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Insights & News / Netta  Bromberg

Swords of Iron War: Flexible Workdays Wartime Relief

A recently signed general permit makes it easier for employees to make up for missed work hours due to constraints deriving from the absence of their spouses or the other parent of their children as a result of the state of emergency in Israel.

Swords of Iron War: Extension Order on Reservists' Rights

The provisions of the collective bargaining agreement came into effect upon the promulgation of the extension order. These provisions include directives regarding employee dismissals, rights of spouses of reservists, and more.

Swords of Iron War: Payment of Wages to Absent Employees

An extension order applies the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement and regulates the payment of wages to employees who were unable to report to work due to the Swords of Iron War.

Municipal Elections – Netta Bromberg Interview with TheMarker

Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm’s Employment Department, was interviewed by TheMarker about the rights of employees on Israel’s municipal election day. Netta discussed why the day is considered a statutory holiday and what wages employees are entitled to if they do work.

Categories: Employment

Imputed Value on Usage of Company Car as Income during Swords of Iron War

As a rule, employers in Israel that provide company cars for their employees’ use must attribute income to those employees in accordance with the imputed value of the use of the car prescribed in the Income Tax Regulations. Moreover, even if the car was in the employee’s possession for only part of the month, employers must attribute income to the employees for the full imputed value of the use of the car. However, the Israel Tax Authority has issued new special instructions because of the Swords of Iron War.

New Collective Bargaining Agreement in Israel: Welfare of Employees Serving in IDF Reserves

The collective bargaining agreement signed between the Histadrut-General Federation of Labor in Israel and the Presidium of Israeli Business Organizations will come into effect only after an extension order is issued. The agreement regulates the rights of both employees serving in the reserves and their spouses, including the addition of paid vacation days and anchoring protections against dismissal

Payment of Wages to Private-Sector Employees in Israel

The payment of wages to private-sector employees in Israel who were absent from work due to the war will be regulated under a new collective bargaining agreement, subject to the issuance of an extension order governing its provisions. This arrangement will also apply to employees placed on unpaid leave due to the war.

Surveillance Cameras in Workplaces and Employment Conditions

The Regional Labor Court in Tel Aviv has recognized an employee’s resignation as tantamount to dismissal under the law due to the employer’s use of surveillance cameras around the employee’s workstation in a manner inconsistent with the Privacy Protection Authority’s guidelines and the court’s position in such matters.

Swords of Iron War: Expansion of Employee Layoff Protection

The various restrictions being imposed on the population, including evacuations of many residents from northern and southern regions, the unique situation of the families of abductees, captives, and missing persons, and the massive mobilization of reservists, have led to an amendment to the Protection of Employees in Times of Emergency Law. This amendment expands the protection of employees from layoffs under exceptional circumstances. 

Swords of Iron: Unemployment Benefits and Unpaid Leave

The legislative process has ended and prescribes a series of reliefs and expansions in order to provide a solution for a relatively wide spectrum of employees sent home on unpaid leave as a result of the war. The law applies, inter alia, to pregnant women and women on maternity leave, employees with disabilities and employees over the age of 67.

Netta Bromberg Participated in Dun’s 100 Conference for Senior Legal Officials

Yesterday, Dun’s 100 hosted a conference for senior legal officials in the employment field to discuss the repercussions of Operation Swords of Iron on the Israeli labor market. Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm’s Employment Department, noted during the discussion that “on October 7, we woke up to a legal vacuum in the field of labor relations. We need to solve this large legal vacuum with common sense and good will. This should be reflected in how businesses handle employee statements, layoffs and downsizing, unpaid leave, and more.”  

Categories: Employment

Webinar: Labor Relations during a State of Emergency

Our firm hosted a webinar in collaboration with the Tel Aviv & Central Israel Chamber of Conference. Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm’s Employment Department, lectured on the duties and rights of both employers and employees during wartime.

Categories: Employers Labor Law | Employment

New Compensation Plan for Reservists – Interviews with Netta Bromberg

This week, the Israeli Ministry of Finance launched a new compensation plan for military reservists. As an expert in the employment field, Netta Bromberg was interviewed by several major Israeli media outlets on the subject.

Categories: Employment

IDF Reservists’ Rights

Israeli men and women called up for reserve duty, whether salaried employees or self-employed, are entitled to reserve duty pay from the National Insurance Institute for the days they serve on reserve duty.

Contract Workers’ Hourly Wages in Israel

New regulations in Israel regulate for the first time the wage components of contract workers in the security guard, cleaning, and catering sectors.

