News brief

India: Sri Mookambika Infosolutions providing matchmaking services as a way of retaining talent
Founded in 2006, Sri Mookambika Infosolutions (SMI), a global technology solutions provider headquartered in Madurai, in the southern Tamil Nadu state, has decided to assist its employees find...
U.S.: McDonald’s leaves Russia while ensuring its employees’ jobs
On 16 May, and after 32 years in business in the country, the American fast-food chain announced it was withdrawing from Russia, due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. McDonald’s opened...
18 May 2022
Belgium: government presents “return to work” plan targeting those on long-term sick leave
On Friday 13 May, the Belgian Council of Ministers unveiled a range of measures as part of its “return to work” plan, aimed at helping many of the 500,000 or so people in the country...
16 May 2022
United Arab Emirates: food delivery workers step up strike action to secure better pay
Food delivery workers in the United Arab Emirates have gone on strike for the second time since the start of the month. On Tuesday 10 May, delivery workers on motorised vehicles working for...
16 May 2022
Portugal: social partners come together to conclude decent work agenda
Ana Mendes, Portugal’s Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, met with representatives of the employers’ and trade union confederations on 11 May, at the Standing...
13 May 2022
Belgium: labour inspectors will be able to more easily use ‘mystery calls’ to test for discrimination in hiring
An amendment to Belgium’s Social Penal Code, which was adopted by the House of Representatives on 31 March and came into force on 08 May, extends the labour inspectorate’s powers for...
12 May 2022
Great Britain: employers recommended not to consider long Covid as a disability
On 09 May, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)*, released an update of its recommendations in which it says that employers should not have to recognise ‘long Covid’ as a...
12 May 2022
Austria: high wage increases in the chemical and electrical engineering sectors
The social partners in the chemical (47,000 employees) and electrical engineering (67,000 employees) sectors have negotiated average wage increases of 4.75% and 5%, respectively, over one year...
11 May 2022
Great Britain: unions denounce the absence of the Employment Bill in UK parliamentary opening Queen’s speech
Promised since December 2019 (c.f. article No. 11565), legislation strengthening employees’ rights was not mentioned in the State Opening of Parliament Queen’s speech on 10 May which...
11 May 2022
Great Britain: plans in place to widen the ban on exclusivity clauses to include low-paid employment contracts  
On 09 May the UK government unveiled plans to widen a ban on exclusivity clauses, which prevent workers from working for multiple employers, to employment contracts where the weekly income is less...
10 May 2022
Germany: Yasmin Fahimi becomes first woman to lead German Trade Union Confederation
On Monday morning, Yasmin Fahimi was elected president of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB – Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund), after receiving 93.23% of votes at the annual congress of...
9 May 2022
United Kingdom: PwC extends summer working hours policy
From 1 June to 31 August this year, the 22,000 UK employees of auditing and consulting giant PwC will be able to finish their working week at lunchtime every Friday. The move announced on 4 May...
6 May 2022
U.S.: Starbucks excluding unionized employees from its wage hike plan
On 03 May, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced wage increases for all U.S. employees, except those who have joined, or are in the process of joining a trade union. During a Wall Street analyst...
5 May 2022
Italy looking to attract ‘digital nomads’
Italy’s government intends to facilitate highly skilled non-EU workers looking to pursue their careers on Italian soil. A measure, which on 28 March was published in the Official Journal was...
Great Britain: law on skills and training adopted
On 28 April, the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, which aims to improve the skills of people across the UK (c.f. article No.12155 and No.12524), received royal assent and became an Act of...
3 May 2022
Germany: on course for higher salaries
Several signs suggest that Germany could be starting on a course for rising salary levels. With domestic inflation now at the high end of the Eurozone average, (7.4% April, 7.3% March) wage...
2 May 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
France: government submits draft on pay transparency
On 6 March, the French government sent social partners a draft bill to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive. The text provides details on the implementation timetable, corporate...
9 March 2026
2
Sweden: government delays transposition of Pay Transparency Directive
On 11 March, the Swedish government announced it is postponing the transposition of the Pay Transparency Directive. Having originally targeted an entry into force on 1 July 2026, it has conceded a...
3
Italy: Deliveroo and Glovo targeted by justice over courier working conditions
The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has ordered two of Italy's leading food delivery platforms, Foodinho (Glovo) and Deliveroo, to be placed under judicial administration. According to...
9 March 2026
4
Germany: menopause issues finally gain corporate recognition
With 12 million women over 40 in the labour force, German companies and occupational health professionals are beginning to adopt support policies for those affected by menopause-related issues...
5
Denmark: government launches transposition of the Pay Transparency Directive
On 26 February, the Danish government submitted a draft bill to transpose the Pay Transparency Directive for consultation until 27 March. The bill sets an implementation date of 1 January 2027...
6
Valérie Decaux (La Poste): “Our older workers policy is based on individualisation to move beyond age-related-stigmatisation”
La Poste Group (nearly 200,000 employees in France) unveiled its first senior employment agreement in late February. The text outlines measures for early retirement assistance, workplace...