All articles

Argentina: Covid-19 classified as an occupational disease
Covid-19 is now classified as an “unlisted occupational disease” according to a decree published this week in Argentina. The text says this standard applies to persons “carrying...
16 April 2020
Portugal: partial unemployment provisions adjusted to prohibit recourse to redundancies
The Portuguese government has bolstered its legal arsenal to protect workers and businesses against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. As of 15 March, the Council of Ministers adopted a...
16 April 2020
Spain: Inditex group to keep paying all employees in April despite closure of all its stores
Spanish clothing giant Inditex, which owns the retailer Zara, does not plan to make use of the extraordinary temporary lay-off measure (ERTE) that would allow it to claim special aid from the...
France: new measures introduced so collective agreements to address Covid-19 can be enforced as quickly as possible
A new ordinance adapting certain provisions of the labour code to deal with the Covid-19 epidemic, published in France’s official journal on 16 April (here), reduces the time limits trade unions...
16 April 2020
Hungary: several large automobile firms and their suppliers recommence production
At Audi some 100 workers have started working once again in the engine department. The automobile manufacturer devised a comprehensive range of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in...
France: agreement on activity management and job preservation at Danone
The group has ruled out, at least until 31 May 2020, resorting to short-time working measures. The majority agreement signed on 6 April by the SNI2A CFE-CGC and CFDT* trade unions seeks to manage...
15 April 2020
France: court orders Amazon to limit business to essential products pending a risk assessment involving staff representatives
In a decision handed down on 14 April, on a case brought by the trade union Union Syndicale Solidaires, the court in Nanterre ordered Amazon to limit its business to essential items (hygiene...
15 April 2020
Spain: government and social partners in automobile and construction industries issue recommendations on workplace safety to govern the recommencement of work
After 14 days with all non-essential activity in Spain brought to a complete halt, the country’s industry and construction sectors have gradually recommenced activity following the Easter weekend...
15 April 2020
EU: social partners in Europe’s food industry agree on guidelines to safeguard the health of workers in the sector
On 9 April, the European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism sectors (EFFAT) and the European employer organisation FoodDrinkEurope agreed on guidelines to protect the...
15 April 2020
Germany: a tax-free Corona-Bonus for employees
Spring is the season of bonuses and other profit-sharing payouts, particularly in the automotive sector. Looking at the industry’s major manufacturers, bonuses amount to €5,900 at BMW...
15 April 2020
Germany: agreement on health and safety conditions for resumption of production reached at Volkswagen
At Volkswagen, where the production of spare parts has partially resumed following the Easter weekend, management and the central works council at the German car manufacturer presented, on...
14 April 2020
Hungary: companies allowed to unilaterally extend reference period for calculating working time to two years
Under Hungary’s labour code, the reference period for calculating average working hours in the event of unequal distribution of working periods over the year is a maximum of 16 weeks, except...
14 April 2020
Italy: Ferrari unveils innovative ‘Back on Track’ project ahead of activity recommencing
Drawn up in collaboration with a pool of virologists and experts, and with the support of the Emilia Romagna region, the ‘Back on Track’  project unveiled by Ferrari seeks to provide a safe...
14 April 2020
Belgium: employment conditions amended in ‘crucial’ sectors to support their continuation during the crisis
On Saturday 11 April, supporting the special powers granted to prime minister Sophie Wilmès, the Belgian cabinet and the presidents of ten parties in the country’s parliament approved a series of...
14 April 2020
France: decree sets out procedure for social and economic committee meetings held via conference call and instant messaging
One of the urgent measures taken amid the Covid-19 crisis allows social and economic committees (CSE) to hold remote meetings, which constitutes an exemption from the French labour code, so these...
14 April 2020
Italy: FCA and unions define health and safety conditions ahead of sites reopening
On Thursday 9 April the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group (FCA) and all the Italian trade unions, including FIOM-Cgil, signed an agreement on guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which...
10 April 2020
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
Netherlands: new government seeks to “control” social costs
In his government policy statement to Parliament on 25 February, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced several measures designed to "control" social costs. Notably, he proposed raising the...
2
Spain: a bill to regulate internships
On 3 March, the Council of Ministers approved the bill on the “Status for persons undergoing non-professional practical training in companies”. The text limits the number of interns a company can...
3
EU: co-legislators aim to pivot European Globalisation Adjustment Fund towards restructuring anticipation
On 25 February, the Council of the EU and the Parliament reached an agreement on the Commission’s proposed regulation to expand the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). Under the...
4
Block to slash workforce by nearly half
The news. In his latest shareholder letter, Jack Dorsey, CEO of payment service provider Block (formerly Square), announced plans to slash the company’s workforce “by nearly half, from...
5
Germany: launch of the “WE-Fair” alliance for binational training of skilled foreign workers
Germany continues to expand and diversify its initiatives to attract skilled foreign labour from outside the EU. In mid-March 2026, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development...