Back to Work in the Office – Netta Bromberg Interview with TheMarker

The pandemic is over and employers are demanding employees return from remote work back to the office, despite some employees’ reluctance. Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm’s Employment Department, was interviewed by TheMarker for an article on the subject. Netta noted, “Not every change in employment conditions constitutes a worsening of conditions, especially not an evident one, that allows an employee to qualify for resignation as dismissal. The employer has a workplace and a business to manage, and he has the authority to manage it as he sees fit, including demanding that employees work from the office.”

Categories: Employment

Collective Labor Law: Lecture at Israel Bar Association’s Midrasha

Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm's Employment Department, lectured to a professional study course at the Israel Bar Association’s Midrasha – National Attorney's Academy. The lecture addressed expansion orders and collective bargaining agreements. Netta also touched on conducting legal analysis during due diligence procedures.

Categories: Employment

Employers’ Use of Vehicular GPS to Track Employees

Employers’ use of technological tools to track their employees’ geolocations has sharply increased in recent years, as remote work has become more prevalent. The Israeli Privacy Protection Authority recently published its recommendations on the collection of geolocation data from employees’ vehicles.

Israeli Regulations Restrict Enrollees in Managers’ Insurance Plans

As of September 2023, employees will be able to enroll in managers’ insurance plans only if their salaries exceed twice the average wage in Israel, in order to ensure they receive adequate pensions.

Artificial Intelligence in the Office: How to Do It Right

Advs. Netta Bromberg and Dr. Avishay Klein were interviewed by Yedioth Ahronoth and gave tips to employers regarding the correct use of artificial intelligence in workplaces.

Categories: AI Regulation | Employment

AI in the Workplace – Benefits and Risks

AI technologies have enormous potential. However, using AI technologies in the workplace may result in a variety of exposures. It is important to understand how best to use AI, as well as when never to use it.

Co-Hosting with Dueti a Meetup on the HR and Manager Relationship

Our firm co-hosted with Dueti a meetup for HR managers from a number of leading firms in Israel. Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm’s Employment Department, opened the meetup with a lecture on the legal aspects of HR interfaces and employee management. Seven HR managers also lectured as part of the event.

Categories: Employment

Conference: The High-Tech Employment World

We hosted members of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) for the conference The High-Tech Employment World. 

The conference focused on key issues in the Israeli high-tech employment market and included diverse lectures on such topics as non-competition clauses in employment agreements, the workforce as a critical element in the workplace, and more.

Among the speakers at the conference were Micky Barnea, our firm’s managing partner; Nani Maoz, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Everest; and firm lawyers Harel Perlmutter, Netta Bromberg, Inbar Gorelick, and Amos E. Rosenzweig.

 




Categories: Employment | High Tech | M&A employment issues

Amendment to Israel’s Equal Pay Law – New Recommendations (2.0)

For employers that discover gender wage disparities in their organizations, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission recommends taking action to appoint an implementation team comprised of both senior management representatives and employees, for the purpose of preparing a multi-year work plan to promote equal pay and reduce gender wage disparities.

Israel’s Minimum Wage Is Rising

The update will take effect already in the salaries for April 2023 and will affect the sums of social contributions to provident funds and severance pay, vacation pay, overtime pay, and sick pay.

Lawful Employment Termination in a Changing Labor Market

Employers must be diligent about complying with Israeli labor law and case law when dismissing employees, even during layoffs and reorganization processes, including employees’ statutory rights to a dismissal hearing with their lawyer present.

Stricter Obligations on Recipients of Contract Workers’ Services on Their Premises

From now on, recipients of contract workers’ services must periodically review the wages paid to the service contractor’s employees working on their premises, set up a mechanism for clarifying workers’ grievances, and fulfill a series of other obligations designed to protect contract workers’ rights.

How a New Knesset Bill May Affect Labor Strikes

The Knesset is looking to limit workers’ ability to go on strike. Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm’s Employment Department, explains the consequences of MK Simcha Rothman's bill on the right to strike.

Categories: Employment

Barnea: Hosting Conference on Labor Law and Competition Law

Firm partners Gal Rozent and Neta Bromberg lectured at a conference we hosted for the CEOs of Israel’s leading cleaning companies, part of Israel’s cleaners’ union.

Categories: Antitrust and Competition | Employment

A Silent Epidemic – How to Identify, Handle, and Prevent Workplace Bullying

Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm’s Employment Department, was a guest on an episode of the “Bul-Bapony” podcast. Netta discussed the gap between what an individual pays versus an organization for bullying in the workplace and the difficulties in identifying it.

Categories: Employment

2022: Legislative and Judicial Trends - Israeli Labor Law

In terms of Israeli legislation in 2022, the new and amended legislative arrangements were designed to advance the integration of diverse groups in the workplace. One such example is the amendment to the Male and Female Workers (Equal Pay) Law enacted in June 2022, which prescribed, for the first time, that particular types of employers must report wage gaps in the organization.

