Italy: government adopts definitive versions of decree-laws on work-life balance and transparent working conditions

The two texts adopted by Italy’s Council of Ministers on 22 June confirm the provisions of the draft versions approved at the end of March (see articles n°12999 and n°13002). The transposition of European Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance will see the compulsory paternity leave allowance increased to 10 days, to be taken over a seven-month period around the child’s birth – two months prior and five months following. Employers that prevent staff enjoying this entitlement face the prospect of sanctions. Meanwhile the parental leave allowance, at 30% pay, is increased whereby each parent takes three months of leave and one of the two takes an additional three months. Furthermore, parental leave for single-parent families is increased from 10 to 11 months. If the company has implemented an agile working policy, it must give priority to parents of children under the age of 12 and to employees who are caregivers. The decree-law transposing EU Directive 2019/1152 on transparent and predictable working conditions will allow workers with non-standard contracts (platform workers and those on “occasional collaboration” or “coordinated and continuous collaboration” contracts, a hybrid status between employee and self-employed) to obtain more complete information on their working conditions and new rights: a trial period of a “reasonable” length, work scheduling and the possibility of doing another job outside the agreed hours. Employers, including platforms, that fail to respect these standards will face sanctions.