Published in the Italian Official Gazette on December 28, 2024, the so-called “Collegato Lavoro” – which contains provisions on labor matters introduced by the Italian Government and connected to the Budget Law – will officially come into force on January 12, 2025.
Among the main changes introduced:
- Resignation for “implied actions”: if an employee’s unjustified absence exceeds the terms set by the National Collective Bargaining Agreement (i.e. “CCNL”) or, in the absence of a specific contractual provision, 15 days, the employer may notify the National Labor Inspectorate to verify the situation. In this case, the employment relationship will be considered terminated by the employee’s will.
- Trade union conciliation: introduction of the possibility to resolve labor disputes through telematic and audiovisual methods.
- Remote work: employers will be required to notify the Ministry of Labor electronically of the start and end dates of the remote work period within five days from the beginning of the period.
- Temporary agency work: updates on contributions for workers hired on fixed-term and permanent contracts, removal of time limits and percentage restrictions for temporary work.
- Seasonal work: extension of the definition of “seasonal work” to include activities related to seasonal peaks of work, technical and production needs, or the seasonal cycles of productive sectors, as outlined by the CCNL.
- Apprenticeship: increased funding for apprenticeships and the option to convert qualification-based apprenticeships into professional or higher education ones.
- Redundancy fund (i.e. “Cassa integrazione”): workers will be allowed to work during the redundancy fund period but will not receive the wage integration for the days worked with another employer.
- Hybrid contracts with mixed causes: these will allow employers (specifically, companies with more than 250 employees) to hire a worker under a hybrid arrangement, combining both a subordinate contract and a self-employment relationship, benefiting from the tax advantages available to professionals.