Exceptional Workplace Bullying Compensation Awarded to an Employee in Israel

The Israeli National Labor Court awarded ILS 300,000 to the employee after a regional labor court awarded the employee only ILS 60,000.

Can Israeli Employers Request Medical Information during the Hiring Process?

The Israeli Privacy Protection Authority recently published a document presenting its position and recommendations on the privacy protection aspects pertinent to waivers of medical confidentiality and disclosures of medical information during the hiring process.

Lecture – New Challenges and an Organization’s Obligation to Prevent Sexual Harassment According to Law

Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm's Employment Department, lectured to members of the In-House Counsels for In-House Counsels Forum on the challenges organizations face in order to comply with Israel's Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law.

Categories: Employment

Labor Law: Anti-Sexual Harassment Workshop

We held a workshop for our clients on how to prevent and handle incidents of sexual harassment at work. As part of the workshop, Netta Bromberg, head of our firm’s Employment Department, analyzed various incidents in accordance with the provisions of Israel’s Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law, as well as discussed how to conduct a proper investigation of a complaint and perform crisis management.

Categories: Employment

Ministry of Economy and Industry Increases Enforcement Measures

The Ministry of Economy and Industry’s Labor Branch – Regulation and Enforcement Administration is increasing enforcement measures in workplaces with regard to the fulfillment of employer obligations and employee rights.

Interesting Ruling Regarding Workplace WhatsApp Group Chats and Wrongful Termination

Removing an employee from the workplace’s WhatsApp group chat before a hearing may expose employers to wrongful termination claims.

Dun's 100 Legal Forum for Senior Employment Law Professionals

Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm's Employment Department, participated in the Dun's 100 forum for senior legal professionals in the field of employment law. The forum discussed such relevant issues as sexual harassment in the workplace and remote work. Netta addressed recent changes in the world of employment and their impact on labor laws.

Categories: Employment

Prohibition on Receiving Information on an Employee’s or Prospective Employee’s Criminal Record

The Criminal Information and Rehabilitation of Offenders Law recently came into effect. From now on, employers may no longer ask employees or prospective employees to provide information about their criminal records. This includes through an affidavit, declaration, or written questionnaire.

The Average Citizen Forced to Pay: Israeli Election’s Impact on Regulation and Labor Relations

Firm partners Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, and Anat Even-Chen, the coordinator of our regulation practice, were interviewed by Maariv on the election’s negative effects on the State budget and individuals’ pockets.  

Categories: Employment | Regulation

Whistleblower Protection in the Workplace

An amendment to the Protection of Employees extends the statute of limitations period for filing a claim from one year to three years.

The End of Working from Home? Interview with Netta Bromberg

Many companies have started to inform their employees of a total return to in-person work. Adv. Netta Bromberg, the head of our firm’s Employment Department, was interviewed on the subject by Globes, clarifying, "Not every change constitutes a deterioration of working conditions.”

 

Categories: Employment

Netta Bromberg Lectures at In-House Counsels for In-House Counsels Forum

Netta Bromberg lectured to members of the In-House Counsels for In-House Counsels Forum on recent questions regarding contracting with service providers, in light of the latest court ruling on the subject.

Categories: Employment

Full Disclosure: Netta Bromberg Featured in Globes Article on Amendment to Equal Pay Law

Amendment 6 to Israel's Equal Pay Law includes a new reporting obligation that brings with it a host of difficulties and questions. Netta Bromberg joins a team of experts to answer for Globes the essential questions arising from the amendment.

Categories: Employment

Conference on Complex HR Situations

We hosted the HR managers of numerous companies for a conference dealing with the optimal management of complex human resources situations.

Adv. Netta Bromberg, head of the Employment Department, Adv. Jacki Silbermann, and Adv. Lior Girshevitz discussed complicated hearing procedures, harassment in the workplace, recruitment crises, and more.

Categories: Employment

Netta Bromberg Lectures to Israeli Association of Publicly Traded Companies on Amendment to Equal Pay Law

In preparation for the entry into force on June 1 of an amendment to Israel’s Male and Female Workers (Equal Pay) Law, firm partner Netta Bromberg lectured to members of the Israeli Association of Publicly Traded Companies on the law, its significance, and how companies can prepare.

Categories: Employment

Netta Bromberg in Ynet: Working on Israel’s Memorial and Independence Days

There are unique work regulations on Israel's Memorial Day and Independence Day. Netta Bromberg, partner and head of our Employment Department, details to Ynet the major ones related to overtime hours and missing work.

