Global benefits insights: April 2026

A summary of the latest employee benefits changes from around the world | 5 minute read

Mexico

Reduces maximum weekly working hours^{1, 2}

On 3rd March 2026, Mexico published a constitutional amendment to amend the weekly maximum working hours.

The maximum weekly working hours will be gradually reduced from 48 hours as follows:

46 hours in 2027
44 hours in 2028
42 hours in 2029
40 hours in 2030

Employees have the right to one paid day off for every six days worked.
Under extraordinary circumstances, employees may work up to 12 hours of overtime per week, this is to be compensated at double pay – capped at four hours per day and four days per week.

Additionally, employees may work an extra four hours of overtime per week at three times their regular rate.

There is no reduction in employees’ wages or benefits as a result of these changes.

United Kingdom

Amends labour law³

Effective from 6th April 2026, several provisions under the Employment Rights Act 2025 took effect.

These provisions include:

Statutory Sick Pay is applicable from day one instead of day four, with the lower earnings limit removed.
Paternity and unpaid parental leave has become a day-one employment right. This removes the previous a minimum service requirement of 26 weeks for paternity leave and one year for parental leave.
Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave (BPPL) has now been introduced. Fathers are now granted immediate entitlement to two weeks of paternity leave if their partner passes away, no longer needing six months of continuous service beforehand. BPPL has expanded to include other situations, allowing eligible employees to take up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave. BPPL is allowed where the child’s mother or primary adopter dies before the child’s first birthday or the first anniversary of the child’s adoption placement, even if the father or partner has already taken shared parental leave.
The maximum protective award on collective redundancy has now increased from 90 days to 180 days.
Employers must keep record that they have complied with holiday entitlement and pay rules, and these records must be kept for six years.

Further enhancements will take place in October 2026 and again in 2027.

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland only)

Introduces miscarriage leave⁴

Effective from 6th April 2026, new regulations build on the existing Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Act passed by the Assembly in 2022.

Employees who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy are entitled to two weeks of paid leave, subject to an annually adjusted statutory payment cap.

This leave is available both to the person who had the miscarriage and their partners or affected parents.

Italy

Amends parental leave entitlements^{5, 6}

Announced in the April 2026 budget, leave entitlements have been amended to include caring for a sick child and further amendments have been made to parental leave.

Effective from 1st January 2026, parents will be entitled to take ten days’ leave to care for a sick child aged between 3 and 14 years of age, an increase from the previous five days granted. This leave could be enhanced by separate CBA requirements.

In addition, parental leave may now be taken up until a child reaches 14 years old, which is an extension from the previous maximum age of 12.

Minimum wage increases from 1st March 2026

South Africa

The hourly minimum wage will increase to ZAR 30.23.⁷

Minimum wage increases from 1st April 2026

Belgium

The monthly minimum wage will increase to EUR 2,198.81.⁸

New Zealand

The hourly minimum wage for new hires and employees on a training wage will be raised to NZD 19.16. For employees aged over 16 who are currently employed, the minimum wage will increase to NZD 23.95.⁹

United Kingdom

The National Living Wage (for those aged 21 and over) will be raised to GBP 12.71 per hour. For ages 18–20, the hourly rate is GBP 10.85; for 16–17-year-olds and apprentices, it is GBP 8.00.¹⁰

Jersey

The hourly minimum wage will increase to GBP 13.59.¹¹

Isle of Man

The hourly minimum wage will rise to GBP 12.86 for individuals aged 18 and over, and to GBP 10.16 for those who are above compulsory school age but under 18.¹²

Greece

The monthly minimum wage will be raised to EUR 920 for white collar workers. For blue collar workers, the daily minimum wage will increase to EUR 41.09.¹³

Minimum wage increases from 1st July 2026

Romania

The monthly minimum wage will increase to RON 4,325. This increase was postponed from January 2026.¹⁴

NFP’s guide to international benefits

Whether you’re a new start-up, a growing enterprise or an established international organisation, operating globally comes with its own set of unique challenges; from navigating legal and tax legislation to understanding local cultures, creating compliant and competitive benefits packages can be complex.

Our team of experienced international employee benefits consultants have written this guide to help you:

Achieve consistency in your international benefits strategy
Identify benefits to implement in each of your locations
Choose the right international benefits providers
Manage your international benefits efficiently
Monitor your strategy’s success

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If you’d like to explore how these legislation changes could affect your organisation, and what practical steps you can take to protect and support your people - speak to us today.

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This insights article is not intended to address any specific situation or to provide legal, regulatory, financial, or other advice. While care has been taken in the production of this article, NFP does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of the article or any part of it and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. Any recipient shall be responsible for the use to which it puts this article. This article has been compiled using information available to us up to its date of publication.

NFP contributors

Emma Bryant
International Technical Specialist, Employee Benefits

References