EU Developments

The second edition of a very useful guide, Individual Dismissals across Europe, has been published. It explains the essential principles of individual dismissals in 23 European countries and outlines each country’s respective system for protection against dismissal, prior warnings, notice periods, the selection of employees to dismiss, collective requirements, administrative approvals and the legal impacts of such dismissals.

The long-running saga of the Working Time Directive (WTD) continues to rumble on. The European social partners have decided to enter negotiations after the Commission’s consultations with them on reviewing the WTD.

Employers seconding or posting staff to and within the European Economic Area (EEA) will find a new publication useful. The guide, Secondments to and within Europe, from Ius Laboris, an alliance of employment law firms, covers 20 countries in the EU, plus Norway and Switzerland, and outlines the legal issues affecting the temporary secondment or posting of employees.

European plans to offer new mothers 20 weeks of maternity leave on full pay have effectively been shelved following the failure of EU ministers to reach agreement.

The EU Commission has started the second round of consultation on amendments to the Working Time Directive (WTD) with a view to progressing matters in 2011. Significantly, there is no proposal to abolish the opt-out from the 48-hour maximum working week, a bone of contention over the last few years.