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New measures have been implemented for employees following the coming into effect of new labour standards on January 1, 2019.
Employers must therefore update and revise their corporate labour standards policy and notify their employees.
Increased annual vacation time
As of January 1, 2019, employees with three years of service are entitled to three weeks of paid vacation. Previously, only employees with five years of service were entitled to three weeks.
As a result, as of May 2019, all employees with three years of service will be entitled to vacation equivalent to 6% and employees’ vacation entitlement must be adjusted accordingly.
Paid days of absence for sickness, to care for a relative and death
Effective January 1, 2019, employees who have three months of uninterrupted service are entitled to a maximum of two paid days of absence in the same year, due to sickness, an accident, domestic violence or sexual violence.
This also applies for time off to care for a relative or a person for whom the employee acts as a caregiver. Note that it is a total of two days.
Employees are entitled to five days of absence for the death of a relative, including two days of paid time off.
Psychological and sexual harassment
One significant change in the new labour standards is the requirement for employers to adopt a clear policy on psychological and sexual harassment prevention.
Clearly, these new standards will require a revision of human resource management tools, such as the overall compensation policy and the employees’ manual.
As an employer, it is your duty to inform your employees about the work-related rights and obligations to be complied with.
Our consultants and experts can support you in the process to develop a clear, up-to-date policy that meets the new labour standards requirements or train your managers so they can communicate appropriate information to employees.