Employment Contracts and Private International Law

With employment contracts increasingly involving international elements, cases involving any international aspect require the application of rules of private international law to determine which court or tribunal can hear the case, and what law will be applied to determine the dispute. The Rome I and Rome II Regulations, and the Brussels I Regulation (BIR) all contain special regimes of rules for employment contracts, which have remained applicable in the UK following Brexit. This new edition includes an updated treatment of both the Rome Regulations, and a detailed chapter analysing the rules contained in the BIR recast, which replaced the Brussels I Regulation in 2015.

Employment Contracts in Private International Law offers an exposition of the substantive law background, covering the jurisdictional and the choice of law rules to identify commonality and overlaps, and explore their rationale in order to provide a better understanding of each. It deals with the common law rules on jurisdiction, and emphasises how those rules are likely to apply in an employment context. The scope of the book includes coverage of the difficult overlapping provisions which apply to posted workers, as well as other claims which might arise out of the employment relationship such as claims in tort or for breach of statutory duty.

Chapters tackle topics including the meaning of employment in national law and private international law; private international law issues involving international employment contracts; jurisdiction under the BIR and substantive changes following the recast; national jurisdiction rules; choice of law, mandatory rules particularly focusing on territorial scope; posted workers; and cross-border enforcement of restrictive covenants. Problematic areas of private international law - such as the difficult-to-negotiate role of tort law and its interaction with contract - are given special attention, and restrictive covenants are also addressed in a dedicated chapter. Each chapter is also usefully concluded in sections which summarise the analysis and scope of the coverage.

The UK's withdrawal from the EU saw this country's legal system cease judicial co-operation with Member States in jurisdiction and the recognition of judgments. While the Brexit transition has been smoother for applicable law, with both the Rome I and Rome II Regulations being carried across into the body of 'retained EU law', and provisions relating to individual employment contracts being imported from the BIR recast into national law, the jurisdictional landscape for employees looks very different now. Employment Contracts in Private International Law is a timely new edition in view of the twin challenges of the post-Brexit legal landscape, and the rapid evolution of our understanding of the workplace as a result of technological advances and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Louise Merrett, Professor of International Commercial Law, University of Cambridge

Louise Merrett is senior lecturer in law at Trinity College, Cambridge. She also practises as a barrister at Fountain Court Chambers. She has wide experience in commercial and civil practice, including all areas of commercial law, aviation, and product liability.