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: minimum wage to rise by 14% over two years
On 26 June, the German minimum wage commission published its proposal on adjustments for the next two years. It calls for raising the minimum wage to €13.90 gross per hour on 1 January 2026...
1 July 2025
Austria: major pension system reform proposed
On 18 June, the leaders of the parliamentary groups of Austria's governing parties (conservatives, social democrats and liberals) announced the broad outlines of a pension reform plan. The planned...
Germany: early retirement under fire
Early retirement is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. However, more and more often, people who opt for this scheme then go on to receive benefits designed to keep older people in work...
Germany: two collective agreements for temporary work sector merge
The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the General Association of Personnel Service Providers (GVP) have signed a new joint collective agreement for the temporary work sector, which...
19 June 2025
Austria: spring collective bargaining ends with pay rises from 2.65% to 3.05%
Led by Austria's two major trade unions PRO GE (industry) and GPA (private sector employees in all sectors), the 2025 spring negotiations were marked by more aggressive demands and, above all, a...
12 June 2025
Germany: Volkswagen creates new structures to accelerate job cuts
With at least 20,000 early departures already confirmed, Volkswagen's plan to reduce its German workforce appears to be on schedule. However, the extensive restructuring at Europe's leading car...
10 June 2025
Germany: IG Metall shelves four-day week demand
As the new government's stance in favour of greater flexibility and longer working hours for German workers fuels a growing debate, the IG Metall trade union has announced that it is shelving its...
28 May 2025
Germany: debate over working time reform gains momentum
The coalition agreement signed by Germany's conservative CDU/CSU and social democratic SPD parties provides for the abolition of the eight-hour working day in favour of a maximum weekly working...
26 May 2025
Germany: labour court hands down ruling on retention of stock option rights after resignation
The German Federal Labour Court (BAG) has decided that employees retain their rights to all options already exercised after resigning, in a ruling handed down on 19 March. Applicable retroactively...
15 May 2025
SAP significantly waters down diversity programme
In response to US President Donald Trump's executive order to abolish diversity policies, the German business software leader has announced that it is scrapping its target of 40% women in its...
Germany: four-day week niche and unpopular, German Economic Institute finds (study)
Between March and May 2024, the German Economic Institute (IW) surveyed human resources managers from 823 companies of all sizes and across all sectors on the topic of the four-day week with...
25 April 2025
Germany: future coalition wants to abolish due diligence law pending the European directive
The partners in the future German government (CDU/CSU and SPD) have agreed to repeal the national supply chain due diligence act (LkSG), as revealed in their coalition agreement presented on 9...
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
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
4
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
5
France: Auchan Retail job protection plan ruled invalid due to lack of consultation with trade unions
As Auchan Retail moves ahead with plans to cut its store floor space by 25%, the Lille Administrative Court on 23 September annulled its job protection plan (PSE). The retailer, whose...
6 October 2025
6
France: insurance sector becomes first to sign agreement on employment of older workers
On 25 June 2025, France Assureurs – the employers’ association for the insurance industry – and five representative trade unions signed the sector’s first three-year agreement aimed at promoting...
6 October 2025