Labor and Benefits
Recruiting, managing, motivating and rewarding the work force are among the greatest challenges faced by most businesses. Employment matters are of significant concern to all organizations. Effective and strategic management of every aspect of the employment relationship has a significant impact on the business’s success and profitability. Therefore, it is essential for employers to be fully aware of the frequent changes in the employment legislation, currently one of the most dynamic, fast-varying and increasingly complex areas of law.
Due to our in-depth experience in the Labor & Benefits practice area, we offer strategic and commercially focused advice on all aspects of the employment relationship. The practice area comprises lawyers which combine substantial expertise in their field with experience on advice within the context of our clients’ business objectives at the highest levels. By working with our clients to achieve their business goals, we develop strategies that drastically reduce or eliminate the risk of employment litigation. We also alert our clients to important legal developments on an ongoing basis and help them to absorb the changes as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We provide legal advice in a wide range of labor matters, covering all fields of activity and industries, including, in particular, the following services:
- Assistance in hiring employees and drafting standard employment contracts tailored to the employer’s needs, including open-ended, fixed-term or temporary work agency scenarios, as well as service commission or teleworking;
- Day-to-day follow-up with the employer concerning its human resources management, including assistance with solutions aimed at streamlining and easing labor hours (work schedule exemption, offsetting and flexibility of working hours), as well as structuring benefits and incentives for employees, establishing rules of procedure and working manuals, and preparing or approving all types of labor documents;
- Assistance in preventing and monitoring work accidents and occupational diseases, as well as approving and implementing rules on occupational health, safety and environment;
- Advice on data protection and privacy in the workplace and defining and regulating the use of electronic means of communication within the company;
- Assistance in restructurings, notably in the context of collective redundancies, extinction of job positions and generally in termination of employment contracts by mutual agreement, as well as in the event of transfers of undertakings, transfer of employees and standardization of working conditions;
- Labor/Social security due diligence, notably in the context of company mergers, acquisitions and demergers;
- Collective bargaining and, in general, assistance on all types of negotiations or disputes with union structures, including support to be provided in case of strike;
- Conduction and instruction of disciplinary proceedings and preliminary investigations;
- Legal representation in all procedures before labor courts, in actions for damages arising from work accidents or developments occurring in industrial relations, as well as preparing the defense in the administrative and administrative offence proceedings;
- Follow-up of matters related to unemployment, retirement and social security in general;
- Assistance in secondment, emigration, immigration, relocation of employees, acquisition of nationality, residence permits and work visa related matters.
