A daily briefing on European HR, labour law and compliance developments for SME HR teams across the EU, UK, Switzerland and the Nordics.
Top story: France’s new supplementary birth leave creates fresh obligations for employers
France’s Supplementary Birth Leave (Congé Supplémentaire de Naissance, or CSN), created by the Social Security Financing Act for 2026, took effect on 1 July and is now fully operational. Each parent may take up to two months of additional government-funded leave per child born or adopted from 1 January 2026, on top of existing maternity, paternity and adoption entitlements. The leave is paid through social security at 70% of net salary for the first month and 60% for the second, and must be taken within nine months of the birth or adoption. Employees must give one month’s written notice before starting the leave, and employers cannot refuse it provided the statutory conditions are met. Crucially, transitional provisions apply: parents of children born or arriving in the household between 1 January and 30 June 2026 may take the leave within nine months from 1 July, meaning the window runs until 31 March 2027.
What to do: French employers should update their leave policies, employee handbooks and payroll systems to accommodate the new entitlement. HR teams need to track which employees have children born from January 2026 onwards and inform them of their rights under the transitional provisions. The leave cannot be refused, and employees are protected against dismissal during the period, so managers should be briefed on the new framework. Factor the potential absence of both parents (the entitlement is individual and non-transferable) into workforce planning.
Also developing
Ireland: The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025, in force since 29 June, gives employees the right to refuse retirement where their contractual retirement age is below the State pension age of 66. Employees must submit a written notification, and employers then have one month to provide a reasoned written response. Failing to respond without reasonable cause is a criminal offence carrying fines of up to €5,000 or up to 12 months’ imprisonment. Employers may only enforce the contractual retirement age where it is objectively justified by a legitimate aim. The WRC’s updated Code of Practice on Longer Working, also operative since 29 June, lists examples of potentially legitimate aims including succession planning, intergenerational fairness and health and safety in safety-critical roles. The earliest contractual retirement date to which the Act applies is 29 September 2026 (reflecting the three-month minimum notification period). What to do: Irish employers should review all employment contracts and retirement policies to identify any contractual retirement ages below 66. Prepare a template for the reasoned written response, train line managers on the new process and ensure your response framework is ready before the first notifications arrive.
UK: From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims will double from three months to six months. The Employment Tribunal (Extension of Time Limits) Regulations 2026 apply to claims where the act complained of occurs on or after 1 October; the existing three-month limit continues to apply to events before that date. For breach of employment contract claims in Scotland, the new limit takes effect on 9 November 2026. The process for making a claim, including notifying ACAS, remains unchanged, and judges retain discretion over out-of-time claims. What to do: UK employers should expect a rise in the volume of claims, as the longer window gives employees more time to seek advice and file. Review internal grievance and resolution timescales and consider whether faster informal resolution could reduce tribunal exposure. Ensure that record retention policies cover at least six months beyond any potential triggering event.
Luxembourg: The law of 3 March 2026, amending Book V of the Labour Code, entered into force on 10 March and strengthens the employee retention regime during restructuring. The reform promotes alternatives to redundancy, including retraining, internal redeployment, staff loans to other companies and state aid. Employers planning collective redundancies must now demonstrate that they have exhausted these retention tools before proceeding with dismissals. Separately, Luxembourg’s social minimum wage increased to €2,703.74 per month for unqualified workers and €3,244.48 for skilled workers from 1 January 2026, and a further salary indexation adjustment is expected. What to do: Luxembourg employers anticipating restructuring should document their use of retention alternatives from the outset, as failure to show that these options were explored could expose the process to legal challenge.
On the radar
Netherlands Staatsblad publication deadline (previously covered): The legal presumption of employment act must be published by 31 August 2026 for the planned 1 January 2027 entry into force to hold.
Netherlands Platform Work Act consultation (previously covered): Closes 24 August 2026.
UK electronic union balloting (previously covered): Takes effect 25 August 2026.
UK zero-hours contracts consultation (previously covered): Closes 25 August 2026.
Spain flexible retirement (previously covered): Royal Decree 416/2026 takes effect 28 August 2026.
Ireland My Future Fund opt-out (previously covered): Window closes at the end of August 2026.
EU Platform Workers Directive (previously covered): Member states must transpose by 2 December 2026.
Sources
- Transatlantic Law International: France new supplementary birth leave comes into force on 1 July 2026
- RSM France: New additional birth leave, everything you need to know
- activpayroll: France expands parental leave with new supplementary birth leave entitlement
- Mondaq: Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025 and updated WRC Code now operative
- DLA Piper: Commencement of new statutory framework to govern contractual retirement ages in Ireland
- A&L Goodbody: Commencement of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025
- UK Government: Employment tribunal time limits
- VWV: Time limits for employment tribunal claims set to double from October 2026
- The Legal 500: Restructuring and employment, what changes under the law of 3 March 2026
- Elvinger Hoss: Key developments and outlook in Luxembourg employment law 2025 to 2026
Europe HR Compliance Pulse is an informational summary of publicly reported legal and regulatory developments. It is not legal advice. Always confirm obligations for your specific situation and market with a qualified adviser.
