International

New and Updated

• Type:

  International

  France: Pay and benefits

  The statutory national minimum wage (smic) has increased with effect from 1 June 2026. In addition, a new section has been added on benefits in kind, covering what they are, their tax and social security treatment and how they are valued.

• Type:

  International

  Indonesia: Employee rights

  Outsourcing is allowed by law, but it is only permitted for specific business activities. Further, domestic workers have been given employment rights.

• Type:

  International

  China: Updates - key employment law developments

  A draft Healthcare Security Law could affect employers’ maternity insurance obligations.

• Type:

  International

  China: Industrial relations

  In Beijing, the 2026 revision of the Measures of Beijing on Implementation of the PRC Trade Union Law brought a number of changes, including facilitating union establishment and membership for certain types of workers and strengthening the penalties for the dismissals of union representatives.

• Type:

  International

  South Africa: Employee rights

  A draft Bill published for comment would amend the BCEA provisions regulating leave for parents and the UIA provisions regulating benefits for employees taking parental leave, but the proposed changes are not yet in force.

• Type:

  International

  South Africa: Contracts of employment

  The earnings threshold set by the Minister of Employment and Labour has increased to ZAR 269,600.90 per year, effective from 1 May 2026.

• Type:

  International

  EU Pay Transparency Directive - Breakdown of the key provisions

  The EU Pay Transparency Directive introduces a wide range of measures and increases pay transparency and reporting requirements. This guide looks at the main provisions of the Directive.

• Type:

  International

  Hungary: Pay and benefits

  In May 2026, a new Prime Minister was sworn in. As the previous government did not take any concrete steps to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive, there is no draft legislation.

• Type:

  International

  Poland: Pay and benefits

  The second draft of the Act implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive and the explanatory memorandum to the Act were published on 4 May 2026.

• Type:

  International

  India: Termination of employment

  Updated to reflect changes to notice periods, disciplinary dismissal, retrenchment rules, the worker re-skilling fund, special dismissal protection, exit payments (including gratuity payments, retrenchment compensation, leave encashment, accrued but unpaid salary, notice pay, contractual payments and ex-gratia payments), retirement and unlawful dismissals, following the landmark reform of labour laws enacted on 21 November 2025, which merged central legislations into four comprehensive new Labour Codes.