Regulatory roundup Q1 2026: Key updates for global employers

The new year has brought a wave of employment law changes across the globe. Here’s what HR teams managing international employees need to know right now.

Most countries kicked off 2026 with minimum wage rises. Here are some of the notable ones:

• Germany: €13.90/hour (up from €12.82)
• Ireland: €14.15/hour (up from €13.50)
• France: €12.02/hour (€1,823.03/month for a 35-hour week)
• Netherlands: €14.71/hour (up from €14.40)
• Poland: PLN 4,806/month (~€1,130)
• Hungary: HUF 322,800/month (~€830)
• Bulgaria: BGN 1,213/month (~€620)
• UK: Increases coming April 2026 – £12.71/hour for ages 21+

After years of delays, Ireland has finally introduced mandatory workplace pensions. The new scheme, called “My Future Fund,” automatically enrols employees aged 23-60 who earn €20,000 or more per year. In year one, employees contribute 1.5% of their salary, employers match that 1.5%, and the state adds another 0.5%. These rates will increase over time. Employees can opt out after six months, but employer and state contributions stay in the fund.

Parents of children born from 1 January 2026 are entitled to a new paid birth leave of 1-2 months. This is in addition to existing maternity leave (16 weeks) and paternity leave (28 days). On the cost side, employer contribution reductions for health insurance and family allowance have been removed, but the general reduction scheme now covers salaries up to 3x minimum wage (€5,469/month).

Employers can now offer fixed-term contracts to employees who’ve reached retirement age, even if they previously worked for the company. Previously, this wasn’t allowed without objective justification. Separately, if you’re hiring non-EU nationals, you must now inform them on their first day about their right to seek independent advice on labour and social law matters.

Estonia has scrapped its complicated sliding-scale tax-free allowance. It’s now a flat €700/month (€8,400/year) for all residents, regardless of income level. One important detail: the allowance only applies if the employee submits a written application. If they don’t, income tax is withheld from the first Euro.

Czech employers used to submit 25+ different reports to various government agencies with different deadlines. From January 2026, most of these are consolidated into a single monthly electronic submission, due between the 1st and 20th of each month. Employers must also register in a new employer registry before their first employee starts.

Poland has broadened what counts towards an employee’s length of service. This matters because seniority affects annual leave entitlement, notice periods, and severance pay. Now, periods of self-employment, work under civil law contracts (like mandate contracts), and documented paid work abroad all count towards seniority, provided social security contributions were paid. Employees have 24 months to provide documentation.

Large companies (1,000+ employees for three consecutive years) must ensure at least 30% of executive managers and governing body members are of each gender. This requirement increases to 40% by March 2029.

April brings the first wave of changes from the Employment Rights Act, the biggest overhaul of UK employment law in a generation:

• Minimum wage increases: £12.71/hour for ages 21+ (up from £12.21)
• Statutory sick pay reform: SSP will be payable from day one of absence (removing the three-day waiting period), and the earnings threshold is being scrapped so all employees qualify
• Day-one family leave rights: Employees will have the right to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave from their first day, rather than needing months of service
• Whistleblowing protections expanded: Reporting sexual harassment now counts as a protected disclosure
• Collective redundancy penalties doubled: The maximum protective award rises from 90 to 180 days’ pay per employee

Parents can now share up to 10 weeks of paid leave (up from 6 weeks). Each parent gets 5 weeks, which can be shared between them. This is on top of existing maternity leave (16 weeks) and paternity leave (now 4 weeks).

The standard working week drops from 44 to 42 hours. This is the second phase of Chile’s gradual move to a 40-hour week by 2028. Employers and employees should agree how to allocate the reduced hours across the week. Importantly, wages cannot be reduced as part of this change.

All EU member states (plus EEA countries) must transpose this directive.

Key requirements:

• Salary ranges in job postings
• Ban on asking candidates about salary history
• Employees can request pay data for comparable roles
• Gender pay gap reporting for companies with 100+ employees

Some countries are already behind. The Netherlands has pushed implementation to January 2027. Others, like Denmark and Hungary, haven’t published draft legislation yet.

2026 is shaping up to be a busy year for compliance. Pay transparency is going mainstream, worker protections are expanding, and family-friendly policies are getting more generous almost everywhere.
If you’re employing across multiple countries, staying on top of all this takes time and local expertise. That’s where a trusted EOR partner comes in.