On 29th October 2024, the Government submitted its bill proposal number T/9718 (“Proposal“), which contains provisions amending certain labour legislation for the year 2025. The Proposal concerns, inter alia, Act I of 2012 on the Labour Code (“Labour Code“) and Act XCIII of 1993 on Labour Safety (“Labour Safety Act“). The main changes of the Proposal are summarised below.
Under one of the provisions of the Proposal concerning the Labour Code, workers who would be required to work for more than eight hours on the day of an election or a referendum would be exempted from their work obligation for a period of 2 hours to ensure their participation in these events. Although the Labour Code has already provided that the employees right to vote must be guaranteed, the amendment clarifies the permitted period of absence.
Furthermore, the proposal would also extend the period for using paternity leave from 2 months to 4 months. This would mean that fathers would have more time after the birth of their child to use this type of leave.
The current measures protecting executive employees would also be extended, because the concerned employees’ employment could not be terminated by the employer during paternity leave.
With the amendment of the Labour Safety Act, the government’s declared aim is to ensure that employers manage safety and health documentation in a more up-to-date and transparent manner. In addition, the proposal would create the possibility for companies to pay their OSH fines in instalments, thus protecting smaller businesses or businesses who have financial difficulties.
If the Parliament votes in favour, the amendments will enter into force on 1 of January 2025.
