Prendiamo un Caffé!: Be Paid to Work Remotely in Italy

As we have reported, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged not only the employment relationship but also how local government may lessen the economic impact of the pandemic.  The governments of Barbados, Estonia and Malta, among others, have implemented measures to support the local economy by either allowing individuals to live in the country while they work for foreign employers or incentivizing independent travelers to visit the country.  Now, two Italian towns, specifically Santa Fiora in Tuscany and Rieti in Lazio, may be added to the list of countries, regions and cities that are attempting to revitalize the local economy by offering benefits to lure newcomers.

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The Pennsylvania Supreme Court Strikes Down a No-Hire Agreement as an Unreasonable Restraint on Trade

Recently, in Pittsburgh Logistics Systems, Inc. v. Beemac Trucking, LLC, No. 31 WAP 2019, — A.3d –, 2021 WL 1676399 (Apr. 29, 2021), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that a no-hire provision that was ancillary to a services contract between two businesses was an unreasonable restraint on trade and was therefore not enforceable. In ruling on this matter of first impression, the Court identified several important factors that employers should consider before entering into a no-hire provision that places restrictions on the movement of their employees.

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Proposal to Include the Right to Disconnect to the Luxembourg Labor Code

On April 30, 2021, the Luxembourg Economic and Social Council (Conseil économique et social, “CES”) issued an opinion on the right to disconnect.  In its opinion, the CES recommended that a new provision, L. 312-9, entitled “Respect for the right to disconnect,” be included in the Labor Code.  This new article proposes to (i) define a right to disconnect program and (ii) implement the right to disconnect program.

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New Efforts to Manage India’s Second Wave of COVID-19 Infections

As has been well-documented over the past several weeks, India has experienced a significant second wave of COVID-19 infections. In light of the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, at least 11 Indian states and union territories have imposed COVID-19 restrictions. This past weekend, the eastern state of Odisha and the northern industrial state of Haryana became the latest to announce new lockdowns, joining Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal, among others.

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Ontario Provides Employees with Paid Leave Entitlement in COVID-19-Related Circumstances

On April 29, 2021, the Ontario government passed Bill 284, COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, 2021 (the “Act”), which amended the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”).  The Act requires employers to provide employees with up to three days of paid leave if they miss work for COVID-19-related reasons.  The paid leave entitlement is retroactive to April 19, 2021 and will end on September 25, 2021, the same day that the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit ends.  The Act may be extended beyond that date.

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President Biden Raises the Minimum Wage to $15 for Certain Federal Contractors

On April 27, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) requiring certain federal contractors to pay workers on government contracts at least $15 per hour beginning January 30, 2022. After 2022, the minimum wage will be adjusted annually for inflation at a rate set by the secretary of Labor (the secretary). The EO supported the minimum wage increase by stating that raising worker wages will promote efficiency in federal procurement through: (1) enhanced worker productivity and generation of higher-quality work from increased workers’ health, morale and effort; (2) reduced absenteeism and turnover; and (3) lowered supervisory and training costs.

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