Working and Employment Acts in the EU ?

[SimonTheSailor]

I know in the UK employers are supposed to abide by certain acts like the Equal Opportunities, Disability, Age Discrimination Act, etc, etc.

But are there the same rules in the EU ? Or is it a case of whoevers rules apply depending upon which country you are in ?

[StevieBee]

It depends on whether the country has adopted and ratified the EU regs' for use in their country. Most have and the same basic rules and principals apply.

We often tender for public sector contracts in EU countries and our policies on Employment, Equal Op's and others that we use for the UK market are accepted unaltered for use elsewhere.

The variations exist when it comes to enforcement and as a very general rule of thumb, the further East in Europe you go, the less robustly such acts are enforced, even where they have been adopted and ratified. If you are done wrong by this, then you have recourse of action via Brussels who, in my experience on such matters, do tend to respond with exceptional effect, if not particularly rapidly.

HTH

[SimonTheSailor]

Excellent thank you. So places like Spain, France, Italy should be very much like us then ?

I'm down in the med currently around the luxury yachting industry which is blatantly ageist, sexist, possibly racist, and just wondered how they got away with it all. But they pay well so most people don't complain and employers and boats are transient as well.

Just intrigued really but thanks for answering

[StevieBee]

Yep, those countries are pretty similar to the UK.

The example you mention is common regardless of the country and across many different sectors. There are plenty of companies and sectors here that flaunt the rules.