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...
18 May 2022
United States: Goldman Sachs giving executives unlimited vacation time
In an internal memo dated 22 April, investment bank Goldman Sachs announced it was implementing a new ‘flexible vacation’ scheme for its partners and managing directors, who will be free to ‘take...
17 May 2022
Great Britain: Tesco Supermarket tests flexible office rental in its retail spaces
Office space and desks just behind the hair care or the cereals aisles? This is a new idea that Tesco is testing in May in one of its London supermarkets as it partners with the office management...
17 May 2022
Japan: adoption of four-day week progresses slowly
While some large companies in Japan have announced plans to transition to a four-day week, in accordance with the government's recommendations, this new model for work organisation is struggling...
13 May 2022
United Kingdom: PwC extends summer working hours policy
From 1 June to 31 August this year, the 22,000 UK employees of auditing and consulting giant PwC will be able to finish their working week at lunchtime every Friday. The move announced on 4 May...
6 May 2022
U.S.: Starbucks excluding unionized employees from its wage hike plan
On 03 May, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced wage increases for all U.S. employees, except those who have joined, or are in the process of joining a trade union. During a Wall Street analyst...
5 May 2022
Italy looking to attract ‘digital nomads’
Italy’s government intends to facilitate highly skilled non-EU workers looking to pursue their careers on Italian soil. A measure, which on 28 March was published in the Official Journal was...
Airbnb will offer employees maximum flexibility in choosing their place of work
On 28 April, the private home subletting platform Airbnb informed its employees (global headcount of just 6,000 in 2021) of a revolutionary change to its work organisation that includes autonomy...
3 May 2022
Ireland: paid fertility leave for Lidl employees
On 25 April, the Irish subsidiary of the German discount supermarket chain announced it was creating and offering paid leave for employees undergoing IVF fertility treatments or seeking to undergo...
27 April 2022
Italy: Terna launches a new participatory model of social relations
The protocol agreement signed in March 2022 by Terna (Italy’s power Transmission System Operator), and the trade unions includes the establishment of a ‘consultation committee on the group's...
26 April 2022
Germany: firms show growing interest in Ukrainian workers
As German companies continue to grapple with labour shortages, particularly in tech-focused sectors, many are increasingly looking to the skills offered by Ukrainian refugees and are stepping up...
Brazil: Petlove&Co offers staff health insurance plans for their pets
Petlove&Co, Brazil’s largest online platform for pet products and services, is to offer its thousand or so employees an all-new benefit: a health insurance scheme to cover their pets, in...
Great Britain: Vodafone introduces its Carer’s Leave policy
On 08 April the UK telecommunications giant unveiled a new leave of absence that will allow its 10,000 UK employees to benefit from up to 18 weeks of leave to look after loved ones who are...
14 April 2022
BNP Paribas signs its European charter on telework
On 06 April, the French banking group, together with the UNI Europa Finance trade union federation, the European Federation of Credit Institution Executives (FEDEC), and the bank’s European Works...
13 April 2022
France: Bouygues Telecom offers students direct contact with its own dual work-study colleagues
The French communications company is innovating in terms of the jobs candidate experience. With its dual work-study recruitment campaign, the company is offering applicants a direct...
Austria: a four-day working week on the cards at discount retailer Lidl
In its 2021 business report, Lidl Österreich has announced its intention to offer a four-day week to some of its central services employees. The Austrian subsidiary of the German discount...
12 April 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
EU: Commission launches consultation with social partners on quality jobs
On 4 December, the European Commission launched the first phase of consultation with social partners with a view to a European directive on jobs, which is scheduled for the end of 2026. It could...
4 December 2025
2
EDF bans alcohol on all its sites
From 1 January 2026, French energy giant EDF (180,000 employees) will prohibit alcohol consumption at all internal and external corporate events, from social gatherings to seminars. The policy...
26 November 2025
3
United Kingdom: government scraps plan to introduce ‘day one’ protection against unfair dismissal
The UK government announced on 27 November, in a statement, that it would not be introducing the right to challenge unfair dismissal (without cause) from the first day of employment in its...
3 December 2025
4
Poland: bill adopted to amend definition of psychological harassment
On 27 November, the Polish cabinet adopted a draft amendment to the labour code aimed at simplifying the definition of psychological harassment at work, or “mobbing” (Article 94 3)...
4 December 2025
5
EU: MEPs demand directive on algorithmic management
Members of the European Parliament have called for a directive on algorithmic management. Such legislation would introduce obligations for companies to inform employees, assess health and safety...
17 December 2025
6
Austria: European rules on wage transparency expected to cause a cultural shock
With the gender pay gap in Austria being the second largest in the European Union (18.3%), the Austrian government has promised to introduce a bill next spring to transpose the European directive...
27 November 2025