Categories: Employment

Expansion of Night Shift Work Arrangements to Include Single Parents

An amendment to the Employment of Women Law, which went into effect on March 14, dictates that employers may not refuse to hire women or single parents simply because they do not agree to work night shifts due to family considerations. 

Equal Pay for Male and Female Workers: Employers’ New Reporting Obligations

A new amendment to the Male and Female Workers (Equal Pay) Law aims to promote equal employment terms in Israel.

The Gender Wage Gap – Netta Bromberg Interview in Globes

Our firm's labor law expert was interviewed by Globes on the entry into force of an amendment to the Equal Pay Law, which requires companies with at least 518 employees to publically disclose their wage gaps. Netta noted other methods for reducing the gender wage gap: "In New York, legislation has been passed ordering job ads to state the proposed salary for the position. This is a much better method. It assumes women negotiate less well than men for all sorts of reasons and that publishing the salary in advance will reduce discrimination."

Categories: Employment

Netta Bromberg Interview: Illegal Questions during Job Interviews

Not every non-substantive question during an interview is prohibited by law, but there are some. Netta, a partner and the head of our firm's Employment Department, details in an interview with TheMarker which questions are considered illegal and why.

Categories: Employment

Interview with Neta Bromberg: When Employees Tweet

Netta Bromberg, a partner and the head of our Employment Department, was interviewed by TheMarker on how employers should handle employees’ posts on social media.

 

Categories: Employment

Netta Bromberg Clarifies Obligation to Notify Employer of Pregnancy

In an interview with Globes, Netta Bromberg, a partner and the head of our firm's Employment Department, dispels some myths about an employer's obligation to notify her employer about her pregnancy.

Categories: Employment

Expansion of Permit for Employees to Work Overtime

Omicron is taking control of the labor market in Israel. Many employees are stuck at home in quarantine (or are ill). At the same time, there is still plenty of work. As a result, and in order to enable the Israeli economy to contend with the drastic drop in the number of available employees in the labor market, the government issued a new special permit on January 16, 2022, extending permitted overtime hours

 

Representing Inomize in Transaction with Facebook (Meta)

We served as legal counsel for Inomize, an Israeli developer and manufacturer of electronic components, in its acquisition by Facebook. The acquisition is by way of acquiring the know-how and experience of Inomize’s employees. Adv. Ariella Dreyfuss led the deal. Advs. Netta Bromberg and Jacki Silbermann advised on the employment matters.

Categories: Corporate | M&A employment issues | Mergers and Acquisitions

Representing Sephira in Sale of Shares to DL Software Group

Barnea represented the French and Israeli group of companies Sephira, a leader in software solutions for healthcare professionals, in the sale of its holdings to the DL Software Group, which was recently acquired by the American PE fund TA Associates.

The transaction was led by Samuel Henry Samuel, and Avihay Asulin. Netta Bromberg provided representation in all labor law matters, and Harel Perlmutter and Nir Ziman advised on all tax issues.

Categories: Corporate | Investments | Mergers and Acquisitions

Netta Bromberg Attends Dun’s 100 Labor Law Forum

The Dun’s 100 forum for legal experts in the field of labor law convened yesterday to discuss issues on the professional agenda, including sexual harassment, the medical interns’ protest, and the war on high-tech workers.

Firm partner Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, took part in the forum alongside other senior attorneys in the industry.

Categories: Employment

Representing Reef Technology in Acquisition of Israeli Startup Bond

We advised Reef Technology, one of the largest operators of mobility, logistics hubs, and neighborhood kitchens in the United States, on its acquisition of the Israeli logistics startup Bond, which was initially founded as Shookit, a direct-to-consumer grocery startup that delivered fresh produce to clients in the city within hours. The deal was led by Advs. Michael Barnea, Ariella Dreyfuss, and Tal Freilich. Netta Bromberg advised on the employment side. Harel Perlmutter and Hanna Daher advised on the tax side. Anat Even-Chen advised on data privacy and security and other regulatory matters.

Categories: Corporate | Investments | Mergers and Acquisitions

Representing GAP Inc. in Acquisition of Israeli Startup

Our firm advised the fashion giant GAP in its first significant acquisition of an Israeli technology startup. As part of the acquisition, CB4’s team will join Gap as full-time employees. Advs. Simon Jaffa and Ariella Dreyfuss represented the US clothing and accessories retailer. Advs. Netta Bromberg and Jacki Silbermann advised on the employment matters arising from the deal.

Categories: Corporate | Employment | Investments | Mergers and Acquisitions

Everything You Need to Know about Israel’s Green Pass for Employees

Updated regulations for the implementation of the Green Pass in Israeli workplaces will come into effect on October 5, 2021. Following are some of the main guidelines of the regulations.

