Worldwide: Employee Benefits & Compensation

Cyprus now offers the EU Blue Card route for highly qualified third-country nationals. It is an important option for international companies and professionals seeking a structured work-and-residence route in Cyprus, particularly in technology, pharmaceutical research and shipping-related employment.

The Dutch implementation of the European Pay Transparency Directive is advancing through the legislative process, set to take effect January 1, 2027. The Verwey-Jonker Institute has released a practical guide outlining how employers can establish objective, gender-neutral pay structures to meet these new requirements. Employers face critical decisions about job evaluations, remuneration policies, and privacy-compliant processes that will fundamentally reshape how they justify and document compensation pract

Il Ministero del Lavoro e il Ministero della Famiglia hanno introdotto un nuovo sistema di certificazione per le imprese che promuovono la conciliazione tra vita lavorativa e familiare. Le aziende certificate potranno beneficiare di un esonero contributivo fino all'1% dei contributi previdenziali, con un tetto massimo di 50.000 euro annui, valido fino al 31 dicembre 2028.

Spain has released its draft Royal Decree to partially transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive, introducing new obligations for employers including employee rights to request pay information, enhanced pay gap reporting thresholds, and stricter job evaluation requirements. While the draft goes beyond certain aspects of the Directive and under-implements others, employers with Spanish operations should begin preparations immediately as some obligations will take effect as soon as the Decree is published.

The legislative framework governing agency workers in Ireland, the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012 (the “2012 Act”) has been in place for almost 15 years but continues to be an area that generates questions...

Malta's new Equal Pay Regulations introduce a restrictive 'single source' test for cross-employer pay comparisons that may conflict with EU law. This analysis examines whether Regulation 8's requirement that undertakings be under common control and carry out the same economic activity is compatible with the broader CJEU interpretation established in Lawrence and codified in Directive 2023/970.

Greece transposed the EU Pay Transparency Directive in just 33 days, one of the fastest implementations in Europe. This episode explores the consultation process, key legislative changes...

Malta has implemented comprehensive gender pay gap reporting requirements through the Equal Pay (Transparency and Reporting) Regulations, transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive.

Greece has become the fifth EU member state to transpose the Pay Transparency Directive, introducing comprehensive obligations that take effect November 1, 2026. While largely aligned with the EU framework, the Greek law includes distinctive provisions on pay structures, enforcement mechanisms, and a central role for the Greek Ombudsperson in overseeing compliance. Employers with operations in Greece face new requirements around gender-neutral compensation, pre-employment disclosures, and enhanced anti-disc