Incentives To Reduce Energy Costs

These shifts are increasing both transparency and risk, with closer monitoring of visitor activity, evolving 'permanent establishment' rules...

On 12 May 2026, the EU Talent Pool Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Belgium is set to implement mandatory working time registration by January 2027, following a 2019 European Court of Justice ruling that requires EU Member States to establish objective and reliable systems for measuring employee working hours. A draft bill has been submitted to the National Labour Council, outlining requirements for employers across all sectors while providing specific exemptions for certain employee categories and offering flexibility in implementation methods.

Artificial intelligence is transforming workforce management across Asia-Pacific, yet most jurisdictions rely on existing employment and data protection laws rather than AI-specific legislation. Governments supplement these frameworks with ethical principles and voluntary guidance, though recent developments in Australia and Malaysia suggest a shift toward more targeted oversight of AI systems that significantly impact workers.

The EU Pay Transparency Directive mandates that employers with over 100 workers regularly report detailed gender pay gap information, with strict timelines to address disparities of 5% or more. The Directive also grants employees and job candidates significant pay transparency rights, including access to salary ranges and comparative pay data. This interactive map tracks the transposition status of the Directive across European Member States as the June 2026 deadline approaches.

The question of employment classification continues to shape how countries regulate digital platform work. In responding to this challenge, jurisdictions are taking different paths.

As digital transformation accelerates and AI reshapes the workplace, young workers face mounting challenges in acquiring relevant skills and securing entry-level positions. This analysis examines how technological evolution, remote work dynamics, and AI-driven recruitment are creating new barriers for youth employment, while highlighting innovative government initiatives across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific that are helping bridge the digital skills gap.

Belgium has partially implemented the EU Pay Transparency Directive for its public sector, but private-sector employers await comprehensive federal legislation. While the transposition timeline remains uncertain, the Directive provides a clear framework for anticipated requirements including recruitment transparency, objective pay structures, employee information rights, and gender pay gap reporting that employers should begin preparing for now.

Restructuring exercises in Malaysia, Singapore and India require careful attention to legal compliance, employee communication and procedural fairness. Through analysis of recent case law including Lazada, AirAsia X and Salunkhe decisions, this article examines how poor execution can trigger regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage and costly reinstatement orders.

Belgium's 2025-2029 pension reform introduces significant changes to early retirement eligibility and implements a new bonus-malus system designed to incentivize longer working careers. The reforms increase the minimum working days required for pensionable years from 104 to 156 FTE days and establish financial rewards for postponing retirement beyond statutory age while penalizing early retirement with insufficient career years.

Since 1 January 2023, employees who have worked for at least one year for the same employer are entitled to a minimum of 12 paid vacation days (in addition to the statutory paid holidays).

The Canadian province of British Columbia has introduced measures that prohibit employers from asking job applicants for pay history information.

The Minimum Wage Council under the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) has set the 2026 minimum wage at KRW 10,320 per hour, a 2.9% increase from the current 2025 rate of KRW 10,030.

The European Union has introduced a groundbreaking directive aimed at transforming the gig economy by establishing new protections for platform workers.

As US state legislatures conclude their 2026 sessions, artificial intelligence regulation has transitioned from an emerging policy area to a mainstream compliance obligation. This comprehensive analysis examines the patchwork of enacted AI legislation across consumer transparency, healthcare, and employment sectors, revealing what businesses operating across state lines must prioritize in the second half of the year.

On 21 March 2025, the New Federal Law for the Protection of Personal Data in Possession of Private Parties came into effect, superseding and repealing the prior data protection law.

These shifts are increasing both transparency and risk, with closer monitoring of visitor activity, evolving 'permanent establishment' rules...

In Japan, standard working hours are limited to eight hours per day and 40 hours per week.

The part of the proposal that has gotten the most public attention is a gradual increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64. There is much more to the plan, however.

The International Court of Justice has issued a landmark advisory opinion confirming that the right to strike is protected under ILO Convention No. 87, a treaty Australia ratified in 1973. While this opinion doesn't immediately change Australian domestic law, it creates a significant new reference point that unions may leverage in litigation, enterprise bargaining, and industrial relations reform discussions. Australian employers face potential challenges to existing Fair Work Act restrictions on protected