Réglementaire South Korea: employer responsibility extended to subcontractors National legislation On 29 June, in its response to the consultation on Parental Leave and Pay, launched in 2019, the UK government indicated its intention to make changes to the country’s statutory paternity leave allowance.…
France: when working time is calculated on a weekly basis, overtime must take into account paid holiday (ruling) National legislation In a 10 September ruling, the labour chamber of France’s Court of Cassation found that when working time is assessed weekly,…
Spain: MPs reject move to 37.5-hour working week National legislation The Spanish parliament on 10 September rejected a bill that would have cut the standard working week from 40 to 37.5 hours with no loss of pay, effectively ending the proposal.
Réglementaire EU: MEPs want to use public procurement as a lever to improve job quality European legislation In an own-initiative report adopted on 9 September, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection urged the Commission to reinforce social clauses in its forthcoming revision of the Public Procurement Directive.…
France: employees falling ill during holiday can reclaim leave (ruling) National legislation France’s Court of Cassation today ruled that employees who fall ill while taking holiday may request to defer that leave. The ruling overturns previous case law and brings French practice into line with European law.
Réglementaire China: Supreme People’s Court publishes new interpretation of law on labour disputes National legislation On 1 August 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court issued its second legal interpretation on labour disputes, setting out new guidance alongside illustrative case studies. The interpretation, which took effect on 1 September, does not represent a sweeping reform but aims to clarify and standardise rules, strengthening protections for workers while helping employers reduce the risk of disputes
Germany: bill to bolster occupational pensions published National legislation Germany has finally unveiled a long-awaited draft law designed to bolster workplace pensions. Published at the end of July, the 'second law to strengthen occupational pension schemes' was drawn up by the country’s labour and finance ministries. The bill seeks to cement the role of occupational pensions as the second pillar of retirement provision, alongside the state system. It places particular emphasis on improving access for lower-paid employees, while also making it easier for small and medium-sized firms – and businesses not bound by collective agreements – to offer such schemes.
Italy: non-biological mothers in same-sex couples entitled to paternity leave (ruling) National legislation In a ruling on 21 July, Italy’s Constitutional Court struck down a provision of a 2001 law,…
Germany: cabinet heavily waters down due diligence law National legislation As outlined in the coalition programme agreed in April 2025, the German cabinet on 3 September approved a significantly watered-down version of the country's Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG). Reporting requirements have been scrapped and sanctions restricted to serious breaches. The compromise, which stops short of either repealing or preserving obligations, has left both employers and NGOs dissatisfied.
United Kingdom: German discount chain Aldi keeps its promise to be the best-paying supermarket Comp and Ben @en The 28,000 British employees of German discount supermarket chain Aldi were handed a 1.9% pay rise on 1 September. In July, the retailer announced that the minimum hourly wage would rise from £12.75 to £13.00 (€14.66 to €14.95),…
