Reports

In order to end an employment contract, French labor law requires employers to follow a particular multi-step procedure. Firstly, the employer has to summon the employee to a preliminary interview. This interview cannot take place less than five days after the employee has received the convocation letter. Such a delay aims at allowing the employees […]

The burnout syndrome has been well known for several years now. An increasing number of employees have already felt its symptoms, such as ongoing or intense stress at work, chronic fatigue, anxiety, headaches, emotional upsets, etc. This illness can be quite costly for both companies and the State. Indeed, when an employee cannot work anymore, […]

Giving a presentation brings so much tension to an employee, that it causes a physical reaction (vomiting) as a result of which the presentation must be stopped. As a result of this incident, the employer (Grolsch, a Dutch beer brewery) requested termination of the employment agreement based on a disturbed working relationship. The court ruled […]

In today’s world, employers have access to otherwise inaccessible information. Many employees now have cell phones, laptops, or other technical devices to increase efficiency. Some employers monitor their employees’ productivity through smartphone apps. On several occasions, Courts in the United States have ruled on the issue of GPS tracking in criminal matters and its compatibility […]

A recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights (“the ECHR”), Bogdan-Mihai B?rbulescu c. Romania (“B?rbulescu”), serves as an important reminder to employers of the extent to which they may monitor their employees’ private life and communications. Background Bogdan-Mihai B?rbulescu was employed as an engineer in charge of sales at a private company (“the […]

Mussels, frites, Bruges and beer. Whilst this is certainly not all that Australians know about Belgium, these four things featured prominently in discussions with colleagues and friends about my then upcoming secondment to Brussels. Perhaps this is unsurprising given that in some circles moules-frites (or moules et frites in French) is considered Belgium’s national dish, […]

There is extensive case law, including in the European Court of Human Rights (“ECHR”), which considers the balance between, on the one hand, the right of an employee to freely express his religious beliefs, and, on the other hand, the principles of secularism and neutrality applicable in a particular State. However, the vast majority of […]

On Tuesday 6 October 2015, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued a landmark ruling against the transfer of personal data from Europe to the United States.[1] This ruling invalidates European Commission Decision 2000/520, which provided a legal basis for the transfer of personal data from the European Union (EU) to undertakings established in the […]

In response to a major class action lawsuit in the case Lacy T. et al. v. the Oakland Raiders, California has become the first state in the country to recognize cheerleaders as “employees”. Background The plaintiffs in Lacy T. et al. accused the NFL franchise of wage-violations and other unfair employment practices. Under their contracts, […]