Thomas Schnee
Freelance
Expertise
As a correspondent in Berlin for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business world and labour market. My areas of interest include co-management, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.
Most read articles by Thomas Schnee
Germany: legal battle at Tesla ahead of works council election
The Frankfurt/Oder labour court has postponed a mid-November hearing in the case between the IG Metall union and Michaela Schmitz, employee representative and head of the works council at the...
28 October 2025
Austria: Social Affairs Committee green-lights improved redundancy conditions for self-employed workers
On 8 October 2025, the Social Affairs Committee of the Austrian National Council, the country’s lower house of parliament, approved new redundancy rules for self-employed workers, paving the...
- HR
- News brief
14 October 2025
Switzerland: National Council relaxes remote work rules and introduces right to disconnect
Swiss federal lawmakers have voted by a wide margin to extend the framework governing remote working, aiming to "better reflect the opportunities offered by digitalisation" and promote a healthier...
17 October 2025
Germany: EU pay transparency directive to force companies to ‘get tough’
Germany introduced a pay transparency law in 2017, meaning companies are already somewhat familiar with the issue. However, the broader scope and stricter requirements of the EU directive, the...
24 October 2025
Latest articles by Thomas Schnee
Germany: court ruling on legality of paying different night time bonus premia
In a decision of principle published on 22 February 2023, Germany’s Federal Labor Court (BAG) ruled that bonus payments for night work paid by a company may differ depending on whether the work...
28 February 2023
Germany: rapid integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labour market (survey)
In August and September 2022, the Institute for Labour Market and Vocational Training surveyed more than 11,000 Ukrainian refugees in Germany. This Federal Employment Agency think tank collected...
- HR
- News
23 February 2023
Germany: a better ability to negotiate pay cannot justify a gender pay gap (court ruling)
In the week 13 February 2023 the German Federal Labour Court issued a ruling that could well change salary setting practices at the time of hiring, and result in the re-examination of thousands of...
Germany: whistleblower protection law hit by new delay
A bill passed in December by the German Bundestag, for law to protect whistleblowers (Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz), was blocked on Friday 10 February by the Bundesrat, the chamber where the...
- HR
- News brief
17 February 2023
Germany: Berlin wants to introduce a one-year leave period for further education and training
Germany is preparing to introduce a system of continuing education for employees that has at its centre a one-year training leave opportunity, during which time the employee’s salary will be...
18 January 2023
Germany: judgment makes it easier to keep unused paid leave
In a potentially landmark ruling, issued on 20 December 2022, the German Federal Labour Court (BAG) decided that employees remain entitled to unused paid leave for an indefinite period, if their...
16 January 2023
Germany: court ruling will make it easier to terminate older workers employment contracts
In early December 2022, Germany’s Federal Labour Court ruled that when assessing the social criteria for determining the order in which employment contract terminations are made, how close an...
12 January 2023
Germany: bill adopted to promote a more inclusive labour market
At the end of 2022, the German government adopted a bill that sets out to foster a more inclusive labour market. The objective is to bring more people with disabilities into the primary labour...
Germany: Deutsche Bahn pays €150 bonus to staff proposing energy saving ideas
Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway operator and a huge consumer of electricity, revealed on Wednesday 14 December that its search for good ideas to reduce energy waste, launched in...
16 December 2022
Germany: Continental urged to communicate better with its employees over the theft of its data
After a cyberattack that resulted in the theft of 40 terabytes of data from the German automotive supplier Continental (54,000 German employees), it has taken four months and significant pressure...
15 December 2022
Germany: Chancellor Scholz looking to halt early retirement
One phrase uttered by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reignited the debate on pensions and the reforms being prepared for 2023. “We need to increase the share of those who can actually...
- HR
- News brief
13 December 2022
Germany: Berlin rolls out its new migration policy
Faced with a severe shortage of skilled labour, Germany is rolling out a massive programme to activate and seek skilled workers. In order to make up for its shortages, the country has to hire...
- HR
- News
1 December 2022
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
Italy: decree-law adopted to increase workplace safety
On 28 October, the Italian cabinet adopted a decree-law on health and safety at work, aimed at preventing and reducing accidents. The text addresses both the powers and actions of supervisory...
4 November 2025
Romania: parents of children with disabilities granted up to eight days of remote work per month
On 9 October, the Romanian parliament adopted a bill aiming to bolster support for parents of children with disabilities up to the age of 18. The legislation, which came into force on 12 October...
4 November 2025
Carrefour and UNI Global Union renew global agreement on promoting social dialogue and diversity
On 17 October, Carrefour, one of the world’s largest retailers, with nearly 500,000 employees worldwide, and global union federation UNI Global Union renewed their global agreement on...
3 November 2025
mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators
In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...
31 October 2025
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
Germany: legal battle at Tesla ahead of works council election
The Frankfurt/Oder labour court has postponed a mid-November hearing in the case between the IG Metall union and Michaela Schmitz, employee representative and head of the works council at the...
28 October 2025
2
Netherlands: ING cites AI as it plans to cut around 950 jobs
Dutch bank ING has informed the employment agency UWV that it may cut around 950 jobs by 31 December 2026. In its notification on 20 October, the lender said the planned reductions stem partly...
30 October 2025
3
AI-driven job cuts on the rise in tech sector
As leading tech companies ramp up investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and roll out transformation plans to boost its development, layoffs across the sector are increasing. But are the job...
7 October 2025
4
France: generative AI and older workers central to BPCE’s skills management strategy
On 17 July 2025, BPCE and its trade unions signed a second agreement on jobs and career management within the banking group. The text places generative artificial intelligence at the core of its...
15 October 2025
5
France: austerity measures proposed in social security financing bill for 2026
Limits on sick leave, the end of social security exemptions for apprentices, and the introduction of additional birth leave: the 2026 social security financing bill, presented to parliament on 14...
16 October 2025
6
Carrefour and UNI Global Union renew global agreement on promoting social dialogue and diversity
On 17 October, Carrefour, one of the world’s largest retailers, with nearly 500,000 employees worldwide, and global union federation UNI Global Union renewed their global agreement on...
3 November 2025