Please note: these updates reflect, in a nutshell, the dynamic nature of Israeli labor laws during this period. We recommend that you continue monitoring the developments. The team in our firm’s labor law department is at your service to advise you on any labor law questions.

Rights of employees serving in the military reserves and their spouses

In March 2024, an extension order was promulgated anchoring a series of special arrangements and concessions to help employees who performed military reserve duty during the period from October 7, 2023 to December 31, 2024. Inter alia, the order extended the period protecting reservists from dismissal to 60 days (subject to the period of reserve duty), granted entitlement to days and hours of absence from work for spouses of those serving in the reserves and increased the entitlement to accrue and utilize annual leave days.

Correct to date, the extension order has not yet been extended to cover the current period, but assessments are that the order will be extended in the near future.

It is important to note that the wording of the extension order can be construed to mean that whoever completed reserve duty on December 31, 2024 will continue to be protected from dismissal for the 60 days after December 31, 2024 (i.e., until March 2, 2025), subject to the period of reserve duty.

You can read more about the provisions of the extension order in our last client update in this regard: Swords of Iron War: Extension Order on Reservists’ Rights.

Statement of opinion by the Ministry of Labor regarding the period of protection from dismissal for employees serving in the military reserves

On December 18, 2024, the Ministry of Labor published a statement of opinion regarding implementation of the provisions of the extension order pertaining to reserve duty. According to the statement, the 60 days of reserve duty in respect whereof reservists are protected from dismissal do not have be consecutive and can be counted cumulatively.

Accordingly, in relation to anyone who completed 60 or more days of reserve duty cumulatively, returned to work and is subsequently called up again for at least three days of reserve duty (whether during or after the 60-day period of protection), the counting of the days of dismissal protection will begin again.

A 60-day dismissal protection period is granted for each separate period of reserve duty that exceeds two days and accumulates to 60 days of reserve duty, with up to the first 30 days of reserve duty under the responsibility of the Employment Committee of the Ministry of Defense, while the period from the 31st day to the 60th day of reserve duty is under the responsibility of the Supervision Committee of the Ministry of Labor. As long as the additional period of reserve duty is less than two days, the dismissal protection will not restart. In other words, in order to receive additional protection from dismissal, an employee must complete a minimum of three additional days of reserve . A link to the opinion (in Hebrew) attached.

Amendment to the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law expands obligations of customers ordering services from contractors

The new year also heralds a significant innovation through an amendment to provisions of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law, which comes into effect on January 25, .

The amendment is designed to protect a large disadvantaged group of employees. The amendment expands the statutory obligations and applies them to anyone ordering services from contractors and service-providers. You can read more about the amendment to the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law in our last client update in this regard: Israel: Amendment to the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law.

Updating of engagement agreements with guarding, security, catering and cleaning contractors – as of January 1, 2025

The Regulations for Increased Enforcement of Labor Laws stipulate that, as of January 1, 2025, service recipients are obligated to update agreements with service contractors signed before December 31, 2024 according to the calculation and control mechanisms prescribed in the regulations. You can read more about the mechanism for updating agreements in our last client update on this topic: Contract Workers’ Hourly Wages in Israel.

Extension of the statute of limitations for filing claims of employment discrimination

An amendment was published recently that extends the period during which claims of employment discrimination may be filed with the Labor Court to up to five years after the cause of action arose. This amendment came into effect on December 1, 2024.

Prior to the amendment, the statute of limitations for a discrimination claim was three years. In relation to job seekers, the statute of limitations for filing a claim alleging discrimination was not extended and remains at three years.

***

Our Employment Law Department is at your service for these matters and other issues in the field of labor law.

Tags: Sexual Harassment Law | Workplace Discrimination