Following our correspondence so far please allow us to inform you that we have received unofficial information that a “Law on Governing Labour Relations in the Circumstances of declared COVID-19 Disease Epidemic” is being drafted, which is expected to be adopted in the near term. Although the draft of the law was not released, to our unofficial knowledge, the law in question would allow employers to:

• reducing wages through the official regulation to the minimum wage;

• abolition of workers' rights to payment of one-off substantive rights;

• to offer the worker an annex to the employment contract that would shorten the contracted working time for the duration of the decision to declare an epidemic and contract wages lower than originally contracted

• the possibility of making a unilateral decision to work at a separate place of work (work from home),

• the possibility of different regulation of the right to remuneration due to the interruption of work that occurred due to the circumstances of the declared epidemic of COVID-19 disease (ie, reduction of remuneration),

• exclusion of a provision from Article 9 of the Labour Law on the application of a more favourable right to a worker

• the right of the employer to make a decision for the worker to use its annual leave without a 15-day notice period,

• the exclusion of the obligation to consult with the workers council and the exclusion of seeking approval from the workers council,

• the ability to make decisions about scheduling or changing the working hours of workers,

• the absence of an obligation to periodically inspect workers with special working conditions during the COVID - 19 epidemic (certificates would continue to be valid).

We would like to remind you once again that this is unofficial information, and until any new regulation or decision is passed, the provisions of the current Labour Law apply. If the law in question is passed, we will notify you without delay.