The new year will bring a host of new legal developments that impact the workforce solutions ecosystem.

SIA’s Legal Calendar 2018 for EMEA highlights the legal changes and developments expected to affect the workforce environment.

Among the key changes include the EU General Data Protection Regulation. The enforcement date is 25 May 2018, at which time those organisations in non-compliance may face heavy fines.

The GDPR introduces changes to the way that data is processed across the EU. It applies to all companies processing the personal data of data subjects residing in the Union, regardless of the company’s location where the activities relate to: offering goods or services to EU citizens (irrespective of whether payment is required) and the monitoring of behaviour that takes place within the EU.

2018 is also set to bring increases in statutory rates and minimum wage for the UK and Netherlands, and a national minimum wage for South Africa.

In the UK, earlier this month, the government responded to last year’s Taylor Review with the ‘Good Work Plan’ that sets out a number of reforms aimed to boost protections for workers, especially those in the gig economy.

“Businesses do not like uncertainty, especially when it comes to workforce planning. What we try to do with our regional Legal Calendars published annually in January, is to give a summary of some of the developments that are expected in the coming year, that are likely to have an impact on contingent workforce management” said Fiona Coombe, Director of Legal & Regulatory Research.

During the course of 2018, Ireland is expected to pass legislation to ban zero-hours contracts in most circumstances and strengthen rights for workers on insecure contracts and those working variable hours.

In South Africa, a significant ruling is expected from the Constitutional Court on the employment status of temporary workers in 2018.

Meanwhile, proposals in the Coalition Agreement to abolish the Employment Relationships (Deregulation) Act (Wet deregulering beoordeling arbeidsrelaties, DBA) may make significant changes to the way ZZP’ers (Dutch term for independent contractors) are classified.

SIA’s EMEA Legal Calendar includes upcoming legal developments for the European Union, Austria, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, UK, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.