Holy men who met their unholy ends
Who said employment law is boring? Employment and labor laws and regulations can indeed be complex, and sometimes just plain weird. Did you know, for instance, that employers in Japan measure the waistlines of their employees? Or are paid vacations not actually provided for in US federal law?
In this gallery, we've compiled some of the strangest employment laws from around the world. Click through to discover them all!
Introduced in the country in 2008, the so-called Metabo law requires employers to measure the waistlines of employees aged between 40 and 74.
The limits established by the government are 33.5 inches (85 cm) for men and 35.4 inches (90 cm) for women.
Employees who exceed the measurements have three months to reduce their waistline. If they fail to do so, they may be required to attend dieting classes.
Wearing a “funny” or “inappropriate” hat to work in New Zealand can be interpreted as breaking uniform code.
So, what can happen to employees who dare to do so? They risk a 10% deduction in their pay.
You won’t find men selling l******e in this Arab nation. Nor will you find them selling cosmetics.
Saudi Arabia only allows women to work in these stores because female clients have expressed their discomfort in buying such items from men.
There is no provision in the law that forbids an employee from carrying a firearm, either openly or concealed, to work.
In 2010, the municipality of Isesaki in Japan banned its employees from having any form of facial hair.
According to the local government, the measure was taken because “some citizens find bearded men unpleasant, so beards are banned."
Employees who cycle to work can claim a tax-free commuting mileage allowance (calculated per kilometer).
In Portugal, employees don’t have to worry about their bosses calling or texting them after working hours. This has been illegal since 2021.
Employees in this European nation also have their private time free from work interruptions, unless there are “exceptional circumstances,” aka an emergency.
French employees don’t have to stress about that last-minute email request from their bosses. Work-related emails after 6 pm have been banned in France.
Technically, US employers don’t have to provide any of this to their workers. These are usually 'perks' employers include in contracts, but are not a legal requirement.
“The US does not have any mandated paid time off and that’s very different from the rest of the world,” stresses Julie Stich, research director at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit.
In China, women are not allowed to perform tasks that involve carrying anything weighing 44 pounds (20 kg) or more.
Jobs that are deemed “physically demanding” by the government include mining, logging timber, and high-altitude work.
Some countries pay employees a thirteenth or fourteenth salary annually. The payment is usually done in two or three installments. This payment is mandatory in some countries and customary (i.e. common practice) in others.
Most countries in Latin America receive this extra salary, as well as many European nations (though only Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Armenia do so mandatorily).
American employees may not be allowed to go to the bathroom at their own discretion. At least not legally. Although there are laws about workers' rights to use the toilet, most are not clear.
It was not until 1998 that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) passed a law granting the right to use a bathroom, if it was reasonable to do so at a given time. What “reasonable” actually means has been the subject of debate.
Women in Madagascar are only allowed to work during daytime. They are forbidden from working at night in any “industrial establishment.”
There is one exception to this law, which allows women to work at night in “family establishments.”
This law dates all the way back to the time when India was under British rule.
Any layoff or closure must be previously approved by the government. The exception, however, is if the employee is found guilty of criminal misconduct. In which case, the company can fire the employee.
In the state of Kentucky, an employer is not allowed to refuse to hire, discharge, or discriminate in any way based on an employee's smoking habits.
Kentucky’s anti-discrimination statute does, however, allow for differences in employee health plan contribution rates, depending on whether or not the person is a smoker.
See also: Weird US laws still on the books
Unusual employment laws around the world
Businesses may have unusual policies that employees have to follow
LIFESTYLE Work
Who said employment law is boring? Employment and labor laws and regulations can indeed be complex, and sometimes just plain weird. Did you know, for instance, that employers in Japan measure the waistlines of their employees? Or are paid vacations not actually provided for in US federal law?
In this gallery, we've compiled some of the strangest employment laws from around the world. Click through to discover them all!