France: Manpower seeks to raise climate awareness among all its temporary workers Corporate practices The FNV Mondial launched a partnership with the ASN Bank, created in 1960 by Dutch unions and the Reaal insurance group, specialized in “durable” and socially responsible investments. The trade union is going to receive 5 euros for every new saver opening an account by its intermediary at the ASN Bank, a group based in The Hague, which accounts for 480,000 customers and yields €3.8bn in sales every year. The savers sent by the FNV will receive a €20 welcome bonus and ASN Bank employees are entitled to free training on their rights. For its part, the FNV is going to spend the money gathered to support the Sewa union, created in India in 1972 and which received the Right Livelihood Award in 1984. The Sewa, which represents 966,000 members, half of them in the Gujarat State, was identified as one of the most important structures in India for the defense of vulnerable women, mostly small self-employed storekeepers operating in the informal sector.
Major companies form coalition on global social protection baselines Corporate practices Alongside a dozen other major companies, L'Oréal announced on 10 June the launch of the Engage & Care coalition around global social protection baselines. Beyond their commitment to providing their nearly two million employees with rights relating to parenting, caregiving, income and mental health, they intend to share their best practices and engage beyond their own boundaries to take action on these issues.
Sweden: insurer Folksam offloads Tesla shares due to its anti-union stance Corporate practices On 2 May, the Swedish insurer Folksam (3,524 employees) announced that it was selling all of its shares in Tesla. It cites issues at the American car manufacturer owned by Elon Musk with regard to workers' rights in Sweden. The company has been in conflict with the Swedish trade union IF Metall for over a year due to its refusal to negotiate a collective agreement on salaries.
United Kingdom: ethnic diversity slowly increasing on boards of directors Corporate practices The Parker Review of ethnic diversity on the boards of directors of major UK companies, published on 11 March, highlights a significant improvement at those listed on the FTSE 250 in 2024. However, not all the groups concerned have yet appointed a director from a minority group to their board, contrary to the objective that had been set.
China: gig economy delivery workers forced to take a rest Corporate practices Two Chinese online sales platforms, Ele.me and Meituan, have just adopted draconian measures that alert or forcibly disconnect couriers who work excessively long hours, with the aim of preventing the most serious forms of exhaustion.
Exclusif Living wage becomes a corporate responsibility Corporate practices With Michelin's announcements in April, the living wage has come under the spotlight. The issue is about to become a matter of compliance, with the entry into force of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) starting from 2025, which lists pay among the data to be provided annually by companies, concerning both staff and the value chain. Although a number of companies have adopted the living wage, it is still far from being widespread, due to the lack of a common definition and the effort required to put it in place.
Lego links employee bonuses to carbon emission reductions Corporate practices In a bid to reduce the environmental impact of its factories, offices, shops and supply chain, Danish toy giant Lego has decided to link part of its employees’…
United Kingdom: more and more companies break the menopause taboo in the workplace Corporate practices An increasing number of companies in the UK are taking menopause-related symptoms into account in the workplace, with measures such as flexible work, manager training, consultation with experts and office design. The UK authorities, via the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), have just published a new practical guide and are pioneering the way.
Sanofi takes programme dedicated to employees with cancer to global scale Corporate practices The pharmaceutical group, which has been offering social and financial support to employees with cancer or close to patients in France since 2017, has decided to extend this programme worldwide with 100% salary continuation. The move follows positive feedback on the scheme, Florence Cauvet, HR director for France at Sanofi, tells mind RH.
Bangladesh: pay rise after unprecedented strike by garment workers Corporate practices Textile workers win a 56% pay rise after a week of unprecedented strike action. Ten years on from the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory, the finger is once again being pointed at multinational brands.
