We recently recorded a lively discussion with several of our Baker McKenzie colleagues to discuss the major developments impacting multinational employers operating in Europe. For your convenience, click here for a link to the recording.
To preview some of the key changes our team highlighted, read on!
The socio-political climate across Europe is contributing to
As AI adoption accelerates across workplaces, labor organizations around the world are beginning to take notice—and action. The current regulatory focus in the US centers on state-specific laws like those in California, Illinois, Colorado and New York City, but the labor implications of AI are quickly becoming a front-line issue for unions, potentially signaling a new wave of collective bargaining considerations. Similarly, in Europe the deployment of certain AI tools within the organization may trigger information, consultation, and—in some European countries—negotiation obligations. AI tools may only be introduced once the process is completed.
This marks an important inflection point for employers: engaging with employee representatives on AI strategy early can help anticipate employee concerns and reduce friction as new technologies are adopted. Here, we explore how AI is emerging as a key topic in labor relations in the US and Europe and offer practical guidance for employers navigating the evolving intersection of AI, employment law, and collective engagement.
There is no specific US federal law regulating AI in the workplace. An emerging patchwork of state and local legislation (e.g. in Colorado, Illinois and New York City) address the potential for bias and discrimination in AI-based tools—but do not focus on preventing displacement of employees. In March, New York became the first state to require businesses to disclose AI-related mass layoffs, indicating a growing expectation that employers are transparent about AI’s impact on workers.[1]
Some unions have begun negotiating their own safeguards to address growing concerns about the impact that AI may have on union jobs. For example, in 2023, the Las Vegas Culinary Workers negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with major casinos requiring that the union be provided advance notice, and the opportunity to bargain over, AI implementation. The CBA also provides workers displaced by AI with severance pay, continued benefits, and recall rights.
Similarly, in 2023 both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) negotiated agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that include safeguards against AI reducing or replacing writers and actors. WGA’s contract requires studios to meet semi-annually with the union to discuss current and future uses of generative AI—giving writers a formal channel to influence how AI is deployed in their industry. The SAG-AFTRA contract requires consent and compensation for use of digital replicas powered by AI.Continue Reading Navigating Labor’s Response to AI: Proactive Strategies for Multinational Employers Across the Atlantic
We are pleased to share with you The Global Employer – Global Immigration & Mobility Quarterly Update, a collection of key updates from Czech Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Click here to view.
Our Global Employment Law Fastpass webinar series is here again! Every June, we offer four regionally-focused webinars to help you stay up-to-speed on the latest employment law developments around the world. From tariffs and economic uncertainty to the use
We are pleased to share with you The Global Employer – Global Immigration & Mobility Quarterly Update, a collection of key updates from Canada, Italy, Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Click here to view.
Germany, the UK, and the US are all experiencing movement towards more restrictive immigration policies, driven by rising migrant numbers, geopolitical tensions and security concerns. In this Mobility Minute video chat, our Global Immigration and Mobility attorneys delve into this trend. We review changes following the recent election in Germany, the UK’s increased enforcement actions
Here’s your go-to guide for annual filing and reporting requirements for global employee share plans.
It is almost the end of the calendar year and time for multinational companies to consider the necessary tax and regulatory filings for global share plans triggered by the close of 2024 (or by the end of a local
We are pleased to share with you The Global Employer – Global Immigration & Mobility Quarterly Update, a collection of key updates from Australia, Italy, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Click here to view.
We are clearly (and thankfully) well past the pandemic, and yet demands for flexible and remote work press on. While the overall global trend of transforming the traditional 9-to-5 work model is consistent, laws governing flexible work arrangements can vary significantly by jurisdiction.
We monitor this space closely (see our previous update here) and advise multinational companies on a multitude of issues bearing on remote, hybrid and flexible arrangements, including health & safety rules, working time regulations, tax and employment benefit issues, cybersecurity and data privacy protections, workforce productivity monitoring and more.
Key recent updates around the globe (organized by region) include:
Equal pay is an increasingly high profile issue for employers with a noticeable rise in equal pay claims in the private sector in the UK. This was underscored recently in a high profile case estimated to result in around £30 million in backpay.
With the implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive on the horizon
