Starting today, a significant development in regional cooperation has come to fruition. The unified labor market of the Open Balkan initiative officially commences. Citizens of Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia can now benefit from greater labor mobility across these three nations. The move is part of the effort to herald a new era of economic opportunity and growth in the region. How Will the Unified Labor Market Work? This initiative, spearheaded by the three countries’ leaders, aims to simplify the employment process across borders. Starting today, if a citizen of Serbia wishes to work in Albania or North Macedonia, they […]
DetailsIntroduction A historic labor strike unfolded in 2023’s ever-evolving Hollywood scene, resembling a gripping drama. On May 2, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) took center stage, unanimously endorsing a strike. This was reminiscent of the industry-shifting 2007–2008 Hollywood strike, marking fifteen years since writers last voiced dissent. This unfolding saga seized the entertainment industry’s attention. The second act began on July 14, 2023, when the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) initiated a historic labor strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). This marked the first time since the iconic 1980 […]
Details
Serbia is opening its doors wider to foreign workers due to several factors. The qualified labor shortages, technological and economic growth, and the effects of globalization have made it essential to simplify and facilitate the residence and work procedures for foreigners in Serbia. Recognizing this need, last winter Serbia began drafting amendments to three foundational immigration laws: the Foreigners Act, the Foreigners’ Employment Act, and the Citizenship Act. Two of these, he amendments to the Foreigners Act and the Foreigners’ Employment Act, have been adopted by the National Assembly. These changes aim to provide a more streamlined and appealing environment […]
Details
Migration is a phenomenon as old as humanity itself. In modern times, a good life today means a good job. Since industrialization and globalization, it has become increasingly more accessible and more efficient for people to move around and satisfy the needs for labor in different parts of the world. Today, due to demographic and economic trends, in addition to the growing demand for jobs in digital and technology, there is also a need for more traditional occupations. Numerous, mainly developed countries, have already taken measures to ease the conditions for the employment of foreign nationals. Serbia is increasingly becoming […]
Details
We come across platform work daily, but do we know how it works? Platform work is a new way to hire paid work on online platforms. Online users can access platform workers who offer a wide range of paid services. These platforms include Uber, Wolt, Deliveroo, Glovo, to name a few. Both consumers and labor can gain significantly from the platform economy, part of the broader phenomenon known as the gig economy. Digital platforms make it simpler for anyone to become self-employed and earn regardless of socioeconomic standing by having low entry requirements and flexible working hours. In the same way, […]
Details
The Open Balkans initiative aims to encourage and facilitate cooperation among the Balkans countries. The initiative was conceived across the Balkans, where the different cities symbolize the various stages in the development of the Open Balkans initiative. In this article, we present the chronology of building ties between the countries by virtually visiting six key locations. (Note: If you decide to visit these towns, we advise you to create your itinerary on Google Maps, not by this article :D). The first location associated with the birth of the Open Balkans project (as we know it today) is Novi Sad, and […]
Details
On June 1st 2021, the new Gender Equality Act (the “Act”) entered into force and Serbia finally has a modern act to address this issue. The Act regulates the concept, meaning and policy measures for achieving and promoting gender equality, as well as measures for combating and preventing all forms of gender-based violence, violence against women and domestic violence. We emphasize that discrimination based on sex and gender was prohibited even before the entry into force of this Act. The Act confirms the current principles of equality of employees in employment rights and the prohibition of discriminatory behaviour of employers, […]
Details
“Business, after all, is nothing more than a bunch of human relationships.” Lee Iacocca Whenever people talk about Environmental, Social & Governance (’’ESG’’), the environmental part always seems to draw all the attention. The importance of the “S” element is often neglected. However, it looks like COVID-19 along with the Great Resignation phenomenon have changed that, making social issues increasingly relevant. The “S” stands for the social part of the ESG concept and simply put, it deals with businesses’ relations with employees, suppliers, customers, and communities in which it operates. Basically, the “S” is all about the way businesses treat […]
Details
Gecić Law’s sustainability experts took part in two sessions at this fall’s CSR Forum organized by the Responsible Business Forum and Smart Kolektiv. Gecić Law and the Responsible Business Forum hosted a panel on responsible business practices on November 22. The event was held as part of the CSR Forum and was titled “Strategies for Sustainability – from CSR to ESG policies.” Our Partner and Head of Corporate / M&A Ognjen Colić moderated the panel. Meanwhile, speakers at the event were Erste Bank Senior Expert for Corporate Social Responsibility Sonja Konakov Sirčev, Nelt Operations Manager Milenko Ribić, Lidl Serbia CSR […]
Details
Multinational entities and governments are pushing for more action regarding Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. As a result, enterprises increasingly integrate the ever-changing social and environmental factors into their business strategies. The concept of business success has changed and so must the actions they take. But what exactly is ESG? ESG is a set of standards to guide corporate policies to ensure sustainable development in the fields of environment, social and corporate governance. How Did We Get to ESG? Only twenty years ago, if one would ask a group of individuals with a business background about the main objective […]