Israeli Privacy Protection Authority Publishes New Statement Concerning Location Data in Workplaces

There has been an uptrend in recent years of employers using a variety of technological tools to supervise their employees and oversee the quality of their work. The use of these tools has become more prevalent due to the shift of many organizations to working from home last year.

Can an Employer Require an Employee to Get Vaccinated?

In the attempt to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, many questions have arisen with regard to proper workplace conduct.

Can an employer require an employee to get vaccinated? Can it force an employee to take a COVID test? Who bears the cost of the test? How should the quarantine period be calculated?

Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, addresses all these questions in an interview with Maariv.

 

Categories: Employment

Workplace Delta Variant Preparedness: New Guidelines on Quarantine Payments for Employees

Due to the recent increase in incidences of COVID-19, there has been an update to the guidelines on quarantine payments to employees. Here are the main points of the update, for your convenience.

Older Workers' Challenges in Reentering the Employment Market

We are on the cusp of a challenging period, with hundreds of thousands of jobseekers trying to reenter the employment market. For many of them, especially older workers (55 and up), this is a frustrating task.

Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, was interviewed by the "Tzeva Hakesef" radio program about the legal aspects of employing workers aged 55 and up.  

Categories: Employment

Employers: Coronavirus Restrictions Have Expired

On June 1, 2021, the regulations that guided the conduct of workplaces during the coronavirus crisis expired. Accordingly, from this day forward, there is no longer a requirement to operate in accordance with the green tag or purple tag directives in the workplace. At this stage, holding gatherings, professional trainings, and group meals at the workplace is permitted, even without observing social distancing.

Contractors' Lawsuits for Recognition of Employment Relationship: Changing the Rules of the Game

One of the possible contractual forms between parties is the provision of services as an independent contractor (in colloquial terms, a freelancer). This type of contracting is not particularly favored by labor courts, which seek, as a policy matter, to apply employment relations in cases involving claims of the existence of an employee-employer relationship. Once in a while, labor courts establish new rules on recognizing employment relationships and on retroactive calculation of the rights of independent contractors as employees.

How Should an Employer Deal with an Employee's Problematic Posts on Social Media?

 

In light of heightened security tensions in recent days, a post by an employee on social media that goes beyond the bounds of legitimate opinion may disrupt routine daily conduct in the workplace. An employer must therefore act accordingly to remedy the situation. In an op-ed published in Globes, Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, explains how an employer should respond.

Categories: Employment

Wrote a Racist Post? You Could Be Fired

Netta Bromberg, our Head of Employment Department, was interviewed as part an article in Yedioth Ahronoth’s finance section. She explains which statements are permissible and which are forbidden for employees posting on social media platforms that belong to their workplaces.

Categories: Employment

Five-Session Workshop with Unit 669 Alumni

Together with the Black Cat Family, an organization for the alumni of the IDF’s combat search and rescue extraction unit, we launched a five-session workshop to provide basic legal tools for entrepreneurs. As part of the sessions, we lectured on founders’ agreements. We also lectured on the employee hiring process, and on how to build the right tax structure.

Categories: Start Ups

Can employers prevent unvaccinated employees from coming to work?

Yesterday, a labor court ruled for the first time that, under particular circumstances, employees who have not been vaccinated or do not present a negative coronavirus test may be denied entry to the workplace.

Can an Employee Refuse to Return from Unpaid Leave?

What does it mean for an employee to refuse to return from unpaid leave? Can an employee claim this constitutes a worsening of employment conditions? Is an employer allowed to return only some of its employees? What happens to employees who are unable to return? Check out this guide on returning from unpaid leave by Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department.

Categories: Employment

Israel: Workplace Sexual Harassment – Disclosure of Materials in Internal Investigations

A new court ruling may require employers to disclose materials collected during investigations into incidents of sexual harassment.

Employers: Everything You Need to Know about Vaccinations

This past year has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for employers in Israel, in terms of both their business activities and their role as employers. Now, when we can perhaps see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel in the form of Israel’s vaccination campaign, quite a few questions arise.

Prepare Your Workplace for Lockdown Number Three (and a Half)

Israel entered another general lockdown, which began at midnight (January 8, 2021) and will continue until January 21, 2021. We have summarized the main guidelines concerning workplace activity during lockdown. The final and binding version of the regulations regarding workplace activity during lockdown have yet to be published.

Epidemiological Investigations and Privacy Protection

Israel’s Privacy Protection Authority published its guidelines and emphases for protecting the privacy of individuals when conducting COVID-19 epidemiological investigations in workplaces.

