News brief

Argentina: minimum wage increased by more than 15%
The government has decided to increase the minimum wage by 15.53%, after the National Wage Council, which brings together the government and social partners, failed to reach an agreement. The...
23 May 2024
EU: Council gives definitive green light to artificial intelligence regulation
The EU regulation on artificial intelligence has been definitively adopted, following final approval by the Council of the EU on Tuesday 21 May. It will apply in the member states two years after...
21 May 2024
Belgium: draft legislation on adequate minimum wages approved
On 17 May, the Council of Ministers approved a draft bill on adequate minimum wages. This text, put forward by Belgian labour minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne, partially transposes the European...
21 May 2024
Belgium: employers will have to introduce a comprehensive MSD prevention policy
A new regulation on workplace ergonomics and the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) will come into force on 25 May in Belgium. The aim is to improve the prevention of MSDs by requiring...
17 May 2024
United Kingdom: companies soon to be required to provide single-sex toilets
On 6 May, the UK government announced a reform of building standards: all new non-domestic buildings will have to be equipped with separate toilets for men and women. Kemi Badenoch, Minister for...
16 May 2024
Romania: tripartite consultation to define mechanism for setting the appropriate minimum wage
On 14 May, labour minister Simona Bucura-Oprescu convened a meeting of employee and employer representatives to draw up a draft legislative act on the transposition of the European directive on...
15 May 2024
Netherlands: ‘staff retention in the event of a crisis’ bill put out to online consultation
On 14 May, the Dutch government launched an online consultation on a draft law on “staff retention in the event of a crisis”. The aim of the bill is to offer “greater security...
15 May 2024
Belgium: conditions for recognition as a company in difficulty altered
On 3 May, the Council of Ministers approved a draft royal decree which modifies the conditions for recognition as a company in difficulty or undergoing restructuring, which enables the...
Italy: social security contribution exemption for hiring young people and women in precarious situations
The ‘Cohesion’ decree, adopted by Italy’s Council of Ministers on 30 April and published in the official journal on 7 May, offers employers new incentives for recruiting...
France: Engie Green signs an agreement to encourage employee commitment on the environment
Engie Green, a subsidiary of the French energy group specialising in the development of renewable energy projects (600 employees), signed an agreement on 12 March dedicated to the ecological...
7 May 2024
Netherlands: Senate rejects equal opportunities employment bill 
On 26 April, the Dutch Senate rejected the bill on equal opportunities in recruitment and selection. The aim of the bill, which was largely adopted by the lower house on 5 March, was to reduce...
7 May 2024
Canada: foreign students will be able to work up to 24 hours a week
On 29 April, Canada’s immigration minister Marc Miller presented new rules governing the employment of foreign students. From September, foreign students will be able to work up to 24 hours...
Czech Republic: retirement age to increase in 2025
On 30 April, the Czech government approved a reform that raises the retirement age beyond the current limit of 65. The reform must now be presented to Parliament to come into force in 2025...
2 May 2024
Poland: Whistleblowers Act soon to be adopted
A bill on the protection of whistleblowers was finally submitted to Parliament on 17 April 2024. It offers a broad range of people who can report irregularities in the operation of a company and...
29 April 2024
Belgium: people undergoing infertility treatment now protected from dismissal
A new law published in Belgium’s official journal on 18 April extends protection against dismissal for pregnant employees to people undergoing infertility treatment or medically assisted...
26 April 2024
United States: end of non-compete clauses
On 23 April, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a new final rule banning non-compete clauses nationwide. The FTC notes that non-compete clauses tend to have a negative impact...
24 April 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
Italy: Enel signs agreement to manage the effects of AI on work
An agreement signed at the end of July by the electricity company Enel (31,000 employees) and the unions Filctem-Cgil, Flaei-Cisl, and Uiltec is pioneering in the Italian energy sector. It aims to...
7 September 2026
2
Italy: artificial Intelligence on the menu of Barilla’s new company agreement
Prior consultation with trade unions on innovations related to artificial intelligence, strengthened training, and progress on parenthood: these are the main new features of the agreement signed...
2 September 2026
3
France: Bayer puts female health and inclusive parenthood at the centre of its equality policy
In a new agreement on gender equality highlighted by mind RH, Bayer commits to strengthening its parenthood policy. Furthermore, the company is anticipating pay transparency and introducing...
25 September 2026
4
France: final document on the work of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference
After six months of discussions between French social partners, the guarantors of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference submitted the conclusions of the discussions to the Prime Minister...
17 September 2026
5
Germany: working time dispute between Mercedes and the IG Metall Union
The news. At the beginning of September, Mercedes-Benz asked employee representatives and the IG Metall union to agree to an increase in the weekly working time from 35 to 40 hours, without any...
16 September 2026
6
Germany: major day of union action in the automotive industry ahead of collective bargaining
A few weeks before the start of collective bargaining in the German metalworking sector, the IG Metall trade union mobilised nearly 175,000 workers across more than 200 industrial sites on 21...
22 September 2026