Harassment McDonald’s UK accused of violating international labour standards Fast-food giant under pressure to deal with sexual harassment reports following a 2023 BBC investigation alleging a “toxic culture” at its UK restaurants Culture Japan’s bosses play Cupid with new employee dating app Firms are trying to help staff find spouses as demographic decline concern grows Compliance Poland scraps proposed expansion of labour inspectorate powers Donald Tusk wary of granting inspectors “excessive authority” that could impact the job market Sick Leave Belgium rings in new year with updates to sick leave rules Law part of wider measures to reintegrate returners, increase workers’ flexibility, and formalise bosses’ time tracking duties Disability Eversheds Sutherland: Understanding Qatar’s new law concerning persons with disabilities Ambitious and prescriptive legislation creates immediate challenges for employers Disputes Machado Meyer: What to expect from Brazil’s labour landscape in 2026 After a year of intense legal battles, landmark decisions from the country’s highest courts are expected to reshape labour relations and significantly impact businesses Trade Secrets Ex-Samsung staffers’ arrests show white-collar crime no longer gets a pass in Korea With more investigations and longer sentences, prosecutors and judges are getting tough on trade secret theft Supply Chains Nike agrees landmark payout to Burmese garment workers Settlement to Thailand-based sewists is largest ever awarded in garment industry, according to campaign groups Mental Health Britain’s workers facing “unprecedented” levels of stress Stress was ranked as a major concern across almost every region and industrial sector, according to the Trade Union Congress’ latest report Events Spring European Employment Summit International Employment Lawyer is delighted to announce that the third Spring European Employment Summit will take place on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th of March at Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.The event will bring together senior in-house and private practice lawyers to explore the challenges and opportunities facing multinational employers and their counsel across the region. Research IEL Monitor IEL Monitor is a forward-looking, fully searchable database of upcoming and prospective employment and labour legislation from around the world, designed to alert in-house teams of new laws and regulations, and support timely compliance. Labour Reforms Modernising Argentina’s work rules in a changing political landscape Politics Ethics on the edge: Trump-era politics reshape UK corporate behaviour Crime Security guard’s sticky fingers prosecution debated in South Korea