News brief

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
Germany: AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt raises concerns over labour supply and workplace cohesion
The rise of Germany’s far-right AfD, which could soon gain influence over migration policy in Saxony-Anhalt and, following elections on September 20, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well, is...
Denmark: introduction of a professional ID card for construction site workers
The news. On 3 September, the Danish Parliament adopted a bill introducing a mandatory professional ID card for people working on large construction sites. The card will include, among other...
Netherlands: towards a ban on housing cost deductions from migrant workers’ wages
The news. On September 10, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Hans Vijlbrief (centre-left) sent a letter to the House of Representatives, stating that he intends to prohibit employers...
United States: Government seeks to eliminate 60-Day grace period allowing foreign workers to find new employment
The news. On September 10, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed eliminating the grace period that allows certain foreign workers to remain legally in the United States for up to...
France: the consulting, engineering and digital sector (Betic) supports companies in their environmental transition
The news. Fédération Cinov, which represents consulting and engineering professions (1.2 million employees), signed a sector-wide agreement on July 9, 2026, concerning...
11 September 2026
France: Cabinet adopts pay transparency bill
After several months of delay beyond the European deadline of 7 June 2026, French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou finally presented the bill transposing the Pay Transparency Directive to the...
10 September 2026
France: bioMérieux strengthens its end-of-career support measures
The news. In vitro diagnostic specialist bioMérieux (4,400 employees in France) and unions CFDT, CFE-CGC, and CGT signed a new agreement on June 18, 2026, dedicated to end-of-career...
10 September 2026
Spain: approval of decree on employees’ right to clear information on working conditions
The Spanish government validated, on September 8 in the Council of Ministers, the decree transposing the European directive on transparent and predictable working conditions. This text requires...
9 September 2026
Italy: work-life balance at the heart of the new Lavazza agreement
The News. Italian coffee giant Lavazza and the Fai-Cisl and Uila unions signed an agreement on June 30th that emphasizes work flexibility. This text, concluded for three years (2026–2028)...
8 September 2026
Spain: government revisits its draft decree on salary transparency
The Spanish Ministry of Labour has opened a consultation on the transposition of the European directive on salary transparency and the reduction of the gender pay gap. This decision follows a...
8 September 2026
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
Slovakia: a bill to “clarify” personal data protection measures
The news. The Slovak government approved a bill on personal data protection on August 26, 2026. This text aims to clarify existing regulations regarding employees’ rights and...
7 September 2026
Australia: guaranteed rights for platform delivery drivers
The news. On 11 August, Australia’s Fair Work Commission published new minimum standards that must be guaranteed for platform delivery drivers from 17 August. Whether they use a bicycle or a...
4 September 2026
United Kingdom: government “names and shames” companies that fail to pay the minimum wage
The news. On September 3, the UK government published a list of employers penalised for failing to comply with the National Minimum Wage. Nearly 660 companies were named, including fast-food chain...
4 September 2026
France: Medef puts forward proposals to improve management quality
On 31 August, Medef, French main employers' organisation, published a practical guide to managerial skills, which it considers to be a driver of economic performance for businesses. Concerned by...
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
France: following the post-Covid boom, large companies scale back on remote working
In the post-pandemic context, large French groups multiplied generous remote working agreements before reversing the trend from 2024 onwards. What is the extent of this phenomenon? mind RH...
2
France: Iliad structures its skills management around AI
The news. On 9 April, Iliad (11,600 employees in France), the parent company of telecoms operator Free, concluded an agreement on jobs and career path management with its representative trade...
3
France: how CDC Habitat aims to better promote the expertise of its employees
The housing division of the French public group Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, CDC Habitat (10,800 employees), established new measures on skills in July. They are set out in two agreements...
4
France: La Poste strengthens regional management of jobs and skills
La Poste’s 2026-2028 agreement on the management of jobs, professional pathways and gender diversity in occupations puts the emphasis on supporting mobility and career changes, relying on a...
5
Germany: a negotiation timetable and the prospect of industrial action at Volkswagen
The news. On 23 October, the German carmaker Volkswagen and the trade union IG Metall announced the opening of negotiations on wages, the new cost-cutting programme and job cuts. They will take...
6
Germany: Schaeffler cuts 3,460 jobs and requests temporary wage “solidarity contribution”
The news. On 3 November 2026, German automotive supplier Schaeffler announced a new “earnings improvement programme”, entailing the net reduction of 3,460 jobs in Europe by 2028 (2,660...