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For many years, the Netherlands has been one of the more accessible European markets for flexible labour supply models. But that is now changing - quickly. EORs and staffing agencies will need a permit to provide labour supply.
We've all seen it: a policy tucked away in a shared folder or portal that no one can quite remember, or apply in practice. If it isn't followed, it might as well not exist. It is tempting to believe that policies in themselves keep organisations safe. Yet, as a recent case brought by an employee against a major supermarket in the UK's Employment Tribunal demonstrated, they only provide real protection when they are properly followed.
Here's a regulatory update that deserves immediate attention - especially if your business employs or places foreign workers in Poland. Poland has introduced a new law on the labour market and employment services, bringing significant changes for both existing and new EORs and employment agencies. While some updates apply only to those working with foreign nationals, others are general requirements that affect all providers.
Here's a legal update that deserves far more international attention - particularly if your business works with independent contractors in Brazil. In a move that has stunned legal professionals and business leaders alike, Brazil's Supreme Court has just suspended every single contractor misclassification case in the country. Yes, you read that correctly - all of them.
If you're an EOR, employment agency, or operate in staffing, this is your wake-up call. The proposed Employment Rights Bill could significantly change how you hire, manage, and support workers in the UK. Here are some of the changes:
Imagine this: you're sending an employee on a one-day trip to a trade fair in Germany, a client meeting in France, or even an internal training in Spain. Guess what? They need an A1 certificate, every single time. According to Regulations (EC) No. 883/2004 and 987/2009, every cross-border work-related activity, no matter how trivial, requires an A1 certificate. There are zero exemptions for employees, not even for the shortest business trips.
Trump's recent RTO order for federal employees is making waves in the US. But could governments and companies in the UK and EU do the same so easily? Not really. And here's why.
Most EORs in the UK operate as umbrella companies, whether they like the label or not. The distinctions? Commercial only and subtle at best: EORs typically deal directly with the end-client, who expects to employ the worker long-term.
Just a few days ago, the Court of Justice of the EU weighed in on a case involving the French railway company SNCF Connect, which systematically required customers to select 'Monsieur' or 'Madame' when purchasing train tickets online. Why? To personalise communications. In the world of GDPR, less is more, and the principle of data minimisation takes centre stage.
As of 1 January 2025, some of Germany's paper-based traditional processes have been given a digital refresh, thanks to the Fourth Bureaucracy Relief Act (BEG IV). This act introduces significant changes, making life easier for employers and employees alike. What's changing?
For years, governments have tried to come to grips with bogus or false self-employment, otherwise known as independent contractor misclassification. The complex nature of freelancing - and the various work arrangement structures - have proven problematic. Dutch determination. The Dutch, for example, are proposing legislation to address these issues - though not for the first time. In 2005, the VAR (Verklaring Arbeidsrelatie) system was introduced
That stomach-dropping moment, the heart-pounding panic - we've all been there! It's the number one reason our clients seek our guidance on potential GDPR breaches. Small actions can have BIG consequences. One slip, one misdirected email, can lead to awkward situations or serious data breaches.
Do you - or are you planning to - use automated solutions to make payments to temporary workers? If the answer is yes, you need to be aware of the upcoming EU Platform Workers Directive. Here's why... The EU Platform Workers Directive
Time tracking. It means reliably and systematically measuring the amount of time each employee works in a day, to ensure that employees are getting the daily and weekly breaks to which they are entitled. In some EU countries, time tracking has been around for a long time (think Austria, Luxembourg, and many Eastern European countries). In others, it's a more recent development: prompted largely by a ruling from the European Court of Justice in Ma
In Poland, remote working has been largely unregulated for years. That's all about to change. On April 7th, 2023, major changes to the Polish Labour Code are coming into force. The significant updates reflect the growing trend for remote work. So, from April 7 2023...
