The European Union is set to implement a number of new employment laws in 2022 that will have a significant impact on employers across the bloc.
Here are 8 employment law changes employers in Europe should know about:
Maternity Leave
The EU is set to introduce a new directive on maternity leave in 2022. This will give mothers a minimum of 20 weeks of paid leave, with the possibility of extending this to 22 weeks if they so wish.
Parental Leave
The EU is also set to introduce a new directive on parental leave in 2022. This will give parents a minimum of 4 months of paid leave, which can be taken either consecutively or concurrently with maternity leave.
Paternity Leave
Paternity leave is a paid or unpaid leave of absence from work that fathers can take around the time their child is born.
In the European Union, the minimum amount of paternity leave that fathers are entitled to will be two weeks. However, some countries will offer more generous paternity leave packages as well.
Annual Leave
Under the current rules, employees are entitled to a minimum of four weeks of paid annual leave. This was increased to five weeks in January of 2022.
The directive also extended the right to request flexible working arrangements for all employees, regardless of their employment status.
Sick Leave
One of the most significant changes is the introduction of a new minimum sick leave entitlement of 10 days per year.
This is a significant increase from the current minimum of four days, which came into effect on January 1, 2022. The new entitlement will apply to all employees in the EU, regardless of their contract type or length of service.
The EU is also introducing a new right for employees to take paid leave to care for a sick family member.
Childcare Leave
The first change relates to the amount of time that employees can take off for childcare. In the past, the limit was 4 weeks, but this is being increased to 6 weeks in 2022. This is a significant change and will have a big impact on businesses.
The second change is that the age limit for childcare leave is being increased from 3 to 5 years old. This means that employees will be able to take leave for longer periods of time, which could have an impact on productivity.
The third change is that the definition of ‘child’ is being broadened to include step-children, adopted children, and foster children. This will have a big impact on businesses as they will need to be more flexible in their leave policies.
Time Off for Dependents
In 2022, employers should be aware of several changes to employment law in Europe. One of these is the increase in the number of times employees are entitled to take off for dependents.
Currently, employees in the European Union are entitled to four weeks of leave per year for dependents. However, from 2022 this will increase to six weeks. This is a significant change that employers must be prepared for, as it will likely mean an increase in the number of times employees take off work.
Holiday Pay
The EU is set to introduce a new directive on holiday pay that will give all employees the right to four weeks of paid leave.
This is in addition to the existing rights to unpaid leave and flexible working arrangements. The directive will also extend the right to request flexible working arrangements for all employees, regardless of their employment status.
Despite all the changes that have taken place in European employment law in recent years, one thing remains constant: employers need to be aware of the laws in the countries where they operate.
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