Global Labor Law Weekly: UK & Saudi Changes
The week of 26 October to 1 November 2026 marked a shift from legislation to enforcement. The UK's Employment Rights Act 2025 brought its sixth tranche into force on 30 October, raising the sexual harassment prevention duty to "all reasonable steps" and, for the first time, making employers liable for third-party harassment. Saudi Arabia set out a staged increase in its minimum wage threshold, Singapore announced a 2029 retirement age of 65 and re-employment age of 70, and the US Ninth Circuit upheld an injunction against California's captive audience law. For multinational employers, the themes of the week are evidence, thresholds and timetables.
1. This Week at a Glance
| Region | Key change | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Harassment duty raised to "all reasonable steps", third-party liability, union access | In force 30 Oct 2026 |
| EU / Germany | Pay transparency transposition; algorithmic transparency duties | 2 Dec 2026 deadline |
| Singapore | Retirement age 65, re-employment age 70, more flexible work for seniors | 2029 |
| Saudi Arabia | Minimum wage threshold rising to SAR 5,000 / 6,000 | 2027 / 2028 |
| US | Ninth Circuit keeps captive audience injunction; 2027 AI workplace laws | 30 Oct 2026 ruling |
| India | State-level labour code rules; Supreme Court to review "industry" exclusions | Ongoing |
2. Europe
2.1 UK: harassment standard raised, compensation uplift up to 25%
The UK's staged rollout of the Employment Rights Act 2025 entered a new phase on 30 October. According to Orrick's UK employment law monthly highlights, four changes matter most for employers.
First, section 20 amends the preventative duty in section 40A of the Equality Act 2010, replacing "reasonable steps" with "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment. Where a claim succeeds and the employer has failed in that duty, tribunals may uplift compensation by up to 25%. Second, section 21 creates a new duty not to permit third-party harassment — customers, suppliers, contractors and members of the public — where the employer failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent it. The duty is not limited to sexual harassment and covers protected characteristics generally, other than pregnancy and maternity and marriage and civil partnership.
Third, section 22 allows the Secretary of State to specify required steps by regulation. Fourth, section 59 gives independent trade unions a statutory right to access workplaces, in person or digitally, to meet, represent and communicate with workers.
Procedural changes amplify the substantive risk. Since 1 October 2026, most tribunal claims must be brought within six months rather than three; since 1 December 2025, the Acas early conciliation period has been 12 weeks rather than six. The periods stack: a claimant who contacts Acas near the end of the six-month window can file more than eight months after the event. Managers may have left, memories faded and documents been deleted in the ordinary course. Employers should extend document retention and litigation hold policies accordingly.
2.2 UK: non-compete reform signals statutory shift
On 28 October, Law360 reported that the UK Budget offered only limited clarity on employment law priorities; on 26 October, Morgan Lewis published "UK Government Proposes More Employment Law Reforms". Earlier, on 9 October, the Prime Minister announced plans to legislate on non-compete clauses and to review wider restrictive practices, starting with notice periods. For employers hiring senior talent in the UK, the direction is clear: restrictive covenants may move from judicial scrutiny towards statutory limits.
2.3 EU: pay transparency in M&A diligence, algorithms in employee communication
On 26 October, Norton Rose Fulbright published guidance on what employers should consider before German implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive (EU 2023/970). The same day, Freshfields argued that the directive has become an M&A issue: pay structures and gender pay gaps now affect pricing and closing conditions. Core requirements include pay ranges in job adverts, a ban on asking about salary history, employee information rights, tiered gender pay gap reporting, and joint pay assessments in defined circumstances.
On 28 October, Garrigues examined algorithmic transparency at work: employers using algorithms for scheduling, scoring, task allocation or automated penalties must explain the logic, parameters and human review. The EU Platform Work Directive (EU 2024/2831) must be transposed by 2 December 2026 — a very narrow window.
