7 Workplace Rights the U.S. Still Doesn't Have

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-28

### The U.S. Lags Behind on These Employee Protections You'd think the U.S. leads the world in worker protections, right? Not exactly. While we've made progress on things like paid family leave in some states, there's a whole list of workplace rights that other countries take for granted—and we're still missing out on. Let's break down seven of the most surprising ones. ### France: The Right to Disconnect France made headlines back in 2017 when it gave employees the legal right to unplug from work emails and calls after hours. For companies with 50 or more staff, they're required to negotiate specific times when workers can be contacted electronically. Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal have followed suit, with Australia's version even banning employers from punishing workers who ignore after-hours messages. In the U.S., we're still stuck checking emails at 10 p.m. with no legal shield. ### Brazil: The 13th Month Salary Brazil has a constitutional right called the *décimo terceiro salário*, which means every formal employee gets an extra month's pay each year, split into two mandatory installments. It's not a bonus—it's a legal wage, owed pro-rata even if you're fired. Most of Latin America and parts of Europe (Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain) have similar policies. The U.S. has nothing comparable; a year-end bonus is purely discretionary, and many workers get zero. ### Spain: Paid Menstrual Leave In 2023, Spain became the first European country to introduce menstrual leave. Workers with medically certified incapacitating periods get paid time off, funded by the state from day one. No such provision exists in the U.S., though some states are starting to discuss it. It's a hot topic in Congress, but we're nowhere near passing anything yet. ### France: Mandatory Commute Reimbursement No U.S. employer is legally required to subsidize your commute. But in France, companies must reimburse at least 50% of the cost of public transport season tickets for home-to-work travel—covering all staff, including part-timers and trainees. With gas prices and transit fares climbing, this would be a game-changer for American workers. ### Canada: No More Interview Ghosting In Ontario, Canada, new laws make it illegal for employers to ghost job candidates. Companies with over 25 employees must notify applicants within 45 days of their interview whether they got the job. Failure to respond can lead to fines up to CA$100,000 (about $73,500 USD). In the U.S., you can still be left hanging for months with zero recourse. ### Germany: Board-Level Employee Representation German law (*Mitbestimmungsgesetz*) requires companies with over 2,000 employees to give workers half the seats on their supervisory board. For firms with 500–2,000 employees, one-third of the seats must go to workers. This gives employees a real voice in top-level decisions, from strategy to layoffs. The U.S. has nothing close—our boards are almost exclusively shareholder-focused. ### The Netherlands: Flexible Working Hours Done Right The Dutch Flexible Working Act lets employees at firms with more than 10 staff request fewer hours, a different schedule, or even a different work location. Employers must seriously consider these requests and can only refuse for valid business reasons. It's a level of flexibility that most Americans can only dream of. ### Why This Matters for U.S. Workers These aren't radical ideas—they're proven policies that boost morale, retention, and productivity. The U.S. prides itself on innovation, but when it comes to worker rights, we're clearly behind the curve. Whether it's the right to disconnect or a guaranteed 13th-month check, these are protections that could change millions of lives. If you're an employer, consider adopting some of these voluntarily. And if you're an employee, know what the rest of the world has—so you can advocate for yourself. Change starts with awareness.