Legislative & Regulatory Updates

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Australia:  Proposed Federal Budget to reform government-paid parental leave

Belgium:  New law exempts employees from providing a medical certificate for the first day of a sick leave, resulting in potential obligations for certain employers

EU: European Parliament and the Council reach agreement on the Directive on pay transparency

France: Maximum tax-exempt amount of employers’ share of meal vouchers increased by 9.8%

Germany: Employers incentivized to provide inflation bonuses of up to EUR 3,000

India: Per recent Supreme Court ruling certain employees may set EPS contributions and benefits based on uncapped pay

Ireland: 

• Employer contributions to PRSAs no longer considered as in-kind benefits
• Employer obligation to disclose reportable benefits to Revenue
• Cycle to Work Scheme and the Small Benefit Exemption Scheme amended

Japan: Public disclosure of childcare leave utilization mandated by law

Mexico:  Significant increase in statutory annual leave entitlements apply from employees’ next work anniversary

Poland:

• First mandatory PKK auto-enrollment starts in 2023, and employees’ past declaration of resignation from PKK expire
• Human Rights Commissioner triggers the delayed implementation of the EU Work-Life Balance

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Belgium:  Eleventh hour legislation neutralizes the impact on labor and social legislation of recent Civil Code reform rule that eliminated Saturdays as a working day

Canada: Ontario legislation sets criteria for pension plans that need a collective agreement, and requires plan funding and governance policies

China: 2023 Public Holiday schedule released by the State Council

Denmark: Notice period for postponement of parental leave reduced by 2 weeks

European Union: New “Women on Boards” Directive provides further impetus towards gender equity

Ireland:

• Enactment of Bill transposing the EU Work-Life Balance Directive anticipated
• Finance Act 2022 introduces new pensions-related measures
• Cargo bikes a new tax-exempt benefit added under the cycle-to-work program
• Finance Act 2022 introduces new employer benefit reporting obligations

Israel: CMISA Directive standardizes basic health insurance and mandates it as a requisite for acquiring supplemental health insurance

Spain: 2023 Statutory Holidays

Türkiye: Statutory retirement age criteria to be abolished, as announced by the government

United Kingdom:

• Government plans to amend flexible work provisions, and supports a related Private Members’ Bill
• Bill to entitle employees to leave to support dependent with long-term care needs
• Bill to extend the duration of protection from redundancy for employees taking Maternity Leave, Adoption Leave or Shared Parental Leave

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Argentina: Mandatory online telework registry created by Ministry of Labor

Belgium:

• New provisions and employer incentives related to the maximum tax-exempt flat-rate reimbursement for employees’ use of private vehicle for work introduced by
• Transposition of the EU work-life balance Directive introduces new leave, flexible work arrangements, and enhanced employment protection

Denmark: Proposal to ensure that occupational training time counts towards eligibility for early retirement, expected to come into effect 31 December 2022

Finland: Occupational Safety and Health Act to clarifying employers’ duty of care with regard to older employees and those having recently given birth

Ireland:

• Law introduces employer-paid sick leave, effective 1 January 2023
• Women 17 to 25 years of age receive free contraception under new government program

Mexico: Increase in number of employer-paid annual leave days imminent

Portugal: Ordinance increases public sector meal subsidy, which in turn increases the tax and contribution exemption limits for private sector meal benefits

Singapore: Government accepts National Wages Council Guidelines encouraging secure employers to adopt built-in wage increases

New Zealand: Fair Pay Agreements Act adopted

Slovakia: Paternity leave introduced effective 1 November 2022

United Arab Emirates:

• Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization announces entry into force of the Unemployment Insurance Scheme
• 2022 Commemoration Day and National Day holiday dates announced

United Kingdom:

• Legislation repeals the Health and Social Care Levy that was due to come into effect starting 1 April 2023
• Pension regulator warns employers to comply with pension duties

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Brazil: 

• Law introduces limits on use of meal allowances and the Workers’ Food Program
• Telework-related provisional measure converted into law

Belgium:

• Employers must display a dated and signed notice of 2023 statutory holidays in the workplace by 15 December 2022
• Entry into effect of 4-day compressed schedule workweek imminent
• Entry into effect of Alternating workweek schedule pending publication in the official journal of the Labor Deal

China:

• Government incentivizes the development of its third pilar pension plan to support system sustainability
• Data processors and CIIOs have until 1 March 2023 to address non-compliance with outbound data transfer security assessment

