EOR & Compliance Digest, April 1: Six Countries Change the Rules for Global Employers This Week
April 1 is not a joke for global employers. Employment rights changes are hitting the UK, India, Singapore, and the US simultaneously, and each one carries real compliance deadlines. The UK alone has eight separate regulatory shifts taking effect between April 1 and April 7, including day-one sick pay, day-one parental leave, and a new enforcement agency with the authority to investigate employers directly. India’s four labour codes go live today. Singapore expands paid parental leave to 30 weeks. And New York State bans credit checks in hiring from April 18. If you manage people across borders, this is the week to audit every payroll and policy system you have.
UK Employment Rights Changes: Eight New Rules Between April 1 and April 7
The UK’s Employment Rights Act 2025 activates the most significant batch of employment rights changes in a generation this week. Here is what changes, when, and what you need to do about each one.
April 1: National Living Wage rises to £12.71/hour. The rate for workers aged 21 and over increases from £12.21, a 4.1% jump. The 18-20 rate goes to £10.85, and the 16-17 rate to £8.00. If your UK payroll has not already been updated, run it today. (Source: UK Government)
April 6: Statutory Sick Pay from day one. The three-day waiting period before SSP kicks in is gone. The Lower Earnings Limit is also removed, so employees who previously earned too little to qualify are now covered. Update your absence policies and payroll configuration before April 6. (Source: Price Bailey)
April 6: Parental leave becomes a day-one right. Both paternity leave (previously required 26 weeks of service) and ordinary parental leave (previously required one year) lose their qualifying periods. Any employee can take both from their first day. If your UK HR handbook still references service thresholds, rewrite those sections now. (Source: Farrer & Co)
April 6: Umbrella company PAYE, end clients now jointly liable. When an umbrella company fails to remit PAYE and National Insurance correctly, the end client becomes jointly and severally liable for the unpaid amount. If a staffing agency sits between you and the umbrella, the agency shares that joint liability. HMRC can pursue any party in the chain. Get written confirmation from umbrella providers about their compliance status before April 6. (Source: UK Government (HMRC))
April 6: Collective redundancy penalties double. The protective award for failure to properly consult on collective redundancies jumps from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay. If you have UK restructuring planned for Q2, legal review of your consultation process is now essential.
April 6: Whistleblowing expanded to cover sexual harassment. Sexual harassment becomes a qualifying disclosure under UK whistleblowing law. Employees who report sexual harassment now have full protection from detriment and unfair dismissal. (Source: Acas)
April 6: Employers must keep holiday records for six years. New record-keeping requirements mandate that employers maintain “adequate” records of statutory holiday entitlement and pay for at least six years. If your HRIS does not auto-archive leave data, configure it now. (Source: People Management)
April 7: Fair Work Agency launches. This new government enforcement body consolidates National Minimum Wage, holiday pay, and statutory payment enforcement. It has investigation powers, can issue penalties, and can take legal action on behalf of employees. Expect more proactive compliance checks across all three areas going forward.
For distributed teams hiring in the UK, these are among the most consequential April 2026 regulatory shifts in years. Review your EOR or payroll provider’s April 2026 changelog and confirm every item above is covered. Check our UK employment laws guide for a full breakdown of employer obligations.
India’s Four Labour Codes Go Live: The 50% Wage Rule Hits Payroll Today
India targets April 1, 2026, for full operational rollout of the four labour codes that consolidate 29 existing employment laws. The codes cover wages, industrial relations, social security, and workplace safety. One important caveat: labour is a concurrent subject under India’s Constitution, so state-level rules are not all finalized. Confirm with your payroll provider that both central and applicable state rules are in place before running April payroll. (Source: KPMG Global Mobility)
The biggest immediate impact is the 50% wage rule: basic pay must now be at least half of an employee’s total Cost-to-Company (CTC). This shifts how Provident Fund contributions and gratuity are calculated, raising statutory employment costs by roughly 5-15% depending on existing compensation structures. For companies that built Indian payroll around high-variable, low-basic packages, this is a budget change you need to model today. (Source: KS & DK Advocates)
Two more changes apply from April 1: fixed-term employees now qualify for pro-rata gratuity after one year of service (the previous threshold was five years), and full-and-final settlements must be paid within two working days of an employee’s last day. If your current F&F process takes two weeks, that needs fixing today. Review the India salary structure guide for CTC restructuring details.
