Labor & Employment World Cup 2026: Panama and New York on the Workplace Rulebook

Kickoff: Getting to Know the Panamanian National Team 

The Panamanian national team, affectionately known to its fans as “La Sele,” arrives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup carrying both the immense pride and the significant responsibility of being Central America’s sole representative in this historic tournament. The Canalero squad¹ has demonstrated sustained growth within the region, developing a football identity that combines physical strength, pace on the wings, and increasingly sophisticated tactical discipline. Complementing this strategic framework is the passion of the team’s so-called “12th player” or La Marea Roja (the Red Tide). This loyal and boisterous fan base has earned international admiration for its tireless support, bringing the festive atmosphere of Panama City’s streets to stadiums around the world.

Prior to securing its spot in the 2026 tournament, Panama’s World Cup experience consisted of a single appearance at Russia 2018. Yet one moment from that campaign remains etched in the country’s football history and brings great pride. On June 24, 2018, during a group-stage match against England in Nizhny Novgorod, the 78th minute delivered the most sublime instant in Panamanian football history: following a set piece, legendary captain Felipe Baloy slid into the penalty area to connect with the ball, scoring Panama’s first-ever goal in a World Cup. The goal triggered tears from local broadcasters and an ecstatic celebration by La Marea Roja in the stands. Although the match ultimately ended in defeat, the goal symbolized the country’s arrival on football’s biggest stage and reflected the resilience, determination, and pride that continue to define the national team.

The team’s ambitions remain steadfast. Panama no longer views itself merely as an underdog hoping to participate on the global stage. Instead, its objective is to compete confidently against international powerhouses and continue building its place among the world’s emerging football nations.

Home Field Advantage: Introducing New York City

Although the tournament venue is officially located across the Hudson River in East Rutherford, New Jersey, FIFA has designated MetLife Stadium as New York/New Jersey Stadium for World Cup purposes. The arrangement reflects the reality that the metropolitan region functions as a single international destination, with New York City serving as the cultural and economic center for millions of residents and visitors alike.

Few cities in the world can match New York’s global profile. Home to iconic landmarks, diverse neighborhoods, and communities representing virtually every corner of the world, the city has long been defined by its ability to welcome newcomers and bring together different cultures (even if that welcome occasionally arrives with a New York accent and a reminder to keep moving down the sidewalk). That international character makes it a natural setting for a tournament that celebrates both competition and connection across borders.

The region is also no stranger to major sporting events. From championship parades through Lower Manhattan to global events such as the U.S. Open, the New York Marathon, and numerous international soccer matches, New York and New Jersey have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to host large-scale events on the world stage. For Panamanian supporters, the World Cup offers an opportunity to bring the energy of La Marea Roja to one of the world’s most recognizable metropolitan areas.

The Rulebook: Workplace Policies and Employer Rules

Panama 

Imagine a football match without a written rulebook, where players determine their own limits, positions on the pitch are open to interpretation, and the referee has no clear standards to enforce. The result would likely be confusion, inconsistency, and costly disputes. In the workplace, Panama’s Internal Work Regulations (Reglamento Interno de Trabajo) are designed to prevent precisely that outcome.

This document is not merely a strategic recommendation or an optional corporate policy. Under Panamanian labor legislation (specifically Article 181 of the Labor Code), adopting Internal Work Regulations is a legal mandate for any company employing ten (10) or more workers. For these regulations to have full legal validity, internal drafting is not enough; they must be formally submitted, registered, and approved by the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (MITRADEL). Once the labor authority grants its approval, the document automatically becomes an integral part of the individual employment contract, binding both the employer and employees to strict compliance.

Much like FIFA’s regulations, this tool officially defines the field of play, formalizing essential aspects of the employment relationship such as working hours, schedules, rest periods, methods of remuneration, and paydays. It also establishes the rights, obligations, and prohibitions applicable to both employers and employees, including disciplinary procedures and their enforcement mechanisms.

Far from being merely a regulatory requirement, Internal Work Regulations serve as a fundamental management tool. They allow employers to establish the technical and administrative rules necessary to support productivity and the efficient operation of the business while providing employees with clear expectations regarding workplace conduct and discipline. National law limits available disciplinary measures to a verbal warning, a written warning, or a suspension without pay for up to three days. In other words, the referee cannot simply invent a penalty and pull out a yellow or red card in the middle of the match.

Properly drafted, registered, and approved Internal Work Regulations provide a foundation for consistency, transparency, and legal compliance by ensuring that both employers and employees understand the rules governing the workplace in Panama.

New York City and Beyond

In New York City, the state of New York, and throughout the United States, there is generally no legal requirement comparable to Panama’s Internal Work Regulations. Rather than operating under a single government-approved workplace rulebook, employers typically establish workplace expectations through employee handbooks, written policies, codes of conduct, and other internal guidance documents. These materials often serve as the foundation for communicating workplace standards, employee benefits, reporting procedures, and employer expectations.

Like Panama’s Internal Work Regulations, employee handbooks help create structure and transparency within an organization. They typically address topics such as anti-discrimination and anti-harassment obligations, workplace conduct standards, compensation practices, leave entitlements, safety requirements, technology use, and complaint procedures. In a state such as New York, where employers must navigate a complex combination of federal, state, and local employment requirements simultaneously, written policies also play an important role in communicating statutory rights and maintaining compliance.

Overall, the American approach differs significantly from Panama’s model. Employers generally draft, revise, and implement workplace policies without prior government approval, although legislation may establish minimum requirements for the contents of certain written policies, such as anti-sexual harassment policies and paid sick leave policies, and may specify how some policies should be distributed to employees. Nonetheless, this broad flexibility allows organizations to tailor workplace rules to their operational needs, workforce demographics, and corporate culture. At the same time, employers must ensure that policies remain consistent with rapidly evolving legal requirements, including carefully calibrating policies so that they are not overly broad and cannot be interpreted as restricting employees’ protected rights to engage in concerted activity under the federal National Labor Relations Act.

In addition, New York employers increasingly face industry-specific policy obligations based on state or local law. Examples include written policy requirements, training requirements, and other operational rules applicable to particular employers. For instance, New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act requires that covered retail employers implement workplace violence prevention policies and training programs and provide employees with specific notices regarding those protections. For employers that submit competitive bids to provide goods or services for the New York State government, the New York Finance Law requires these employers to adopt a written policy addressing “gender-based violence and the workplace.”

As a result, employee handbooks and workplace policies should evolve over time as legal requirements, workplace practices, and business needs change. In developing and revising those policies, employers frequently balance multiple objectives, including compliance with applicable laws and preserving appropriate management flexibility. Just as Panama’s Internal Work Regulations provide clarity through a formal legal framework, employee handbooks serve a similar function in New York by establishing workplace standards and expectations, promoting compliance, and reducing the likelihood of disputes. Although the mechanisms differ, both systems ultimately seek to ensure that employees and employers understand the rules of the game before play begins.

On the Global Field: Closing Thoughts

Although Panama and New York approach workplace rules through very different legal mechanisms, both systems recognize the value of clearly communicating expectations before disputes arise. Panama achieves this through mandatory, government-approved Internal Work Regulations that formally become part of the employment relationship. New York employers generally rely on employee handbooks and workplace policies that can be tailored to organizational needs while remaining responsive to an evolving legal landscape. Much like a successful football team depends on both talented players and a well-understood rulebook, effective workplaces benefit when employers and employees alike understand the rules of the game before kickoff.