Update on Service Users’ Obligation to Hold Hearings for Service Providers’ Employees

Last July, the National Labor Court issued an important ruling on a service user’s obligation to take part in the termination and hearing process for contract workers employed on site. According to that ruling, the extent of the service user’s participation in the hearing depends on the circumstances. Accordingly, in our previous update, we tried to predict the criteria that would be taken into account, in order to analyze how the National Labor Court’s ruling should be applied in various scenarios.

Employees Do Not (Necessarily) Have a Vested Right to a Bonus, Even If They Received One for Years

The COVID-19 crisis has thrown many employers into economic difficulties. In these uncertain times, many employers are asking themselves if they are obligated to pay their employees bonuses. Just before the end of 2020, the Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court issued a new ruling on this very subject. 

New Case Law: Can Employees Consent to Worse Employment Conditions through Conduct?

In light of the COVID-19 crisis, many employers have been forced to reduce employees' salaries. Such reductions, when not made through agreements or in an orderly fashion, may be fertile ground for claims regarding material worsening of work conditions, effective termination proceedings, and creating a stress-filled work environment.

Payments to Employees Absent from Work Due to Mandatory Quarantine

A statutory amendment to the Economic Assistance Program Law (Novel Coronavirus) (Temporary Order) arranges payment for employees absent from work due to mandatory quarantine. The new arrangement stipulates that an employee entitled to sick pay from the first day of absence is also entitled to quarantine pay from the first day of absence. 

Webinar: Proper Management in a Changing Labor Market

Our office will host on December 3, 2020, from 10:30-11:30 am, a webinar entitled "Proper Management in a Changing Labor Market." Topics include innovations in hearing procedures for terminating employees in light of COVID-19 and the impact of digital life on organizations and the nature of work.

 

Categories: Employment

How to Comply with Local Employment Laws in a World with No Boundaries

As a result of COVID-19, in recent months, many employers have closed their offices and required their employees to work from home, sometimes indefinitely. Employers and employees alike have learned that people no longer need to be present at an office to get work done. This has created another unique situation. Israelis who relocated to countries around the world are now either requesting to return to Israel to be close to their family or being asked by their companies to return home in order to save costs. The question is how can this work for an Israeli employed by an international company with no connection to Israel. What are the legal requirements in such a situation? Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, has published an article in Calcalist on the subject.

 

Categories: Employment

Employment: Paid Sick Leave for Time in Quarantine

Yesterday the Court granted the State’s request to extend the period during which employees may use paid sick leave for time in quarantine until October 28, 2020. 

As you may remember, the Supreme Court repealed an order from the Ministry of Health, according to which a sweeping medical certificate was given to employees in quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19. This repeal was to have entered into effect on September 30, 2020.

Israel’s Second Lockdown: A Guide for Employers

The lockdown entered inְto effect on September 25, 2020, at 14:00, and is expected to continue until October 10, 2020. It is possible at the end of this period the lockdown will be extended. We have prepared an in-depth update for employers on the relevant topics.

Updates Regarding the Upcoming Lockdown in Israel

A nationwide lockdown in Israel is to take effect on Friday, September 18, 2020, from 2 p.m., to last for at least 14 days, (the restrictions may be extended, in full or in part, as determined by the Israeli government). While the regulations are currently pending final approval by the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, they are expected to be enacted late tonight or early tomorrow.

Employers Are Now Required to Publish Wage Gaps between Women and Men

According to a new amendment to the Male and Female Workers (Equal Pay) Law, employers must publish a yearly report outlining wage gaps between female and male employees. The amendment provides that certain employers must draft an internal yearly report detailing the average salary of their employees and the average wage gaps between men and women within each group of employees in the workplace.

Not All Sexual Comments or Advances from a Supervisor Constitute Sexual Harassment

An important ruling regarding workplace authority figures and the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace has established that one cannot automatically assume sexual comments or advances by an employee with managerial authority constitute sexual harassment. In this ruling, it appears, the National Labor Court has tempered to some extent widespread notions about sexual harassment by an authority figure.

Barnea Representing Original Shareholders the Topaz Family in Sale of Holdings in Keystone Group

About a year and a half after the investment fund Accelmed, which is managed by Uri Geiger, announced the merger of the company it controls, American Keystone Group, with the Israeli Paltop company, controlled by Shmuel Topaz, it is now acquiring the entire holdings in Paltop for NIS 100 million. This ends the conflict between the investor groups of Paltop and Accelmed. Advs. Daniel Lorber, Netta Bromberg, and Harel Perlmutter  represented the Topaz family and the Paltop investors.

 

Categories: Corporate

Service Users Must Now Hold Hearing Procedures for Service Providers’ Employees

The National Labor Court recently handed down an important ruling that concerns many employers in the market engaged with service provider companies. The National Labor Court ruled that although there were no employee-employer relations between the employee and its employer in this matter, the service user still had to take part in the employee’s termination and hearing process, in addition to the obligation of the direct employer to hold the hearing.