At the very start of this year - on January 1, 2023 - the Sick Leave Act 2022, came into effect in Ireland. This marks a major change for employers and employees. Prior to this act, employers had the discretion to provide sick pay to employees, but now, for the first time, there is a mandatory employer Statutory Sick Pay scheme in place. The sick pay year runs from January 1st to December 31st, with employees entitled to take sick days as consecu
If you engage temporary agency workers in Poland for your clients, you are required to have a licence. As set out in the Polish Act of 20 April 2004 on the Promotion of Employment and on Labour Market Institutions, the provision of temporary agency workers to third parties is a regulated activity. So, you must:
Under the Employment Agency Act 1971, employment agencies in Ireland must hold a licence to carry out their business. And if you're a PEO (Professional Employer Organisation) or an EOR (Employer of Record) you're probably considered to be an employment agency. Here's why:
· Are you a PEO or a temporary work agency? · Are you looking to operate in a country where a temporary work agency or a labour leasing licence is needed, but difficult to get? If the answers to these questions are yes, the best advice is: Get the licence. The consequences of operating without it can be very painful. Here are some examples:
Do you transfer data between the EU/ EEA and other countries? If you do, now is the time to check that your Standard Contractual Clauses are up to date. Just remind me...what are Standard Contractual Clauses? These are model (template) contracts prepared by the European Commission. An important mechanism for EU/EEA businesses to be able to operate internationally, they're used to ensure appropriate data protection safeguards for data transfers fr
Amongst all the big news announced in the UK's mini-budget last week came an announcement about the IR35 2017 and 2021 reforms. 'Public sector off-payroll rules' and 'private sector off-payroll rules' are going to be scrapped next year. This means that end-hirers (public and private) will no longer be liable for assessing the employment status of personal services companies. These status checks will, once again, become the responsibility of the c
If you're an EU-based business or if you do business within the EU, there's something you need to know about how GDPR is managed across the member states. It's this: The GDPR has created a one-stop-shop mechanism that makes it simpler and cheaper for organisations within the EU to process personal data across EU borders.
Spain has tightened the rules on the temporary agency worker market. Real Decreto-ley 32/2021 came into effect in March/2022, providing many changes to Spain's labour laws, including new rules on the use of temporary workers following recent EU statistics which revealed that Spain has the highest number, in the EU, of temporary workers as a proportion of total employees. To afford those workers greater protection the law now says:
Equity is under the microscope across the EU. A new law has been agreed that seeks to create a better balance of men and women holding senior level business positions in listed companies. Here's what you need to know... What does the new law say?
What's your policy on out-of-hours, work-related electronic communication? This issue rose above the legal horizon back in 2017. That's when France became the first country in Europe to implement a law protecting employees from all forms of e-comms outside agreed working hours. No SMS. No emails. No Teams. In France, employees have the right to disconnect.
For those of you that missed our last AMA ('Ask Me Anything'), here are some of the questions that were asked on our LinkedIn feed: Q: Is it true that you can't terminate an employee in France?
The EU Commission has proposed a new law on digital labour platforms. Here's what you need to know: 1. The new directive says that anyone sourcing work through digital labour platforms should be legally presumed to be in an employment relationship unless this is proved otherwise. This means: The digital labour platforms will be responsible for showing that workers are truly self-employed. If self-employment isn't proved, these workers will be see
If you've not come across the term Permanent Establishment before, here's the super-quick definition: Permanent Establishment means that a company is generating taxable local business activity and income in a territory outside its country of residency. For an easy-to-read, but more detailed rundown of this concept, please click here. Otherwise, please keep reading to discover why a cross-border employee who works from home may be a significant fa
Data protection is a vital component of your business reputation, your financial wellbeing, and your ability to function as a legitimate organisation. Despite that, businesses are still making critical and basic mistakes with the way they approach data security. Here are three, all-too-common errors...
When a company employs workers - and is making money - outside its country of residency, it's likely liable to attract the interest of the tax authorities. Why? Because every country wants to tax revenue generated in their own territory. What's that got to do with Permanent Establishment? A lot! Permanent Establishment is a legal term. The basic principle behind it is that foreign businesses should pay local taxes if they're making money locally
Citizen rights vary between countries. But as an employer, you should always comply with the highest standards of employee care no matter where you are. Here's a compelling reason for that: Across the world there are several jurisdictions - including the UK, US and any EU member country - in which employers can face claims brought by employees who are based in an entirely different legal territory:
History has been made! Last month, El Salvador became the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender (local currency). Paraguay is expected to be next. Elsewhere in the world, cryptocurrencies are not yet seen as money, but - just like silver or gold - as assets. So, what do I need to know? The employment laws of many countries around the world allow companies to pay workers in assets or other non-cash forms. But...
This is great news for the UK because the adequacy decision helps to ensure seamless trade between the UK and the EU. It allows personal data to be sent from an EU/EEA state to a third country (in this case the UK) without the need for any further safeguards. The adequacy decision is expected to stay in place until June 2025. But, the EU can amend, suspend, or repeal the decision if they believe there are issues with the level of protection that
