Employment law 5 in 5: May 2025

At a glance

• Round up: Recent developments in the Middle East.
• Track: UK developments on meaning of 'sex'.
• Spotlight: Global mobility – Impact of recent immigration reforms.
• Round-up: Recent developments in the US.
• Attend: International employment law training.

Round up: Recent developments in the Middle East

In the Middle East, steps towards further localisation of workforces continue with a new law in Bahrain requiring half of the workforce in privatised state services to be Bahraini nationals, while in Saudi Arabia a phased implementation of Saudisation is going to be implemented for 41 professions in the private sector tourism industry. Saudi Arabia is also bringing in strengthened rules on labour inspections. Violations of labour rules will result in electronic warnings, with a requirement to rectify the issue within three working days or face formal penalties. Saudi Arabia is also introducing new regulations for job advertisements and interview processes in the private sector.

Track: UK developments on meaning of 'sex'

Following the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the meaning of 'man', 'women' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published interim guidance, aiming to give some clarity on the impact of the judgement. Final guidance is expected to follow in due course. On 20 May 2025, the EHRC also published a consultation paper seeking views on changes it has made to its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations to reflect the Supreme Court's ruling. The consultation closes on 30 June 2025. It is not yet known if, or when, the EHRC will also propose changes to the Employment Code of Practice.

Spotlight: Global mobility - Impact of recent immigration reforms

In recent weeks, a number of jurisdictions have put the spotlight on immigration, with the UK publishing a white paper  containing proposals for significant changes to the UK immigration system with the aim of cutting net migration to the UK. They include raising the Skilled Workers skills threshold to degree level, increasing English language requirements and increasing the Immigration Skills Charge. Before becoming law, some of the changes will need amendments to the immigration rules; others will also require consultation. In Poland, new immigration laws came into force on 1 June 2025, which will scrap the labour market test and impose a number of new obligations on employers, including submitting contracts of employment with foreign nationals to the immigration office via the electronic system. Effective May 2025, comprehensive immigration reforms have also been introduced in Nigeria which include subjecting foreign nationals who overstay their visas to a daily fine (subject to a grace period from 1 May – 1 August 2025).

Round-up: Recent developments in the US

The Department of Justice announced that it will launch a 'Civil Rights Fraud Initiative' to 'utilise the False Claims Act to investigate and, as appropriate, pursue claims against any recipient of federal funds that knowingly violates civil rights laws', including through illegal DEI programmes. It also paused enforcement of a Biden-era independent contractor rule and expanded its whistleblower programme to include immigration law violations. On the labour front, the US Supreme Court denied interim reinstatement of a National Labour Relations member but did not reach the underlying question of whether a president may summarily remove members of the NLRB.

Employers continue to see new laws at the state and local levels. For example, Minneapolis added new protected classes to its anti-discrimination law; and new legislation makes changes to the New York Labor Law.

Attend: International employment law training

Mark your calendars for our next global employment quarterly webinar on 9 July and watch for an invite.

Also, look out for information about our autumn programme of international training courses; coming soon! Our training courses provide practical guidance on employment law and best practice. Delivered by local employment lawyers, the half day workshops provide an overview of the key themes you need to know about employment law and best practice in your chosen country. They are valuable for anyone managing the challenges of entering, operating in, or exiting a country. Courses cover Germany, France, UK, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and Italy.