European Union: Minimum wage directive adopted

France:

• In another inflation-related change pertaining to meal vouchers, a decree increases the daily cap on their use
• CNIL releases compliance checklist for data controllers implementing or operating health data warehouses
• European Committee of Social Rights decision on the severance pay grid is non-binding
• Tax and social contribution treatment of meal and transport benefits retroactively amended
• AGIRC-ARRCO pension point purchase value increases by 5.12%, while pension point purchase value remains unchanged

Japan: New paternity leave and increased flexibility in the use of existing parental leave come into effect

Italy: INPS Circular provides guidance on managing social contribution exemption entitlements of employees returning from maternity leave

Netherlands: New law simplifies transfer of small pension values and allows for commutations

Poland: Standard workweek to be reduced while maintaining employees’ pay

Singapore: 2023 Statutory Holidays updated by Ministry of Manpower

South Korea: New DC plan investment option rules apply, starting 11 July 2023

Switzerland: Paid statutory adoption leave to start 1 January 2023

United Arab Emirates: Ministerial Resolution increases the annual rate of Emiratization by 2%

United Kingdom: Government reversed tax-related measures of the mini-budget, prior to Prime Minister’s resignation

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Australia: Safe Work Australia releases Code of Practice for managing workplace psychosocial hazards

Belgium:

• Maximum tax-favorable employer-paid allowance to cover work-from home expenses increased
• Conditions for paid educational leave in the Brussels region temporarily relaxed to include remote training
• Saturdays will no longer be considered as a business day, affecting statutory delays, including for termination notices

Canada:

• Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must have a policy on electronic monitoring of employees
• One-time holiday for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral announced by most jurisdictions

China: Jiangsu Province incentivizes employers paying social contributions during employees’ maternity leave

France:

• Short-time work program for COVID-19 vulnerable employees reinstated, starting 1 September 2022
• Tax-favorable ceiling for payments of employees’ personal and childcare expenses increased
• India: Salary forfeiture or employment bond payments are tax-exempt for the employer

Italy:

• Fringe benefit tax-exemption limits more than doubled, and may cover employees’ household utility expenses
• Government approves reference model for tele-medicine services provided in a home setting

Netherlands:

• Applications for changing disability (WGA) and sickness (ZW) own-risk insurance status due before 2 October 2022
• Discounts on premiums of group basic health insurance abolished, as of 1 January 2023
• Work Where You Want Bill reviewed the Senate

Singapore: Ministry of Manpower introduces new measures and increases accountability of companies and their executives for falling short on workplace safety measures

Slovakia: Domestic business trip allowances and meal voucher amounts increase

Switzerland: Women’s statutory retirement age set to increase following national referendum

United Kingdom:

• 19 September 2022 designated as a Bank Holiday
• Reversal of National Insurance contribution increase imminent
• Government’s new mini-budget includes employment and benefits related measures
• OTS call for evidence on tax and social security implications of remote work

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Australia: Government to introduce employer-paid family and domestic violence leave

­Belgium: Labor inspectors further empowered to use “Mystery Calls” to detect discrimination in recruitment practices

­Canada: 

• CAPSA seeks comments on draft ESG Guidelines for pension fund administrators
• Ontario extends employees’ entitlement to COVID-19 Leave

­Costa Rica: New paternity and special leaves introduced

­France:

• New legislation introduces measures to enhance purchasing power
• Inflation induces a third increase in the statutory minimum wage in 2022, starting 1 August
• INRS releases a guide to support employers through the workplace accident assessment process

­Hong Kong: Employers must take precautions against employee heat strokes

­India: New rule permits WFH for IT and ITeS employees in Special Economic Zones

­Italy:

• Criteria for employers to become gender equality certified set by decree
• Further reduction in social contributions and tax exemption of employer welfare plan acquisitions increased

­Japan: iDeCo participation requirements relaxed, DC plan contribution limits change starting 1 October 2022

­Mexico: Government seeks stakeholder feedback on draft telework health and safety rules

­United Kingdom:

• Bill to introduce a statutory Neonatal Care Leave under review by the House of Commons
• Health and Safety Executive requests that heat conditions be included in workplace risk assessments and employers’ long-term planning
• Government publishes guidance on workers’ status

­Spain:  New law amends the pension plan regulations to promote and strengthen occupational plans