Editor’s Note: If you hire anywhere in the European Union, the rules shifted under your feet last month. EU salary range disclosure is now a live obligation, not a 2027 problem. The transposition deadline for the EU Pay Transparency Directive passed on June 7. However, most member states missed it. That does not let employers off the hook. Meanwhile, this week brings a payroll overhaul in Australia and fresh green card pain for teams hiring from India. Here is what to act on, and by when.

EU Salary Range Disclosure Now Binds Employers Across the Bloc

On June 7, 2026, the deadline for member states to write the EU Pay Transparency Directive into national law passed. Italy, Slovakia, Lithuania and Malta went live that day. However, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain openly missed it (Source: Ogletree Deakins). Others signalled a delayed date of January 1, 2027. That group includes the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Denmark.

What the salary range disclosure rules require now

Here is the trap. The directive’s core recruitment rules apply from June 7 (Source: Mayer Brown). That holds even if your country has not passed its own law yet. Specifically, you must give candidates the starting pay or pay range before the first interview. In addition, you can no longer ask applicants about their salary history.

Why does this matter for a distributed team? Say you are a 40-person startup posting a remote role open to candidates in Germany. Even though Germany missed the deadline, the EU obligation already shapes your risk. For example, a rejected candidate can point to the directive. So waiting for local law is the wrong bet. Fines vary by country. Still, several regimes tie penalties to payroll size, so the exposure grows with every posting you leave uncosted.

EU salary range disclosure: what to do this week

First, add a pay range to every EU job posting now. Second, strip salary-history questions out of your forms and interview scripts. Third, brief any external recruiters, because their postings count as yours. If you employ people in Germany, review the latest German employment law requirements before your next hire. The rules bite at recruitment. Therefore the cost of ignoring EU salary range disclosure lands on your next job advert.

Australia’s Payday Super Ends the Quarterly Habit

From July 1, 2026, Australian employers must pay superannuation at the same time as wages, not quarterly. Contributions must reach the fund within seven business days of payday (Source: Fair Work Ombudsman). The super guarantee rate stays at 12%. For new hires, the first contribution is due within 20 business days of their first pay (Source: ATO).

This is a cash-flow change, not a rate change. If you run monthly payroll for three engineers in Sydney, you now fund super monthly too. Therefore, check that your payroll software and provider can settle super on every run. Miss the seven-day window and the super guarantee charge applies. That charge is not tax-deductible, so late super costs more than on-time super. Review your Australia payroll setup and confirm the new “qualifying earnings” base. For a wider view, this guide to employee benefits in Australia is a useful cross-check.

Maine Joins the US Pay Range Disclosure Wave

Maine’s new wage transparency law, LD 54, takes effect on July 29, 2026. Employers with 10 or more staff must include a pay range in every job posting (Source: Littler). That includes postings made through third parties. In addition, employers must share pay ranges with current staff on request. They must also keep pay-history records for three years after someone leaves (Source: Fisher Phillips).

Maine funded a dedicated Department of Labor inspector to enforce this. So expect strict application. Virginia’s salary-history ban and pay-range rule also landed this summer. As a result, the US map now looks a lot like the EU one. The pattern mirrors the EU salary range disclosure shift. As a result, one clean rule works best: post a pay range on everything. That covers Maine, Virginia, Illinois and the EU at once.

US Shuts EB-2 India Green Cards for the Rest of the Year

The State Department’s July 2026 Visa Bulletin marks EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 for India as unavailable for the rest of fiscal year 2026 (Source: US State Department). The reason: the pro-rated annual limits ran out. EB-1 India also retrogressed. However, the EB-5 set-aside categories stay current for every country.

If you sponsor Indian employees for green cards, this freezes new EB-2 India filings until at least October (Source: SHRM). That is when FY 2027 numbers open. So plan retention conversations now. Then check whether an EB-1 or EB-5 set-aside path fits. For US hiring options, our US hiring guide lays out the direct-employment and EOR routes.

Quick Hits

• New York City: Earned Safe and Sick Time Act amendments take effect July 23, 2026 (Source: Fisher Phillips). They require at least 32 hours of immediately available leave a year.
• Alaska: The state minimum wage rose to $14 an hour on July 1, 2026 (Source: Ogletree Deakins). A 2024 ballot measure set the increase.
• Chicago: The minimum wage reached $17.05 an hour on July 1, 2026 (Source: Fisher Phillips). It applies to employers with four or more staff.

Compliance Action Items This Week

If you hire in the EU: Put a pay range on every job posting today. Also remove salary-history questions. EU salary range disclosure applies now, even where the June 7 deadline was missed.

If you employ people in Australia: Confirm your payroll can pay super on every run before your next cycle. Remember, the seven-day window starts from payday under the July 1 rules.

If you post US jobs: Add pay ranges before July 29 to clear Maine LD 54. Also audit your green card pipeline for Indian employees hit by the EB-2 freeze.

Rethinking multi-country payroll and hiring? Asanify’s Global EOR and HRMS handles it in one place. That covers pay-range compliance, statutory contributions and local rules.

FAQ: EU Salary Range Disclosure and Global Hiring

Q: Does EU salary range disclosure apply if my country missed the June 7 deadline?
Yes. The directive’s core recruitment obligations apply from June 7, 2026, in every member state. So employers should post pay ranges and stop asking about salary history now, because the EU obligation already creates legal exposure.

Q: What does the EU Pay Transparency Directive require at the hiring stage?
Employers must tell candidates the starting salary or pay range before the first interview. They cannot ask applicants about their pay history. These rules aim to close gender pay gaps by making pay visible upfront.

Q: When does Australia’s payday super rule start?
Payday super starts July 1, 2026. Employers must pay super at the same time as wages. Contributions must reach the fund within seven business days of payday, and the super guarantee rate stays at 12%.

Q: Why are EB-2 India green cards unavailable in July 2026?
The July 2026 Visa Bulletin marks EB-2 India as unavailable because the pro-rated annual limit ran out for fiscal year 2026. New final-action filings pause until at least October, when FY 2027 visa numbers open.

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.