South America: Employment and HR

Para combatir la falsificación de certificados de incapacidad médica que justifican ausencias al trabajo, el Órgano Ejecutivo emitió el 11 de agosto de 2025 el Decreto Ejecutivo No. 17 de 2025, que reguló las formalidades y condiciones para la expedición de los certificados médicos de incapacidad y el procedimiento de verificación de su autenticidad y validez.

To combat the falsification of medical leave certificates used to justify absences from work, the Executive Branch issued Executive Decree No. 17 of 2025 on August 11, 2025, regulating the formalities and conditions for issuing medical leave certificates and the procedure for verifying their authenticity and validity.

Tras la aprobación de la Ley 513 de 2026, el Órgano Ejecutivo emitió el Decreto Ejecutivo No. 1 de 31 de agosto de 2026, que reglamenta dicha ley con la finalidad de mejorar su cumplimiento y alcanzar sus objetivos.

Puerto Rico's Department of Labor and Human Resources launched Desempleo Digital on September 1, 2026, fundamentally transforming how employers interact with the agency for unemployment insurance and temporary non-occupational disability insurance services. The new digital platform introduces significant changes to account access, filing procedures, payment processing, and third-party representative management that require immediate attention from employers and their service providers.

The Puerto Rico Supreme Court has issued its first interpretation of Act 90, the island's workplace harassment prevention law, addressing what happens when employers fail to establish required internal complaint procedures. The decision clarifies whether employees can bypass administrative steps when their employer lacks a compliant harassment protocol, and establishes critical procedural requirements that affect both workers and businesses operating in Puerto Rico.

Building a workplace where every employee feels safe, valued and respected is key to a successful and resilient business, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion is an important part of that. This video addresses the most common questions that employers have on the likes of names, pronouns and workplace policies, and discusses practical approaches to creating a more inclusive workplace in an area where legal approaches continue to evolve.

The Puerto Rico Supreme Court has issued its first interpretation of Act 90, the island's workplace harassment prevention law, addressing what happens when employers fail to establish required internal complaint procedures. The decision clarifies whether employees can bypass administrative steps when their employer lacks a compliant harassment protocol, and establishes critical procedural requirements that affect both workers and businesses operating in Puerto Rico.

The Brazilian Supreme Court has fundamentally altered the landscape for obtaining free legal aid in labor disputes, replacing automatic approval based on worker declarations with a new income-based threshold system. This landmark ruling establishes concrete evidentiary requirements and shifts the burden of proof, creating significant implications for access to justice in employment litigation.

O Supremo Tribunal Federal estabeleceu novos critérios para a concessão de gratuidade de justiça na Justiça do Trabalho, determinando que a presunção de hipossuficiência passa a ser relativa e condicionada à renda do trabalhador. A decisão, que encerra controvérsia de longa data sobre a aplicação da Reforma Trabalhista de 2017, estabelece parâmetros objetivos baseados em faixas salariais e exige comprovação documental em determinados

Hiring foreign talent requires more than just filing work permits correctly. Companies must also demonstrate corporate, labor, and administrative compliance to immigration authorities who increasingly scrutinize employers alongside workers. A seemingly minor internal payment delay of just two days can derail an entire immigration process, revealing how operational procedures directly impact migration outcomes.

Mexico's manufacturing sector faces a critical deadline: by 2030, all productive companies must transition to a 40-hour workweek while maintaining current production demands. This regulatory shift presents complex challenges for maquila and labor-intensive operations, particularly along the northern border where talent shortages, rising wages, and international competition converge to create unprecedented operational pressures that require strategic planning beyond simple schedule adjustments.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare has published new simplification measures for REPSE registration procedures in Mexico, significantly reducing administrative burdens and processing times for companies providing specialized services. These changes consolidate multiple procedures into a single process, eliminate certain documentation requirements, and cut resolution times by up to 75% for smaller companies.