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The United States is a land of laws. We maintain personal injury laws to help people in auto accidents seek car accident compensation. We maintain strict employee laws that establish rights for employees against employers looking to take advantage of and abuse their position. For the most part, our laws make perfect sense.

However, like many other places in the world, some of the laws in the U.S., particularly where employee laws are concerned, are downright silly. Take, for example, this classic LawGuru.com reports on: in Pennsylvania, if you have participated in a duel, via swords or guns, you cannot hold the office of governor. That’s undoubtedly strange, but when you take a look at some of the employee laws from around the world, you’ll see that the laws that protect your rights as an employee are tame by comparison.

Three of the Strangest Employee Laws from Around the World

1. Required Health Checks in Japan

As BBC reports, in 2008, a bunch of Japanese lawmakers and employment lawyers came together to address the health concerns of their ever growing aged population. At the end of deliberations, it was decided that every year, Japanese workers 40 to 75 years-old had to be given a physical and be under a preset minimum waistline. If Japanese employees don’t meet these health guidelines, they have to pay a penalty on their health insurance and go through health awareness training.


2. Portuguese Businesses Can’t Actually Fire Their Employees

According to Bloomberg Current, Portugal has an old law on the books that makes it illegal for businesses to fire their employees. To get rid of employees they no longer want, the source reports that businesses have to offer competitive severance packages, even going so far as to beg their employees to leave. In the end, though, it’s all up to the employees to choose whether to stay or go.


3. Exorbitant Legal Fees for Taking Your Boss to Court in Great Britain

More likely than not, if you decide to file a lawsuit against your boss for violating employee laws in the United States, you’ll have to pay a nominal court fee and the costs of employment attorneys. Only if you lose do you have to worry about paying huge fees to your employer. In July of 2013, Great Britain passed a law that mandates a £1200 ($2055) fee just to get the process started. One more reason to be glad of our independence.

Did we miss any of the world’s strangest employee laws? Let us know in the comments below! References.