EOR & Compliance Digest, June 12: Colombia’s Disability Hiring Quota Lands as Vietnam and Australia Reset Pay

Three countries hand global employers hard deadlines this fortnight. The Colombia disability hiring quota becomes mandatory in late June. The deadline to refresh internal work rules lands on June 25. Meanwhile, Vietnam rewrites its income tax code for July 1, and Australia confirms a near-6% jump to its minimum wage on the same date. So if you employ anyone in Bogotá, Hanoi, or Sydney, your payroll and HR policies need edits before month-end. Here is what changed, who must act, and the exact dates that matter for distributed teams.

Colombia Disability Hiring Quota Lands at the One-Year Mark

Colombia’s labour reform, Law 2466 of 2025, reaches its first big compliance cliff this month. The Colombia disability hiring quota becomes mandatory in late June 2026, one year after the law took force on June 25, 2025. (Source: Ogletree Deakins)

What changed

The quota sets a clear ratio. Companies with 100 or more employees must hire at least two people with disabilities for every 100 workers. Above 500 employees, the marginal requirement drops to one per additional 100. Every such hire needs official certification of disability status. In addition, employers must report each contract to the Ministry of Labour within 15 days of signing. (Source: Littler)

There is a second deadline you cannot miss. By June 25, every employer must update its Internal Work Regulations to match the reform. That means new anti-discrimination protocols, added gender categories in HR systems, and a written disability hiring plan.

Why it matters for distributed teams

Most foreign companies in Colombia run lean local headcounts, so the math feels abstract until you cross 100 employees. But the Internal Work Regulations update applies to everyone, regardless of size. For example, a 30-person engineering office in Medellín still has to rewrite its policy handbook and file it correctly. Miss that step, and you carry legal exposure even if the quota itself does not yet bind you. The reform also requires reasonable accommodation, so physical access and communication barriers come into scope now, not later. And the certification rule adds friction. Each disability hire must carry official documentation before it counts toward the ratio.

Colombia disability hiring quota checklist for this week

First, confirm your Internal Work Regulations are filed by June 25. Second, map your Colombian headcount against the quota ratio and document a hiring plan. Third, brief your local counsel or Colombia employment law partner on the 15-day Ministry reporting window. If you use an employer of record in Colombia, ask them in writing whether the Internal Work Regulations refresh is already done on your behalf.

Vietnam Rewrites Income Tax Brackets for July 1

Vietnam’s National Assembly approved a new Personal Income Tax Law on December 10, 2025, and the core changes go live on July 1, 2026. The reform cuts the number of progressive brackets from seven to five, while keeping the top rate at 35%. (Source: Vietnam Government Portal)

Two numbers matter most for payroll. The personal deduction rises from VND 11 million to VND 15.5 million per month. The dependent deduction climbs from VND 4.4 million to VND 6.2 million. As a result, take-home pay improves for most staff, especially mid-level employees with families. (Source: KPMG)

So what should you do? If you run a team in Vietnam, your Vietnam payroll withholding tables need updating before the first July pay run. Confirm your provider has the new five-bracket structure and the higher deduction amounts coded. Otherwise, you risk over-withholding and a wave of employee queries in Q3.

Australia Lifts the Minimum Wage Nearly 6% from July 1

The Fair Work Commission handed down its 2026 Annual Wage Review decision, and the numbers run larger than many employers expected. The National Minimum Wage rises 5.97% to AU$26.44 per hour, or AU$1,004.90 per week. Modern award rates increase 4.75%. Both apply from the first full pay period starting on or after July 1, 2026. (Source: Fair Work Ombudsman)

The decision lifts pay for roughly 2.7 million workers on minimum or award rates. For employers, the action item is timing. The rise does not start on July 1 itself. Instead, it begins from your next full pay period on or after that date, so a fortnightly cycle starting June 30 still runs at the old rate. Check your Australian salary structure against the new award minimums before you process July payroll, and budget for the increase in Q3 headcount plans.

Quick Hits

• Netherlands: The VBAR Act takes force on July 1, creating a legal presumption of employment for work paid below €36 per hour. The statutory minimum wage also rises to €14.99 per hour for workers aged 21 and over. (Source: Crowe Peak)
• Saudi Arabia: Since April 15, a Saudi national no longer counts toward your Saudization percentage unless their contract is documented on the Qiwa platform. Firms that have not migrated contracts carry effectively invisible Saudi headcount for Nitaqat. (Source: Middle East Briefing)

Action Items This Week

If you hire in Colombia: File your updated Internal Work Regulations by June 25. Then map headcount against the Colombia disability hiring quota. Document a hiring plan before it takes effect at the end of June.

If you hire in Vietnam: Update payroll withholding to the new five-bracket table and higher deductions before the first July pay run.

If you hire in Australia: Apply the 5.97% minimum wage and 4.75% award increases from your first full pay period on or after July 1. Verify award classifications now. For context, review the current labour laws in Australia.

If you hire in the Netherlands: Review contractor rates against the new €36-per-hour presumption of employment before July 1.

One Calendar, Every Country

These deadlines stack up fast when you hire across three continents. Asanify’s Global HRMS and EOR handle multi-country payroll, statutory deductions, and policy updates in one place, so a rule change in Bogotá or Hanoi does not become a fire drill. The same dashboard tracks the Colombia disability hiring quota, the Vietnam tax reset, and the Australian wage rise. If compliance tracking is eating your week, it is worth a look.

FAQ: Global Compliance Deadlines in June 2026

What is the Colombia disability hiring quota?
It is a rule under Law 2466 of 2025 requiring companies with 100 or more workers to hire at least two people with disabilities for every 100 employees, with the marginal rate dropping to one per 100 above 500. It takes effect in late June 2026, at the law’s one-year mark, and each hire needs official disability certification.

When does Vietnam’s new income tax law start?
The core changes take effect on July 1, 2026. The law cuts personal income tax brackets from seven to five and raises the personal and dependent deductions, which lifts take-home pay for most employees.

How much is Australia’s minimum wage from July 2026?
The National Minimum Wage rises to AU$26.44 per hour, a 5.97% increase. Modern award rates go up 4.75%. Both apply from the first full pay period starting on or after July 1, 2026.

Do small foreign employers in Colombia need to act before the quota binds them?
Yes. The Internal Work Regulations update under the reform applies to all employers regardless of size, with a June 25 deadline. The numeric quota scales with headcount, but the policy and accommodation duties apply now.

Not to be considered as tax, legal, financial or HR advice. Regulations change over time so please consult a lawyer, accountant  or Labour Law  expert for specific guidance.