This course provides an in-depth examination of key instruments in current EU labour and social law, aimed at fostering a thorough understanding of employee and worker rights across member states. Students will explore foundational concepts, including the definitions of 'employee' and 'worker' under EU law, and delve into critical areas such as discrimination and equality, work-life balance, working time regulations, automatic employee transfers, pay transparency and adequacy, immigration, social security, and healthcare.
The curriculum emphasizes the EU's commitment to social justice in the workplace, with a focus on how these laws are implemented nationally, particularly in the Czech Republic and selected other countries. By engaging with these topics, students will develop a nuanced understanding of the dynamics between EU regulations and national laws, equipping them with the analytical skills necessary for future endeavors in law, policy, or human resources.
Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
This course provides an in-depth examination of key instruments in current EU labour and social law, aimed at fostering a thorough understanding of employee and worker rights across member states. Students will explore foundational concepts, including the definitions of 'employee' and 'worker' under EU law, and delve into critical areas such as discrimination and equality, work-life balance, working time regulations, automatic employee transfers, pay transparency and adequacy, immigration, social security, and healthcare.
The curriculum emphasizes the EU's commitment to social justice in the workplace, with a focus on how these laws are implemented nationally, particularly in the Czech Republic and selected other countries. By engaging with these topics, students will develop a nuanced understanding of the dynamics between EU regulations and national laws, equipping them with the analytical skills necessary for future endeavors in law, policy, or human resources.
Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
Requirements to the exam -
1.Preconditions: 70% attendance in class.
Written Multiple choice test.Multiple choice questions; students are required to identify the right answers from a set of possible options that are presented to them.
Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
1.Preconditions: 70% attendance in class.
Written Multiple choice test.Multiple choice questions; students are required to identify the right answers from a set of possible options that are presented to them.
Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
Syllabus -
This course is designed to offer a comprehensive exploration of the frameworks underpinning current European Union (EU) labour and social law, with a focus on essential regulations, directives, and their implications for employees and workers within the EU. Students will engage with a range of legal concepts and instruments that are pivotal to understanding the operational landscape of labour rights across member states.
The course will begin with foundational knowledge by dissecting the critical definitions of ‘employee’ and ‘worker’ as recognized under EU law. Understanding these definitions is essential, as they establish the baseline criteria for rights and benefits under various EU regulations, including those addressing employment rights, wages, and worker protections.
A key theme of the course will be a thorough analysis of significant areas of law that reflect the EU's commitment to promoting social justice and equity in the workplace. Themes will include:
Discrimination and Equality: The course will delve into anti-discrimination law, exploring directives that seek to ensure equality regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability. Students will analyze how these laws impact workplace dynamics and individual rights.
Work-Life Balance: Participants will examine policies aimed at fostering work-life balance, particularly in relation to parental leave, flexible working arrangements, and measures to prevent workplace burnout. Understanding these aspects is crucial in the modern work environment where maintaining a healthy balance is increasingly prioritized.
Working Time Regulations: The course will cover various aspects of working time legislation, including maximum working hours, minimum rest periods, and the EU Working Time Directive. Students will assess how these regulations are implemented across different member states and their impact on worker health and productivity.
Automatic Employee Transfers: Attention will be given to rights related to automatic transfers of employees, particularly in contexts such as mergers or acquisitions, under the EU's Transfer of Undertakings Directive. Students will explore the legal protections afforded to employees during such transitions.
Pay Transparency and Adequacy: The course will analyze the importance of transparency in pay structures within organizations, examining provisions aimed at closing the gender pay gap and ensuring fair remuneration practices across industries.
Immigration and Labour Mobility: This section will address legal frameworks surrounding immigration and the movement of workers within the EU, discussing how various regulations facilitate or restrict cross-border employment opportunities for EU residents and non-EU nationals.
Social Security and Services: Students will gain insight into the rights related to social security systems, such as pensions, unemployment benefits, and healthcare access, with an emphasis on the interplay between national regulations and EU law.
Healthcare Regulations: Health-related policies within the EU will also be explored, focusing on workplace health and safety regulations, as well as access to healthcare services for workers.
