Conducting Layoffs in China & Europe

May 7, 2026

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What looks like a routine workforce reduction in one country can quickly trigger regulatory landmines in another.

In China, a misstep in a mass layoff can stall your entire operation. In Europe, even a small Reduction in Force (RIF) requires a level of process, documentation, and justification that surprises even seasoned global employers.


This program cuts through the complexity.


Bringing together on-the-ground experts from China, France, Germany, Hungary, and Italy, we explore what actually happens when global workforce strategy collides with local law—and how sophisticated employers successfully navigate these challenges.


We begin with China, outlining the legal basis, thresholds, and key stages of mass layoffs, including government scrutiny and compliance requirements. From there, we turn to Europe, where local experts break down country-specific rules on how to effectively conduct layoffs and redundancies.

Listeners will gain practical insight into:


  • How mass layoffs really work in China—from legal thresholds to procedural requirements
  • What employers must do in Europe to ensure layoff decisions are implemented smoothly with the least amount of risk of liability
  • The hidden costs, timelines, and risks that can derail cross-border workforce actions
  • Practical strategies for foreign-invested enterprises operating in China
  • Key considerations for companies entering or expanding in European markets


This isn’t academic—it’s operational. Whether you're advising the business or executing workforce strategy across borders, this program provides the clarity needed to act decisively and avoid costly missteps.


Ideal for General Counsel and CHROs managing international operations.


This program is the first session in our Layoff Series.


Register below to be automatically taken to our on-demand video.

Recent Programming

By Allissa Delhagen • September 24, 2026
Reductions in force rarely stay in one jurisdiction. When a restructuring touches China and Latin America at the same time, a single business decision has to be executed under four different legal regimes — each with its own notice periods, severance rules, consultation and notification duties, and level of union or employee-representative involvement. In this on-demand webinar, Employment Law Alliance practitioners from China, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico set out what it actually takes to plan and carry out a layoff across these markets. Drawing on their experience guiding multinational employers through restructurings, the panel focuses on the practical issues that most often derail cross-border projects, and on how to sequence the process so that one jurisdiction's timetable does not put another at risk. What the session covers The circumstances in which employers can lawfully make redundancies in each jurisdiction Whether employers must consider redeployment, alternative roles or shift adjustments before dismissing The process to follow before making redundancies, including notice, severance and compensation, and mediation or negotiation where required The role of unions and employee representatives, and how collective or group-dismissal rules change the timeline Documentation, timing and cross-border coordination when several jurisdictions are in scope at once Remedies available to employees if the employer breaches its obligations — and the exposure that follows Who should watch: in-house counsel, HR and labour relations leaders, and global mobility and restructuring teams managing workforce reductions in China, Brazil, Colombia or Mexico — or planning a multi-jurisdiction programme that includes them. This program is the third session in our Layoff Series.
By Allissa Delhagen • September 23, 2026
114: In this APAC AI Vlog, Sam Sneed ( ES&A / Hawaii) surveys AI legal issues for Hawaii employers in September 2026 — from the state's deepfake ban and bias and surveillance risk in a unionized workforce to new AI-companion disclosure rules and the open question over the non-compete ban for AI developers — and shares three steps for adopting AI at work. Explore the evolving role of artificial intelligence across the Asia-Pacific region. This vlog is part of a series highlighting AI developments, experiences, and conversations shaping the region — bringing local voices and insights into the wider global AI dialogue. Learn more and register for these complimentary webinars, podcasts, and vlogs: https://webinars.ela.law/2026-year-in-review
By Allissa Delhagen • September 22, 2026
Listen in as we break down hot topics in U.S. immigration law — the H-1B fee fight and Project Firewall, the end of duration-of-status, CPT and OPT changes, consular updates, and a new enforcement climate employers can't ignore. Recorded on August 27, 2026. Host: Susan Deniker ( email ) ( Steptoe & Johnson PLLC / West Virginia) Guest Speakers: Melanie Keeney ( email ) ( Tueth Keeney Cooper Mohan Jackstadt P.C. / Missouri - Eastern) & Chris Thomas ( email ) ( Holland & Hart LLP / Colorado)  Support the show Register on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs.
By Allissa Delhagen • September 14, 2026
113: Speaker: Agnes Pigg ( agnes.pigg@vinge.se ) - Vinge / Sweden Sweden is proposing significant changes to its labor immigration rules. In this vlog, Agnes Pigg of Vinge provides an overview of the proposed reforms and highlights what employers and foreign workers should know about the potential changes to Sweden’s work immigration framework. Learn more and register for these complimentary webinars, podcasts, and vlogs: https://webinars.ela.law/2026-year-in-review