Legislative Tracker and Horizon Scanning
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Insight Article 2026年9月30日 2026年9月30日
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全球
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People dynamics
Employment law continues to evolve at pace across many jurisdictions. In this section, we highlight recent legislative developments that are now in force, together with key reforms and emerging trends that employers should be monitoring. The tracker is intended to provide a high-level overview of significant changes affecting the workplace, helping employers identify developments that may require action now and prepare for those on the horizon.
| Region | Update | Source | |
| UK | Employment Rights Act 2025 is bringing in substantial changes summarised here. | ||
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Middle East |
Qatar Law No. 9 of 2026, amending Qatar Law No. 14 of 2004 (Qatar Labour Law) provides various Labour Law reforms covering freelancers and part-time workers, vocational licensing, non-competes, strikes, joint committees, dispute resolution and enhanced enforcement. See our summary here. |
Official Gazette dated 25 June 2026 | |
| Qatar Minister of Labour Decision No. 50 of 2026 Amending Certain Provisions of Decision No. 4 of 2015 Regarding the Regulations of the Wage Protection System for Workers Subject to the Labour Law amends the WPS framework by revising wage payment timing requirements and reinforcing enforcement measures for late salary payments. | Official Gazette dated 7 September 2026 | ||
| In KSA there was an update to the Developed Nitaqat Programme following the issuance of Procedural Guide 2026. The guide operationalises Nitaqat 2.0 through an entity-based model under which branches carrying on the same economic activity are assessed together. Fixed workforce brackets are replaced by a sector-specific logarithmic calculation, Y = M x log(X) + C, using activity-specific constants for 2026-2028. Required percentages therefore rise progressively with workforce size and differ more significantly by sector. Read more about it. | Published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development | ||
| UAE Issues an updated resolution on the Wage Protection System (WPS) – Resolution No. 340 of 2026. The resolution replaces the 2022 WPS framework. It introduces a unified salary due date on the first day of the following month, an 85% compliance threshold and a materially accelerated enforcement timetable. Measures can progress from warnings on Day 2 to work-permit suspension, fines, labour disputes and possible prosecution by Day 21. The employer remains responsible where payroll processing is outsourced. | 21 ay Gazette 2026 | ||
| Singapore |
The following developments have come into effect recently:
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| Hong Kong |
Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2025: revised “continuous contract” requirements effective 18 January 2026 Employment and Retirement Schemes Legislation (Offsetting Arrangement) (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 |
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| Australia |
From 1 July 2026, Victoria has banned NDAs in workplace sexual harassment matters.
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Restricting Non-disclosure Agreements (Sexual Harassment at Work) Act 2025 | |
| From 1 July 2026, employers are required to pay superannuation contributions at the same time they pay their employees’ wages. | Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Act 2025 | ||
| From 1 July 2026, a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must comply with an applicable Code of Practice or otherwise demonstrate that they are managing risks to a standard that is equivalent to or higher than the Codes of Practice. | Section 26A Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) | ||
| From 7 July 2026, the Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No.1) Act 2026 commenced following approval on 6 July 2026. This legislation is designed to improve the Fair Work Commission’s processes and ability to manage matters more efficiently. | Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Act 2026 | ||
| Chile |
Law No. 21,643 (the "Karin Act") amends the Labour Code to prevent, investigate and sanction workplace harassment, sexual harassment and violence at work, imposing on employers a legal duty to investigate complaints under a structured statutory procedure. Complemented by Supreme Decree No. 21 of the Ministry of Labour, which sets out mandatory investigation guidelines. |
Official Gazette, 15 January 2024 (In force since 1 August 2024. | |
| Law No. 21,595 on Economic Crimes substantially reforms Law No. 20,393 on the Criminal Liability of Legal Entities. It broadens the catalogue of predicate offences and strengthens the Crime Prevention Model, now requiring secure internal reporting channels, employee training and mandatory periodic third-party assessments as a condition to operate as a defence. | Official Gazette, 17 August 2023. | ||
| Law No. 21,220 incorporates into the Labour Code the regime for remote work and teleworking (Articles 152 quáter G et seq.), setting out definitions, mandatory contents of the agreement and the obligation to register it with the Labour Board. |
Official Gazette, 26 March 2020. |
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| Law No. 21,645 amends the Labour Code and grants a right to remote work or teleworking to employees with caregiving responsibilities for children under 14 or persons with disabilities, or in a situation of dependency, where the nature of their duties so permits. | Official Gazette, 29 December 2023. | ||
| Egpyt | On 28 July 2026, the Egyptian Minister of Labour issued decree no. 162 of 2026 (the “Internal Regulation Decree”) setting out the general rules governing the internal work regulations (the “Regulation”) that every employer with ten (10) or more employees must adopt under the new Labour Law No. 14 of 2025. The Internal Regulation Decree was published on 13 August 2026 and took effect the following day, 14 August 2026. | ||
| Kenya | In 2025, the Persons with Disabilities Act was passed in Kenya which mandates an employer that has at least 20 employees, to reserve at least 5% direct employment opportunities for persons with disabilities to secure employment. | Persons with Disability Act, 2025 | |
| Tanzania |
