Employment law 5 in 5: May 2023

1 June 2023 3 min read

By Sarah Hellewell

At a glance

5 developments to read for May in less than 5 minutes.

Launched: Guide for Global Employers on EU Whistleblowing Directive implementation

Our new Guide to EU Whistleblowing Directive implementation provides detailed information on each EU country’s local implementing laws, plus a comparison function to evaluate laws side-by-side for each of your business locations.

GENIE subscribers can use the Guide to track country implementation of the Directive, get an overview of its key provisions and a comparison with the US Sarbanes-Oxley regime, and identify actions to take to ensure your workplace whistleblowing programs are compliant with all the new EU laws. Please speak to your usual DLA Piper contact about a GENIE subscription.

For more on this topic, listen to our recent webinar on EU Whistleblower Protection Directive: A global employer’s top 10 questions answered.

EU: Gender pay transparency - New European rules take effect

The EU gender pay transparency directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 17 May 2023, setting the clock ticking for implementation by Member States by 7 June 2026. Employers need to use this lead in time well and should not underestimate the preparations required to be able to meet the directive’s obligations, which range widely from mandatory gender pay gap reporting and compulsory pay audits in certain circumstances to a prohibition on pay secrecy clauses.

In the meantime, our GENIE subscribers have access to the existing gender pay transparency obligations in over 35 global countries through our Gender pay transparency: A global guide to reporting obligations. Look out next month for the launch of the latest edition of this guide which will include brand new jurisdictions

Track: US Developments and Launch of Coast to Coast Video Series

US employers have seen numerous developments recently, from wage and hour decisions, increased labor activity and expanded remedies in unfair labor practice cases to new laws on child labor, non-competes, and AI, including guidance from the EEOC on the use of AI in employment selection procedures.

Check out our new digital video series, Coast to Coast with DLA Piper Employment, which spotlights trends impacting employers operating in the US. For Mental Health Awareness month in May, our first episode highlights issues for employers to consider as they communicate with employees about mental health and evaluate their mental health strategies and health plan coverage. You can read more about legal considerations and best practices in Mental health matters: Key issues for US employers.

Read: May’s top news picks

Most read international updates this month include the new language law in Quebec which heralds an important change for global employers operating there; in Germany, the Government’s proposed law to require electronic recording of all working time; and in France, the new rules allowing an employer to treat a termination as a voluntary resignation.

Learn: Access global events

Join us in London on June 7 2023 for a one day in-person conference exploring cross-border restructuring through a European lens.

Join us in Hong Kong on June 15 2023, for a lunchtime seminar jointly organized by DLA Piper and Shanghai Kaiman Law Firm on “How to Tackle Labour Disputes in the PRC in a Rapidly Changing Economic Environment”.

Catch up with our Americas webinar on emerging antitrust issues across the US, Canada and Latin America, including new limits on non-competes and increasing antitrust enforcement. You can also access our recent webinar on employment law developments and trends in Canada.