Labour Standards

Netherlands Plans 1 January 2027 Entry Into Force for Wtta Labour Hire Admission System

The Dutch government plans to bring the Wet toelating terbeschikkingstelling van arbeidskrachten (Wtta) labour hire admission system into force on 1 January 2027, with applications opening in May 2027 and a six‑month transitional window for existing providers. This locks in the implementation timeline for Wtta licensing, meaning temporary work agencies and companies relying on labour hire should now plan for inspections, VOG checks and related administrative requirements to avoid disruption when the regime starts.

23 May 2026, 20:03zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Denmark Consults on Updated Conditionality and Social Conditionality Order for 2026

Denmark is consulting on an updated executive order on conditionality and social conditionality for 2026 that aligns CAP cross-compliance rules with the 2025 EU CAP simplification regulation and is planned to take effect from July 2026. The proposal tightens the link between CAP support, environmental management and labour standards, while introducing a targeted GLM 6 soil-cover exemption for land in permanent set-aside and rewetting projects, so affected farms must reassess compliance strategies and project design.

23 May 2026, 20:02prodstoragehoeringspo.blob.core.windows.netDenmark

UK Government Updates Gender Pay Gap Reporting Guidance On Recording Employees’ Sex

In May 2026 the UK Government Equalities Office updated its statutory gender pay gap reporting guidance to require employers to base reporting on employees’ biological sex, with specific instructions on handling staff who hold Gender Recognition Certificates. Large employers must now review how HR and payroll systems capture, store, and protect sex data for annual pay gap returns to ensure alignment with the Equality Act framework while minimising confidentiality and litigation risks.

23 May 2026, 20:02gov.ukUnited Kingdom

European Parliament Adopts Resolution on Advancing Towards a Care Society and Addressing the Gender Care Gap

In May 2026 the European Parliament adopted a non-legislative resolution framing care as a fundamental right, urging Member States and the Commission to close the gender care gap and to deliver a comprehensive European Care Deal in 2027. While it creates no immediate legal obligations, it strongly signals forthcoming EU initiatives that could tighten employer duties on paid leave, flexible work, pay transparency and the right to disconnect, especially in care-intensive sectors and wider HR and social policy compliance.

23 May 2026, 19:59europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

Massachusetts Senate Debates FY2027 Budget Amendment S.4 With Extensive Floor Amendments

Massachusetts lawmakers are advancing S.4, the Senate Ways and Means FY2027 budget amendment to H.5501, with extensive floor amendments adopted and rejected on 19 May 2026 but no final budget yet agreed. Because S.4 packages draft rules on subscription cancellations, youth employment, land-use permitting, auto repair insurance and environmental enforcement funding into the FY2027 budget, companies exposed to Massachusetts should track the bill closely for potentially significant new operational and compliance obligations once a final budget is enacted.

23 May 2026, 19:04malegislature.govUnited States

UK Government Publishes Results of Fit Note Reform Call for Evidence

The UK government has published the results of its Fit Note Reform call for evidence, highlighting how individuals, employers and clinicians view the current fit note system and where it falls short in supporting work and health. The findings point to potential future reforms to sickness certification and work–health support pathways, so employers and occupational health teams should watch for the upcoming formal consultation and be ready to adapt absence and return-to-work processes.

23 May 2026, 09:12gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Netherlands Submits Pay-Transparency Bill Implementing EU Pay Transparency Directive

The Netherlands has submitted a bill implementing the EU pay transparency directive, introducing gender pay gap reporting, objective job evaluation systems, and a ban on prior-salary questions for employers with more than 100 employees from 2027. Companies operating in the Netherlands will need to prepare HR, payroll, and reporting processes for new disclosure duties and fair-pay controls, with first reporting deadlines from 2028 for larger employers.

23 May 2026, 08:57rijksoverheid.nlNetherlands

EU Council Presidency Issues Steering Note on Proposed Equal Treatment Directive

The EU Council Presidency has revived negotiations on the long-standing horizontal equal treatment directive by issuing an October 2025 steering note that frames remaining disputes over scope, costs and decentralised governance and sets up a new round of Council working party discussions. If consensus is reached and the directive is adopted, EU-level protection against discrimination on grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation would extend beyond employment into areas such as social protection and education, requiring Member States to reinforce equal treatment guarantees and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

22 May 2026, 19:00data.consilium.europa.euEuropean Union

Norway Tariff Board Adopts Regulation Partially Generalising Biloverenskomsten Minimum Wages From 15 June 2026

Norway’s Tariff Board has adopted a regulation that partially generalises the Biloverenskomsten car industry collective agreement, making its minimum wage rates and certain working-condition clauses legally binding from 15 June 2026. Automotive repair and service employers in Norway must ensure all in-scope workers are paid at least the new statutory hourly rates and provided compliant protective clothing, or face heightened wage and labour-law non-compliance risk.

22 May 2026, 18:52lovdata.noNorway

Netherlands Council of State Upholds Child Labour Fine Under Working Hours Act

In May 2026 the Netherlands Council of State confirmed a €17,062.50 administrative fine on a small Rotterdam food business for employing a 15‑year‑old in prohibited work under the Dutch Working Hours Act. The ruling reinforces strict enforcement of Dutch child labour and working time rules, signalling that even very small employers must ensure minors only perform permitted light work.

