This global reference guide, written and regularly updated by the Hogan Lovells employment team, provides a Q&A-style comparative analysis and local insight on employment-related topics in 17 countries, including:

• The basic employment law rights that apply, including whether employees must have a written contract of employment, the availability of sick leave, holiday entitlement, minimum wage laws, maternity and paternity leave rights and trade union and works council representation;

• How employees are affected in the context of a business sale, whether it is structured as an asset or a share sale;

• Rights on termination of employment, including the right to notice of termination, the possibility of unfair dismissal claims, the procedures employers should have in place when dismissing an employee, the likely cost of dismissals and the risk of claims;

• Restructurings and reductions in force, in particular whether employers have to consult trade unions, works councils or other employee representatives before implementing mass dismissals; and

• How to use restrictive covenants such as non-compete or non-solicitation clauses to protect business interests when an employee leaves employment, whether such protection is available in different countries and the limitations and restrictions that apply, such as the need to compensate employees.

Next steps

Managing employees in today's global market can be complex. It requires a deep knowledge of developing local and national laws, as well as, in many cases, an appreciation for multinational legal and cultural considerations. Clients can get a flavor of those considerations by registering with Engage and accessing our global employment law guide.

Authored by Jo Broadbent.