German Whistleblower Protection Act Enters Into Force

Germany's Pension Commission has proposed sweeping reforms that would fundamentally reshape retirement planning, workforce transitions, and employment structures. From dynamic retirement ages linked to life expectancy to the potential elimination of the senior part-time block model and minijobs, these recommendations carry profound implications for employers navigating restructuring, social plans, and pension commitments.

Mayer Brown's Employment & Benefits team in Germany has published a comprehensive briefing series examining the legal framework, practical tools, and compliance architecture underpinning internal investigations. Two of the authors outline key highlights for in-house legal teams, HR professionals, and senior management in organisations with a presence in Germany.

Germany's coalition government has proposed sweeping reforms to employment law that would fundamentally alter fixed-term contracts, dismissal protections, employee co-determination, and sick leave requirements. The package aims to strengthen Germany's competitive position amid technological change and demographic pressures, offering employers expanded flexibility while maintaining worker protections. These initiatives signal the most significant restructuring of German labor law in years, with implications

German employers face complex legal constraints when screening employee data or conducting workplace searches. This briefing explains how to lawfully navigate GDPR, telecommunications secrecy, and works council requirements while maintaining defensible evidence for internal investigations.

The implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive is still pending in Germany. The transposition deadline expired on 7 June 2026. Although it remains unclear when a draft bill will be published...

Germany's coalition government has proposed sweeping reforms to employment law that could fundamentally reshape fixed-term contracts, dismissal protection, co-determination rights, and sick leave reporting. The measures aim to strengthen Germany's competitiveness amid technological change, demographic pressure, and international competition, offering employers significantly expanded flexibility while tightening certain compliance requirements.

Many employers are familiar with this scenario: Employees (often sales representatives) drive from their homes to customer appointments, and the question arises whether the employees are entitled to be paid for this travel time.

German employers face complex data protection requirements when conducting internal investigations. This briefing examines the legal framework governing personal data processing under GDPR and German law, exploring when evidence remains admissible in court and how to balance employee rights against investigative needs.

German works councils hold binding co-determination rights over monitoring systems, staff questionnaires, and personnel measures in internal investigations. This guide maps the statutory triggers under the Works Constitution Act, explains when system-level consent differs from case-level information duties, and shows how to balance speed and confidentiality with mandatory consultation—without automatically losing evidence in court.

In July 2026, the German Federal Government adopted the National Action Plan to Promote Collective Bargaining (Action Plan) and submitted it to the Bundestag in September 2026.

On 30 September 2026, the SEC proposed rule amendments advancing Chairman Paul S. Atkins’ “responsible retailization” of private markets, expanding retail access to private-market strategies while adding key investor safeguards.

The EU has introduced its first major amendment to the AI Act through the AI Omnibus regulation, which delays certain compliance deadlines while maintaining others. Organizations must understand which obligations remain on schedule, including transparency requirements and general-purpose AI provisions, and which have been deferred, such as high-risk AI system requirements.

California is implementing a major tax policy shift that will subject software-as-a-service, remotely accessed software, and digital products to sales and use tax beginning January 1, 2027. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration has proposed emergency regulations establishing sourcing rules, a $5 million threshold that shifts tax liability from retailers to purchasers, and key exemptions for custom software and certain service-based digital products.

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a proposed enforcement policy statement targeting businesses that use consumer personal data to set individualized prices. While acknowledging it cannot prohibit all personalized pricing, the FTC warns that companies may violate federal law if they fail to clearly disclose their use of personal data in pricing decisions.

Texas Senate Bill 140 (SB 140) took effect 1 September 2025, and applies to conduct occurring on or after that date. The bill amended Section 302 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code to extend registration and disclosure requirements to text messages by expanding the definition of “Telephone solicitation,” which previously applied only to a “telephone call,” to include certain transmissions of text or graphic messages and images. In addition, SB 140 added a definition of “Telephone call” that incorporates the definition found in Section 304, which includes certain text or graphic messages and images, but excludes certain agreed-to transmissions.

The SEC and CFTC have issued coordinated regulatory relief measures that significantly advance crypto-based trading infrastructure in US markets, bypassing Congressional gridlock on the CLARITY Act. These orders establish new frameworks for tokenized securities venues and passive software providers, potentially reshaping how digital assets are traded and accessed in regulated markets.

China's stock exchanges have implemented three major trading rule changes effective July 6, 2026, designed to enhance market quality and align practices with international standards. The reforms expand after-hours trading, modify public fund pricing mechanisms, and adjust price limits for risk-warning stocks. How will these structural changes impact institutional investors, ETF efficiency, and overall market participation in China's evolving capital markets?

The European Commission has issued guidelines on transparency obligations under Article 50 of the EU AI Act, clarifying how providers and deployers must inform individuals when they interact with AI systems or are exposed to AI-generated content. These non-binding guidelines address a wide range of AI applications, from chatbots to deepfake technologies, and establish four main transparency scenarios with specific disclosure requirements that businesses must now prepare to implement.

Venezuela's post-Maduro reopening is creating unprecedented opportunities for foreign investors across energy, mining, telecommunications, and infrastructure sectors. With expanding OFAC sanctions relief, landmark legislative reforms, and major US companies nearing multibillion-dollar deals, the country presents investment prospects not seen in a generation—though success requires disciplined navigation of corruption, security, and regulatory risks.

The European Union Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism has finalised three sets of Regulatory Technical Standards...