articles - Labour and employment law

Corporate awareness of social responsibilities is growing on the dynamically changing labour market. Private business is paying increasing attention to exclusion and diversity among employees. One of the manifestations of such openness and social responsibility is the gradually growing interest in employing people with disabilities. This proves that the role of more inclusive employers, i.e. employers who draw as many employees as possible into the life of the workplace, is increasing.

Employees expecting to receive termination notice often take sick leave to protect themselves from dismissal (or at least to postpone it). During the coronavirus pandemic, the risk of losing a job is increasing, whilst digitally obtaining a medical certificate is easier than ever. When dismissals have to take place in unusual circumstances, e.g. during a period of remote work, it is important to be familiar with the rules concerning termination of employment in the event of an employee's illness. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the illness itself that guarantees protection against...

Based on internal regulations or the provisions of the so-called anti-crisis shield, many employers have decided to instruct employees to perform remote work. Until now, employers have rarely used this form of work, so this is a serious challenge for them. This concerns not only organising remote work, but also providing employees with safe conditions for performing it in their place of residence. One of the difficulties that employers should take into account is the possibility of work-related accidents.

Due to the current situation caused by the spread of SARS-CoV-2, entrepreneurs are forced to cut costs. When other measures are insufficient, staff reductions may be necessary. Whether such redundancies take place collectively or individually, the rules on employment contract termination will still apply.

The current situation involving the pandemic and the binding Anti-Crisis Shield regulations may raise many doubts as to an employer’s rights. One practical aspect is the need to know whether it is possible to terminate an employment contract during the employee’s absence and while the person is not working due to the downtime.

As of 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom is no longer a member of the European Union and has since been recognised as a third country. This opened an 11-month transition period which will last until the end of 2020. This is the first case in which a country leaves the EU and has since led to many legal and practical dilemmas. As part of our #Brexit feature we present some of the main problems and explain the key issues concerning labour laws and workers' rights.