new opportunities for companies to tap into and develop diverse talent, but it often comes with unanticipated challenges. Employers should audit these arrangements to ensure compliance and duty of care issues are accounted for in their policies. This article focuses on the impact of cross-border remote working on employee benefits and additional issues that also require consideration such as host country legislation, payroll, social security, and employment protections.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom to Increase National Living and Minimum Wage Rates

The British government recently announced an increase of 9.8% from the current rate of the national living wage for workers age 21 and above (previously age 23), as well as the national minimum wage for workers age 20 and below (at least at school age). This substantial increase is intended to support the lowest earners in the United Kingdom and will be effective on 1 April 2024.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom Changes Holiday Pay Calculation Rules

The UK government recently published new regulations clarifying annual leave carry over and calculation rules for all workers and codifying calculation rules for part-year/ irregular hour workers’ annual leave entitlements.
Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023 will enter into effect on 1 January 2024, with some provisions becoming effective at a later date.

Ireland

Ireland Introduces Domestic Violence Leave

A five-day employer-paid domestic violence leave became effective in Ireland on 27 November 2023. This leave is part of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 (see Lockton Compliance Alert), recently passed by the Irish government, which introduced several provisions with different implementation dates.

Singapore

Singapore to Increase Paid Paternity and Unpaid Infant Care Leave

In its Budget 2023-2024, the government of Singapore introduced several parental benefit enhancements that aim to improve work-life balance for parents of children who are Singapore citizens. These changes include increasing the duration of unpaid infant care leave from six days to 12 and the period of paternity leave reimbursable by the government from two weeks to four weeks. Both changes apply to births or adoptions from 1 January 2024, but the extension of the length of paternity leave reimbursable by the government does not currently include a requirement that employers grant additional paternity leave.

Mexico

Mexico Proposes Workweek Reduction and Increase to Christmas Bonus and Seniority Premium

The Mexican government introduced draft bills that would reduce the statutory maximum workweek to 40 hours over five days, double the statutory annual Christmas bonus, and increase the seniority premium payable on termination.

The proposed changes, which would amend the Federal Labor Law, are still under discussion by the Mexican Congress. If passed, the reform would enter into effect on 1 January 2024.