“Ceci n’est pas une indexation …”, or is it? Wage indexation about to get quite surreal in Belgium

By Marga Caproni on December 2, 2025 Posted in Pay

We sighed a collective sigh of relief when the Belgian government finally reached the budget agreement last week. The negotiations had been really difficult, which is not surprising considering the challenges the government faces: €8 billion had to be found somewhere to keep Belgium’s debt at an acceptable level (acceptable as in not driving us Belgians straight to bankruptcy).

The relief was short-lived however, as details of some of the budgetary measures were released. One measure that has Belgian employers scratching their heads is the government’s decision that automatic wage indexation will not be fully implemented on two occasions during this legislative period.

Poland Takes Next Steps Towards Implementing Pay Transparency Directive

By Malgorzata Grzelak on November 28, 2025 Posted in Pay Transparency

On 25 November, the Polish government published the principles that will form the basis of its new legislation implementing the outstanding provisions of the Pay Transparency Directive. Readers of our blog will be aware that Poland has already published legislation to implement the transparency provisions in the Directive (see our previous blog) and these will come into force from 24 December 2025.

It’s that time again: 2026 Works Council elections in Germany

By Tanja Weber on November 25, 2025 Posted in Worker Representation

Works Council elections 101: Understanding the basics for employers

Between 1 March and 31 May 2026, works council elections, which are held every four years in Germany, will take place in all companies that already have a works council. Moreover, if a company has several operations, each with its own works council, an election campaign and works council election will be held in each individual operation.

The upcoming works council elections are therefore a hot topic in Germany. In the coming months, we will be publishing a series of blog posts on this topic, providing insight into what employers need to know before, during and after the elections, and what they should avoid at all costs.

No “Private Sector Shutdown” Exception to Pay Obligations for Private Employers (US)

By Scott Held on November 19, 2025 Posted in Fair Labor Standards Act, Pay, Wages

On November 12, 2025, the federal government finally reopened after a 43-day shutdown – the longest in U.S. history. During the period of a government shutdown, federal employees cannot be paid and can only be paid when Congress reaches a deal and the lapse in appropriations ends. While this means that hundreds of thousands of federal employees were sent home without pay (approximately 670,000 in total) during this most recent shutdown, hundreds of thousands of “essential” employees – basically, the ones necessary to keep the country running (about 730,000 in total) – were required to continue working, without pay, with only the promise of retroactive pay when the government reopens.¹

Update to the New $100,000 H-1B Fee: Who is Exempt and Who Must Pay?

By Samuel Mudrick and Gregory A. Wald on November 17, 2025 Posted in Business Immigration, General, Immigration, Visa

One month after issuing a Proclamation entitled “Restrictions on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” that imposed a $100,000 fee for certain H-1B visa petitions, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published clarifying updates that echo similar updates from other agencies. The USCIS update is available HERE under the drop-down “Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.”

Federal Circuit Courts Split on NLRB’s Expanded Remedies

By Chase Clark on November 11, 2025 Posted in NLRB, Recent Cases, Termination, Unfair Labor Practice

On November 5, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued an opinion in NLRB v. Starbucks Corp., joining with the Third and Fifth Circuits in finding the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) exceeded its authority under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by ordering an employer to compensate an unlawfully terminated employee for any “direct or foreseeable pecuniary harms” the employee suffered as a result of her termination of employment. In refusing to enforce these remedies, the Sixth Circuit delivered the most recent blow to the NLRB’s efforts to impose more broad, far-reaching, and more financially severe remedies under the NLRB’s 2022 ruling in Thryv, Inc.

So … what’s happening in Belgium meanwhile (on the employment front)?

By Marga Caproni on November 11, 2025 Posted in Employment Law, General, Legislation

While the new government announced fairly drastic measures on the employment front when it was formed towards the end of January 2025, most of these changes have yet to take place.

There are however a couple of developments to report:

Bridge pension schemes (almost completely) abolished

Belgium has long applied an early retirement regime known as a ‘bridge pension‘ or, following the (unpopular) name change, the regime of ‘unemployment with company allowance‘. Under this regime, when an employee of a certain age is dismissed, they are entitled to unemployment benefits until they reach retirement age, as well as a monthly allowance payable by the former employer.

Reasonable Adjustments Webinar – Follow-up Questions Answered (Part 2)

By Kathryn Wilson on October 30, 2025 Posted in Disability Discrimination, Reasonable Adjustments

During our recent webinar on Reasonable Adjustments, we received several questions via the chat facility. Here are our outline answers.

Is there anything an employer can do if a reasonable adjustment (paying full pay for reduced hours) that was only ever intended to be temporary has (by mistake!) gone on for much longer (12-18 months)? Can it amend this?

Yes, but care should be taken in how this is handled to minimise the risk of any claims.

California’s October State Law Updates: What Employers Need to Know

By Gabrielle Martin, Eric Witt and Karen Wentzel on October 29, 2025 Posted in Artificial Intelligence, California, Mediation, Paid Family Leave, Paid Sick Leave

Throughout October 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed multiple employment-related Bills into law. These new measures address a wide range of workplace-related matters, including regulations aimed at the use of artificial intelligence, updates on paid leave, and amendments to mediation procedures. While some of these Bills will be subject to legal challenges that delay or block their application, many took effect immediately or will become effective on January 1, 2026. Accordingly, California employers are encouraged to begin updating policies, training programs, and internal templates to ensure compliance with these requirements.

Reasonable Adjustments Webinar – Follow-up Questions Answered (Part 1)

By Amy Derbyshire on October 28, 2025 Posted in Disability Discrimination, Reasonable Adjustments

During our recent webinar on Reasonable Adjustments, we received several questions via the chat facility that we will address in a couple of blogs over the next few days.

What would happen if an employee tells their manager that they have a disability, but the manager does not inform anyone else about this?

As we mentioned on the webinar, an employer is only under an obligation to make reasonable adjustments if it knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, that an employee has a disability and is, or is likely to be, placed at a substantial disadvantage as a result.