Germany: disagreement over creation of ‘right’ to work remotely
When presenting an array of plans to modernise the world of work last September, Germany’s minister of employment and social affairs Hubertus Heil (of the SPD) announced his intention to...
Canada: supermarket executives take to shop floor
Managers are rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty. That’s the message being sent out by several supermarket chains. Loblaw, Empire, Longo, and the Canadian subsidiary of...
Chile: promulgation of the ‘distance work and telework law’
More than eighteen months after its initial drafting, the coronavirus pandemic alongside the outlook for a serious nationwide economic and social crisis have provided the necessary impetus for the...
31 March 2020
United States: warehouses and supermarkets hiring massively to cope with demand
During this Covid-19 pandemic, two business sectors are bucking a general downtrend with extremely strong growth, namely the supermarket and distribution sectors. With demand levels already high...
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...
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...
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
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...
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...
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
Digital tools: when companies offer work experience that is 100% virtual
Doing an internship at a multinational firm without even leaving the house, and perhaps while still in one’s pyjamas, is now a possibility, thanks to the concept of virtual work experience offered...
30 September 2019
Opportunities for recruitment and career management being offered by blockchain technology
In an interview on 04 June with David Green for his website My HR Future, HR Tech advisor, Yvette Cameron shares her vision of blockchain storing and managing data technology as it applies to HR...
19 June 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
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