After months of closed borders, China is beginning to reopen to certain travelers from Europe. While recreational travel is still prohibited, some European employers may now be able to send their people to China. Read on for a summary of what employers and travelers need to know about China’s reopening.
Because of the prolonged COVID-related travel restrictions, an increasing number of employers are receiving requests from their employees to work remotely, sometimes from another state or even another country. It is not just a question of whether an employee’s work can be performed remotely. Before saying “yes,” an employer must consider the legal and tax implications of such an arrangement. This article outlines issues employers should consider when an employee is expected to temporarily work from another state or a foreign country.
In a landmark ruling, a Beijing court ruled in favor of a transgender employee against her employer, a Chinese e-commerce company, interpreting China’s anti-discrimination laws to include protection based on sexual orientation and gender expression. This is the first time that a transgender employee has won a job discrimination case in China, paving the way for more similar cases to be brought in the future.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration continues to install stringent measures that will impact employers hiring foreign national temporary workers.
In June 2020, Hong Kong passed the Discrimination Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2020 (“Amendment”), amending the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO), the Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO), the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO), and the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (FSDO). Read more for a summary of the key changes and suggestions for employers.
In a major announcement on Thursday, July 9, the UK government outlined how the UK Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will conclude. Also, the government has announced two new initiatives to prevent future unemployment and bring furloughed employees back to work.
In March 2020, Spain implemented an expediente de regulación temporal de empleo (ERTE) in Royal Decree-Law 8/2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERTE is a scheme that allows companies to temporarily lay off staff or cut hours, while allowing these workers to obtain compensation. Under the scheme, employment contracts are not terminated but merely “suspended” on the grounds of force majeure.
Due to a dramatic decrease in revenue during the coronavirus pandemic, roughly 13,400 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) employees will receive notice of administrative furlough on or before July 2. USCIS has announced that it expects the first furloughs to begin when its current funding is exhausted around August 3. As explained below, employers should anticipate further delays with applications and in processing petitions due to this situation, which has been brewing for several years.
On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, the Council of the European Union announced its list of “safe countries” from which the EU will allow entry by business and tourism travelers. The list will be reviewed every two weeks and may be updated if the coronavirus situation in other countries improves or worsens, the E.U. statement said.
As some European Union countries begin to open up to visitors from other EU countries and the border-free Schengen zone, the EU is now developing plans for opening up to business and pleasure travelers from around the world – but with a few notable exceptions. According to widespread media reports, the EU is strongly considering continuing its ban for travelers from the United States, Brazil, and Russia.