On 12 December, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) finally issued its official response to the public consultation on non-financial misconduct (NFM). This was issued through a Policy Statement PS25/23, finalising new binding regulatory rules and accompanying official guidance on NFM. The Policy Statement 79 respondents contributed to the consultation, including Squire Patton Boggs. At long … Continue Reading
A concern has been raised to the HR hotline. An employee reports that her manager has been bullying her. She alleges that he has been repeatedly rude to her in team meetings, talking over to her and down to her. She feels belittled and she thinks this may be happening because she is the only … Continue Reading
One month after issuing a Proclamation entitled “Restrictions on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” that imposed a $100,000 fee for certain H-1B visa petitions, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published clarifying updates that echo similar updates from other agencies. The USCIS update is available HERE under the drop-down “Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on … Continue Reading
While the new government announced fairly drastic measures on the employment front when it was formed towards the end of January 2025, most of these changes have yet to take place. There are however a couple of developments to report: Belgium has long applied an early retirement regime known as a ‘bridge pension‘ or, following … Continue Reading
In a previous blog, we announced our new federal government’s ambitious plans regarding the labour market, employment law and pensions. Just before heading off on a sunny break, the government has now come to an agreement on a first set of measures, which journalists – clearly also in desperate need of a break – have … Continue Reading
On 2 July 2025, the FCA finally issued its long-awaited next steps document (CP25/18: Tackling non-financial misconduct in financial services) on the proposed new guidance on non-financial misconduct (NFM). The document contains two key elements: Rule Change from 1 September 2026 – The FCA will extend its Code of Conduct Rules (COCON) to non-bank firms, following strong … Continue Reading
On 3 April, a new legislative proposal by the political parties VVD, D66, CDA and SGP was published for consultation. It aims to bring long-awaited clarity to the legal status of self-employed individuals in the Netherlands. It partially replaces a previous proposal by the Dutch government (Wet verduidelijking beoordeling arbeidsrelaties en rechtsvermoeden; WVBAR) which addresses … Continue Reading
EU member states have until 7 June 2026 to introduce local legislation implementing the Pay Transparency Directive. As per our recent blog, to date there have been very few developments on this front, but we are now starting to see the publication of draft legislation. The Dutch government recently issued a Bill aimed at implementing … Continue Reading
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled on February 20, 2025, in Tennessee v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that seventeen (17) State attorneys general have standing to challenge the EEOC’s Final Rule interpreting the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (the “PWFA” or “the Act”). In the first federal appellate court decision to consider … Continue Reading
Any question whether, in light of the recent election outcome, the Democrat-majority members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) would scale back their high-profile efforts to rewrite federal labor law to favor unions was answered only days after the election, with those members issuing a decision overruling a nearly 40-year-old case that … Continue Reading
Here are the last few questions – and our outline answers – from our recent webinar on Disciplinary Issues in the Workplace. What’s the best way to manage disputed notes from meetings, particularly where participants try to “re-write” history after the meeting? We share your pain – we have had numerous clients complain that employees … Continue Reading
Here are a few more of the questions – and our outline answers – following our recent webinar on Disciplinary Issues in the Workplace. In a large organisation, is it necessary to have consistency in decision-making across departments? Usually decisions vary depending on who heard the hearing. In short, yes. Ultimately if a matter ends … Continue Reading
Here are a couple more of the questions – and our outline answers – following our recent webinar on Disciplinary Issues in the Workplace. Can a disciplinary hearing be held in an employee’s absence? Yes, potentially, although this should usually be a last resort. As a general rule, disciplinary hearings should be conducted in person … Continue Reading
During our recent webinar on Disciplinary Issues in the Workplace, we received a number of questions via the chat facility that we will address in a few blogs over the next few weeks. First off, we have a couple of questions about bias and the independence of managers. Can a manager who witnessed an incident … Continue Reading
State and local legislatures have been active throughout the first half of 2024 passing laws and ordinances that will impact employers of all sizes and all industries. Click HERE for our summary of these laws and related developments in Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Washington and elsewhere! As always, our team will continue to monitor these and … Continue Reading
One Central Place To Access the Latest Labour and Employment Technology and Insights Last year, we launched our new Global Labour and Employment Resource Hub, and we have continually updated it with new content. Since our launch, we have added new features, such as:… Continue Reading
Do you need to understand the essential provisions of global employment laws? Introducing Global Edge Lite (GE Lite), the compact version of our award-winning subscription-based tool, Global Edge. Covering up to 30 key jurisdictions, GE Lite is entirely free-to-use and allows you to access commercial and pragmatic information on some of the issues we most … Continue Reading
Global Edge, our award-winning product developed exclusively by our global network of leading employment lawyers, gives instant access to the latest employment law developments. The tool provides clear, reliable, up-to-date answers on key employment law topics around the world, and maps out future legislative change. It is one of a suite of products and services … Continue Reading
Soon it will be easier for California employees to establish a prima facie claim of retaliation in violation of California law. On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 497 into law. Also referred to as the Equal Pay and Anti-Retaliation Protection Act, the legislation amends California Labor Code Sections 98.6, 1102.5 and … Continue Reading
As we previously reported, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB,” or “the Board”) decided last month in McLaren Macomb, 372 NLRB No. 58, that an employer commits an unfair labor practice (“ULP”) when it presents a non-supervisory employee with a severance agreement containing broad confidentiality and/or non-disparagement provisions. The Board reasoned that even proffering an … Continue Reading
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has issued legislation to regulate the collection and processing of personal data in the country (the PDPL). While the law was originally due to come into force on March 23 last year, the enforcement date has been postponed until March 17 of this year (as of the date of this … Continue Reading
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just announced, effective January 5, 2023 at 12:01 AM EST, airline passengers (two years of age and older) traveling from mainland China (Peoples Republic of China (PRC)) and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong or Macau must provide either a negative COVID test or documentation … Continue Reading
As of 1 July, the rules on Statements of Fitness for Work (“fit notes”) will change. In addition to doctors, now nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists will also be able to issue them – although that must still be following an “assessment” and fit notes cannot be issued simply on request or “over the … Continue Reading
You’ve just been informed that an employee who apparently contracted COVID-19 from an exposure in your workplace brought the virus home, and now his spouse, who is in a high-risk category, has contracted the virus and is in the hospital. Do you as the employer face potential liability for the spouse’s illness? More than two … Continue Reading
