If you run payroll across borders, this week tightens the screws in three directions at once. The Colombia working hours reduction lands on July 15, and it quietly kills a benefit your local team may expect. Meanwhile, the US has shut the door on EB-2 green cards for Indian nationals until October. And across the EU, the pay transparency deadline arrived on June 7, yet most member states are not ready. Here is what changed, which countries are affected, and what to fix before your next pay run.

Colombia Working Hours Reduction Caps the Week at 42 Hours

On July 15, 2026, Colombia completes its phased cut to a 42-hour standard workweek, down from 44 hours today. The change comes from Law 2101 of 2021, which stepped the legal maximum down each year (source: L&E Global). The Colombia working hours reduction is now in its final stage. So employers have weeks, not months, to adjust.

What the Colombia working hours reduction changes

First, the legal maximum drops to 42 hours, spread over five or six days, with at least one rest day. Second, and this is the part many miss, the semi-annual “family day” obligation disappears once the 42-hour cap takes effect (source: Auxadi). For example, a company in Bogotá that gave staff a paid half-day twice a year no longer has to. Still, you cannot quietly drop hours and keep schedules unchanged without a plan.

Why the Colombia working hours reduction matters for your team

If you employ engineers or support staff in Colombia, your scheduling and overtime math change overnight. Because the threshold now starts at 42 hours, any work beyond that triggers premium pay. As a result, rosters built around a 44-hour week will generate overtime you did not budget for. The Ministry of Labour can fine non-compliant employers up to 5,000 monthly minimum wages (source: Posse Herrera Ruiz). Workers can also sue for unpaid overtime and back social-security contributions.

What to do this week

Review every Colombian contract and roster before July 15. Then update your HRIS so the overtime trigger sits at 42 hours, not 44. Next, confirm whether your local benefits still reference the family day, and remove it cleanly if so. If you hire through an EOR, ask them in writing to confirm the change is coded. For the baseline, check the Colombia employment laws on our country guide.

US Shuts EB-2 Green Cards to Indian Nationals Until October

The June 2026 Visa Bulletin retrogressed the EB-2 final action date for India by roughly 10.5 months, back to September 1, 2013 (source: Morgan Lewis). The State Department confirmed India’s EB-2 annual limit for fiscal 2026 is exhausted. So no further visas issue in that category until the new fiscal year on October 1. Meanwhile, USCIS will use the stricter Final Action Dates chart for June employment-based adjustment filings (source: Ogletree). If you sponsor Indian engineers in the US, their green-card timelines just slipped again. For staff already in process, confirm their priority date against the new cutoff before you hire or file in the US this month.

EU Pay Transparency Deadline Arrives, and Most Countries Miss It

The EU Pay Transparency Directive carried a transposition deadline of June 7, 2026 (source: Littler). In practice, few member states made it. The Netherlands has signaled a delay toward January 1, 2027 (source: Houthoff). Yet the European Commission rejected any formal postponement. Germany and France are still finalizing texts that ban salary-history questions and require pay ranges in job ads. Because the directive applies wherever you employ EU staff, audit your Netherlands salary structures and job postings now. Separately, the Netherlands may grant temporary agency workers equal pay from July 1, 2026.

India’s New Wage Definition Reshapes CTC and PF

India’s four labour codes took effect on November 21, 2025, and the standardized “wages” definition is the part hitting payroll hardest (source: BDO India). Under the rule, if excluded allowances such as HRA exceed 50% of total pay, the excess counts back as wages. That base then drives provident fund, gratuity, and bonus. As a result, many salary structures that loaded allowances to cut PF now cost more. The Ministry of Labour then issued fresh FAQs on March 16, 2026 to settle employer questions (source: Ministry of Labour). Therefore, review CTC templates for your Indian staff before the next cycle. Our India labour law guide covers the baseline.

Quick Hits

• United States: DHS and DOL added up to 64,716 supplemental H-2B visas for fiscal 2026, with 46,226 reserved for returning workers (source: USCIS).
• Netherlands: equal pay for temporary agency workers may enter force on July 1, 2026 (source: Hogan Lovells).
• United Kingdom: statutory sick pay is now payable from day one and rose to £123.25 a week from April 6, 2026. The new Fair Work Agency also runs proactive inspections (source: IRIS).

Action Items This Week

If you employ staff in Colombia: the Colombia working hours reduction caps the week at 42 hours from July 15. So recode your overtime trigger and drop the family-day benefit cleanly.

If you sponsor Indian nationals in the US: check priority dates against the June EB-2 cutoff of September 1, 2013. Do this before you file anything this month.

If you employ EU staff: audit job ads for pay ranges and remove salary-history questions, because pay transparency rules are landing across member states.

If you run Indian payroll: remodel CTC so allowances above 50% of total pay feed provident fund, gratuity, and bonus.

Tracking a Colombia working hours reduction, a US visa cutoff, and an EU pay rule in the same week is exactly where distributed teams lose the thread. Asanify’s Global HRMS and EOR handle multi-country payroll, overtime, and statutory compliance in one place. If you hire across these markets, it is worth a look.

FAQ: Colombia Working Hours and Global Compliance

What is the Colombia working hours reduction? It is the final step of Law 2101 of 2021, which lowers the standard workweek to 42 hours from July 15, 2026. The cap can be spread over five or six days with at least one rest day. Once it applies, the semi-annual family-day benefit is no longer required.

Does the EU Pay Transparency Directive apply to my company? It applies if you employ workers in any EU member state, no matter where your company is based. Larger employers face gender pay-gap reporting, and all must publish pay ranges and stop asking for salary history. Transposition was due June 7, 2026, though several countries are running late.

Why did US EB-2 green cards retrogress for India? Demand from India exhausted the EB-2 annual limit for fiscal 2026, so the cutoff moved back to September 1, 2013. No further EB-2 visas issue for India until the new fiscal year on October 1, 2026. USCIS is also using the stricter Final Action Dates chart for June filings.

Do we need an EOR to hire in Colombia? For most startups with one or two hires, an EOR removes the need to open a local entity. It also keeps you compliant with the new 42-hour rule. Larger teams often set up an entity once headcount grows. Either way, the working-hours change applies to your staff.

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.