The role of the employment lawyer today

Since 2001, the Fontanarosa & Associates Law Firm, made up of the lawyers Giuseppe Fontanarosa, Annarita Billwiller and Ivana Cervone, deals exclusively with employment law, trade union law, agency contracts and commercial representation, social security. The firm, which offers its clients judicial and out-of-court assistance and advice throughout the country, has since 2018 implemented its professional offer with a Privacy department and with the application of the d.lgs. 231/2001, model of organization and management of the company.

Lawyer Billwiller, what does it mean to be a lawyer today?

Over time, labour law has been the subject of continuous reforms: since 2012 the Fornero Law, the Jobs Act and the DL 2018/98 have been followed. To be a good justice today it is essential to take account of such developments; In particular in the field of management and protection of companies, it is also essential to deal not only with the management of litigation but also of the company’s advice in the processes of transformation and evolution; intervene in times of crisis to review staff costs but also accompany companies in their national and international growth, using the new tools that the current legislation offers us.

Lawyer Cervone, what are these new tools?

In addition to the classic ones of healthy and correct management of staff, today there are several company contracts that better interpret the core business of the company, making the legislation “measure of the company”, also with the support of the corporate welfare, that is, that set of initiatives that companies put in place to improve the well-being and safety of workers and their families. The most emblematic and representative example is certainly the so-issued flexible benefits.

Lawyer Billwiller, what is it?

Flexible benefits consist of the set of goods, services and non-monetary benefits that a company can provide to its workers in addition to the “normal” monetary wage, in order to increase its purchasing power and improve the quality of life of the worker. In other words, these are flexible pay schemes, which allow a share of the employee’s ancillary remuneration package to be integrated or replaced with goods and/or services in kind that are normally purchased outside to meet personal or family needs.

Lawyer Cervone, why are they called “flexible” benefits?

Because the worker, who is allocated a budget of expenditure, can compose in a personalized way the basket of goods and services that most reflects their needs (clearly we speak of services constrained for the purposes of education, education, recreation, social and health care or worship). Flexible benefits are very advantageous because they break down the tax wedge for both the employee and the company; increase the motivation of employees, improve the business climate and allow a better reconciliation of working and family life.