On March 29, United States embassies across Europe began sending letters and an accompanying “Certification regarding compliance with applicable federal anti-discrimination law” to companies in Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain. This certification purports to apply Executive Order (“EO”) 14173 (“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”) to U.S. government suppliers and contractors based in Europe “regardless of their nationality and the country in which they operate.” As we wrote in a prior alert, the Trump administration intends for EO 14173 to end what it considers to be “illegal preferences and discrimination” including those “under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) or ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA)” programs by prescribing required provisions for federal contracts. Continue Reading European Companies Wrestle with U.S. Government’s Anti-DEI Push

Chris Bracebridge
Chris Bracebridge specialises in advising multinational employers on international employment and global mobility matters, including complex transactional issues and senior employee retention and termination arrangements. He co-heads a Global Workforce Solutions team providing the employment, benefits, tax and immigration advice required in these complex situations. A keen advocate for increasing the diversity of the legal profession, Chris also leads the London office’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Chris’ UK domestic practice comprises contentious, commercial and advisory employment experience. He advises on the HR aspects of company and business acquisitions and disposals, and outsourcing transactions, represents major employers in dismissal, discrimination, and whistle-blowing cases, and advises corporate clients on the full range of day-to-day employment issues (in particular, listed company executive departures), as well as data privacy and pensions matters.
Covington’s Employment team was shortlisted for three UK national awards in 2014/2015. Mr. Bracebridge was shortlisted for Assistant Solicitor of the Year 2009 by The Lawyer magazine. He has gained valuable in-house experience whilst on secondment to two global financial institutions - a major U.S. investment bank and a leading UK bank.
Chris regularly trains and presents to clients and external organizations and writes articles for both the legal press and client publications. He has spoken at events and conferences in the UK, U.S., and Europe on a range of issues such as global mobility, executive departures, redundancy, gender pay gap reporting, data protection and transfers of undertakings.
UK Employment Law: Government plans to cut Red Tape for UK Businesses
Introduction
On 10 May, the Department for Business and Trade (the “DBT”) released the regulatory reform update “Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy” – the first in a series of updates on how the government intends to reform regulations to support economic growth. This first package…
Continue Reading UK Employment Law: Government plans to cut Red Tape for UK BusinessesUK Employment: Top Five Hot Topics in 2023
2023 will likely see employment lawyers and HR professionals (in the UK and further afield) grappling with a number of key employment-related legal and policy developments. In this alert we highlight some of the most important ones.
- Brexit: The Employment Law Fallout
When the UK left the European Union on…
Continue Reading UK Employment: Top Five Hot Topics in 2023Five Ways to Avoid Redundancies During The Coronavirus Crisis
- The speed and severity of the current crisis means UK employers face very difficult and pressing decisions.
- Some intermediate steps can be taken to preserve workforces for a period and avoid immediate redundancies.
- Some form of individual or even collective consultation with employees or their representatives may be necessary. This can be used as an opportunity to seek creative, collaborative solutions to preserve jobs in the short-term.
- We set out a checklist of potential measures below.
Continue Reading Five Ways to Avoid Redundancies During The Coronavirus Crisis
Employees in France and Germany May No Longer Have to Respond to Work-Related Emails Out of Working Hours
As people head off on their summer breaks, regulators in Europe, particularly Germany, are increasingly focused on the breakdown of the division between home and work life and how this division is changing as mobile devices become used for work-related emails. Regulators are considering new rules that would limit an…
Continue Reading Employees in France and Germany May No Longer Have to Respond to Work-Related Emails Out of Working Hours
Reduced Risk for International Companies Operating In France: Potential Removal Of Severe Sanctions For Failure to Consult with Works Councils
We are writing with another update on French labor law that could impact international corporate transactions. French President Francois Hollande has proposed a change to French legislation that could remove the threat of imprisonment for directors and senior employees who are found to have breached obligations to consult with works councils and other employee representatives. The implications of this change would be important for businesses in France, and also for international companies involved in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures in France.
Continue Reading Reduced Risk for International Companies Operating In France: Potential Removal Of Severe Sanctions For Failure to Consult with Works Councils
A Trap for the Unwary in International Acquisitions: New Information Rights for Employees Prior to Sale of Company in France
A French law that comes into force on November 1, 2014 will give employees new rights to be informed prior to the sale of a small or medium-sized company, thereby allowing them the opportunity to make an offer to purchase the company. Companies that meet certain threshold requirements (details below) will be required to inform staff of the owner’s intent to sell either the business or shares or securities giving access to the majority of the company’s capital. Failure to comply with the new law may lead to a substantial fine and could even result in the sale being nullified by a court order. The implications of this law are important for business owners in France and also for international companies considering acquisitions in France.
Continue Reading A Trap for the Unwary in International Acquisitions: New Information Rights for Employees Prior to Sale of Company in France
Auto-Enrollment In Pension Schemes Comes Into Force in UK
Qualifying UK employees and workers must be automatically enrolled in suitable pension schemes beginning October 1 in order to promote saving for retirement. Suitable pension schemes include defined contribution or defined benefit schemes. There is no obligation to enroll an individual who is already an active member of a qualifying employer scheme. Importantly, employers must make financial contributions to such schemes in respect of each enrolled individual (as must the individual).
Continue Reading Auto-Enrollment In Pension Schemes Comes Into Force in UK