WLG's Labor & Employment Group held its first meeting of 2025 on January 21. Participants discussed key 2025 trends, collaboration opportunities, and the L&E conferences taking place this year. Read key takeaways from the meeting below.
Key Takeaways:
Global Trends in Platform Work and Outsourcing: Several jurisdictions, including Brazil and Portugal, are awaiting Supreme Court decisions on the employment status of Uber drivers and the regulation of outsourcing core business functions. Mexico is also addressing labor reforms for digital platform workers.
Legislative Changes in Employment Contracts and Working Conditions:Germany has introduced digital signatures for employment contracts, while Sweden has made it easier to dismiss employees for poor performance. Greece is implementing a digital card system for real-time tracking of working hours.
Wage and Social Security Reforms: Multiple countries are increasing minimum wages, such as Germany (€12.82), while Mexico is considering reducing the standard workweek from six to five days. The UAE and other Middle Eastern nations are expanding social security measures, including mandatory private medical insurance.
ESG and AI Compliance in Employment Law: Italy is focusing on ESG-related employment regulations, including corporate sustainability and due diligence on forced labor. Ireland is addressing AI in HR and expanding gender pay gap reporting requirements.
Evolving Employee Benefits and Protections:Thailand has introduced an employee welfare fund and increased severance pay for long-serving employees. Ireland is implementing auto-enrollment for pensions, while Estonia is promoting trade union membership to enhance collective bargaining rights.
