Global Snapshot – Hot Employment Law Topics for 2026

We know that for many of our clients and contacts with a multi-jurisdictional mandate, horizon-scanning and trend spotting is critical to allow for forward planning and to avoid surprises. With this in mind, at the start of this year, we asked the partners across our global Labour & Employment practice to identify the key employment law topics for 2026 in their respective jurisdictions. Here is what they shared with us to help you in your decision making for 2026 and beyond. We consider that staying ahead will be more important than ever in 2026 – as can be seen from the “at a glance” table on pages 2 and 3 of the guide, a key theme for 2026 is “change”, with many of the jurisdictions covered introducing local legislation on a variety of different issues this year. Although there appears to be a real “mixed bag” of new legislation, it is notable that many of the legislative changes will mean improved rights for workers and greater obligations for employers, with the potential downside risks of legal liability for the employer, financial cost and potential reputational damage for getting it wrong. This continues the trend of recent years, but will no doubt continue to present challenges for employers due to the additional cost and time required, in already tricky economic conditions for many.