News brief

France: government supports raising thresholds for social obligations
As the French government gears up to table a law to achieve greater simplification for businesses at the end of spring, five members of parliament submitted a report to economy minister Bruno Le...
20 February 2024
Spain: labour ministry proposes digital recording of working hours
On 19 February, as part of the tripartite negotiations on the reduction of working hours, the government proposed that the recording of working hours in companies with 50 or more employees should...
20 February 2024
United Kingdom: investigation into sexual harassment in the City
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK’s financial regulator, has ordered more than 1,000 banks, insurance companies and brokers to detail how many cases of sexual harassment...
20 February 2024
Sweden: government seeks to cut low-skilled immigration
On 15 February, Swedish migration minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, of the conservative Moderate Party, presented a number of proposals aimed at tightening conditions for the immigration of...
EU: directive on platform workers once again blocked by member states
As in December, the proposed directive on platform workers has failed to pass the adoption stage of the Member States’ Permanent Representatives Committee. France once again voiced its...
16 February 2024
Spain: large companies to negotiate sustainable mobility plans
For the first time, Spain is proposing to include ecological issues in collective bargaining within companies. On 13 February, the Council of Ministers approved the draft law on sustainable...
16 February 2024
Spain: tripartite negotiations on combatting workplace discrimination against LGTBI people
On 14 February, Spanish labour minister Yolanda Diaz launched the first “social dialogue roundtable to eradicate discrimination against LGTBI people in companies“, along with...
15 February 2024
EU: internships on the rise, but quality still in need of improvement
In an analysis published on 6 February, the European Court of Auditors takes stock of internships in member states. In the space of 10 years, from 2013 to 2023, the proportion of working people...
14 February 2024
Australia: right to disconnect comes closer to introduction 
On 8 February, the Australian senate adopted an amendment proposing the introduction of a right to disconnect, as part of its examination of a bill to reform industrial relations. The text...
13 February 2024
Belgium: ‘pension bonus’ for older workers wishing to extend their careers
The ‘pension bonus‘ announced in June last year will come into force on 1 July 2024 and will benefit people retiring on or after 1 January 2025. This is part of the pension reform and...
12 February 2024
EU: co-legislators reach breakthrough on platform workers directive
While the refusal of a qualified majority of member states blocked the proposed directive on digital platform workers in December, the Council of the EU and European Parliament finally reached a...
9 February 2024
France: flexibility still a priority for employees (survey)
Work-life balance and the quest for autonomy in the workplace are top priorities for French workers. These are the findings of this year’s annual Great Insights survey of over 4,000...
7 February 2024
EU: step towards mandatory training for managers in detecting sexual harassment at work
On 6 February, EU member states and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on the proposed directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. The text is intended...
7 February 2024
Mexico: government wants to guarantee minimum wage rises above inflation
On 5 February, president Andrés Manuel López Obrador proposed that the adjustment of minimum wage increases should be a constitutional provision. This measure was announced as part...
6 February 2024
Société Générale and Deutsche Bank announce redundancy plans
European banks are tightening their belts. Firstly, French banking group Société Générale announced on 5 February the elimination of around 900 head office positions...
6 February 2024
Peru: bill seeks to raise retirement age to 75
On 18 January, the Peruvian congress approved a bill to raise the retirement age from 70 to 75 at the request of the employee. The bill stipulates that this request must be made before the...
5 February 2024
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
Germany: government seeks to facilitate immigration of skilled Indian workers
During a visit to India earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the strategic importance of attracting Indian workers to Germany, signing a series of cooperation agreements...
2
France: Medef publishes guide to support career transitions and retraining
France's largest employer federation Medef has provided its regional representatives with a practical guide designed to support career transitions and retraining. Structured around three key tools...
6 February 2026
3
France: 2026 budget expected to maintain employer contribution relief
On 19 January 2026, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu decided to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass France's 2026 budget without a vote in the National Assembly. Three days...
4
EU: Cyprus unveils its six-month presidency programme
Cyprus has set out its priorities for its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On the social front, the centre-right government will focus on the Union of Skills, which aims to boost...
5
Informal economy and slow wage growth hamper decent work, ILO says
The International Labour Organisation published its Employment ans Social Trends 2026 on 14 January. It anticipates unemployment stabilising in 2026 and employment growth of 1%, driven by...
6
EU: Commission wants to facilitate entry of international ‘talent’
In a recommendation published on 29 January, the European Commission calls on member states to take a series of measures to attract and retain international talent. It targets holders of skilled...