Be Global: Employment law in 5

New features: Updates to our GENIE website

Our Global employment law manual has been updated for 2024 and now covers 63 countries, with new content added for Croatia and Slovenia. Users can create fully customisable pdf reports of our country guides for countries and topics of interest. Subscribers can also set up bespoke alerts to have new-look mailers automatically deliver the latest employment law developments.

If you have any queries about GENIE, or to request an account, email employment@dlapiper.com.

Progress: Human rights due diligence

This month has seen the European Council formally adopt the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive which, starting from 2027, will oblige companies operating in the EU to minimise their negative impact on human rights and the environment. In the US, the government has issued its National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct which commits to strengthening regulations prohibiting human trafficking and forced labour and expects federal contractors to conduct human rights due diligence. In Canada, the 2024 Federal Budget includes proposed legislation to eradicate forced labour from Canadian supply chains.

Use our EU Directive Tracker to monitor EU legislation with workforce implications.

Prepare: Whistleblowing in Poland

The Polish government is still working on transposing the Whistleblower Protection Directive and the latest version of its implementation bill was published on 23 May 2024. To help employers to understand the incoming regulations and prepare to implement relevant procedures our Polish team have produced a helpful guide which you can access here.

For information on implementation of the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive in 19 other EU countries, visit our whistleblowing guide.

US Focus: EEOC guide on workplace harassment

New federal rules and guidance are being challenged in court, including the EEOC’s final guidance on workplace harassment, the DOL’s salary threshold rule, and the FTC’s final rule banning noncompetes. Employers are assessing compliance obligations while monitoring legal challenges.

On the AI front, the US Senate has unveiled a legislative “roadmap” for legislating AI within the US; the California Civil Rights Council announced the release of proposed regulations to protect against discrimination in employment resulting from the use of artificial intelligence, algorithms, and other automated decision-making systems; and a new Colorado law is the most comprehensive law to date governing US employers’ use of automated decision-making tools.

Join us: Upcoming events for employers

The next webinar in our Employment in Belgium series is on 11 June 2024. For those with an interest in the Americas, the Canadian team’s Employment and Labour Law Spring Update Webinar is on is on 6 June. On 12 June, join our UK team to consider what the Labour party’s plans could mean for the employment law landscape. DLA Piper Global Outsourcing Symposium in London on 5 June will include a panel discussion on successful strategies for engaging with employees and their representatives.