Singapore Expands Parental Leave to 30 Weeks Total
From April 1, 2026, eligible working parents of Singapore citizen children get 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave (SPL), up from 6 weeks previously. Combined with 16 weeks of maternity leave and 4 weeks of paternity leave, total paid parental leave in the child’s first year reaches 30 weeks. The leave splits equally between parents by default, though couples can adjust the allocation. (Source: Singapore Ministry of Manpower)
Eligibility requires the child to be a Singapore citizen (or become one within 12 months), the parent to have 3+ months of continuous employment, and fathers to be legally married to the mother. The government funds the additional weeks, so the direct cost to employers is administrative, not financial. But you do need to update your leave policies and HRIS to reflect the new entitlement. Check our Singapore employment laws overview for the full picture. (Source: HCAMag)
New York State Bans Credit Checks in Hiring From April 18
Governor Hochul signed S03072 in December 2025, and it takes effect April 18, 2026. The law makes it unlawful for New York employers to request or use consumer credit history for employment decisions. That includes credit reports, credit scores, and information about payment history, bankruptcies, liens, or judgments, even when obtained directly from the applicant. (Source: Morgan Lewis)
New York joins 10 other states with similar restrictions. Narrow exemptions exist for certain financial-sector roles, but for most employers, credit-based screening is now off the table. Applicants have a private right of action, so enforcement will come from lawsuits, not just regulators. If your US hiring workflow includes credit checks for New York-based roles, remove that step before April 18. See our US background check guide for compliant alternatives. (Source: Ogletree Deakins)
Quick Hits
- Ontario, Canada (in force since Jan 1): Employers with 25+ employees must disclose AI use in hiring within job postings. If you use AI screening, assessment, or selection tools, add the disclosure to every active posting. (Source: SHRM)
- New Zealand (April 1): Minimum wage rises to NZD $23.95/hour. Confirm payroll systems are updated for any NZ-based employees on minimum or near-minimum rates.
- Finland (April 2): Employers must report occupational safety and health cooperation personnel to a new central register maintained by the Occupational Safety and Health Centre. (Source: Finnish Centre for Occupational Safety)
Action Items This Week
If you hire in the UK: Verify payroll has the new National Living Wage rates active today. Before April 6, update SSP policies (remove 3-day wait), update parental leave policies (remove service qualifications), get written compliance confirmation from any umbrella company providers, and configure your HRIS for 6-year holiday record retention.
If you hire in India: Confirm your payroll provider has implemented the 50% wage rule for CTC restructuring. Model the cost impact on PF and gratuity contributions. Ensure your F&F settlement process can clear within 2 working days.
If you hire in Singapore: Update leave policies to reflect 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave. Configure your HRIS to support the SPL allocation workflow between parents.
If you hire in New York: Audit your screening workflow and remove all credit-check steps for NY-based roles before April 18. Brief your hiring managers on the change.
Managing global compliance obligations across multiple countries is exactly the kind of compliance burden that trips up growing teams. Asanify’s Global HRMS and EOR keeps your payroll, leave policies, and compliance rules current across every country you hire in.
FAQ: Employment Rights Changes, April 2026
Q: Do the UK employment rights changes apply to contractors or only employees?
A: Most of the April 6 changes (SSP, parental leave, whistleblowing) apply only to employees and workers, not independent contractors. The umbrella company PAYE rules are the exception. Those affect the entire supply chain, including end clients who engage workers through umbrella companies.
Q: Does India’s 50% wage rule apply to all employers or only certain sectors?
A: The Code on Wages applies to all employers in India, regardless of sector or headcount. However, state-level rules may vary in implementation timelines. Check whether your specific state has notified the rules before restructuring CTC packages.
Q: How does Singapore’s Shared Parental Leave work for companies using an EOR?
A: The EOR (as the legal employer in Singapore) is responsible for administering the leave and claiming government reimbursement. The cost is government-funded, so the direct impact on your employment costs is minimal. You do need to ensure your EOR provider has updated their leave management system to support the 10-week SPL allocation.
Q: Can New York employers still run background checks after the credit check ban?
A: Yes. The ban is specifically on consumer credit history. Criminal background checks, employment verification, education verification, and reference checks remain permitted under existing New York law. Only credit-related screening is affected.
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.
