The introduction of civil unions will affect provisions of the Labor Code
The bill introducing the Registered Civil Unions Act, published in October, proposes a number of changes to the Labor Code to bring existing regulations in line with the new institution of family law.
The main assumptions of the bill are:
- an employee who is in a civil union with a person that has a complicated pregnancy will be entitled to submit a binding request for an intermittent working time system, flexible working hours, or individual working time schedule,
- the person in a civil union will be considered a member of the employee's family,
- an employee will be able to take carer’s leave to care for the person in a civil union,
- property rights from the employment of a deceased employee are to pass after death of the employee to the person that was in a registered civil union with the deceased,
- the person in a civil union with the deceased employee before the death of the employee will be entitled to a death benefit,
- in the event of death of an employee or former employee, the person who was in a civil union with the deceased, and the children of that person, are to have the right to receive employee records.
In addition, according to the proposed changes to the social security system, a person in a civil union will be able to collect carer’s allowance because of a need to care for a partner or partner’s child.
The bill is in the opinion and consultation phase.