Knit People

🗓️ Heads up if you have manufacturing or industrial teams in China

Starting August 1, China's updated occupational health rules expand mandatory employee health surveillance to 19+ new hazard factors, including:

→ Cold-storage work
→ Laser equipment operation
→ Certain chemical exposures
→ Repetitive or forceful wrist tasks on production lines

⚠️ Roles that previously weren't covered may now require health exams, ongoing monitoring, and documented records.

If you're hiring in China, staying ahead of local compliance doesn't have to be a full-time job. If you'd like support, reach out to Knit at [email protected] 📩

Saudi Arabia now gives foreign workers a 60-day grace period when their contracts expire without renewal.

Workers can re-sign with their employer, transfer to a new one, or leave the country before being marked as absent.

📄: https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/media-center/news/1170537

California has raised its minimum wage 2.49% to $16.90 per hour, up from $16.50. The increase applies to all employers regardless of size.

⚖️: https://aboutbgov.com/bi5C

📢 China's tech giants are telling employees to go home.

Midea sends everyone home by 6:20 p.m. DJI locks its offices at 9:00 p.m. Haier promotes a five day workweek. Tencent has cut back overtime across parts of the business.

This is not a wellness trend. Chinese regulators are finally enforcing long ignored limits, including a 44 hour workweek and a 36 hour monthly overtime cap, and companies are scrambling to prove compliance.

If you employ people in China, or plan to, your working hours policies just became a real risk area. An Employer of Record keeps your contracts, hours, and overtime pay compliant so you never become the cautionary headline.

💬 Would a mandatory clock-off time work at your company? Share your thoughts in the comments, or email us at [email protected]

California now empowers its Labor Commissioner to investigate tip theft and fine employers who violate the rules.

The change matters most for hospitality, restaurant, and tourism businesses, where tips are part of daily pay.

📖: https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/california-law-strengthens-enforcement-of-tip-theft/

"We'll just pay you extra instead of social insurance."

For years, this kind of informal arrangement was fairly common in China. Employers saved on contributions, employees took home more cash, and both sides signed off on it.

In September 2025, China's Supreme People's Court ruled that agreements to waive or reduce social insurance contributions have no legal effect, even with the employee's written consent.

As a result, employees can now claim years of unpaid contributions retroactively, resign on these grounds, and claim statutory severance.

The ruling applies regardless of when the agreement was made.

Want to make sure your China setup is compliant? Start a conversation with Knit at [email protected] or comment "CHECK" below. 👇

📢 Vietnam has made it easier to hire foreign workers under Decree 219.

Companies now file just one application instead of two, get a decision within 10 working days, and more types of workers no longer need a permit at all.

Details: https://zh.vietnamplus.vn/article-post246092.vnp

California has banned stay-or-pay deals under AB 692. Employers can no longer make workers pay back costs such as training or tuition when they leave the job, a rule that covers all contracts signed since January 1, 2026.

⚖️:https://sjud.senate.ca.gov/system/files/2025-07/ab-692-kalra-sjud-analysis.pdf

Latvia now requires most non-EU travelers without a Latvian visa or residence permit to register online at eta.gov.lv at least 48 hours before entry.

Process: https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/article/procedures-entry-latvia-1-september-2025

Czech Republic Fixed-term contracts are limited to 3 years and may be renewed twice, allowing a maximum total duration of 9 years.

Since June 2025, an exception allows unlimited renewals when covering an employee on maternity, paternity, or parental leave, as long as the contract does not exceed 9 years in total.

⚖️: https://www.psp.cz/sqw/text/orig2.sqw?idd=244510