Details
The European Commission has proposed the prolongation of the State aid Temporary Framework until 30 June 2022, in order to expedite the ongoing Covid-19 economic recovery in Europe. The Temporary Framework was initially adopted on 19 March 2020 and to this date, it was amended and prolonged five times (more information available here and here). Margaret Vestager, the Executive Vice-President, who is in charge of the competition policy said that we are finally seeing improvements in the EU economy after the big crisis that hit the EU due to Covid-19. She also added: ’’[W]e need to be aware of disparities […]
Details
During the COVID-19 pandemic, our usual work habits changed completely. From the well-established mechanism of going to the office, we moved to an armchair in our living room. Are we now returning to work from business premises? What are the conditions for us to return to the office? What are employers allowed to do to implement occupational health protection measures and what are they not allowed to do? All these issues have not yet been fully resolved, although it is evident that their resolution is becoming increasingly important day by day. For this reason, the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans’ […]
Details
The imaginary familiarity with a famous person through platforms such as Instagram is more common when the other party is a so-called influencer – a person that enjoys appreciation of a large number of users due to their reputation. The imaginary closeness is, on the other hand, a very powerful tool in hands of influencers as users often aspire to emulate their lifestyle. However, the lifestyle the influencer presents is not always genuine as the content presented often includes (some form of) promotion. When an influencer shows on their profile that they use a certain product, there is a great […]
Details
Legal Framework for the so-called influencing To say that there is no special advertising act in Bosnia and Herzegovina (“BiH”) is not completely true. Namely, certain forms of (illegal) advertising are regulated by the Prohibited Advertising Act. This Act regulates the protection of merchants from illicit advertising, the protection of procedures and determines forms of illicit advertising. On the other hand, advertising as such is regulated indirectly at the level of the Federation. In this regard, the Consumer Protection Act is applicable, considering that BiH is one of few European countries that has neither a media act nor an electronic […]
Details
Influencer marketing is a fast-growing discipline, and the number of influencers is growing every day in our region. Like Serbia, Croatia is also “fertile ground” for influencer marketing and numerous extremely “influential influencers”. Testimonies of many, both “micro” and “macro” influencers from Croatia, demonstrate that this indeed amounts to a full-time job. So, how does one hire an influencer? In a nutshell, after “becoming famous”, influencers receive offers to promote various products and services on a daily basis, but how is this activity legally regulated in Croatia? Stay tuned, as we discuss below in greater detail the legal position of […]
Details
Gecić Law’s expertise was yet again called upon by international media last Friday, as Head of Corporate/M&A Ognjen Colić was quoted in the leading German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (“FAZ”) where he commented on Serbia’s latest Decree on Incentive Measures for Immunisation and Prevention and Suppression of the Infectious Disease COVID-19. In the article, Mr. Colić noted that the Official Gazette is yet to publish the latest decree on the new COVID-19 sick leave payment rules after the Serbian Government announced that only those vaccinated would be eligible for an incentive to on top of regular salary reimbursements. Those infected […]
Details
The UK Supreme Court ruled on February 19, 2021 that Uber drivers must be treated legally as workers. After a five year long legal battle, Mr. James Farrar and Mr. Yaseen Aslam (who jointly initiated the legal process), as well as all their fellow Uber drivers, celebrated the fact that they are finally recognized as workers of Uber, with all privileges and rights (e.g. minimum wage, right to paid holidays, right to unionize) that come with the status. However, in late March Uber stressed that the Supreme Court’s decision meant its drivers were “workers” but not “employees.” Nevertheless, the distinction […]
Details
Traveling the world, being part of the global digital community, earning a living in far-flung destinations… Almost everybody has at least once fantasized about living the life of a digital nomad. However, is it as simple as it seems at first glance? Catching Up with a Term… Digital nomads are location-independent workers that avail of amazing technological innovations and modern culture to work remotely. As technology has dramatically reshaped the work environment, swapping the office for some distant destination is becoming a reality for many. Key to this digital nomad lifestyle is the ability and the flexibility to work remotely. […]
Details
As worldwide lockdowns slowly recede and many of us, including courts, claimants and respondents, step back out of quarantines, we will be “greeted” by a plethora of complex litigation issues. The large number and complexity of these issues will require all sides to put in place even more sophisticated strategies to tackle the ensuing litigation onslaught. According to Harold Kim, the president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, “[t]his early litigation is really, from our vantage point, the tip of the iceberg”. Cue May 6, 2020: Serbia rescinded the almost two-month-long state of emergency and relaxed measures restricting […]
Details
The International Labor Organization Convention No. 181 on Private Employment Agencies, dating back to 1997, as one of the main reasons for passing the Convention cites recognition of the role of private employment agencies in the functioning of the labor market, as well as the need to provide employees with protection from abuse and guarantee freedom of association and enhancing social dialogue. On 20 February 2013, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted legislation ratifying the Convention, bearing in mind that strengthening social dialogue at all levels is, inter alia, one of the requirements of Chapter 19 (Social […]
Details