On 11 June 2021, the Minister of Employment and Labour released the much-anticipated vaccination guidelines. These are included in the amended Consolidated Direction on Occupational Health and Safety Measures in certain Workplaces (the “Directive”). While some have interpreted the Directive as giving employers carte blanche to impose mandatory vaccination policies, this is not the case ...
On June 21, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new rule to restrict the amount of non-tip-producing work a tipped employee can perform when an employer is taking a tip credit. The proposed rule clarifies that if an employee performs work that directly supports tip-producing work for a substantial amount of time — at least 20 percent of the hours worked in a workweek or at least 30 continuous minutes — the worker must be paid the standard minimum wage ...
The pandemic has shined a bright light on the importance of safety and health in the workplace. While most employers are well aware of the rules that they are required to follow when it comes to safety and health, many have not thought about what to do when an OSHA inspector arrives at the workplace. Here in Oregon, with some exceptions, most employers fall under the jurisdiction of Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon OSHA) ...
In one of the most highly anticipated decisions in the employment law arena, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has found that Maya Forstater’s ‘gender-critical’ belief is a philosophical belief worthy of protection under s10 of the Equality Act 2010 (“EqA”). Ms Forstater complained to the employment tribunal that she was discriminated against because of her gender-critical belief that sex is biologically immutable and that ‘transwomen are men’ ...
Free movement of workers from the European Economic Area (EEA) was ended by Brexit and the UK Government introduced the EU Settlement Scheme to bridge the gap between the UK’s two immigrations systems of those coming from the EEA, and those coming to the UK from outwith the EEEA. The EU Settlement Scheme is a mechanism for any EEA citizen who lived in the UK before 31 December 2020 to remain lawfully in the UK ...
Given the new trends and styles that emanate regularly from its players, the fashion industry is one that is constantly evolving. This industry, which is largely characterised by the production, display and sale of clothing, shoes, and perfume products has contributed immensely to the global gross domestic product ...
Six months from now, companies, and equally so other employers, are expected to offer a cogent system for the receipt and settlement of reports regarding illegal or unethical practices. ‹‹“Minimal” may be sufficient and “maximal” may prove not to serve the purpose›› says Adriana I ...
Key Points Effective July 1, 2021, the state law rules regarding break-in-service and hours limitations for hiring public-sector retirees will be reinstated. Public sector employers and retirement systems need to determine if any action, such as reinstatement or compliance with required governing agency appointment process, is required to continue to employ retirees who were hired or whose employment was extended during the COVID emergency ...
Key Points Fully vaccinated employees no longer need to wear face coverings indoors or outdoors. The revised ETS removes all social distancing requirements. Employers must provide respirators to employees who are not fully vaccinated "upon request." Governor has issued an executive order which makes the revised ETS enforceable immediately upon submission to the Office of Administrative Law ...
The Government has published its first statement setting out its vision for legal migration and border control as part of the new plan for immigration. This article summarises the key goals that form part of the vision. The statement sets out key delivery priorities for 2021 – 22 ...
Prior to the pandemic, companies allowed remote work sparingly and where necessary because of the location of certain key players in other states or countries. Many employers felt that remote work was not practical, citing technology gaps and company culture. According to a survey of 600 IT decision-makers conducted in May 2020 by research firm Vanson Bourne for Xerox Holdings Corp ...
In the latest article for our Tricky Issues series, we explore what employers need to consider when seeking to change contracts of employment and the legal risks which may arise when those changes are not agreed by the employees concerned. A contract is a binding agreement between its parties and cannot normally be amended without the express consent of all signatories ...
Although this issue was debated in the plenary session on 18 May 2021, the Judgment has not yet been published in the official gazette (Diário da República), so it has not yet taken effect. However, the 180-day trial periods of contracts entered into before this declaration of unconstitutionality are not safeguarded. Therefore, in practice, we will have terminations of contracts during the trial periodthat may now be declared to be illegal dismissals. 1 ...
In light of the continuing Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam and various regulations issued by the Government and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (“MOLISA”), some key considerations remain with respect to employee entitlements that employers must address and make due preparations for, as outlined below: 1 ...
Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for employers only in the health care sector in response to President Joe Biden’s January Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety. The ETS becomes effective on the date it is published in the Federal Register, which is yet to be determined. In addition, OSHA promulgated new non-binding guidance for employers in all other sectors ...
On June 10, 2021, the National Congress approved the bill that establishes new tax measures to support micro, small and medium-sized companies in the context of the crisis generated by Covid-19. The bill, which is awaiting the final formalities of enactment and publication, includes the following tax measures: Temporary reduction of the penal interest rate for SMEs from 1 ...
An additional bank holiday has been announced to take place in June 2022 to mark Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. But are all employees automatically entitled to paid time off and what approach should employers take? What is changing? Next year, the Spring Bank Holiday (normally due to take place on the first Monday in May) will be moved to Thursday 2 June. The additional Bank Holiday will then take place on Friday 3 June ...
We've seen two trade union-related decisions being handed down within a week of each other: Mercer v Alternative Future Group Ltd and Nexus v NURMT & Unite. For those employers with recognised trade unions the decisions are worth taking a closer look at. Mercer v Alternative Future Group Ltd Mercer is not good news for employers ...
On June 17, 2021, the Law No. 21,353 was published, which contemplates the following new tax measures to support micro, small and medium-sized companies in the context of the crisis generated by Covid-19: Temporary reduction of the penal interest rate for SMEs from 1.5% to 0%, for each month or fraction of a month, in case of default in the payment of all or part of any kind of taxes and contributions due ...
In El Salvador, the Bitcoin Law was approved by the Legislative Assembly and published in the Official Gazette last June 9th of this year, establishing avacatio legisof ninety days from its publication; in that sense, its entry into force is scheduled for next September 7th ...
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) had set a revised deadline (June 30 2021) for filing of data protection audit by data controllers. With the deadline fast approaching, we share somefrequently asked questions (FAQ) on Data Protection in our publication, accessiblehere,which may aid in undersanding what companies need to do in order to comply with NITDA’s directives ...
A Data Protection Impact Assessment (“DPIA”) is a process which helps employers to identify, analyse and minimise the data protection risks of a project. But when should employers be using a DPIA and what makes a DPIA effective? When should employers be using a DPIA? The Data Protection Act 2018 (the Act) states that a DPIA must be implemented before any processing is undertaken which is “likely to result in a high risk” to individuals ...
Workplace testing has proven to be a crucial piece in the UK government’s jigsaw to get British business back on its feet. But how can businesses implement a workplace testing programme and will the vaccine roll out make a difference? What is a lateral flow test? In March 2021, the government confirmed that almost 50,000 businesses had registered for free and regular lateral flow tests through the government funded workplace testing scheme ...
The liability of online platforms for the activities of third-party vendors has always been a controversial area. With the explosion of online shopping as a result of the pandemic, the issue has come under increased scrutiny. Although cases in the UK and EU have discussed the factors that the Court will consider in deciding whether the operator of an online platform is jointly liable, the position in Hong Kong remained uncertain, until now ...
