Santander extends right to maternity and paternity leave to all staff across global operations
Santander is introducing a global minimum standard for parental leave in every market in which it operates, with mothers granted at least 14 weeks of paid leave and the father or secondary parent...
6 March 2020
Saint-Gobain introduces social protection program worldwide
On 13 February the French construction materials company launched its “CARE by Saint-Gobain” social protection program that will provide specific minimum cover for all the Group’s more than...
18 February 2020
Franco-German initiative for ‘in-house’ apprenticeships in industry, with greater focus on digital and language skills
The Franco-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CFACI) and the French branches of four large German chemicals groups (BAYER, BASF, Merck and Boehringer) have teamed up to create a joint...
France: Novartis establishes 16-weeks of paid parental leave, starting 01 January 2020
Employees at the pharmaceutical company’s French subsidiary are set to receive an extra two weeks of paid parental leave above and beyond the standard minimum duration as required in the...
France: 105 businesses commit to awarding a minimum of one month paid leave for second parents
An opinion piece published in the 05 February edition of the daily economics publication Les Echos (here) indicates that 105 companies (primarily in the tech, organic, and sustainable development...
Hungary: Diageo introduces 26 weeks paternity leave
Fathers in Hungary can avail of five-days of paid statutory leave following the birth of a child. This leave can be taken whole or in several parts but must be used before the child is two months...
5 February 2020
United Kingdom: companies allow staff to book ‘hangover days’
With the festive season fast approaching, a digital marketing start-up in the north-west of England has attracted attention for offering its employees “hangover days”. The idea behind...
16 December 2019
Germany: companies focus on issue of parenthood amid talent war
On 25 November the German arm of US IT giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced that all employees will now be eligible for six months of parental leave, with 100% pay from the company...
2 December 2019
United Kingdom: when companies move to break the taboo of menopause
From banking group HSBC to supermarket chain Sainsbury’s and professional services group PwC, more and more UK companies are now talking about the sensitive topic of menopause and the need to put...
22 November 2019
Switzerland: a new agreement for Lidl focuses on longer paternity and maternity leave periods
On 08 November, Lidl Suisse, together with the trade unions Syna and the Swiss Society of Commerce Employees (Société suisse des employés de commerce), signed a new collective convention for the...
14 November 2019
Vodafone introduces parental leave of four months with 100% pay for second parents
Under a new policy introduced by the UK telecommunications giant, male and female employees whose partner has a baby, adopts a child or becomes a parent through surrogacy will be entitled to 16...
8 November 2019
PSA: “HR divisions have to hold a strategic position in order to create real conditions for success,” Xavier Chéreau, Group HR head
HR divisions able to pilot transformation processes: it is with this ambition in mind that Xavier Chéreau has positioned the French automaker’s HR function as a strategic partner in driving...
5 November 2019
Japan : Microsoft 4-day working week trial to promote ‘life choices at work’ and speed up changing attitudes
Over the course of August 2019, the 2,300 staff at Microsoft’s Japanese headquarters tried out working on a 4-day per week basis, when they worked for four consecutive days and did not work...
5 November 2019
Great Britain : 30 major businesses commit to mental health
Thirty employers including banking names Santander Bank, Barclays Bank and Lloyds Banking Group, the Royal Mail, multinationals such as Unilever, and the advisory firm Deloitte have promised to...
23 October 2019
Digital tools : UK start-up ‘predicts’ employee resignations
Oxford-based visual data management start-up, Zegami, has just launched a new tool for employers that will enable them to predict which employees are most likely to resign from their jobs. Called...
16 October 2019
Belgium: a banking sector agreement that focuses on training and teleworking
On 30 September, Belgium’s banking sector social partners including Febelfin (employers’ federation), and the CGSLB, FGTB, and CSC trade unions bodies signed an agreement that will apply to almost...
3 October 2019
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
Spain: government seeks to strengthen protection for employee whistleblowers
On 28 July, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a draft bill aimed at providing legal protection to employees who report corruption or breaches of labour law, shielding them from potential...
27 August 2026
2
France: Cabinet adopts pay transparency bill
After several months of delay beyond the European deadline of 7 June 2026, French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou finally presented the bill transposing the Pay Transparency Directive to the...
10 September 2026
3
Netherlands: Uber fined over 800 million euros for automated algorithmic decisions
The news. In a decision dated 17 August, the Dutch Data Protection Authority fined ride-hailing company Uber €825 million for automating decisions regarding driver account deactivations. The...
4
Italy: Crédit Agricole introduces a handbook on managerial behaviour
The document adopted in mid-July by Crédit Agricole Italia and the main banking trade unions goes beyond the proper use of meetings and emails. This six-point handbook aims to foster constructive...
3 September 2026
5
Spain: government revisits its draft decree on salary transparency
The Spanish Ministry of Labour has opened a consultation on the transposition of the European directive on salary transparency and the reduction of the gender pay gap. This decision follows a...
8 September 2026
6
Germany: introduction of the concept of partial incapacity for work
The news. On 10 July, the German Parliament definitively adopted the “Act to Stabilise Contribution Rates in the Statutory Health Insurance System”...