Running a global, remote-based organisation carries a raft of HR compliance responsibilities, which derive directly from local employment and labour laws. To make matters even more complicated, many regulations are amended every new calendar year, and companies are expected to stay on top of new rulings. We have rounded up all the key changes and updates that have come into place in 2023 so far or will do so in the next few months.
From January 1st, the entitlement to sick leave in Ireland commences. This is being brought in on a phased basis, starting with up to 3 paid sick days per year in 2023, increasing to 5 days in 2024, 7 days in 2025 and 10 days in 2026. Employees with 13 weeks of continuous service will be eligible and must provide a medical certificate for the days of absence. The pay rate for these sick days is 70% of normal wages up to a maximum of €110 per day.
The statutory minimum wage has increased to €12 gross per hour.
From 2023, employers must record the beginning and end of an employee's daily working hours. It is no longer sufficient to provide a system merely as an option. The employer must verify that the employee records their working hours. While mandatory, the form in which it takes place isn't specified and could be digital or manual.
Several provinces have increased the mandated minimum wages.
On April 1st, the minimum wage is increasing to £10.42 an hour.
On April 1st, statutory maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental pay rises from £156.66 to £172.48 a week.
On April 1st, statutory sick pay increases from £99.35 to £109.40 weekly.
An employment relations bill is currently sitting in the House of Commons that will grant the right to request flexible working from day one of employment instead of the current right, which kicks in after 26 weeks of employment. The bill is expected to pass.
The Work wherever you want Act is expected to come into force in 2023. The Act is yet to be passed by the Dutch First Chamber. Under this Act, a request by an employee to work from their place of residence (within the EU) or from another suitable workplace from which work is already habitually performed for the employer will only be able to be refused by the employer on the grounds of compelling business or service interests.
In the Netherlands, severance is defined as a 'transition budget' to ease the search and transition to a new role. Employees are entitled to it if either the employer initiated the termination or, in the case of a fixed-term contract, decided not to extend it. The only exception is if they did so due to seriously culpable employee actions. The cap for the severance pay has been increased to €89,000 gross in 2023.
Employers must now consider and respond to every employee's written request for flexible work within 21 days. They can only refuse the request if they have:
From 2023, paternity leave can be split into two parts rather than needing to be taken all at once. Paternity leave is granted to parents within the first year after a child is born (or adopted). The duration of paternity leave is 30 calendar days.
In 2023, Lithuania is introducing legislation around parental leave, according to which each parent is entitled to two months of leave, which cannot be transferred to the other parent. This means that fathers will be entitled to three months of leave, combining their paternity and parental leave entitlements. The parental leave might be used all at once or in parts. Both parents cannot take parental leave at the same time.
As of 2023, the minimum gross salary ranges in the Czech Republic are increasing to CZK 17,300 monthly (for unqualified work) and CZK 34,600 (for managerial or scientific roles).
In 2023, Poland introduced a new caretaking leave that entitles employees to five unpaid days for taking care of the following:
Polish employees are entitled to two days of force majeure leave, paid at 50%.
The parental leave is extending to 41 weeks (42 weeks in the case of multiple births).
Whatever your circumstances, it pays to be on the front foot when it comes to local compliance in countries where you have employees in 2023. Your team will thank you for it, and you’ll avoid the risk of nasty legal and reputational problems further down the line. Refer to any of our country guides for more in-depth local employment information.
At Boundless, we’re here to support you on your compliance journey, providing the tools and local knowledge you need to compliantly employ people, wherever you operate.
Through our Employer of Record model, we help global employers go beyond the basics and adopt best-practice employment principles wherever they operate. So if you want to start the New Year with a renewed compliance push, get in touch with us today.
