News brief

United Kingdom: government urged to legislate against forced labour
After consulting victims, businesses and NGOs, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) has published a report showing that the UK is lagging behind in the fight against forced labour. The...
13 January 2026
Poland: reform introduces possibility of working for another employer while on sick leave
On 7 January, the President of Poland promulgated an amendment to the country’s social insurance act. The reform aims to clarify the activities permitted during sick leave, so that...
12 January 2026
France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations
After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...
12 January 2026
France: Crédit Agricole signs first independent agreement on disability
On 8 December, French banking group Crédit Agricole and three of the four representative trade unions (CFE-CGC, CFDT and FO) in France signed a disability agreement for the period...
9 January 2026
Norway: role of labour inspectorate strengthened to prevent sick leave
On 8 January, the Norwegian government issued a 2026 letter of assignment to the labour inspectorate, signalling an intention to strengthen its enforcement activity. The main objective of the...
9 January 2026
Czech Republic: employers required to contribute to retirement savings for employees in high-risk occupations
Since 1 January 2026, Czech employers have been required to contribute to the retirement savings of employees in occupations classified as high-risk (known as ‘category three’) due to...
8 January 2026
Spain: government wants 3.1% minimum wage hike
Spain's ministry of labour has informed the social partners of its intention to raise the minimum wage to €1,221 gross per month. This increase is expected to be approved by the Council of...
8 January 2026
EU: BNP Paribas renews charter on remote work
French banking group BNP Paribas is not rolling back on remote work, opting to renew the charter first signed in 2021 with its European works council, UNI Europa Finance and the FECEC (European...
7 January 2026
Luxembourg: pension reform adopted
After months of debate, Luxembourg MPs approved the pension reform on 18 December 2025. While the statutory retirement age will remain at 65, workers will be required to stay in employment for...
7 January 2026
Norway: government cracks down on absenteeism due to illness
On 15 December, Norway’s employment minister Kjersti Stenseng, of the Labour Party, presented measures aimed at reducing the length of sick leave. “The rate of absenteeism due to...
6 January 2026
Argentina: government unveils labour reform
Argentina's ultra-liberal president Javier Milei wants to "modernise labour" with a new reform that has been greeted with opposition from trade unions. Submitted to the Senate on 11 December, the...
6 January 2026
Italy: collective agreement for rubber and plastics sector focuses on new skills
A month ahead of schedule, the Federazione Gomma Plastica employers' organisation and the Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec trade unions have renewed the collective agreement for the rubber and...
5 January 2026
Mexico: government proposes introduction of 40-hour week
On 3 December 2025, Mexico’s left-wing government presented its proposed reform for a 40-hour week (compared to the current 48 hours). The bill submitted to the Senate provides for a gradual...
5 January 2026
United Kingdom: Parliament finally passes Employment Rights Bill
The UK Labour government's flagship reform of employment rights was passed by both houses on 16 December after a turbulent parliamentary process. The bill introduces numerous changes to labour...
18 December 2025
EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI
On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...
18 December 2025
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
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 to launch a business coalition against modern slavery
The news. On 16 October, the European Commission presented a new strategy to combat human trafficking. While labour exploitation reported by the authorities rose by 17% between 2021-2022 and...
19 October 2026
2
UK: government promises human rights due diligence bill
The news. On 4 November, the government promised, through Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds before the House of Lords, the statutory introduction of human rights due diligence in the UK. It...
5 November 2026