Employment Law Europe Conference

Overview

Course duration: 3 days.

This course is run in partnership with JSB.

A practical approach to the latest developments in different European legal systems – France, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands.

This comprehensive two-day conference will enable you to understand local practice and procedure, as well as the cultural implications of employment law in four key European Countries. Ensure you keep abreast of rapidly changing developments and hear best practice guidance from our respected panel of speakers.

Is it right for me?

Designed for HR directors and managers, employee relations professionals, employment law advisers, and line managers who expect to have responsibility for staff in France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands.

What will I learn?

By the end of this conference you will be able to:

• Understand the employment law framework operating in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands
• Know how to deal with a variety of country-specific employee relations scenarios
• Apply your knowledge of European legal jurisdictions to workplace issues
• Advise colleagues on relevant employment law issues

What will it cover?

Employment Law in France

Denise Broussal, Baker & MacKenzie, France

• Overview of the legal framework in France including contracts of employment, discipline and dismissal, discrimination law and the employment tribunal and court system
• Recent key developments in French employment law, including the new employment contract

Case study: working practices in France Participants will be presented with case studies and have the opportunity to de-bate and discuss how to overcome the issues encountered. This interactive session builds on the previous employment law instruction.

Employment Law in Belgium

Stefan Corbanie, Eversheds, Belgium

• Overview of the legal framework in Belgium, including variation of employment contracts, sick pay and holidays and discrimination law
• Recent developments in Belgium employment law: national insurance contributions of self-employed vs employed workers and the new provisions regarding harassment in the workplace

Case study: working practices in Belgium Participants will be presented with case studies and have the opportunity to de-bate and discuss how to overcome the issues encountered. This interactive session builds on the previous employment law instruction.

Employment Law in Germany

Frank Achilles & Edzard Clifton-Dey, Eversheds, Germany

• Setting the Scene: Germany's labour market and legal framework
• Costs of employing in Germany - social security contributions and typical contractual benefits
• Hiring employees, background screening, contracts of employment
• Day to day management of employees: performance - attendance - discipline
• Dismissal: process and procedure
• Workforce reorganisation
• Employment litigation in Germany: remedies, costs, process
• Recent developments in German employment law: Germany's Act on Equal Treatment and recent developments in family-friendly policies Case study: working practices in Germany Case studies will be used throughout this session to illustrate legal issues and delegates will have the opportunity to debate and discuss how to overcome the issues encountered

Employment Law in the Netherlands

Brechje Nollen, Freshfields, the Netherlands

• Overview of the legal framework in the Netherlands, including working time, grounds for dismissal and evidential burden
• Recent key developments in Dutch employment law including the new pension act, the changes to the working circumstances act and the developments in the field of trade union recognition.

Case study: working practices in The Netherlands Participants will be presented with case studies and have the opportunity to de-bate and discuss how to overcome the issues encountered. This interactive session builds on the previous employment law instruction.

Employment Law in Italy

Aldo Calza, DLA, Italy

• Overview of the employment law framework in Italy including: variation of employment rights, trial period, employees’ and executives’ disciplinary dismissals, discrimination and employment tribunals and proceeding, with an over-view on the real impact of the judicial decisions on the general regulation of the employment matter
• Recent key developments in Italian employment law including: new time limits for fixed-term contracts, new regulation for resignations, new rules for con-tracts of procurement of services carried out by employees (so called “Con-tratti di Appaltato”), new Supreme Court’s decision about executive’s disciplinary dismissals.

Case study: working practices in Italy Participants will be presented with case studies and have the opportunity to de-bate and discuss how to overcome the issues encountered. This interactive session builds on the previous employment law instruction.

Employment Law in Spain

Daniel CiFuentes, Bird & Bird, Spain

• Overview of the employment law framework in Spain, including holiday entitlement, dealing with discrimination and employment tribunals
• Recent key developments in Spanish employment law

Case study: working practices in Spain Participants will be presented with case studies and have the opportunity to de-bate and discuss how to overcome the issues encountered. This interactive session builds on the previous employment law instruction.