A weekly briefing on European HR, labour law and compliance developments for SME HR teams across the EU, UK, Switzerland and the Nordics.
Top story: Netherlands bans zero-hours contracts in sweeping flexible work reform
The Dutch Senate adopted the More Security for Flexible Workers and Predictable Work Act (Wet meer zekerheid voor flexwerkers) on 7 July 2026, delivering the most significant overhaul of flexible employment law in the Netherlands in years. The bulk of the Act takes effect on 1 January 2028, but one key provision, tightened equal treatment standards for temporary agency workers, lands on 31 December 2026.
The headline change is a ban on zero-hours contracts. Employers will no longer be able to offer contracts with no guaranteed minimum hours. Instead, the Act introduces “bandwidth contracts” where the spread between minimum and maximum hours can’t exceed 30%. For SMEs relying on casual staffing, particularly in retail, hospitality and logistics, this forces a fundamental rethink of workforce planning. Fixed-term contract rules also tighten significantly: the break period for resetting contract chains extends from six to 36 months, making it far harder to cycle employees through consecutive short-term deals. Collective bargaining derogations that previously allowed sectors to deviate from these rules are eliminated.
Temporary agency work faces parallel restrictions. Phase A (the initial flexible period) is capped at 52 weeks with no extensions allowed. Phase B is limited to 24 months and a maximum of six contracts. Equal treatment standards for agency workers, requiring parity with directly employed staff on core terms and conditions, take effect on 31 December 2026. Separately, the government’s Budget Day announcements on 15 September confirmed that the planned reduction of maximum unemployment benefit duration from 24 to 12 months is postponed to 1 January 2029, and the abolition of the employer transition payment compensation scheme is delayed to 1 January 2028. A public consultation on a new Self-Employed Persons Act, which will clarify independent contractor status through a statutory self-employment test, opened on 1 October 2026.
What to do: Dutch employers relying on zero-hours contracts should start restructuring these arrangements now. Review temporary agency agreements against the new Phase A and Phase B caps. The 31 December 2026 equal treatment deadline for agency workers is the first hard deadline and requires immediate action. For companies engaging freelancers, respond to the Self-Employed Persons Act consultation before it closes.
Also developing
Finland: New discrimination protections for workers on fixed-term contracts took effect on 1 October 2026. Employers must now provide a written explanation when a fixed-term contract isn’t renewed if the employee has notified them of pregnancy, childbirth or family leave. The obligation extends to companies using temporary agency workers, meaning the user company (not just the agency) can be held liable. A separate Supreme Court ruling confirmed that termination grounds must be assessed independently from any criminal proceedings against the employee: an employee dismissed for accepting an unowned machine as a trade-in had the dismissal upheld on breach-of-process grounds, even though the related criminal charges were dismissed. What to do: Finnish employers should update fixed-term contract non-renewal procedures to include written justification where the employee has disclosed pregnancy or family leave plans. Document the business reasons for non-renewal clearly and separately from any personal circumstances.
Denmark: Two new measures will reshape workforce management. The Folketing adopted a construction site ID card mandate on 3 September 2026, applying to projects with total capital exceeding DKK 100 million. Workers on qualifying sites will need individual ID cards, and project owners must implement time tracking and reporting. The implementation date hasn’t yet been set. Separately, a foreign worker pay limit scheme takes effect on 1 January 2027, allowing certified companies with qualifying collective bargaining agreements to recruit from selected third countries. The minimum annual salary requirement is DKK 322,000 (2026 level), and employers must have at least 10 full-time workers in Denmark. What to do: Danish construction employers with large projects should prepare ID card and time-tracking systems now, even before the implementation date is confirmed. Companies planning international recruitment should check whether their CBA qualifies for the new scheme and begin the certification process.
France: Two practical changes took effect on 1 October 2026. Employers must now pay training providers directly and claim reimbursement from their OPCO (skills operator), replacing the previous system where the OPCO paid providers through subrogation. Apprenticeships and certain funded skills development contracts remain exceptions. Separately, career development interviews revert to the statutory four-year cycle: every employee is entitled to an interview within one year of hiring and then every four years. Companies with existing agreements setting different frequencies must review and update them. What to do: French employers should adjust cash flow planning to account for upfront training payments before OPCO reimbursement. Review career development interview schedules against the statutory four-year cycle and update internal policies accordingly.
Norway: A tripartite working group submitted its report on part-time overtime pay to the Ministry of Labour on 15 September 2026, but reached no consensus. The central question is whether part-time employees should receive overtime compensation for hours worked beyond their contractual agreement but within the statutory full-time limit. A February 2026 district court judgment favoured overtime pay for part-time workers, raising the stakes for employers in sectors with high part-time usage (healthcare, retail, hospitality). The social partners couldn’t agree on whether EEA law requires equal treatment on this point. The government has appointed two experts to identify solutions, but no legislative proposals have been advanced. What to do: Norwegian employers with significant part-time workforces should model the financial impact of a potential obligation to pay overtime rates for all hours above the contractual minimum. The legal position is unchanged for now, but the direction of travel suggests reform is coming.
EU (pay transparency update): Greece’s transposition of the Pay Transparency Directive (Law 5316/2026, in force since 6 July 2026) activates employer obligations on 1 November 2026, making it the first EU member state to enforce the directive’s operational requirements. Employers in Greece must disclose salary ranges in job postings and allow employees to request pay information for comparable roles from that date. France submitted its revised transposition bill to ministers on 10 September 2026, with parliamentary debate expected later this year. Sweden’s government announced in March that it’s seeking postponement of the implementation date and renegotiation of the directive: an outlier position among member states. Across the EU, 13 countries have published draft legislation, while eight (including Austria, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg) have no public draft. What to do: Employers hiring in Greece should ensure job postings include salary ranges by 1 November. Across Europe, the direction is clear regardless of local timelines: build pay structures based on objective, gender-neutral criteria and remove pay history questions from recruitment processes.
On the radar
UK Employment Rights Act, 30 October (previously covered): the strengthened third-party harassment duty (requiring “all reasonable steps”), new trade union rights statement, workplace access for unions and extended protections for workers taking industrial action all take effect on 30 October 2026. The tribunal time limit extension to six months took effect on 1 October.
EU Platform Workers Directive (previously covered): member states must transpose by 2 December 2026. No material change from recent editions.
Netherlands: the Self-Employed Persons Act consultation opened on 1 October 2026, introducing statutory tests for self-employment and working relationships. Responses will shape the final legislation expected in 2027.
Sources
- A&O Shearman: quarterly insights Q3 2026, Netherlands employment law
- L&E Global: Budget Day 2026, the government revises its plans for social security and employment
- Bronsgeest Deur: Prinsjesdag 2026, what changes to employment law can you expect
- DLA Piper: Nordic Employment Law Bulletin, October 2026
- Hayot Expertise: what changes on 1 October 2026 for French businesses
- Lockton: EU Pay Transparency Directive implementation status, September 2026
- Ius Laboris: EU Pay Transparency Directive, which countries have transposed
- Personnel Today: employment law changes in October 2026
Europe HR Compliance Pulse Weekly 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.
