Three years have already passed since the European Union agreed upon Directive 2019/1152 of June 20, 2019, addressing transparent and predictable working conditions in the EU in the area of civil law (Working Conditions Directive).

The Working Conditions Directive stipulates that the rights and obligations set out therein must apply to all employment relationships by August 1, 2022, at the latest. This directive has implications for contracts entered into on or after August 1, 2022, and also applies to all "old contracts" entered into before that date that are still in effect. Employers that do comply will face considerable sanctions.

Littler Europe has compiled a comparative guide on the main changes expected in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.

For more information on the German transposition of the Directive, please click here.