EOR & Compliance Digest, July 22: UK Employment Tribunal Deadline Doubles to Six Months

If you’ve got a UK employee thinking about a claim, good news is coming their way. The UK employment tribunal deadline just got a lot more forgiving. From October 1, most tribunal claims move from a three-month window to six. That’s not the only change landing this week. Denmark quietly raised the salary bar for anyone you want to sponsor. India’s labour codes are still a six-state patchwork, not a national rollout. And Australia’s 4.75% minimum wage bump is now three weeks old, and still catching payroll teams off guard. Four countries, one lesson: compliance deadlines don’t wait for you to notice them.

UK Employment Tribunal Deadline Doubles to Six Months, More Reforms Land in October

UK Employment Tribunal Deadline: What Changed on July 16

On July 16, 2026, the UK government updated its Employment Rights Act implementation timetable. The headline change is the UK employment tribunal deadline itself. The time limit for bringing most tribunal claims moves from three months to six, effective October 1. Scotland gets its own date for breach-of-contract claims, November 9. Two measures that were originally due October 1 got pushed back instead. The “all reasonable steps” duty to prevent sexual harassment now lands October 30. So do new third-party harassment protections covering customers and clients, per the government’s own timeline update. Trade union reforms move to that same October 30 date too. That includes workplace access rights and simplified recognition, confirmed by VinciWorks.

What HR Teams Do Before October 1

The tribunal deadline change matters even if you’ve never had a UK dismissal dispute. A doubled time limit means former employees have twice as long to decide whether to sue. That changes how long you need to keep dismissal records, exit interview notes, and performance files. Six months, not three, is now the realistic retention floor for anything that could turn into a claim. Meanwhile, don’t relax on harassment policy just because the “all reasonable steps” duty slipped two weeks. Draft it now anyway. Ministerial regulations specifying evidence-based prevention steps are still coming, and you want your policy in shape before they land. If you employ anyone in the UK, check Asanify’s UK employment law page for the fuller reform timeline. That page also covers the unfair dismissal qualifying-period cut, which takes effect for dismissals from January 1, 2027.

Denmark Raises the Salary Bar for Work Permits

Denmark’s income thresholds for foreign worker permits reset every quarter. The update that took effect July 1 raised the bar again. The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration, SIRI, now assesses new applications against first-quarter 2026 salary data. That’s instead of the softer fourth-quarter 2025 figures used through June, according to SIRI’s own notice. Only fixed and guaranteed pay, pension contributions, and holiday allowances count toward the threshold. However, bonuses, commissions, housing, and meals don’t. If you sponsor anyone under Denmark’s Pay Limit Scheme, remember the numbers already moved once this year. The ordinary threshold jumped by DKK 38,000 to DKK 552,000 back in January. The supplementary scheme rose by DKK 31,000 to DKK 446,000, according to Bird & Bird’s analysis. The next reset lands October 1. So if a Danish offer letter is on your desk right now, price it against this quarter’s numbers, not last quarter’s rates. Otherwise the application risks rejection on a technicality. Check Asanify’s Denmark hiring guide before you extend an offer.

India’s Labour Codes Are Still a Six-State Patchwork

India’s four labour codes have technically been in force since November 21, 2025. But “in force” and “enforced” are different things here. As of the most recent state-by-state tracking, only six states have notified final rules for all four codes. Those states are Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Most others are still working through drafts, according to Beacon Filing’s compliance tracker. That patchwork matters because the Code on Social Security, for instance, adds a new obligation for aggregators. Platforms that connect gig workers with customers must contribute toward a welfare fund. The contribution is expected at 1 to 2 percent of turnover once the central government finalizes the rate. In addition, fixed-term employees now qualify for gratuity after one year of service instead of five. If you run a multi-state Indian operation, the safer move is restructuring salaries to the 50 percent wage floor everywhere. Do this even in states that haven’t finalized rules yet, so you’re not caught mid-year when they catch up. Review Asanify’s India employment law page and the labour codes compliance guide for the state-by-state detail.

Australia’s Minimum Wage Jumped 4.75%, Retroactive to July 1

Meanwhile, Australia’s Fair Work Commission handed down its annual wage review back in June. The 4.75% increase only took effect July 1, though, and plenty of payroll teams are still catching up three weeks later. The national minimum wage is now AU$1,004.90 a week, or AU$26.44 an hour. Entry-level classifications rise to at least AU$978.10 a week. About one in five Australian workers gets this bump directly. That’s concentrated in retail, hospitality, and care work, according to Coleman Greig’s summary of the decision. In particular, there’s a structural change too. C13 award classifications are being phased out, so the lowest ongoing rate moves up to the C12 level over several stages. For example, if you have Australian staff on award rates, check your first full pay period after July 1. Confirm it reflects the new numbers, and don’t skip the C13-to-C12 transition. It applies even if the headline percentage doesn’t seem to touch your team. Check Asanify’s Australia payroll page for the award-rate breakdown.

Quick Hits

• United States: The Social Security wage base rises to $184,500 for 2026, up from $176,100. More of any high earner’s pay now gets taxed at 6.2% before the cap kicks in. (Mercer Advisors)
• UAE: Private employers reportedly had until June 30 to align contracts with the enhanced digital Wage Protection System. It replaces batch bank uploads with real-time salary tracking. (Middle East Briefing)
• Virginia, US: Job postings now require a pay range, effective July 1. Non-competes also can’t be enforced against anyone laid off without severance. (Virginia DOLI)

Action Items This Week

If you employ anyone in the UK: Extend your dismissal-related record retention to at least six months. Also have your harassment prevention policy ready before October 30.

If you’re sponsoring a work permit in Denmark: Re-price the offer against Q1 2026 income statistics before submitting. Anything filed after June 30 uses the new figures.

If you run payroll across multiple Indian states: Restructure salaries to the 50 percent wage floor company-wide now. Don’t wait for each state to finalize its own rules.

If you have Australian staff on award rates: Confirm your first full pay period after July 1 reflects the 4.75% increase. And check the C13-to-C12 reclassification too.

Four countries, four different deadlines. Someone on your team has to track all of it by hand. Instead, Asanify’s Global HRMS keeps multi-country payroll and compliance updates like these in one place. So you’re not the one refreshing five different government websites every quarter.

FAQ

Q: How long do employees have to file a UK employment tribunal claim now?
A: Most claims move from a three-month time limit to six months starting October 1, 2026. Scotland’s equivalent change for breach-of-contract claims takes effect November 9, 2026.

Q: Do Denmark’s new salary thresholds apply to renewals or only new applications?
A: They apply to any application submitted from July 1, 2026 onward, including renewals. Applications filed between April and June are still assessed against the older fourth-quarter 2025 figures.

Q: Which Indian states have fully implemented the labour codes?
A: As of the latest tracking, six states have final rules for all four codes. Those are Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Most other states are still in draft.

Q: Does Australia’s minimum wage increase apply to every worker?
A: No. It applies to workers on the national minimum wage or award rates, about one in five employees. Workers on individual contracts above award rates aren’t automatically affected. The increase often sets a benchmark for broader pay negotiations anyway.

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.