Programme
Thursday, 4 June 2026
12:00-19:00
Registration opens
Clarion Hotel The Hub, Biskop Gunnerus Gate 3, Oslo
14:00-16:00
Essential Old Oslo Walking Tour (optional)
Optional additional tour, see ‘Tours’.
16:00-17:00
National representatives meeting (by invitation)
Clarion Hotel The Hub, Biskop Gunnerus Gate 3, Oslo
(The participants may also join the Oslo Modern & Opera House Tour; see ‘Tours’ for details.)
16:00-17:30
Oslo from the Water Tour
Clarion Hotel The Hub, Biskop Gunnerus Gate 3, Oslo
Optional additional tour, see ‘Tours’.
17:00-19:00
Oslo Modern & Opera House Tour
Join us for this year’s slightly unconventional edition of the conference’s traditional group walk: a guided exploration of Bjørvika, Oslo’s revitalised waterfront blending bold architecture with dynamic urban renewal. The tour, which has limited capacity, concludes with an exclusive visit to the iconic Oslo Opera House, including selected backstage areas. See ‘Tours’ for details.
19:00-23:00
Welcome Reception
Oslo Opera House (Den Norske Opera & Ballett), Kirsten Flagstads pl. 1, Oslo
Dress: business attire (Note on high heels not recommended for roof top look out)
Individual transportation.
The venue is located less than 10 minutes’ walk from the Conference venue.
Friday, 5 June 2026
8:00-17:00
Registration Open
Clarion The Hub
9:15-10:30
Conference opening, welcome and keynote speech
Welcome: Dušan Nitschneider (EELA Chair), Valeria Morosini (EELA Deputy Chair), Sten Foyn (Chair of the 2026 EELA Conference Committee and EELA Board member for Norway)
Keynote speech: The new European security situation
Speaker: General Eirik Kristoffersen, Chief of Defence Norway
10:30-11:00
Coffee break
11:00-12:30
Opening plenary panel: The Nordic model for work life
Description…
Session Leader: Prof Catherine Barnard, Professor of EU law and Employment law, fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge University
10:30-11:00
Lunch
14:00-15:15
Nine Kings Suite
Breakouts A
Option 1: Pay Transparency in Practice: Navigating the Real-World Challenges
The EU Pay Transparency Directive aims are clear, but in practice it’s full of hidden complexities. This session brings together legal and technical experts from various industries to reveal how organisations are tackling the real-world challenges of compliance.
From interpreting pay data and classifying roles consistently to designing effective pay gap reduction strategies, panellists will share practical insights and solutions that go beyond the statute. Moderated by Tom Heys, this session is a must for anyone advising clients or their own organisations on navigating the PTD’s tricky terrain.
Session Leader: Tom Heys, Lewis Silkin, Germany
14:00-15:15
Option 2: Mediation as a Gamechanger in Employment Law
Do you want to discover how mediation can help to break through hardened positions, restore employment relationships and avoid costly proceedings? During this session, we will dive into the practice of employment mediation in Europe — from successful approaches to pitfalls and surprising insights. Mediation offers powerful solutions to labor conflicts and can often prevent cases from going to court. Think of stocked improvement processes, performance issues, cooperation problems or conflicts with the works council, where emotions run high.
Sign up for this session and discover how mediation can act as a ‘game changer’ in your employment practice.
Session Leader: Inge Hofstee, DVK Advocaten, Netherlands
14:00-15:15
Option 3: Global Matrix Organizations
Global matrix organizations – where employees report to multiple managers across countries and functional lines – offer strategic flexibility yet pose significant challenges to traditional employment law frameworks. Within such structures, decision-making authority is dispersed among multiple jurisdictions and legal entities, each governed by distinct regulatory norms. This dispersion may disrupt conventional assumptions about employer authority, contractual clarity and applicable law.
more details
The session explores:
- Legal mechanisms for assigning instruction authority to matrix managers outside the employing entity.
(ii) How should employment agreements be structured to accurately reflect matrix roles and multi-line reporting while complying with local legal standards.
(iii) Legal challenges that arise when employees in a global matrix setup report to dual or multiple lines across different jurisdictions.
(iv) Legal implications of transferring matrix roles across entities.
(v) Collective rights and employee representation within matrix structures.
Session Leader: Thomas Griebe, Littler, Germany
15:15-15:45
Coffee break
15:45-17:00
Breakouts B
Option 1: Fragmented workforce – shaping work in a fragmented world
Alternative title: “Workforce Remix: legal strategies for Hybrid, Gig and Flexible work
From freelancers and platform workers to remote virtual teams and part-time staff – today’s workforce is anything but uniform
This session focuses on the practical realities of managing and advising within fragmented work structures. We’ll explore legal protection gaps, new working models, collective representation challenges and hand-on strategies for navigating complex employment relationships across borders and business models.”
Session Leader: Jaouad Seghrouchni, De Clercq Advocaten Notariaat, The Netherlands
15:45-17:00
Option 2: The Digital leash: Balancing Employee Liberties and Employer Rights
AI, Employee Monitoring and Social Media and their use in Disciplinary Procedures.
Session Leader: Lea Rossi, Toffoletto De Luca Tamajo, Italy
15:45-17:00
Option 3: The ethics of labour and employment law practice across Europe
Navigating confidentiality, public communications, workplace conflicts and regulatory compliance across Europe.
Session Leader: Francisco Conde, Cuatrecasas, Spain
18:30-18:45
Buses depart for Oslo City Hall
Alternatively, approximately 15-minute walk from the conference venue.
19:00-01:00
Gala dinner
Oslo City Hall, Radhusplassen 1, Oslo
Dress: Formal Attire
Friday, 5 June 2026
8:00-09:00
Jogging
10:00-11:00
Plenary 1: Developments in EU case law
Prof Catherine Barnard, Professor of EU law and Employment law, fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge University
11:00-11:30
Coffee break
11:30-13:00
Plenary 2: AI challenges for employment law and employment lawyers
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the way organizations recruit, manage, and engage their people. From automated decision-making to predictive analytics and generative tools, AI promises significant efficiencies — but it also raises complex legal, ethical, and regulatory questions. How can employers harness the benefits of AI responsibly while staying compliant with evolving employment laws and data protection requirements? What should HR professionals and employment lawyers know before implementing or advising on AI systems in the workplace?
more details
In the current economic climate, Europe faces significant challenges, including deindustrialisation, digitisation, a shift in European defense and military spending, climate changes, and international restrictions on trade. This session will explore innovative approaches and best practices for restructuring companies that need to adjust to these new realities to stay competitive in such a challenging time. Our panel will provide insights from both in-house and outside counsel on managing the complexities of cross-border exercises, as well as perspectives from our social partners on cross-border coordination.
Key topics to be discussed include:
- Managing the complexities of cross-border exercises with insights from in-house and outside counsel.
- The union side: Cross-border coordination of our social partners.
- Day-1 communication in listed companies and the challenges to the negotiation process when combining redundancies with cost savings.
- Defining ‘quality’ in the current scenario: Speed versus effectiveness?
13:00-13:30
General Assembly
13:30-14:30
Lunch
14:00-18:00
Oslo Highlights: From the Hills to the Forest
See ‘Tours’, booking required.
16:45-18:45
Swimming & Sauna
Open-water swimming and a visit to a private sauna in the Sukkerbitten area of Oslo.
See ‘Tours’, booking required.
18:00–20:30
Oslo Dinner Cruise in the Oslofjord with live music
See ‘Tours’, booking required