With the rise of technology, work from home has been a steadily growing trend for many years. Remote working has exploded since Spring 2020 with quarantines, workplace closures, and lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at least for jobs and industries that do not always require workers to be on-site. This abrupt, worldwide shift to remote work has sparked new logistical and structural legal challenges that have warranted many countries to pass teleworking legislation, some of which are sum...| Lockton Global Benefits
On 12 February 2024, the Australian Federal Parliament passed the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Bill 2023, which introduces, among other changes, a right for all employees to disconnect outside of working hours. The right to disconnect will enter into effect 6 months after the legislation receives royal assent (expected soon) for businesses with at least 15 employees and 18 months after royal assent for businesses with fewer than 15 employees.| Lockton Global Benefits
The UAE cabinet recently introduced an alternative voluntary option for private sector employers to deliver the End of Service Gratuity (EOSG) to their expatriate (non-UAE or GCC National) employees in the UAE and its free zones. The new government-sanctioned option involves externally funding a gratuity savings plan through monthly contributions that would replace the lump-sum payment calculation under the existing EOSG system. This gives interested employers the ability to move to a defined...| Lockton Global Benefits
The Irish government is extending parent’s leave from seven weeks to nine weeks. The leave period is paid by Irish social insurance for qualifying employees. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (Extension of Periods of Leave) Order 2024 will enter into effect on 1 August 2024.| Lockton Global Benefits
The South African parliament has recently passed legislation dividing occupational retirement contributions into two pots (referred to hereunder as components) making one-third of the funds accessible prior to retirement and the remaining two-thirds available only at retirement or death. The new system, known as the “two-pot” system, will come into effect on 1 September 2024.| Lockton Global Benefits
On 1 July 2023, the Australian government increased the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contribution rate by 0.5% to 11% of employees’ earnings. The SG rate is scheduled to increase by 0.5% each year until it reaches 12% of employees’ earnings on 1 July 2025.| Lockton Global Benefits
The current mandate in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai requiring private employers to provide health insurance coverage to their foreign employees and domestic workers will extend to the remainder emirates of the UAE from 1 January 2025.| Lockton Global Benefits
New flexible working rules have been implemented in the UK from 6 April 2024. The changes aim to enhance work life balance and foster a more flexible working environment.| Lockton Global Benefits
The Danish government passed amendments to the Maternity Act increasing leave entitlements for each parent of twins by 13 weeks, effective 1 May 2024.| Lockton Global Benefits
The Chilian government passed amendments to the Labour Code reducing the weekly working hours limit from 45 to 40 hours and introducing more flexibility in the distribution of working hours. The amendments took effect on 26 April 2024, and will enter into force gradually over a period of five years. The workweek limit decreased to 44 hours on 26 April 2024, and will decrease further to 42 hours on 26 April 2026, and to 40 hours on 26 April 2028.| Lockton Global Benefits
The government of Québec recently passed the Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec (the Act), which strengthens and clarifies the existing mandate to use the French language in the province and requires employers to ensure that all their human resources documentation is available in French. While most of the provisions of the Act entered into effect in 2022 and June 2023, others will enter into effect on 1 June 2025.| Lockton Global Benefits
The Irish government recently published a bill introducing the mandatory automatic enrollment of eligible employees into a central government-run defined contribution pension fund. Auto-enrolment is expected to take effect in January 2025, once the bill is passed.| Lockton Global Benefits
As combat operations continue in Gaza, there have been several developments affecting the workplace, employee rights, and employer obligations in Israel.| Lockton Global Benefits
Cyprus has extended maternity leave entitlements for first-time birthing mothers, first-time adopting mothers, and mothers whose newborn is hospitalized for 14 or more days for health reasons. The extended leave provisions enacted by the Protection of Maternity (amendment) Law of 2024 apply to female employees who are on maternity leave or commencing maternity leave from 1 March 2024.| Lockton Global Benefits
UPDATE: From 1 July 2024, government-paid combined gender-neutral parental leave will increase from 20 weeks to 22 weeks. Parental leave entitlements will increase again to 24 weeks from July 2025 and 26 weeks from July 2026.| Lockton Global Benefits