Belgium: Employee Rights/ Labour Relations

Belgian employers approaching the 50- or 100-worker threshold face a critical decision point: the 2028 social elections may seem distant, but the reference period for calculating workforce averages has already begun. Every hiring and departure between October 2026 and September 2027 directly impacts whether your company must organize mandatory employee representative elections. Understanding these calculations and their strategic implications is essential for workforce planning in the coming months.

Managing workforce restructuring across international borders requires careful navigation of diverse legal frameworks and practical considerations. This comprehensive guide examines the critical dos and don'ts that employers must understand when implementing organizational changes affecting employees in multiple jurisdictions.

Artificial intelligence is transforming workforce management across Asia-Pacific, yet most jurisdictions rely on existing employment and data protection laws rather than AI-specific legislation. Governments supplement these frameworks with ethical principles and voluntary guidance, though recent developments in Australia and Malaysia suggest a shift toward more targeted oversight of AI systems that significantly impact workers.

Restructuring exercises in Malaysia, Singapore and India require careful attention to legal compliance, employee communication and procedural fairness. Through analysis of recent case law including Lazada, AirAsia X and Salunkhe decisions, this article examines how poor execution can trigger regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage and costly reinstatement orders.

Lawmakers in Victoria, the UK, and the US are imposing new restrictions on non-disclosure agreements in employment contexts, particularly those involving workplace sexual harassment and discrimination. These changes require employers to rethink how they use confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements, with some jurisdictions now giving workers the right to terminate NDAs or rendering certain provisions void. Understanding these evolving legal frameworks is essential for multinational employers seeking

Extreme heat continues to disrupt workplaces across Europe and beyond, raising a critical question for employers: can employees lawfully stop working when temperatures become unbearable? This analysis examines the legal frameworks governing work stoppage due to heat exposure, revealing that most jurisdictions tie the right to refuse work not to temperature alone, but to serious and imminent health and safety risks—and crucially, to whether employers have taken adequate protective measures.

The European Commission has confirmed it will not delay the EU Pay Transparency Directive's June 2026 transposition deadline, despite concerns from businesses about regulatory burden and administrative complexity.

Belgium's 2025-2029 pension reform introduces significant changes to early retirement eligibility and implements a new bonus-malus system designed to incentivize longer working careers. The reforms increase the minimum working days required for pensionable years from 104 to 156 FTE days and establish financial rewards for postponing retirement beyond statutory age while penalizing early retirement with insufficient career years.

The EU AI Act introduces a comprehensive AI literacy obligation requiring organizations to ensure their staff possess adequate skills and knowledge for informed AI system use.