A comprehensive, alphabetically ordered list of all major EU laws and frameworks directly or indirectly related to the employee area, including maternity leave, paid vacation, union rights, data protection, and more.
Note that these are 20 key areas; there is a considerable amount of legislation under several of the areas, just as there is legislation that indirectly has an impact:

Anti-Discrimination Directives
These directives prohibit discrimination in employment based on sex, race, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation. They guarantee equal treatment in hiring, pay, working conditions, and career progression.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM%3Ac10411

Article 88 GDPR – Processing in the Context of Employment
This article allows EU Member States to introduce specific rules for processing employees’ personal data, covering recruitment, employment contracts, workplace monitoring, and protection of employee rights and dignity.
Link: https://gdpr-info.eu/art-88-gdpr/

Carers’ Leave (Work-Life Balance Directive)
All employees are entitled to at least five working days per year of carers’ leave to care for a relative or household member with a serious medical need. This right cannot be denied based on contract type or length of service.
Link: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/human-resources/general-employment-terms-conditions/leave-flexible-working/index_en.htm

Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
The Charter enshrines core labour rights, including freedom of association, collective bargaining, and the right to information and consultation. It provides a constitutional basis for trade union and collective rights across the EU.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A12012P%2FTXT

Collective Bargaining and Social Dialogue
EU law recognises and protects the right to collective bargaining and social dialogue between employers and trade unions, encouraging agreements at all levels and safeguarding the autonomy of social partners.
Link: https://www.etui.org/publications/collective-bargaining-and-limits-competition-law

Directive 92/85/EEC – Pregnant Workers (Maternity Leave) Directive
This directive sets minimum standards for the safety and health of pregnant workers, including at least 14 weeks’ maternity leave (with at least two weeks compulsory) and protection from dismissal during pregnancy and maternity leave.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:31992L0085

Directive 2019/1158 – Work-Life Balance for Parents and Carers
Establishes rights for parents and carers, including 10 working days of paternity leave, at least four months of parental leave per parent (two months non-transferable and paid), carers’ leave, and the right to request flexible working arrangements.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L1158

Directive 2003/88/EC – Working Time Directive
Sets minimum requirements for working hours, including a maximum 48-hour working week, daily and weekly rest periods, rest breaks, and guarantees at least four weeks’ paid annual leave for all employees.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32003L0088

European Framework Agreement on Digitalisation
This agreement addresses privacy and data protection in the digital workplace, setting principles for digital tools, AI, and employee surveillance, and ensuring respect for employee rights in the digital era.
Link: https://www.etuc.org/en/document/european-framework-agreement-digitalisation

European Works Council Directive 2009/38/EC
Establishes European Works Councils in large multinational companies, ensuring transnational information and consultation rights for employees and their representatives, including trade unions.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009L0038

EU Labour Law – Overview
EU labour law sets minimum standards for working conditions, contracts, and worker protections, including working hours, rest periods, paid leave, and health and safety, ensuring fair and safe workplaces across the EU.
Link: https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/rights-work/labour-law_en

EU Pay Transparency Directive
Aims to close the gender pay gap by requiring employers to disclose salary ranges, report gender pay gaps, and allow employees to compare pay data. Must be implemented by June 2026.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023L0970

Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity, Parental)
EU rules guarantee at least 14 weeks of maternity leave (with two weeks compulsory), 10 working days of paternity leave, and at least four months of parental leave per parent (two months paid and non-transferable).
Link: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/human-resources/general-employment-terms-conditions/leave-flexible-working/index_en.htm

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The GDPR is the EU’s primary data protection law, setting strict rules for the collection, processing, and safeguarding of personal data, including employee data, and ensuring transparency and employee rights.
Link: https://gdpr-info.eu/

Information and Consultation Directive 2002/14/EC
Gives employees the right to be informed and consulted by their employer about significant workplace developments, including restructuring, redundancies, and transfers, strengthening the role of employee representatives and unions.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32002L0014

National Data Protection Laws Supplementing GDPR
Member States may enact additional, often stricter, requirements for processing HR and employee data, including data transfers, retention, and monitoring, often enforced through works councils or collective agreements.
Link: https://www.dickinson-wright.com/news-alerts/the-gdpr-covers-employee-hr-data-and-tricky

Platform Work Directive
Covers the rights of workers on digital platforms, clarifying employment status, ensuring transparency in algorithmic management, and granting platform workers rights to information and redress.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32024L1760

Right to Disconnect
This emerging right allows employees to refrain from work communications outside working hours, supporting work-life balance and mental health. While not yet an EU-wide law, it is recognised in several Member States and under discussion at EU level.
Link: https://europeanlawinstitute.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/p_eli/Publications/Guiding_Principles_Workers_Right_to_Disconnect.pdf

Whistleblower Protection Directive
Protects employees who report breaches of EU law from retaliation, requiring companies to set up secure reporting channels and safeguard whistleblowers’ anonymity and employment rights.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L1937

Written Statement Directive
Requires employers to provide employees with a written statement of their terms and conditions of employment, including pay, working hours, and job duties, ensuring transparency and legal certainty.
Link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L1152