Regulatory updates
for Global Employers

Sweden has proposed a new Platform Work Act to implement the EU Platform Work Directive, introducing a presumption of employment where platform workers are subject to direction and control. The draft also includes transparency requirements for algorithmic management and automated decision-making affecting workers. The proposal is under consultation and intended to meet the EU implementation deadline of December 2026.

The UK-India Double Contributions Convention takes effect alongside the wider trade agreement, ending double social security contributions for detached workers on temporary assignments between the two countries. Eligible employees can remain in their home system for up to 60 months with a Certificate of Coverage.

From 1 January 2027, the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims reduces from two years to six months under the Employment Rights Act 2025, and the cap on compensatory awards is removed. The cap currently stands at GBP 123,543 or 52 weeks' gross pay, whichever is lower; the basic award remains capped.

The change applies to dismissals on or after that date, and approximately 6.3 million employees will gain protection. The statutory probationary period included in the original Bill was not carried into the final Act, so probation remains a contractual matter. Restrictions on dismissal and re-engagement, known as fire and rehire, take effect on the same date, having been moved from October 2026. Employers should review performance management and dismissal documentation.

On 2 July 2026, the German government agreed a package of 34 reform measures covering labour market, tax and social policy. Employment law proposals include extending fixed-term contracts without objective justification to 48 months with up to six extensions for employees hired up to 31 December 2030, removing the written-form requirement for such contracts from 1 January 2027, requiring a medical certificate from the first day of sickness absence in place of the current three-day rule, and abolishing telephone-based sickness certification.

A statutory severance payment route is proposed from 1 January 2027 for employees earning more than 1.75 times the statutory pension contribution assessment ceiling, currently just under EUR 180,000 gross per annum. The tax-favoured cap on Sunday and public holiday premiums would rise from EUR 50 to EUR 75 per hour. These are policy agreements only. No draft legislation has been published and the legislative process is targeted for completion by the end of 2026.

The Seventh Regulation on a Minimum Wage in Temporary Agency Work came into force on 1 July 2026, setting a binding minimum hourly wage for temporary agency workers in Germany. The rate is EUR 14.96 gross per hour from 1 July 2026, rising to EUR 15.33 from 1 September 2026 and EUR 15.87 from 1 April 2027. For employees working a 40-hour week this equates to minimum monthly gross salaries of EUR 2,593.02, EUR 2,657.15 and EUR 2,750.74 respectively. The regulation applies to all temporary agency workers employed in Germany, including workers posted to Germany by employers based abroad, and remains valid until 30 September 2027. Employers should review agency worker pay rates against each threshold and apply increases from the relevant date.

Effective 1 July 2026, Virginia requires employers to include a good-faith wage or salary range in public and internal job postings for openings, promotions and transfers. Employers are prohibited from seeking wage or salary history from an applicant, a former employer or a third-party service, and from relying on that history in setting pay. Retaliation against applicants or employees who decline to provide pay history or who request a salary range is prohibited.

There is no employer size threshold, so the requirements apply to employers of all sizes with Virginia employees. Employers have 15 days from notice of a disclosure failure to remedy it. The law is enforceable by the Attorney General and through a private right of action. Employers should review job posting templates and recruitment processes.

Following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review 2026, Australia's National Minimum Wage increased by 6% to AUD 1,004.90 per week or AUD 26.44 per hour.

Modern award minimum rates increased by 4.75%, affecting approximately 2.8 million employees. Increases apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 rather than 1 July itself. Paid Parental Leave increased from 120 to 130 days for children born or entering care from 1 July 2026, with 20 days reserved for each parent. Employers should update payroll and confirm award classifications.

The Fair Work Commission is lifting the national minimum wage by 6% to AUD 1004.90/week, with modern award rates rising 4.75%, affecting roughly 2.8 million employees.

The Wet VBAR is expected to enter force, codifying Dutch case law on employment relationships and introducing a legal presumption of employee status for contractors earning below EUR 36/hour. Still requires final parliamentary passage.

Several U.S. states including Oregon, the District of Columbia, Maryland (small employers), Nevada, and Connecticut, as well as major cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Berkeley, and Emeryville, have scheduled annual cost-of-living-indexed minimum wage increases effective 1 July 2026. These adjustments reflect statutory CPI indexation and mean higher local minimum wage obligations in affected jurisdictions while the federal rate remains USD 7.25. Employers with workers in these states and cities should anticipate revised wage tables effective from July 1, 2026.