3. Asia Pacific
3.1 Singapore: retirement at 65 and re-employment at 70 by 2029
On 29 October, Singapore announced that it will raise the retirement age to 65 and the re-employment age to 70 in 2029, while expanding flexible work arrangements for senior workers. Employers should revisit job design for physically demanding roles, plan for longer careers and formalise flexible work rather than handling it case by case.
3.2 India: labour codes move into state rules and litigation
India saw a dense week of labour code developments. On 28 October, Nasscom published a compliance checklist for the Gujarat Labour Code Rules 2025–26. On 29 October, Bar and Bench mapped the laws that remain outside the new codes. On 30 October, Business Standard reported that the Supreme Court will examine the exclusions in the new labour law's definition of "industry". On 31 October, Live Law analysed how an exception in the OSH Code could narrow protection for contract workers.
The practical differences lie in state rules, registration systems and inspection practice rather than in the federal text. Contract labour licensing, principal employer liability and working-time records remain high-risk areas. Multinationals should maintain a state-by-state compliance matrix.
3.3 Japan: tighter permanent residency rules raise labour supply concerns
On 30 October, Asia News Network reported that Japan has tightened permanent residency requirements, prompting concern about labour shortages. Manufacturing, care, hospitality and construction employers that depend on foreign workers should review residence status timelines and prepare alternative visa routes.
4. Middle East
4.1 Saudi Arabia: minimum wage threshold to rise in two steps
On 26 October, Gulf News reported that Saudi Arabia will raise its minimum wage threshold to SAR 5,000 in 2027 and SAR 6,000 in 2028. On 30 October, Fragomen published "Minimum Salary Changes Announced" from an immigration compliance perspective.
Three implications follow: work permit and salary registration criteria may tighten in parallel; low-base-plus-allowance structures lose room to manoeuvre; and workforce budgets need scenario planning for both 2027 and 2028. Employers should reconcile contractual pay with registered pay and confirm sector-specific details with local advisers, subject to the final text from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
5. Americas
5.1 US: Ninth Circuit keeps California captive audience injunction
On 30 October, CDF Labor Law and Employment Law Worldview reported that the Ninth Circuit upheld the district court's preliminary injunction against California's captive audience law, which restricts employers from expressing views on religious and political matters in mandatory meetings. The law remains unenforceable while litigation continues, but the underlying risk has not disappeared.
5.2 US: California adds AI workplace rules for 2027
On 28 October, Hunton Andrews Kurth analysed four new California laws expanding workplace AI regulation, while Nixon Peabody published a 2027 readiness guide; Philadelphia also added protected categories for 2027. The new rules impose notice, assessment and anti-discrimination obligations on AI used in hiring, performance evaluation and monitoring. They take effect in 2027, but policy and system changes must start now.
5.3 Mexico: one year on, fewer than 15% of platform workers registered with IMSS
On 30 October, Mexico City's congress and local media marked the first anniversary of the platform work reform: fewer than 15% of platform workers are registered with IMSS. The gap between legal recognition and social security enrolment remains wide. Companies using platform labour should verify IMSS registration evidence, embed social security compliance in platform service agreements, and review the employment classification of high-frequency crowdsourced roles.
6. Five Signals and an Action List
Signal one: harassment prevention is shifting from process to proof. The UK's "all reasonable steps" standard, a 25% uplift and third-party liability make training records and on-site management core evidence. Signal two: pay transparency now reaches deal-making and audit. The EU directive affects recruitment advertising, M&A diligence and works council negotiation. Signal three: algorithmic work regulation means notice, assessment and human review. The EU deadline of 2 December 2026 is close, and California is moving in parallel. Signal four: Asia-Pacific is extending working lives. Singapore's 65/70 target and Japan's tighter residency rules form a retain-and-attract pair. Signal five: Middle East employment costs keep rising. Saudi Arabia's staged threshold increase ties pay compliance more tightly to localisation reviews.
Actions for this week: rewrite UK anti-harassment policies and training logs; remove salary history questions from recruitment; document algorithm notices for scheduling and performance tools; reconcile Saudi contractual and registered pay; refresh the India state-by-state compliance matrix.
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* This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