In addition to EU-wide regulations, the course will contextualize these topics by examining relevant national regulations, particularly those from the Czech Republic and selected other EU countries. This comparative approach will allow students to appreciate the nuances and variations in the implementation of EU directives at the national level.
By the end of this course, students will have acquired a robust understanding of the EU's labour and social law landscape, enabling them to critically assess and interpret how these laws shape the experiences of workers and employers alike within the rapidly evolving world of work.
Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
This course is designed to offer a comprehensive exploration of the frameworks underpinning current European Union (EU) labour and social law, with a focus on essential regulations, directives, and their implications for employees and workers within the EU. Students will engage with a range of legal concepts and instruments that are pivotal to understanding the operational landscape of labour rights across member states.
The course will begin with foundational knowledge by dissecting the critical definitions of ‘employee’ and ‘worker’ as recognized under EU law. Understanding these definitions is essential, as they establish the baseline criteria for rights and benefits under various EU regulations, including those addressing employment rights, wages, and worker protections.
A key theme of the course will be a thorough analysis of significant areas of law that reflect the EU's commitment to promoting social justice and equity in the workplace. Themes will include:
Discrimination and Equality: The course will delve into anti-discrimination law, exploring directives that seek to ensure equality regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability. Students will analyze how these laws impact workplace dynamics and individual rights.
Work-Life Balance: Participants will examine policies aimed at fostering work-life balance, particularly in relation to parental leave, flexible working arrangements, and measures to prevent workplace burnout. Understanding these aspects is crucial in the modern work environment where maintaining a healthy balance is increasingly prioritized.
Working Time Regulations: The course will cover various aspects of working time legislation, including maximum working hours, minimum rest periods, and the EU Working Time Directive. Students will assess how these regulations are implemented across different member states and their impact on worker health and productivity.
Automatic Employee Transfers: Attention will be given to rights related to automatic transfers of employees, particularly in contexts such as mergers or acquisitions, under the EU's Transfer of Undertakings Directive. Students will explore the legal protections afforded to employees during such transitions.
Pay Transparency and Adequacy: The course will analyze the importance of transparency in pay structures within organizations, examining provisions aimed at closing the gender pay gap and ensuring fair remuneration practices across industries.
Immigration and Labour Mobility: This section will address legal frameworks surrounding immigration and the movement of workers within the EU, discussing how various regulations facilitate or restrict cross-border employment opportunities for EU residents and non-EU nationals.
Social Security and Services: Students will gain insight into the rights related to social security systems, such as pensions, unemployment benefits, and healthcare access, with an emphasis on the interplay between national regulations and EU law.
Healthcare Regulations: Health-related policies within the EU will also be explored, focusing on workplace health and safety regulations, as well as access to healthcare services for workers.
In addition to EU-wide regulations, the course will contextualize these topics by examining relevant national regulations, particularly those from the Czech Republic and selected other EU countries. This comparative approach will allow students to appreciate the nuances and variations in the implementation of EU directives at the national level.
By the end of this course, students will have acquired a robust understanding of the EU's labour and social law landscape, enabling them to critically assess and interpret how these laws shape the experiences of workers and employers alike within the rapidly evolving world of work.
Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
Learning resources -
Basic literature:
PICHRT, J., ŠTEFKO, M. Labour Law in the Czech Republic. The Netherlands: Kluwer. Law International, 2018
PICHRT, J., ŠTEFKO, M. Labour Law and Industrial Relations – Czech Republic. The Netherlands: Kluwer. Law International, 2022
KOLDINSKÁ, K., LANG, R. Social security law. The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International, 2020
Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
Basic literature:
PICHRT, J., ŠTEFKO, M. Labour Law in the Czech Republic. The Netherlands: Kluwer. Law International, 2018
PICHRT, J., ŠTEFKO, M. Labour Law and Industrial Relations – Czech Republic. The Netherlands: Kluwer. Law International, 2022
KOLDINSKÁ, K., LANG, R. Social security law. The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International, 2020
