China: New Protections for Over-Age Workers Effective July 1, 2026
China has introduced new regulations protecting individuals who continue working after reaching the statutory retirement age. Effective July 1, 2026, employers engaging over-age workers under their management must provide written agreements, ensure compliance with the minimum wage, arrange work injury insurance coverage, and maintain appropriate health and safety standards.
The regulations also grant over-age workers entitlement to public holidays, rest days, and overtime pay where applicable, while encouraging employers to limit overtime assignments. Disputes concerning wages, safety, insurance, and working conditions will follow the standard labor dispute resolution process.
Employer Action: Organizations employing retirees or over-age workers should review employment arrangements, insurance coverage, and workplace practices to ensure compliance with the new requirements.
France: Expanded Support for Parents of Seriously Ill or Disabled Children
A new law enacted on June 12, 2026, strengthens protections for employees caring for children with serious illnesses, disabilities, cancer, or major injuries.
Key changes include:
- Special leave increased from 5 to 10 working days.
- Reduced notice period for parental presence leave.
- Extended protection against dismissal during leave and for 10 weeks afterward.
- Greater flexibility in working hours for eligible parents.
- Simplified access to parental support benefits and financial relief measures.
Employer Action: Review leave policies, flexible working arrangements, and dismissal procedures to ensure alignment with the enhanced employee protections.
France: Sick Leave Certification Rules Change September 1, 2026
Beginning September 1, 2026, France will limit the duration covered by individual sick leave certificates.
Under the new rules:
- Initial sick leave certificates are limited to 31 days.
- Extensions are limited to 62 days per certification.
- Additional extensions remain possible where medically justified.
The changes do not limit the overall duration of sick leave but require more frequent medical certification.
Employer Action: Ensure that HR and payroll teams monitor certificate expiration dates and obtain updated medical documentation when required.
India: Form DPT-3 Filing Relief Extended Through July 31, 2026
India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs has granted temporary relief for companies filing Form DPT-3 for the financial year ending March 31, 2026.
Although the statutory filing deadline remains June 30, 2026, companies may submit the form without incurring additional late-filing fees until July 31, 2026. The extension follows disruptions caused by a June 2026 data center incident.
Employer Action: Companies unable to meet the June deadline should take advantage of the additional month to complete filings without penalty.
India: Digital Personal Data Protection Compliance Timeline Confirmed
India has clarified the implementation schedule for its Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) framework.
Key milestones include:
- November 14, 2026: Consent Manager provisions become effective.
- May 14, 2027: Core compliance obligations take effect, including consent management, security safeguards, breach reporting, and individual rights requirements.
Organizations processing personal data in India—including some businesses operating outside India—may be subject to the law.
Employer Action: Begin reviewing data governance, consent practices, vendor agreements, and breach response procedures ahead of the 2027 compliance deadline.
Israel: Invoice Validation Threshold Reduced to NIS 5,000
Effective June 1, 2026, Israel lowered the threshold for mandatory invoice validation from the Israel Tax Authority.
Invoices exceeding NIS 5,000 (excluding VAT) must obtain an allocation number before customers can claim input VAT deductions.
Employer Action: Review invoicing processes and ensure qualifying invoices receive the required validation before VAT recovery claims are submitted.
United Kingdom: Companies House Filing Reforms Delayed to April 1, 2028
The UK government has postponed implementation of major Companies House filing reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 until April 1, 2028.
Key reforms include:
- Mandatory software-only filing of accounts.
- Removal of abridged accounts.
- Additional filing requirements for small companies and micro-entities.
- Mandatory iXBRL digital filing format.
- Stronger audit exemption declarations.
Employer Action: Businesses should use the additional preparation time to assess accounting systems, filing processes, and software readiness ahead of the 2028 transition.