All articles

Great Britain: towards a simpler apprenticeship system
On 27 May the UK government announced measures simplifying the current apprenticeship system that will start to take effect in August 2022. The goal is to make the apprenticeship programme...
Portugal: piloting the four-day working week
Portugal is set to launch a pilot experiment to study new work organizations, which include the four-day working week and the use of hybrid working models (in-presence combined with telework). The...
Russia: minimum wage to rise by 10% from 1 June
On 25 May, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a 10% minimum wage increase that will take effect from 1 June. The hike, announced during a meeting of the State Council Presidium, will see...
Ukraine: new provisions adopted to facilitate dismissals in wartime
Since the martial law introduced in March this year (see article n°12971) was not able to take into consideration all labour relations issues in times of war, the Ukrainian parliament –...
30 May 2022
G7 labour and employment ministers commit to strengthening vocational training amid transitioning economies
On 24 May 2022 during their meeting held in the north-German city of Wolfsburg, the G7 labour and employment ministers agreed on a roadmap for a ‘Just transition and the promotion of decent...
25 May 2022
Great Britain: KPMG makes unconscious bias training mandatory
From June 2022, all 15,800 staff at the UK accounting and auditing giant will undergo mandatory ‘unconscious bias training.’ Employees who refuse the training risk losing part of their...
25 May 2022
Ireland: government publishes gender pay gap calculation guidance
The government is in the process of providing more details over legislation introduced in 2021 that progressively requires large Irish business organisations to publish their gender pay gaps. On...
24 May 2022
Finland: parental leave reform to promote gender equality
Finland's new parental leave system, which comes into effect on 01 August 2022, aims to improve parents’ work-life balance, strengthen the role of fathers, and take various family configurations...
Japan: government pushes for greater pay transparency to combat gender inequality
Since Friday 20 May, the upcoming requirement for large companies to disclose their pay gaps has become the centrepiece of the "new capitalism" agenda advocated by Japanese prime minister Fumio...
United Kingdom: Mamas & Papas introduces IVF leave and extends parental leave allowance
UK retailer Mamas & Papas, which specialises in childcare products, last week unveiled a new support policy for its 800 employees, with measures dedicated specifically to parenthood. The aim...
France: “We completely revamped our offices based on the use cases we identified,” Talan HR director Nicolas Recapet (interview)
Amid the rise of remote work, Paris-based IT innovation and transformation consulting group Talan is to relocate to new offices that are more suited to collaborative work and meeting the group's...
Israel: government proposes paid paternity leave allowance of between two weeks and one month
On 11 May, Israel’s finance minister Avigdor Lieberman and transport minister Merav Michaeli announced the government’s plan to introduce paid paternity leave. Under the existing law...
20 May 2022
Customer relations firm Critizr provides employees with menstrual and miscarriage leave
French customer relations company Critizr has decided to grant a specific leave period to females based in five different countries who have undergone a miscarriage. Employees whose partners have...
19 May 2022
India: Sri Mookambika Infosolutions providing matchmaking services as a way of retaining talent
Founded in 2006, Sri Mookambika Infosolutions (SMI), a global technology solutions provider headquartered in Madurai, in the southern Tamil Nadu state, has decided to assist its employees find...
Germany: SAP pilots ‘Focus Friday’, to encourage a meeting-free end to the week
Following a number of trials, the German and European leading multinational software corporation has decided to extend the "Focus Friday" principle of to all its German employees. Starting on 20...
U.S.: McDonald’s leaves Russia while ensuring its employees’ jobs
On 16 May, and after 32 years in business in the country, the American fast-food chain announced it was withdrawing from Russia, due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. McDonald’s opened...
18 May 2022
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Catherine Chavanier (CDC Habitat): “Social dialogue on AI facilitates its deployment”
In February, CDC Habitat (10,500 employees) signed a two-year framework agreement governing social dialogue on AI. Catherine Chavanier, HR Director of the subsidiary of CDC (Caisse des dépôts et...
2
France: La Poste to launch negotiations for an AI agreement
Following the lead of firms such as Axa, Syensqo globally, and more recently CDC Habitat, La Poste group management will open negotiations on an AI regulation agreement during the first half of...
3
France: bioMérieux’s new disability agreement pivots towards mental health
The news. On 6 January 2026, bioMérieux—an in vitro diagnostics specialist employing 4,400 people in France—signed a new four-year agreement “relating to the employment...
4
United Kingdom: launch of consultation on protection against detriment for industrial action
The British government launched a public consultation on 26 February regarding new protections for workers against "detriment" related to industrial action, scheduled to take effect in October...
12 March 2026
5
France: Club Med includes “multiculturalism” in its professional equality agreement
In December 2025, Club Med and the CFTC, Unsa, and FO trade unions signed an agreement on professional equality and working conditions. It introduces measures addressing AI, pay transparency, and...
23 March 2026
6
Germany: controversial collective bargaining compliance act adopted
On 26 February, the Bundestag approved the Tariftreuegesetz (collective bargaining compliance act), aimed at strengthening collective agreements and tackling social dumping by tying certain public...
26 February 2026