Employment

No, it is generally illegal for your employer to make you work more than 48 hours per week on average in the EU, unless you have freely opted out in writing.

The EU minimum annual leave is 4 weeks (20 working days) per year, guaranteed by the Working Time Directive.

EU law requires at least 11 consecutive hours of daily rest between shifts for most workers, as set out in the Working Time Directive.

Yes, EU law provides special protections for night workers, including limits on night work hours, health assessments, and the right to transfer to day work if health is adversely affected.

Yes, you can revoke your opt-out from the 48-hour working week at any time by giving your employer at least seven days’ written notice — unless your contract specifies a longer notice period, up to a maximum of three months.

Yes, on-call time at home counts as working time under EU law if the worker must be available and able to respond immediately or within a very short time, and their freedom to pursue personal activities is significantly restricted.

Yes, mandatory weekend training required by your employer is generally considered working time under EU law and must be paid.

EU law prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation through the Employment Equality Directive, which all EU Member States must implement in national law.

Yes, treating part-time workers less favourably than comparable full-time workers is generally unlawful discrimination under EU law, unless the treatment is objectively justified.

Yes, under EU law, your employer must provide you with a written statement of employment terms within one month of starting work.

Workers on zero-hours contracts in the EU are protected by the Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive, which guarantees minimum predictability rights, written information on working conditions, and restrictions on exclusivity clauses.

Yes, EU law protects you from dismissal for joining a trade union — such firing is unlawful under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and case law of the Court of Justice of the EU.

No, EU law does not generally oblige employers to inform individual employees about internal vacancies — unless required by national law, collective agreement, or company policy.

You have a legal right to paternity leave in the EU — your employer is wrong. The EU Parental Leave Directive guarantees paid paternity leave for fathers, and national laws must implement it.

As a new father in the EU, you are entitled to at least 10 days of paid paternity leave, and at least 4 months of parental leave per parent — with 2 months non-transferable — under Directive (EU) 2019/1158.

Yes, under EU law, you have the right to unpaid carers’ leave of at least five days per year, as established by the Carers’ Leave Directive (2023/970).

Yes, being passed over for promotion because you're pregnant is unlawful sex discrimination under EU law.

You have the right to request flexible working for childcare in the EU, and employers must give a reasoned, written refusal within a strict deadline — unreasoned refusals may be unlawful under national laws implementing EU directives.

Generally, no — your existing employment terms transfer automatically to the new employer under the EU Acquired Rights Directive, and changes made solely because of the takeover are void unless there is an 'economic, technical or organisational' (ETO) reason entailing changes in the workforce.

No, the transfer of a business is not itself a valid reason for dismissal under EU law. Dismissal solely because of a transfer is automatically unfair unless there is an economic, technical or organisational (ETO) reason entailing changes in the workforce.

EU law guarantees equal pay for equal work under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Equal Pay Directive. You have the right to claim the same pay as your male colleague doing the same or equivalent work.

In the EU, the burden of proof shifts to the employer once an employee presents reasonable evidence of pay discrimination.

No, it is generally not allowed to pay less during parental leave than your contract states — EU law guarantees maintenance of employment conditions, including pay elements linked to employment status.

Yes, acquired pension rights are protected under EU law when a company merges — they cannot be reduced or lost due to the merger.

No, a 3-year non-compete clause without compensation is generally unenforceable across the EU, as it violates principles of proportionality, fairness, and worker protection under EU law and national implementations.