News brief

Finland: new law to foster employment of over-55s takes effect
A new law aiming to foster integration of over-55s into the labour market has entered into force in Finland as of 1 January 2023, having been adopted by the country’s parliament on 21 April...
2 January 2023
News feed paused from 19 to 30 december inclusive
The team at mind RH will be taking a few days off at the end of an action-packed year of news. We will resume publication on the morning of Monday 2 January 2023. Our news archives will of course...
16 December 2022
Germany: Deutsche Bahn pays €150 bonus to staff proposing energy saving ideas
Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway operator and a huge consumer of electricity, revealed on Wednesday 14 December that its search for good ideas to reduce energy waste, launched in...
16 December 2022
Great Britain: younger retirees return to work in the face of inflation
On 13 December, the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that between August-October 2022, the number of economically inactive fell 0.2% to 21.5% compared to the previous three...
Germany: Chancellor Scholz looking to halt early retirement
One phrase uttered by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reignited the debate on pensions and the reforms being prepared for 2023. “We need to increase the share of those who can actually...
13 December 2022
United States: UAW to represent workers at General Motors battery plant
Representatives of the United Auto Workers, the automotive sector trade union, have just won their first victory in the sector of electric vehicle batteries. Employees of Ultium, a Ohio-based...
12 December 2022
Slovakia: retirement age cap of 64 to be scrapped next year
Slovakia’s statutory retirement age, which in the year 2022 stands at 62 years and eight months, and rises by two months each year, was set to be capped at 64. However, in light of the...
12 December 2022
Mexico: minimum wage to rise by 20% in 2023
On 1 January 2023, the minimum wage in Mexico is to rise from 260.34 pesos per day to 312.41 pesos (approximately €15) in the so-called Free Zone in the north of the country, while in the...
9 December 2022
Switzerland: paid adoption leave to be introduced in 2023
From 1 January 2023, employees in Switzerland will be entitled to two weeks of paid leave when they adopt a child under the age of four. The two weeks of leave represent an overall allowance for...
9 December 2022
Spain: government seeks to mitigate the impact of industrial restructuring plans
Spanish Industry Minister Reyes Maroto has presented draft legislation designed to mitigate the impact of industry restructuring and job cuts. The text, which must now be negotiated with the...
7 December 2022
Great Britain: exclusivity clauses in low-paying employment contracts rendered unenforceable
As of 05 December 2022, employment contracts for UK workers earning less than the lower weekly earnings limit (maximum of £123 pounds (€142.60) can no longer apply an exclusivity...
7 December 2022
Great Britain: the government is funding thousands of training courses in the green sector
On 01 December the UK executive announced it was providing £9.2 million (€10.69 million) in new funding for almost 9,000 green energy related training courses at accredited centres. The...
6 December 2022
EU: Council adopts position on due diligence directive, reducing its scope
On 1 December, the Council of the European Union adopted its position on the corporate sustainability due diligence directive, presented in February by the European Commission. The text, which...
2 December 2022
United Kingdom: over 100 companies spontaneously adopt four-day week
4 Day Week, a not-for-profit organisation campaigning nationwide in the UK for a four-day working week, has announced that – beyond a pilot programme it has launched, ongoing at 70 UK...
2 December 2022
Romania: minimum wage to rise by 17.6% from 01 January 2023
Following several months of negotiations, the government and social partners have agreed to raise the minimum wage as of 01 January 2023. In application of the European Directive on adequate...
30 November 2022
Germany: real wages are falling as sectors gear up for 2023 wage negotiations
It is too early to know whether salary increases negotiated in autumn 2022 in the major Chemicals and Metals sectors (+6.5%, +8.5% respectively over two years plus €3,000 each) will help to...
29 November 2022
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: Omnibus Directive clears key milestone in European Parliament
On 13 October, the European Parliament’s position on the Omnibus Directive was approved by its Committee on Legal Affairs by 17 votes to six. Regarding due diligence rules, the report...
13 October 2025
2
mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators
In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...
3
Netherlands: ING cites AI as it plans to cut around 950 jobs
Dutch bank ING has informed the employment agency UWV that it may cut around 950 jobs by 31 December 2026. In its notification on 20 October, the lender said the planned reductions stem partly...
30 October 2025
4
Italy: European pay transparency directive, a major step forward for businesses
Italy’s labour market continues to suffer from limited pay transparency and a persistent gender pay gap. The forthcoming implementation of the EU pay transparency directive — still awaiting...
5
Germany: EU pay transparency directive to force companies to ‘get tough’
Germany introduced a pay transparency law in 2017, meaning companies are already somewhat familiar with the issue. However, the broader scope and stricter requirements of the EU directive, the...
24 October 2025
6
Germany: ‘active retirement’ law adopted to encourage seniors to remain in the workforce
On 15 October, Germany’s cabinet approved draft legislation on ‘active retirement‘, which is expected to pass swiftly through Parliament. The bill would allow people who continue...