Labour Laws (Amendments) Act No. 4 of 2025 The Employment and Labour Relations Act [Cap 366 R.E. 2023]. The Labour Institutions (Minimum Wage for Private Sector) Order, 2025 |
Tanzlii1 Tanzlii |
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Horizon Scanning / Key Developments to Watch |
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| UK |
From 1 September 2026, Financial Services firms regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority must manage and report non-financial misconduct within their organisations. Employment Tribunal time limits for claim submission extended from 3 to 6 months from 1 October 2026 From 30 October 2026, employers will need to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their staff. Employees will also be able to claim for harassment by third parties. From 30 October 2026, Trade Unions will have the right to seek access to employees via workplace agreements. Qualifying service for bringing an unfair dismissal claim dropping from 2 years to 6 months from 1 January 2027. |
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| Middle East | Possible further implementing regulations under Law No. 9 of 2026, particularly in relation to freelancers, vocational licensing, non-competes and joint committees, together with enhanced WPS enforcement following Decision No. 50 of 2026. | ||
| Singapore |
From 1 January 2027:
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Workplace Fairness Act 2025 - Singapore Statutes Online | |
| Hong Kong |
From 1 May 2026, the statutory minimum wage will increase to HKD 43.1 per hour. Increased regulatory focus by the Private Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) publishing Artificial Intelligence: Model Personal Data Protection Framework. |
Labour Department - The Minimum Wage Ordinance, Cap. 608 Privacy Commissioner’s Office Publishes “Artificial Intelligence: Model Personal Data Protection Framework” |
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| Australia |
The Fair Work Commission will amend the Clerks Award to include a limited right for employees to request working from home arrangements. The decision reflects the view that most WFH requests are already approved in practice, but introduces a formal workplace right and dispute resolution pathway to better align the Award with contemporary working arrangements. |
Working from home – Clerks Award decision issued | Fair Work Commission | |
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The Australian government tabled its response to the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) outlining its national strategy around AI adoption.
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Australian Government response: Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) report | Department of Industry Science and Resources | ||
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The Australian government has announced that it will strengthen the Modern Slavery Act (2018) by introducing a new criminal offence for businesses with a consolidated revenue over $100 million who fail to prevent modern slavery risks in their supply chains. It will also introduce civil penalties for non-compliance with existing reporting requirements under the Act. |
Anti-Slavery Commissioner welcomes Government's move to strengthen modern slavery laws | Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner | ||
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The Australian government is exploring a new Fair Work Court to handle underpayment claims.
The government will consult stakeholders on the design of the proposed court and how it will work including alongside the existing Fair Work Commission. |
New Fair Work Court to provide simpler, fairer and faster workplace justice | Prime Minister of Australia | ||
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Victoria is proposing new work-from-home rights that, if enacted, would allow eligible employees to work remotely for two days per week from July 2027. The reforms are intended to support workplace flexibility and are expected to be considered before the Victorian State election in November 2026. |
Equal Opportunity Amendment Work From Home Bill-2026 | ||
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The Australian Government has released the exposure draft legislation Competition and Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Banning Unfair Non-Competes), which proposes significant reforms to post-employment restraints and labour market competition. The draft legislation will:
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Exposure draft legislation: Competition and Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Banning Unfair Non Competes) Bill 2026 | ||
| Chile | Law No. 21,719 on personal data protection (amending Law No. 19,628) Of particular relevance to employers, it introduces the right to be informed of automated decision-making, mandatory impact assessments for automated decisions and systematic profiling, and specific rules on sensitive data collected in the employment context. Enters into force on 1 December 2026. | Official Gazette, 13 December 2024. | |
| Bill regulating artificial intelligence systems (Bulletin No. 16,821-19), submitted on 7 May 2024 and currently under parliamentary discussion. Adopts an EU-style risk-based approach and expressly identifies uses of AI in the workplace as high-risk, subject to reinforced human-oversight and risk-management obligations. | Chamber of Deputies, Bulletin No. 16,821-19. | ||
| Egypt | Watch for further guidance and market practice as employers implement the Internal Regulation Decree under Egypt's new Labour Law framework. | ||
| Kenya | The constitutionality of the National Social Security Fund, Act 2013 remains a question to be determined by the Court of Appeal after the Employment and Labour Relations Court declared the statute unconstitutional in 2022. While the act remains unconstitutional, the NSSF issued a public statement in June 2026 advising employers to continue remitting contributions under the NSSF Act, 2013. The decision will hopefully clarify the status of the 20213 law which introduced significantly higher mandatory pension contributions for both employers and employees, replacing the flat-rate contributions under the older NSSF Act (Cap. 258). | ||
| Tanzania | Implementation guidance is awaited on the revised unfair termination compensation bands, the CMA's e-Utatuzi digital case management platform, and the January 2026 tiered minimum wage structure. | ||
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