In recent decades enterprises worldwide have reaped advantages of hiring employees on a contractual fixed-term basis, thus derogating from their traditional participation in the social protection of workers and insulating themselves from legal liability for unjust dismissal. A broad spectrum of effectiveness has emerged in this development, as different countries have adopted varying measures to regulate the conditions under which fixed- term employment contracts are written, applied, and interpreted. This important book --- which reprints papers submitted to the 10th Comparative Labour Law Seminar of the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training held in Tokyo on 8 and 9 March 2010 - details the regulatory approaches to fixed-term contracts in major industrial jurisdictions in Asia and Europe, providing an opportunity to explore normative directions for labour law and policy in the age of a diversified workforce. Nine Knowledgeable and experienced contributors describe and analyse the legal status of fixed-term employment contracts (including relevant case law) in Australia, Britain, China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan. Each author takes into account evaluations from scholars, policymakers, and stakeholders to his or her country's regulatory approach to fixed-term employment contracts, revealing an array of responses ranging from a view that such contracts enhance employment opportunities in society to advocating suppression of their use as inherently abusive and discriminatory. The combined effect of these nine essays is to greatly increase our awareness of the nature of fixed-term employment contracts, from their fundamental value as social policy instruments to their inextricable connection with the law of dismissal. The book sets the stage for deeper and more firmly grounded work that promises to elucidate the underlying pattern of a new employer-employee relationship emerging on a worldwide scale.

Labour and social security law studies have addressed the topic of the decline of the standard employment relationship mainly from the point of view of the growing number of atypical relationships. Only a limited number of studies have examined the issue from the perspective of the differentiation between core and contingent work. Such an examination is necessary as the increase in contingent work leads to complicated legal questions which vary between European states depending on the type of contingent arrangements that have become most prevalent. This book analyses, using a comparative approach, these different types of contingency from a national and EU perspective touching on the work relationship from a labour as well as a social security point of view. The aim of the book is to identify and analyse those questions adopting an innovative approach and to put forward proposals for safeguarding social cohesion within undertakings and European society.

At the core of all societies and economies are human beings deploying their energies and talents in productive activities - that is, at work. The law governing human productive activity is a large part of what determines outcomes in terms of social justice, material wellbeing, and the sustainability of both. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that work is heavily regulated. This Handbook examines the 'law of work', a term that includes legislation setting employment standards, collective labour law, workplace discrimination law, the law regulating the contract of employment, and international labour law. It covers the regulation of relations between employer and employee, as well as labour unions, but also discussions on the contested boundaries and efforts to expand the scope of some laws regulating work beyond the traditional boundaries. Written by a team of experts in the field of labour law, the Handbook offers a comprehensive review and analysis, both theoretical and critical. It includes 60 chapters, divided into four parts. Part A establishes the fundamentals, including the historical development of the law of work, why it is needed, the conceptual building blocks, and the unsettled boundaries. Part B considers the core concerns of the law of work, including the contract of employment doctrines, main protections in employment legislation, the regulation of collective relations, discrimination, and human rights. Part C looks at the international and transnational dimension of the law of work. The final Part examines overarching themes, including discussion of recent developments such as gig work, online work, artificial intelligence at work, sustainable development, amongst others.

The book provides helpful, practical guidance to international corporate lawyers who confront labor and employment problems in structuring corporate transactions. The focus of the book is on practical issues and the contributors are leading labor lawyers in numerous important jurisdictions.

Not all labour law and industrial relations scholars agree on the efficacy of the comparative approach - that the analysis of measures adopted in other countries can play a constructive role in national and local policy-making. However, the case deserves to be heard, and no better such presentation has appeared than this remarkable book, the carefully considered work of over 40 well-known authorities in the field from a wide variety of countries including Australia, France, India, Israel, Peru, Poland, and South Africa. The volume contains papers delivered at a conference sponsored by the Marco Biagi Foundation at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in March 2008.

The 'full-time job' is no longer an option for many people seeking employment. It has been replaced by an ever-expanding plethora of 'atypical' employment relationships designed by employers to streamline their operations and/or take advantage of information communications technology. Numerous labour law issues arise, demanding urgent attention. How should law and policy best address these challenges? This incomparable and timely book explores this contentious topic in depth, presenting ten penetrating essays on aspects of the topic by leading European authorities followed by reports on new forms of employment in thirty-five European countries Full-scale analysis of new forms of employment, their characteristics, and their effects on working conditions and the labour market includes such issues as the following: - employment relationships with more than one employer; - discontinuous and/or intermittent work; - work based on networking arrangements; - labour pooling; - crowdworking and crowsourcing; - lack of worker representation; - rights for vulnerable migrant workers; - removal of wage and hours threshold; - false self-employment; - non-payment of 'small' amounts (e.g., holiday pay); - portage salarial; - voucher-based work; - ICT-based mobile work; - organizations offering specific administrative services; - need for safety nets for workers; and - existing and potential monitoring and control mechanisms. Relevant EU Directives and national legal frameworks regarding new forms of employment are fully discussed, with an emphasis on recent trends and proposed solutions. This volume raises awareness of the problems generated by new emerging forms of employment and provides some answers and insights, including lessons to be learned from current developments. In particular, the authors' bringing to light of issues that have not been sufficiently addressed so far under European law will be welcomed by labour law practitioners, company legal counsel, human resources professionals, and academics in the field.

This book is part of a series which sets out a restatement of labour law in Europe. Its second volume looks at atypical employment relationships in Europe. Opening with a restatement, the book provides comparative commentary on the question of how fixed-term employment relationships, part-time employment relationships and temporary agency work is regulated by law in the individual states, which case law of the courts must be observed in this respect and which possibilities exist for shaping such relationships on the basis of collective bargaining agreements. The book goes on to systematically explore the national regulatory framework of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. In this area, which is largely shaped by EU law in many countries, the commonalities and differences with regard to the relevant regulatory issues are examined. This important new project provides the definitive survey of labour law in Europe today.

This book is a practical tool for legal practitioners and in-house counsel advising clients on their foreign operations in the new EU. The book begins with an introduction to EU legislation, EU directives, and the enlargement of the European Union. Each chapter provides an overview of labor law, hiring, terms and conditions, termination, discrimination, and business transfers in the following countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey. A table of statutes and EU legislation completes the book.

Providing treatment of landlord and tenant matters, this book covers both commercial and residential issues. The reader is informed with the changing complexities of legislation and case law in this area. The coverage of cases and legislation is complemented by practical advice on issues facing practitioners in their daily work

The book ‘Labour Law Differences between Germany and Spain’ offers a comprehensive analysis of the labour law regulations in both countries in comparison. It takes an in-depth look at the main differences in all relevant areas, such as employment contracts, protection against dismissal, working hours and collective agreements, and also addresses the specific characteristics and challenges arising from the different national legal systems. In Germany, the labour market is highly regulated, with a particular focus on comprehensive protection against dismissal and strict regulations on working hours. In contrast, Spanish labour law is more flexible, particularly with regard to fixed-term employment contracts and the implementation of dismissals. This flexibility offers employers more room for manoeuvre, but often comes at the expense of job security for employees. The book also examines the social security systems in Germany and Spain and analyses their influence on the structure of labour relations. It becomes clear that German legislation is strongly orientated towards the protection of employee rights, while the Spanish system tends to focus more on economic flexibility. This work is therefore an indispensable reference work for anyone who needs an in-depth and lasting understanding of the differences in labour law between Germany and Spain. It contributes significantly to a better understanding of the complexities of the international labour law landscape and how to respond effectively.