Laws Around The World That Are Reshaping Work Culture

The business world has seen several changes over the past few years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes are somehow reshaping the workplace. Countries and companies now have laws that might have a positive or negative impact on how we work. Either way, they have influenced the workplace culture. 

To further break this down, we have highlighted some of the laws around the world that are reshaping the workplace and changing how we work altogether. 

What are some laws around the world that are reshaping the workplace? 

Law 1: 40% of women must take part in corporate positions 

Countries involved: 27 countries of the European Union 

One of the laws at the workplace that has made a big shift in the way people work is seen in over 27 European Union countries. This law states that companies across the European Union are to have women in over 40% of positions on their boards. The low representation of the female gender across organizations is alarming, which has sparked the topic of gender diversity. It’s no news that talented and well-trained leaders understand the need for women to be more present in organizations today. 

“More women on boards make companies more resilient, more innovative, and will help to change top-down structures in the workplace,” said the directive’s co-rapporteur, Social Democratic Austrian MEP Evelyn Regner. 

This change is what organizations are looking for, and it can only happen when women are given the chance to hold major executive and non-executive positions. The law was passed in June 2020 and is expected to have been implemented in June 2026. Companies with over 250 employees are expected to have over 40% of women in board positions. 

To confirm their strictness with this law, organizations that fail to reach the appropriate quota by 2026 will eventually pay fines and risk losing certain positions on their boards. It’s a huge risk for organizations not to follow this directive. However, several countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and so on, have already started moving to ensure that they hit the target before the deadline. France is topping the list and has exceeded the required percentage by having over 45% women in board positions. Countries like Germany and Italy have percentages between 36 and 38.8%, while others, like Cyprus, have a lower percentage of 8.5. 

The enforcement of this law is a major step in improving gender diversity across various industries and ensuring that the laws at the workplace are more rigid and taken seriously. We can expect to see more thriving businesses in the years to come due to the influx of women in positions that require decision-making. 

Law 2: The right to remote work

Countries involved: Ireland

Another law at the workplace that is changing the way we work can be seen in Ireland. Here, Ireland’s labor union has introduced a right to request remote work in support of their work-life balance scheme. The bill hasn’t been passed as a law yet, and there’s no exact news on when it will be. The zeal to make flexible work schedules normal across organizations has pushed the Irish government into taking drastic steps to assist their employees. When the law is passed, employees will have the freedom to ask their employers to allow them to work from home. Although some speculation suggests that employers will have the right to decline as well, others believe that certain conditions will have to be met for employers to consider accepting an employee’s request to work remotely. 

In a statement, Leo Varadkar, the minister for enterprise, trade, and employment, added that “The right to request remote work is an important item on my agenda to improve workers’ rights and modernize the world of work. The benefits of remote working are obvious—less commuting, fewer transport emissions, better quality of life with more time with family and friends. New job opportunities will be created for people who want to live in rural Ireland, for people with disabilities, and for people with caring responsibilities. Smaller towns and villages across Ireland will benefit from new investment, increased footfall, and local spending.”

It will be realistic to admit that when the bill is introduced, reshaping the workplace will become a dire need. It will change so many things from how employees commute to how employers communicate with their remote workers. 

Law 3: The right to disconnect 

Countries involved: Portugal

One of the laws at the workplace that has changed the way we work is the right to disconnect from work. The Portuguese government proposed a law in December 2021 that was to be initiated in January 2022. However, the terms of the right to disconnect are quite different in Portuguese law. Disconnecting simply means removing oneself from every form of work interaction after working hours. But the Portuguese law of disconnecting is quite different. 

Employers are expected to cut off communication with employees after their work hours. Although, there is still some confusion around the implementation of the law and who it affects. For example, in the term “employer,” many organizations wonder if it’s only the employer that should stay away from every form of contact with employees or if colleagues are also impacted by the law. There are also concerns about whether sending emails without requiring a quick response is an offense against the law. 

While the motive toward implementing a right to disconnect from work for employees is very helpful, there are still major questions that require answers. It’s easy to fall into the mix when employees move from an organization where the law is recognized to one where it isn’t. However, this law has impacted the workplace culture for many employees in Portugal. 

Law 4: Mandatory right to work from home

Countries involved: Germany

One of the laws around the world that is making changes to the way people work can be seen in Germany. The German government had put together a law in November 2021 stating that employees have a right to work from home if their jobs permit it. During and shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw organizations switch to remote working as employees weren’t able to commute to their offices. But not too long into 2021, many countries opened up their office doors and urged employees to return to their normal work—a drastic shift that would require many people to rethink their careers. 

However, the case was different for Germany. They had urged their organizations to give their employees the freedom to work remotely on the condition that their job won’t in any way require their physical presence. With the introduction of technology, several processes for accomplishing tasks are much easier and do not require manual work. Therefore, there’s hardly any need for some employees to commute to their offices. This is a great effort toward shifting from the traditional method of working to a more flexible schedule. German employees can now embrace their work-life balance and remain productive in their various jobs. 

Conclusion

Several laws have passed into the labor workforce and many of them are reshaping the workplace gradually. We can expect major changes in the countries highlighted above in the years ahead. 

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