France: why Saur has scrapped probation periods for new hires
Saur, the French company specialising in water and waste treatment, was handed an annual prize for human resources innovation on 23 September, after it abolished probation periods for new hires...
Ireland: four major employers set up a remote working alliance
Unveiled on 27 September, Grow Remote’s initiative Remote Alliance, comprising telecoms company Vodafone, online marketplace eBay, electricity group ESB, and insurer Liberty Insurance, aims to...
30 September 2021
Spain: leading banks adopt hybrid working at scale amid pandemic
Spain’s largest banking groups have organised a gradual return to the office for staff working in core services but are maintaining remote work to a significant extent. Asked by Planet Labor about...
27 September 2021
EU: Commissioner for Jobs Nicolas Schmit gives update on projects in social sphere
With France set to take over the rotating European Union Council Presidency in the coming months, Nicolas Schmit, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, made a trip to Paris to meet...
20 September 2021
Great Britain: Morrisons supermarkets cutting sick pay for unvaccinated employees who need to self-isolate
‘From 1 October, following UK government confirmation that all adults have had the opportunity to get double vaccinated, we will no longer be paying full sick pay for pinged colleagues who...
16 September 2021
Spain: BBVA backing hybrid and flex office working
Since 01 September, Spanish bank BBVA has been organizing the gradual return of its employees to its central services premises, via a mix of physical in-office and remote working. Employees are...
15 September 2021
Spain: Telefónica organizes a gradual return to on-site working ahead of the implementation of its new hybrid work arrangements
Management at Telefónica together with the CCOO and UGT trade unions have agreed on terms for employees to start gradually returning to the office as of 27 September. The agreement provides that...
14 September 2021
Spain: Desigual plans to adopt four-day working week with a corresponding reduction in salary
Spain’s fashion brand Desigual is offering staff a reduction working hours by one day in exchange for a 6.5% cut in salary. The working hours offer applies to the 502 employees of the head office...
13 September 2021
Great Britain: be it via yoga classes or free meals, businesses are trying to encourage a return to the office
In order to convince their employees to come back to on site work following 18 months of mandatory full-time teleworking, UK employers such as PwC, Goldman Sachs, and the BP oil & gas group...
8 September 2021
France: “A new work organization to support our strategic project”, Sébastien Graff, InVivo Group Human Resources Director (interview)
Following the return to 20% in-office/on-site work on 21 June 2021 for 1,500 InVivo staff, the agri-coperative group, which comprises 200 cooperatives representing nearly 300,000 farmers and...
2 September 2021
United States: increasing numbers of companies make vaccination mandatory
Various large firms in the US have decided to make it mandatory for their staff to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Investment banking giant Goldman Sachs, drugstore chain CVS Health and oil...
31 August 2021
France: remote work agreement at heart of BNP Paribas smart working policy
On 30 June 2021, BNP Paribas struck a framework agreement on telework, which will allow eligible staff to work remotely two and a half days per week from September. The banking sector union SNB...
23 July 2021
Germany: Hewlett Packard Enterprise on the road to 100% mobile working
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is an American multinational IT enterprise based in Houston, Texas that specializes in data servers, data storage and consulting, and it has decided to shift up a...
20 July 2021
United Kingdom: PwC introduces paid fertility leave for staff
Professional services group PricewaterhouseCoopers has introduced paid fertility leave for its staff. Launched on 1 July, this paid leave allowance offers staff members, regardless of their...
France: “We expect our managers to be team leaders”, Mathilde Le Coz, Director of Human Resources at Mazars (interview)
Mathilde Le Coz is taking over as HR Director for France after more than 15 years with the international audit, taxation, consulting, accounting and legal services group. Her mission is to support...
30 June 2021
Japan: government proposes four-day week
In its annual economic policy programme, which was unveiled on 18 June, the Japanese government formally recommended an “optional” four-day working week. The intention is not only to free up time...
28 June 2021
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
Ireland: minimum wage increase of 5,6% from 1 January 2027
The info. The Irish government has included a minimum wage increase of 79 cents in its Budget 2027, in line with recommendations from the Low Pay Commission. The rate will rise from €14.15...
2
Denmark: government prepares implementation of pay transparency in March 2027
The news. On 8 October, the Danish executive submitted the bill transposing the European Pay Transparency Directive to the national Parliament. The text stems from an agreement between trade...
3
China: draft bill to strengthen platform workers’ rights
On 8 October, the Chinese government published a draft bill open for consultation aimed at providing minimum guarantees to non-employee platform workers in terms of pay and working conditions. The...
23 October 2026
4
Is a global wage freeze at Volkswagen possible?
The existence of an option to implement a global wage freeze until 2030 has been confirmed by the management of the German group Volkswagen, which nevertheless provides no details and refers to...
20 October 2026
5
France: paid leave for victims of sexual and domestic violence finally adopted
The news. On 13 October, the French National Assembly unanimously approved, among voting members, the “comprehensive bill” aimed at protecting victims of sexual and gender-based...
6
Spain: metal industry employers cut sick pay top-ups
To curb absenteeism, Spanish social partners in the metal sector are introducing new clauses into regional collective agreements to reduce the top-up payments made by employers during sick leave...
2 November 2026