Labor Law - An Important Update for Employers

There have been a few recent updates to statutory provisions and administrative procedures regarding employees and employers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

New and Important COVID-19 Guidelines for the Israeli Labor Market

The State of Israel continues to cope with the COVID-19 crisis and its implications for the workforce. In recent days, new and important guidelines were updated for the Israeli workforce’s handling of the coronavirus crisis

How Trump's Work Visa Freeze Will Affect Israeli High-Tech

US President Donald Trump suspended on Monday the entry of certain foreign workers until the end of the year. Adv. Netta Bromberg, the head of our employment team, was interviewed by Calcalist about this latest development. She commented: "This decision is a long-term violation of the globalization process as we have known it in recent decades. Israeli startups looking to expand in the US will need to search for local workers and to recalculate what their business models should be.”

 

Categories: Employment

HR Considerations When a Foreign Company Wishes to Work in Japan

Adv. Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, will be a panelist on a webinar about HR considerations for employing workers in Japan. The webinar will be held by the Israel-Japan Chamber of Commerce together with GoGlobal Ltd. It is geared for Israeli companies considering opening activity in Japan or that have already done so and are considering relocating Israeli employees to the Japanese branch.

 

Categories: Employment

Israel: Preparing Your Workplace for a Return to Normal

More will be told of the COVID-19 crisis and the changes it brought to Israeli labor relations. In the meantime, we have gathered brief guidelines on a return to normal:

Unpaid Leave: Rights of Employees Fired after Being Put on Unpaid Leave

A little over two months ago, at the start of the coronavirus crisis, a million Israelis were put on unpaid leave. With companies returning to normal under new restrictions, Maariv interviewed Netta Bromberg for a special guide to understand the rights of employees and the duties of employers.

Categories: Employment

Doing Business in Israel – Practical Law

This year, we were once again responsible for preparing the QA guide on doing business in Israel for the Practical Law website. The guide provides an overview of recent key developments that have affected doing business in Israel, including the legal system, foreign investment, employment, tax, competition, privacy, IP, etc.

Categories: Banking & Finance | Capital Markets | Corporate | Employment | Internet | Regulation | Tax

Webinar on the Current Issues Facing Israeli Entrepreneurs

Netta Bromberg will participate on an expert panel as part of a webinar held by Fox Rothschild LLP on the challenges faced by Israeli entrepreneurs and businesspersons residing in Israel or living abroad.

Categories: Employment

Managing Labor Relations in Accordance with the New Israeli Guidelines 20.04.2020

On April 19, new guidelines were introduced allowing a gradual return to the workplace. Here are the key guidelines. According to the guidelines, it is permitted to employ in a workplace whose opening has not been banned 10 employees or up to 30% of employees, whichever is higher. However, it is possible to increase the number of employees in the workplace in the industries and services fields beyond the 30% cap, subject to each workplace complying with the "purple tag" rules.

Pregnant Women May Now Be Put on Unpaid Leave without Labor Ministry Approval

New regulations were signed on April 6, 2020 that allow pregnant women, women and men undergoing infertility treatment, and women returning to work after maternity leave to be put on unpaid leave, under certain conditions, without the need for a permit from the Ministry of Labor.

Managing Labor Relations in Accordance with the New Israeli Guidelines 01.04.2020

New guidelines for conduct in the workplace came into effect today in Israel.

Employment during an Emergency and Granting Benefits during Unpaid Leave

On March 22, 2020, and again on March 25, 2020, emergency regulations on limiting market activity and limiting the number of employees in the workplace were published.

Israel: Employment during an Emergency and Granting Benefits during Unpaid Leave

Several employment restrictions in light of the emergency regulations that were published in Israel and an update on giving retirement insurance and car use benefits during unpaid leave.

Israel: Imposing Unpaid Leave on Employees Due to the Spread of Coronavirus - Updated

As a result of the economic downturn and in order to reduce expenses, one of the alternatives is imposing unpaid leave on employees.

Israel: Imposing Unpaid Leave on Employees Due to the Spread of Coronavirus

Because of the coronavirus, many employers have been forced to consider minimizing expenses. In Israel several alternatives are being explored: reducing the scope of employment, lowering salaries, utilizing any available leave days, imposing unpaid leave on employees, reducing manpower, and conducting layoffs.

The Gender Pay Gap and the Even Bigger Gender Pension Gap: Women's Status in the Labor Market

Adv. Netta Bromberg was interviewed by Mako in honor of International Women's Day to discuss women's status in the labor market.