22 May 2026, 10:26uitspraken.rechtspraak.nlNetherlands

UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights Issues Visit Report on Serbia

In April 2026 the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights issued a critical report on Serbia’s handling of business-related human rights, highlighting serious gaps in enforcement, environmental protection and worker safeguards around major development and mining projects. The recommendations signal likely moves toward mandatory human rights due diligence, stronger oversight of mining and infrastructure projects, and tighter expectations on companies operating in or sourcing from Serbia to manage human-rights and governance risks.

22 May 2026, 09:45docs.un.orgSerbia

Louisiana Legislature Sends Behind the Counter Protection Act to Governor

In May 2026, the Louisiana Legislature passed HB1238, the Behind the Counter Protection Act, and sent it to the Governor after approving tougher protections for frontline retail and food-service workers against workplace violence. If enacted, the law will increase criminal penalties for assaults on employees and support the use of standardised warning signage, prompting retailers and food operators in Louisiana to review security policies, staff training, and incident-response procedures.

21 May 2026, 08:54legis.la.govUnited States

Poland: State Labour Inspection Reform Empowers Inspectors To Reclassify Civil Contracts From 8 July 2026

Poland is implementing major amendments to the Act on the State Labour Inspection from 8 July 2026, giving inspectors new powers to order remediation and unilaterally reclassify misused civil-law contracts as employment while sharply increasing sanctions and enabling binding interpretations. This materially raises misclassification, wage and social-security compliance risk for all Polish employers, while opening a short amnesty window and new advisory tools that HR, legal and tax teams should use to review contract models and prepare for more data-driven inspections.

20 May 2026, 07:12isap.sejm.gov.plPoland

Belgium Opens Consultation on Private-Sector Whistleblower Protection Law

Belgium’s Federal Public Service Economy has launched a public consultation to evaluate how the 28 November 2022 private-sector whistleblower protection law is working in practice for companies and workers. The feedback may shape future adjustments to whistleblowing obligations, so legal, compliance and HR teams in Belgium should review their current reporting systems and consider submitting input.

20 May 2026, 06:07economie.fgov.beBelgium

US Department of Labor Reinstates Pre-2024 FLSA White Collar Exemptions Rule

On 15 May 2026 the US Department of Labor issued a final rule implementing federal court judgments that vacated its 2024 Fair Labor Standards Act white collar exemptions rule and reinstated the prior regulations in 29 CFR Part 541. Employers relying on FLSA executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer exemptions should confirm that salary thresholds and classification practices align with the reinstated 2019 standards, as the higher salary levels and automatic updates from the vacated 2024 rule will not proceed without a new rulemaking.

20 May 2026, 05:40federalregister.govUnited States

Alaska SB 268 Proposes Minimum Paid Sick Leave for Seafood Processing Workers

Alaska Senate Bill 268 is advancing through committee and would amend state labour law to set minimum paid sick leave standards, including a dedicated regime for seafood processing workers. If enacted in its current form, the bill would require seafood processing employers in Alaska to guarantee monthly paid sick leave accruals and align broader leave and carry-over rules, increasing labour compliance obligations and potential costs for operators in the state's seafood sector.

20 May 2026, 05:39akleg.govUnited States

Connecticut Adopts Warehouse Quota And Work-Speed Data Protections (Public Act 26-1)

Connecticut has enacted Public Act 26-1, imposing new quota transparency, work-speed data retention and anti-retaliation requirements on large warehouse distribution centres from 1 July 2026. Large logistics and retail operators with Connecticut warehouses must now review work-speed targets, notification practices and HR systems so that quotas allow breaks, preserve three years of work-speed data, respond to employee data requests within 10 days and avoid litigation and civil penalties.

18 May 2026, 17:51cga.ct.govUnited States

International Cocoa Conference Adopts International Cocoa Agreement 2026

In February 2026, the UN International Cocoa Conference adopted the International Cocoa Agreement 2026, creating a new global framework for governing the cocoa market and the sustainability of the cocoa economy. The agreement, which will enter into force once signature and ratification thresholds are met, puts living income, child labour elimination, deforestation and market transparency at the centre of national cocoa policies, influencing future expectations for responsible cocoa sourcing and investment.

15 May 2026, 16:22docs.un.orgGlobal

Greek Ministry of Labour Advances Equal-Pay Draft Bill and Extends Collective Agreements to Over 400,000 Workers

In May 2026 Greece’s Ministry of Labour extended sectoral collective bargaining agreements in food service and confectionery to more than 400,000 workers and reported significant progress on a draft bill transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive on equal pay. These measures lock in above-minimum wage increases for key service sectors and signal that employers in Greece should prepare for forthcoming obligations on pay transparency, gender pay-gap reporting, and fairer recruitment and HR practices.

15 May 2026, 13:40ypergasias.gov.grGreece

Norway Parliament Debates Motion 8:157 LS to Reverse Working Environment Act Relaxations and Strengthen Union Representatives' Authority

Norway’s Parliament will in May 2026 debate Motion 8:157 LS, which proposes reversing earlier relaxations in the Working Environment Act and giving union representatives stronger control over working time, night work and Sunday work. If advanced, this could tighten scheduling and night-work rules across Norwegian employers, increasing union involvement in working-time arrangements and constraining extended or highly flexible hours, particularly in retail and rotational work.

14 May 2026, 19:01stortinget.noNorway