Employment Law

Employment law is part of a complex business environment that cuts across multiple dimensions: transformation, organisational design, diversity strategy, employment taxes, remuneration, mobility, people strategy and more. Together, we can find a path through the complexity.

A seamless approach

Companies are managing a more dynamic, flexible and geographically diverse workforce, giving rise to complex employment issues. Our global employment law network is uniquely qualified to help you navigate this environment. We combine our deep legal expertise with practical insights from across PwC, including deals, people consulting, reward, global mobility and employment tax services.

We have more than 450 employment law professionals across 89 territories, so our service is delivered with a global mindset and locally relevant. Explore how PwC can help unlock the potential of your people.

Workforce Transformation and Reorganisation

We can help you manage all the dimensions of a global workforce, including legal, compliance and tax requirements. We advise companies on:

Cross-border reorganisations and HR-related legal issues, such as applicable transfer and (collective) redundancy laws and information and consultation requirements. We help you navigate works council, trade union and employee representative body requirements, and can calculate required severance indemnities.
Global expansion. We explain how collective bargaining agreements apply to new countries and markets and draft contracts and policies. Our legal and people specialists work closely together to advise leaders on employment law and compliance requirements.
Termination of international cross-border employment arrangements. We help you understand territory-specific laws and processes to minimise risk during termination. We show you how to effectively settle multi-country claims/rights and tax severance payments.

Deals

We can guide you through the HR-related legal aspects of merging, restructuring and divesting companies. Leverage our employment law expertise during:

Mergers and acquisitions, integrations, divestitures, restructurings, spin-offs and carve-outs. As an illustration, we regularly advise on diligence of labour law compliance, social climate and restructurings (for impact on workforce, timelines, historic liabilities and quality of earnings), and facilitate transfer in asset purchase scenarios in complex transactions.
Pre- and post-sale restructuring. We assist you to realise deal value by preparing the business before it‘s sold and assisting with post-deal integration.

Future of Work

We help companies build, engage and retain a workforce for the future. We understand new and emerging employment law challenges, such as:

Virtual office and remote working. We help organizations enable remote working, domestically and globally. Our international tax, mobility and corporate law specialists collaboratively advise you on the feasibility and implementation of new employment structures.
Gig workers and contingent workforces. We advise on the complex and changing landscape of domestic and international contingent workers. Our support helps organizations access this important source of talent while managing risk.
Industrial relations. We provide advice, strategy and representation on issues with employee representative bodies (e.g., works councils and trade unions). We also develop engagement strategies for organizations facing unique circumstances, like those starting to emerge from the pandemic.

Compliance

We help you maintain compliance globally, even amidst constant change. We provide:

International compliance health checks so leaders understand their levels of legal compliance. In addition we support remediation programmes.
Compliance monitoring to help you understand and stay abreast of employment law changes across a global footprint, manage risks and protect your reputation.
Training programmes on international employment law issues such as recruitment, diversity and inclusion and cross-border workforces. We also design bespoke local training programmes for existing territories and new market entries.
Dedicated technology, for example in the context of pay governance, to help you harness payroll data and to support decision making within your business.

Documenting Employment Arrangements

We can handle all your traditional employment-related legal needs, from drafting documents and contracts to harmonizing handbooks and procedures. Our employment law services include:

HR documentation. We draft, negotiate and review contractual terms for employment contracts, assignment documentation, and global and domestic policies and procedures.
Senior management agreements. We draft and negotiate senior management and director-level service agreements, including complex and bespoke business protection, incentive and bonus provisions.
International employee assignments. Working alongside PwC‘s mobility, immigration, international tax and social security specialists, we draft and review cross-border and global nomad employment arrangements.
International harmonisation of HR documentation. As your partner, we help globalise HR documents, including employee handbooks, policies and procedures, to align with company-wide values and standards.

Insights

04/05/20

Responding to key legal considerations arising from COVID-19

In a constantly changing environment, COVID-19 is continuing to present significant challenges to both people and organisations around the globe. To help you navigate through the complexity, PwC’s team of legal specialists have created a stand alone resource covering some of the most relevant legal considerations for...

08/09/19

New world. New skills.

The need to upskill and reskill the workforce has never been more urgent. Everyone should be able to live, learn, work and participate in the digital world. Learn more about PwC's upskilling programme.

25/05/21

Remote work for the cross-border workforce: 10 keys to success

Ten key aspects of employment law to consider as you set up or expand a remote work scheme for your cross-border workforce.

Hide

Contact us

Nicolien Borggreve

Employment Law Co-Leader, Global Legal Network, Partner, PwC Netherlands

Tel: +31 88 792 5068

Chris Perkins

Employment Law Co-Leader, Global Legal Network, Partner, PwC United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 7595 609 623