News brief

Great Britain: nearly 40% women on FTSE 100 boards
On 22 February, the UK Government-backed FTSE Women Leaders Review – revealed that the boards of companies in the FTSE 100 stock market index now include 39.1% women, compared with 36.2% in...
23 February 2022
U.S.: Amazon doubles the base salary cap for its corporate employees
While the maximum base salary for Amazon’s corporate employees was previously capped at $160,000 a year (€141,000), the company has now decided to more than double this to $350,000...
France: a Diversity and Inclusion Index is now available for use by companies
On 17 November 2021, Élisabeth Moreno, Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities at the Prime Minister’s Office and Amélie de Montchalin...
22 February 2022
EU: collective bargaining in decline in many countries (study)
Between 2000 and 2017, the level of collective bargaining coverage in European countries declined from 70% to 60%, a report published on 16 February by UNI Europa reveals. According to the report...
18 February 2022
Great Britain: free health check screening and salary increases at Marks and Spencer
On 16 February, the UK retail chain announced its intention to enhance its employees’ health and wellbeing benefits by offering a Virtual GP service, free health check screening, and advice...
17 February 2022
Denmark: rules on remote working are changing
Employees are now allowed to use their own work equipment (desk, chair, private computer…) when they are teleworking, as long as it complies with current standards (e.g. adjustable chair...
16 February 2022
Nestlé announces global plan to tackle child labour
Identified in early 2021 along with several other major chocolate manufacturers as using child labour in Côte d’Ivoire (c.f. article No.12367), Nestlé, the Swiss transnational...
15 February 2022
United States: arbitration no longer the sole and mandatory recourse for employees in workplace sexual harassment cases
US President Joe Biden is expected to quickly sign into law a bill that after five years finally passed through Congress on 10 February 2022. The long-awaited legislation allows victims of sexual...
15 February 2022
EU: disabled workers unable to do their job must be reassigned provided it does not constitute a “disproportionate burden” for the employer
In a judgment passed on 10 February 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that “where a worker becomes permanently incapable of remaining in his or her job because of the...
14 February 2022
India: e-commerce platform IndiaMart to pay staff on a weekly basis
B2B e-commerce firm IndiaMart announced on Sunday 6 February that it will now pay its employees on a weekly basis rather than a monthly one. “With an aim to build a flexible work culture and...
EU: pact for skill development signed in construction industry
European social partners in the construction sector signed so-called Pact for Skills on 8 February, in line with the European Skills Agenda launched by Brussels (see article n°12881). The...
11 February 2022
Germany: short-time working allowance extended until June 2022
Germany’s labour and social affairs minister Hubertus Heil announced on Wednesday 9 February that short-time working is to be paid until the end of June 2022, meaning the measure will have...
11 February 2022
United States: President Joe Biden supports union campaigning at companies working with the federal government
The White House has approved the report submitted on 07 February 2022 by the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. The report contains 70 recommendations to facilitate the...
10 February 2022
Great Britain: ‘Levelling up the UK’, a plan to develop local skills
Published on 02 February, a 300-page White Paper document plans to unify living standards and productivity throughout the UK by 2030 by energising the whole of the nation and by boosting local...
9 February 2022
Ireland: Government announces new public holidays
On 07 February 2022, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar announced the signing of a decree introducing two new public holidays. The first, which is a...
9 February 2022
Great Britain: Amazon creates 1,500 apprenticeship position contracts
On 02 February 2022, the American online retail giant announced the creation of 40 apprenticeship schemes in its UK subsidiary, which currently employs 70,000. Delivered across all of...
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
Catherine Chavanier (CDC Habitat): “Social dialogue on AI facilitates its deployment”
In February, CDC Habitat (10,500 employees) signed a two-year framework agreement governing social dialogue on AI. Catherine Chavanier, HR Director of the subsidiary of CDC (Caisse des dépôts et...
2
Greece: hospitality sector signs first collective agreement aligned with National Social Pact
The hospitality sector (125,000 employees), one of Greece’s largest industries after retail, signed a new two-year collective agreement on 17 March. The text, effective from 1 April 2026...
3
France: La Poste to launch negotiations for an AI agreement
Following the lead of firms such as Axa, Syensqo globally, and more recently CDC Habitat, La Poste group management will open negotiations on an AI regulation agreement during the first half of...
4
France: Club Med includes “multiculturalism” in its professional equality agreement
In December 2025, Club Med and the CFTC, Unsa, and FO trade unions signed an agreement on professional equality and working conditions. It introduces measures addressing AI, pay transparency, and...
23 March 2026
5
Germany: crisis and transformation wage agreement in the chemical sector
Following a two-day marathon negotiation in Bad Breisig (Western Germany), the social partners of the German chemical and pharmaceutical industries—the IG BCE trade union and the BAVC employers'...
27 March 2026
6
France: bioMérieux’s new disability agreement pivots towards mental health
The news. On 6 January 2026, bioMérieux—an in vitro diagnostics specialist employing 4,400 people in France—signed a new four-year agreement “relating to the employment...