Published on 22 May 2026, Decree-Law 62/2026—nicknamed the “First of May Decree”—introduces a package of labour-market measures with direct consequences for business travellers, expatriates and remote workers assigned to Italy. The decree re-boots hiring incentives (Youth, Women and ZES bonuses) but, crucially for global mobility teams, also rewrites rules on platform-based work and cross-border telework. Under the new Chapter III, any service performed through digital platforms will be presumed subordinate employment if the platform exercises managerial or algorithmic control. Firms—from ride-hailing apps to international freelance marketplaces—must store activity data, share it with labour inspectors and disclose how algorithms allocate tasks or set pay. Workers gain the right to a human review of automated decisions and clearer pathways to social-security coverage.
![‘First of May Decree’ Brings Fair-Pay Rules and New Rights for Remote-Platform Workers in Italy]()
For anyone unsure about which permit—Digital Nomad Visa, intra-company transfer, or short-stay business visa—best fits their situation, VisaHQ’s Italy hub (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) can streamline the process. The platform’s eligibility checker, document builder and live expert support reduce guesswork and help both employers and travellers secure the correct authorisation before the decree’s compliance deadlines bite.
For multinational employers seconding staff to Italy or engaging Italian-based gig workers, the decree raises the compliance bar. Job posts on the national SIISL portal must quote the exact collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) code and wage grid. Failure to meet the new “fair-pay” floor will disqualify companies from generous social-contribution exemptions and expose them to inspection. Mobility managers should verify that assignment letters, shadow-payroll calculations and vendor contracts reference an eligible CBA. The decree’s incentives still matter: up to €800 per month in social-security relief for eligible hires in Southern Italy (Single ZES) can offset relocation costs. But the hidden cost of non-compliance—algorithm audits, payslip coding, rider traceability—may dwarf the subsidy. Early adopters that align HR tech and vendor hiring practices with the decree could gain a reputational edge and avoid disruption when inspections start. In the broader EU context, Italy positions itself as a testbed for regulating platform work without discouraging digital-nomad inflows. The decree dovetails with Italy’s nascent Digital Nomad Visa and updated Single Work Permit, signalling an integrated approach to attract talent while policing low-wage fragmentation.
For anyone unsure about which permit—Digital Nomad Visa, intra-company transfer, or short-stay business visa—best fits their situation, VisaHQ’s Italy hub (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) can streamline the process. The platform’s eligibility checker, document builder and live expert support reduce guesswork and help both employers and travellers secure the correct authorisation before the decree’s compliance deadlines bite.
For multinational employers seconding staff to Italy or engaging Italian-based gig workers, the decree raises the compliance bar. Job posts on the national SIISL portal must quote the exact collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) code and wage grid. Failure to meet the new “fair-pay” floor will disqualify companies from generous social-contribution exemptions and expose them to inspection. Mobility managers should verify that assignment letters, shadow-payroll calculations and vendor contracts reference an eligible CBA. The decree’s incentives still matter: up to €800 per month in social-security relief for eligible hires in Southern Italy (Single ZES) can offset relocation costs. But the hidden cost of non-compliance—algorithm audits, payslip coding, rider traceability—may dwarf the subsidy. Early adopters that align HR tech and vendor hiring practices with the decree could gain a reputational edge and avoid disruption when inspections start. In the broader EU context, Italy positions itself as a testbed for regulating platform work without discouraging digital-nomad inflows. The decree dovetails with Italy’s nascent Digital Nomad Visa and updated Single Work Permit, signalling an integrated approach to attract talent while policing low-wage fragmentation.
