Small companies (ten people or less) are exempt from some of these laws, but if a startup grows to a certain size it's not exempt. They are, however, less of a

Small companies (ten people or less) are exempt from some of these laws, but if a startup grows to a certain size it's not exempt. They are, however, less of a problem for a startup then they may appear. While a company can't easily fire employees who've been employed for many years, new employees who turn out not to be a good fit can be let go within 3 to 6 months. Furthermore, it's much easier to fire people if your company is not making profit. A lot of the laws intend to protect jobs that would be cut to increase margins (e.g. outsourcing, hiring younger/cheaper workers, ageism, ...). If you can proof your company is financially in trouble, then this is enough reason to let employees go, and you don't have to proof they did something wrong. Work hours, as required by law, are usually ignored by startups (though one could argue that this is not a good thing...). Parental leave is a IMO a good thing, besides that career-driven employees who would want to work in a startup will not take a 3-year leave.