Health and Safety, Employee Leaves, Equal Pay and More: International Manual Updated for Nine Countries

Author: Melissa A. Silver, XpertHR Legal Editor

Country guides in our International Manual have been updated with information about the following subjects:

• France: The requirement to appoint a representative for posted workers and the requirement for equal treatment of students on work placements;
• Greece: The collective bargaining arbitration system due to be amended;
• Ireland: Potential penalties for employing a non-EEA foreign national without the relevant permit, and making a protected disclosure an additional basis for an automatic unfair dismissal;
• Nigeria: Discussion of the Pension Reform Act 2014, which is in force;
• South Africa: Changes to the enforcement of affirmative action for equal pay in effect and a substantial increase in penalties for failure to comply, and new equal pay legislation now in effect;
• Spain: The new procedure for sickness absence certification;
• Sweden: New civil penalties for breaches of the work environment regulations and new civil penalties for breaches of the overtime regulations; and
• Venezuela: The increase in fine levels for health and safety breaches, the new entitlement to paid leave for employees while on military service or training, and new obligations on employers arising from compulsory enrollment to national military service.

In addition, several sections of the Canada country guide have been updated with information about the following subjects:

• Employee rights: Holiday pay variation in Saskatchewan; the maternity and adoption leave amendment in Saskatchewan; new rules for family responsibility leave in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon; the reservist leave modification for Saskatchewan; bereavement leave changes in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon; the introduction of compassionate care leave in Saskatchewan; other unpaid leave changes in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon; the legislative change on weekly hours in Saskatchewan; new rules on Sunday working in Saskatchewan; and the rest period rule change in Saskatchewan.
• Health and safety: The increase in fine for breach of health and safety legislation in Saskatchewan.
• Pay and benefits: The increase in the minimum wage in Prince Edward Island.