Newcomers – Special welcome for you!
NEWCOMERS’ COCKTAIL CORNER – 3, 2, 1 MIX!! Learn how to make cocktails!
Amazing cocktails, networking and meeting with EELA Board – ARIA TNB, on the National Theatre Rooftop

Welcome and Keynote Speech

Welcome by Klaus-Stefan Hohenstatt, EELA Chair & Anna Jerndorf, EELA Vice-Chair

Welcome by Corina Radu, Member of the EELA Board representing Romania, host of the Bucharest conference 2023

Keynote Speech

The war near us. What is the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the World we work in? What should we expect?

Plenary Session

A conversation between judges

Judges from the Court of Justice of the European Union and from national courts representing various EU Member States will have an engaging discussion focusing on the approach of the national courts and governments to the EU employment law and the decisions of the CJEU.

Parallel session I

Mental health in the workplace – practical insight for employment lawyers

Leading specialists in work and organisational psychology and HR, and employment lawyers from across Europe, share insight into the causes, identification and prevention of mental illness in the workplace – and, most importantly, into how we, as employment lawyers, can help. The workshop will look, for example, at stress, depression, burnout, insomnia, eating disorders and addiction and at their potential consequences, such as disengagement, mistakes at work, bullying, breakdown, chronic embitterment, loss of career etc. In addition to aiding our understanding of symptoms and context, we will discuss practical strategies for interacting with people who are unwell and those who have caring responsibilities.

Parallel session II

Whistleblowing: a patchwork of different rules or a coherent European protection? Challenges in cross-border cases

This panel will address the many challenges raised by the national implementation of the new whistleblowing Directive. From their very own perspectives (European Commission, civil society, legal profession), panelists will discuss topics such as:

• How will whistleblowers be informed as to the extent of their rights and what is the contribution of NGOs and trade unions in that respect?
• What are the conditions to report a breach of EU law and should anonymous reports be accepted considering the need to protect against malicious reports?
• How does the internal reporting channel work, which companies should set it up and who should be appointed as a whistleblowing officer? For groups of companies with an EU wide presence, is common reporting an option and how should they deal with cross-border investigations?
• Should priority be given to internal or external reports and what can justify a public disclosure after a failed external report?
• Does the protection of whistleblowers against retaliation go far enough? Or too far?
• What is the interplay between whistleblower identity protection and data protection principles?
• To conclude, what will be the key challenges for lawyers in representing whistleblowers?

Parallel session III

Expanding the employment Protection to the Unprotected – Minimum Wage vs Living Wage – Will the EU Directive on Supply Chain Due Diligence matter?

• How did the definition of an “employee” develop over the last years and where will this trend lead?
• Minimum Wage vs. Living Wage – where will international soft laws lead us when it comes to develop a sound HR policy?
• Gender and other discriminatory Pay Gaps – how can the fragmented “Otherwise Unprotected” world be best organized into a fair wage system?
• The “Otherwise Unprotected” as a part of the “Supply Chain” – what will the legal consequences be and how should clients react to this?

Parallel session IV

Multigenerational workforce. Younger generation trends.
Is ‘Quiet Quitting’ here to stay?

Commentators often describe four generations in the workforce, ranging from Baby Boomers, through Generation X and Millennials to Generation Z. Are the different values, work styles, commitment levels and methods of feedback attributed to these groups helpful descriptions or harmful stereotypes? Common characteristics are attributed to every generation, but one thing unites us all: we are all struggling to understand each other.

• What do different generations expect?
• How can employers best recruit and keep employees across generations engaged in their jobs?
• Which employment terms and conditions might the next generation of employees be looking for?
• How should employers respond to ‘quiet quitting’ in the workplace?

Parallel sessions V

Workshop on Business Development for Employment Lawyers
Working group I

Interactive session on market analysis, key clients, BDM strategy and tools for employment lawyers in different set-ups (size of the firm, clients, jurisdiction, seniority etc). The session will require the active involvement of participants and may contain small doses of group work.

Limited number of participants! (max. 30)

Parallel session I

Neurodiversity and non-visible disabilities at work

Excellent diversity and inclusion programmes include a focus on helping disabled employees become comfortable and successful at work. Disabilities and neurodiverse conditions that cannot be easily seen, such as Autism spectrum conditions (incl. Asperger syndrome), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, personality disorders, neurasthenia etc may present challenges for employers and employees alike. This session will consider the positive and practical steps that employers can take to address them. The workshop will offer medical, legal and personal insight, with a focus on:

• The importance of good occupational health information and support
• The legal concept of ‘adjustments’ – and the need to tailor these for individuals
• Issues relating to data gathering/sharing information about the impact of disability
• What good “positive action” programmes look like

Parallel session II

Working from anywhere. 

How to cope with globally mobile employment arrangements: digital nomads, satellite employees and Employers of Record (EORs) from an employer’s perspective.

The normalization of flexible working has come with its own set of challenges.
Increased desire to work from anywhere and talent shortage push employers and employees to consider globally mobile employment arrangements.
This session will address legal and managerial challenges related to contractual solutions, social security, immigration and tax implications that come up in such contexts. The session will offer an employer’s perspective, with a focus on:

• What companies should consider before hiring digital nomads?
• Globally remote setup benefits and hurdles.
• What might be the risks of hiring globally remote workers through an EOR and challenges to be considered?

Parallel session III

Call my agent!  Social Media Workshop

Do lawyers still need agents to reach their clients?
How are digital tools changing the way lawyers connect to clients?
The business development role of LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
Why should today’s lawyers consider their presence on social media?
How to efficiently boost our social media presence in the global legal market?

Parallel session IV

Workshop on Business Development for Employment Lawyers
Working group II

Interactive session on market analysis, key clients, BDM strategy and tools for employment lawyers in different set-ups (size of the firm, clients, jurisdiction, seniority etc). The session will require the active involvement of participants and may contain small doses of group work.

Limited number of participants! (max.30)

TECH Experience in a multifunctional and unconventional space
VR and AR experience
You will enjoy an unconventional experience in an experimental place with technologies like virtual and augmented reality, holograms, smart projections and many more. Just be ready to be surprised!

Limited number of participants! (max. 35)

Plenary session I

Times, they are a-changin’! Keeping up or falling behind?
Fresh updates and perspectives on the latest European law developments and CJEU practice

Plenary session II

Megatrends and the future of tech in the workplace.

Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms. Working in the virtual space. Metaverse. A glance into the future

With the rapidly increasing use of big data and sophisticated algorithms, companies and employees are facing a new reality, where AI is deployed into the HR and legal processes, and the Metaverse may lead to a new and unregulated workplace. These new realities pose multiple ethical dilemmas and legal challenges, with the introduction of new regulation and the need to apply existing rules on new phenomena.

This is not just the good fate of our times; it comes at a cost, as the potential risks of entrusting life-changing decisions to automation become evident: the pattern-based “method of thinking” of algorithms can result in discrimination, compromise diversity, or simply lead to legally questionable employment decisions. But still, this is not a pessimistic outlook: as we will learn in this session, the human factor – tech developers, regulators, and last but not least employment lawyers – will still be the key in the Age of Algorithms and Virtual Workspace.

The panel will discuss these and other issues, with a focus on:

• The use of AI within employment
• What is the deal with algorithms?
• How can the Metaverse affect the workplace and further impact employees?
• What steps might an employer be reasonably expected to take to make the virtual space a safe place of work? 
• What is the future role for companies, employees and other stakeholders?