DLP Insights

Article 3, paragraph 1 of Legislative Decree no. 23/15 establishes that if it is ascertained that the grounds do not exist for dismissal for justified objective motive ”the judge declares the employment terminated on the date of dismissal”

The enactment of the contract with increased protection based on seniority raises interpretation questions regarding the statute of limitations for remuneration due for employment.

The Ministry of Labour, with reply to a question of 24 April, clarified that the new social insurance for employment (Naspi) will apply to all cases of involuntary unemployment, including cases of (i) dismissals for just cause, (ii) consensual termination at the time of preventive arbitration before the local employment offices (DTL) and (iii) disciplinary dismissal.

The decree no. 23/2015 omitted regulating dismissal for exceeding the protection period. Therefore, for new hirings, the unlawfulness of this type of dismissal is considered as unjustified dismissals, with consequent granting of two months pay for each year of job seniority with a minimum of 4 and maximum of 24 months pay (in small companies the worker can ask for halved increasing protection, with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 6 months pay).

With the Decree 29/2015, which became effective last 3 April, workers can request monthly payment of their post-employment benefits (so-called "QUIR") in relation to pay periods from 1 March 2015 to 30 June 2018.