On: Why Being Outside Silicon Valley is Good for Startups

Boy, that sure sounds nice! Wish I could have applied some of those laws to my last employer...

It's really a double edged sword with some unintended consequences. Italy has similar (probably stronger) laws. One of the results is that most employers are very, very wary of hiring women of childbearing age.

When an employment relationship is a bigger commitment, employers are much more hesitant to hire.