Categories: Employment

Representing MAT Investment Holdings in Merger between Two Manufacturers of Control Valves from Kibbutz Industry

Our firm represented the Spanish multinational industrial group MAT Investment Holdings in the merger of its Israeli subsidiary Dorot Management Control Valves from Kibbutz Dorot with A.R.I. Flow Control Accessories, a company owned indirectly by Kibbutz Kfar Haruv.

Categories: Corporate | Investments | Kibbutz Sector

The Israeli Ministry of Health's Guidelines on Handling the Coronavirus in Workplaces

The Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Health published a directive on February 4, which states that an employee, volunteer, or service provider who is required to be quarantined under the home quarantine directive shall not be required to arrive at the workplace and shall not be granted entry even if he or she were to request this.

Event Invite: New International Standards for Internal Alert Mechanisms

Join us for a seminar on the new international standards for internal alert mechanisms. The EU whistleblower protection directive that came into force in December 2019 and trends in the US signal a new duty—the obligation to formulate an in-house mechanism that allows employees to report improper or unethical conduct. To date, such mechanisms have largely been the responsibility of large companies subject to heavy regulation, but this reality is about to change. To what extent is your organization ready for such a mechanism? Are there any accepted standards for such mechanisms?

Categories: Corporate

Who Owns the Patent? – Employees' Right to Royalties

According to the Supreme Court, an employer may stipulate in the employment agreement an employee's right to royalties for the provision of service, as well as the compensation the employee may be entitled to for an invention.

Benefits in Employment Contracts

Many employees think the main thing to negotiate on before signing an employment contract is monthly salary. However, various other benefits can help reduce employees' expenses and save them more money at the end of the month and in retirement.

 

An expert in labor law, Netta Bromberg was recently interviewed by Bizportal on the differences between contracts signed with companies with collective agreements and companies subject to expansion orders.

Categories: Employment

Representing Sartorius in the acquisition of a majority stake in Biological Industries.

Our firm represented Sartorius, a leading multinational corporation in the field of life science, research and development  and biopharmaceutical industry, in a transaction to acquire a majority stake in the Israeli cell culture developer Biological Industries. Sartorius acquired the majority of Biological Industries shares by way of secondary purchase of shares from the Development Company of Kibbutz Beit Haemek and private equity fund Fortissimo Capital, in consideration for USD 50 million. In addition, as part of the transaction, Sartorius and the Development Company of Kibbutz Beit Haemek signed an option to purchase/sell additional holdings in the future.

Categories: Corporate | High Tech | Investments

Special Security Situation - Employment Queries

Schools and workplaces were closed earlier today following an announcement by IDF Central Command. As a result, many employees and business owners found themselves uncertain of their rights and what to do. Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, was interviewed on the subject. She explained under what conditions an employee can stay home and when an employer can require an employee to arrive anyway.

Categories: Employment

Israel's National Labor Court Protects Right to Organize

In September, Israel's National Labor Court dismissed an appeal by the Café Noir restaurant and affirmed the Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court’s judgment, which held that the restaurant must pay NIS 300,000 compensation for infringing on its employees’ right to organize.

The Court Rules that A Short Absence from Work without Permission Does not Constitute Resignation

In a recent ruling, the Labor Court found that a short-term unapproved absence from work may constitute a disciplinary violation, and therefore be cause for termination, but cannot be seen as resignation.

Sick Leave After A Hearing Procedure

The Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court recently ruled that an employee who took advantage of her sick leave as vacation days immediately after being summoned to a termination hearing warranted being denied severance pay and early notice payments.

Can Employees Express Political Opinions on Social Networks?

Adv. Netta Bromberg, the head of our Employment Department, was interviewed by Ynet on the possibility of employees engaging in political issues and expressing their personal positions on social networks. According to Netta, "Publishing personal positions on social networks raises fundamental questions concerning the limits of freedom of expression in a democratic society, the special complexity of workplace relationships, and the line between the personal and the professional."

Categories: Employment

Politics at Work

The election for the 22nd Knesset is approaching. What does the law say about workers' rights and obligations ?

The High Court of Justice's Policy on Workplace Sexual Harassment in Israel

The National Israeli Labor Court is an independent tribunal and thus only rarely does the High Court of Justice (HCJ) intervene in its decisions. Recently, in an unusual move, the HCJ twice reversed the rulings of the National Labor Court. In both cases as part of its policy to eliminate the phenomenon of workplace sexual harassment.

Software Companies No Longer Subject to Expansion Orders in the Field of Industry?

A new ruling may affect due diligence employment findings and reclassify high-tech companies as companies operating in the industrial sector.

Labor Court Ruling on Gender Pay Discrimination

Regional Court ruled that a woman who earned less than a man in the same position is entitled to compensation from her employer for discrimination.