News brief

Italy: new Covid-19 protocol in the workplace
On 30 June, as the seventh wave of Covid-19 sweeps through the country, Italy’s government and social partners signed a new Covid-19 workplace protocol, which simplifies the previous...
7 July 2022
EU: MEPs call for measures to prevent ‘technostress’* and ‘over-connection’
On 05 July, a majority of the EU parliament adopted a resolution ‘urging’ measures from the EU Commission to tackle the issue of mental health in the digital workplace. The MEPs once...
6 July 2022
Great Britain: GPs no longer only medical professional who can certify employee ‘sick notes’
In addition to regular general practitioners, as of 01 July nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists will be able to certify fit notes, i.e. the certificate required to...
6 July 2022
Denmark: minimum wage required for non-European workers cut
In order to address the current labour shortage in Denmark, the government and a majority of parties in the Danish parliament reached an agreement on 29 June that aims to foster international...
4 July 2022
Australia: Uber joins forces with Transport Workers Union in push for better working conditions in gig economy
US ride hailing giant Uber and the Transport Workers Union of Australia have penned an historic agreement in which they jointly call for the creation of an independent body tasked with setting...
1 July 2022
Netherlands: minimum wage increases as of 1 July 2022
As of 1 July, the gross statutory minimum wage for those over the age of 21 in the Netherlands has risen from €1,725 to €1,756.20 per month, representing a pay rise of 1.81%. The latest...
1 July 2022
France and Switzerland consider new rules allowing cross-border workers to continue teleworking
Even though the health-related state of emergency is over, the expiry date for a derogatory agreement between France and Switzerland, concluded on 13 May 2020, that allowed border and cross-border...
30 June 2022
Great Britain: gender pay gap on the rise in 2 out of 5 companies (study)
Auditing giant PwC has analysed data from 10,282 UK companies that were required to report their annual gender pay gaps by April 2022 (c.f. article No.12460). According to its calculations, 53% of...
29 June 2022
Luxembourg: Covid-19 related social security regulations for cross-border teleworking extended to 31-Dec-2022
On 24 June, a week before the series of exceptional telework agreements in terms of Luxembourg social security affiliation were due to come to an end on 30 June (c.f. article No. 13108)...
28 June 2022
EU: social partners establish the basis for a directive on telework and the right to disconnect
In Brussels on 28 June, the European social partners are signing their joint 2022-2024 work program. In it is an ‘historic agreement’ between the European Trade Union Confederation...
28 June 2022
Norway: limitations to be placed on temporary employment
From 1 July, companies in Norway will only be able to hire workers on fixed-term contracts in certain circumstances. These circumstances are listed in section 14.9(2) of the Norwegian Working...
27 June 2022
United States: employers move to protect abortion access
It’s official. The right to an abortion is no longer guaranteed across the United States, following a ruling by the Supreme Court, which allows each US state to put in place its own...
27 June 2022
EU: large companies to be required to report on their social policies
On 21 June, the European Parliament and Council of the EU reached an agreement on a text amending the 2013 directive on financial information that companies with over 250 employees are required to...
23 June 2022
Luxembourg : unrestricted telework for border workers coming to an end
After more than two years of unrestricted teleworking, almost 216,000 German, Belgian, and French border workers will have to return to work in Luxembourg companies. This is because extraordinary...
21 June 2022
Portugal: whistle-blower protection legislation comes into force
Law No. 93/2021, published in the Diário da República (Official Gazette) on 20 December 2021, entered into force six months later on 18 June. Under this new law, which transposes the...
20 June 2022
France: the ‘Barème Macron’ (‘Macron scale’ – employment termination compensation corridor) weakened by the European Committee of Social Rights
The European Committee of Social Rights (previously, the European Committee of Social Rights) established under the auspices of the Council of Europe, has challenged the capping of industrial...
20 June 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: 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...
2
AI: uneven integration but a global challenge for the world of work
The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in business is profoundly transforming the world of work, and some occupations are now under threat. However, the full extent of its effects remains...
3
France: Ministry of Labour unveils plan to accelerate the rollout of AI
On 22 September, the French Ministry of Labour presented a plan named Impulsion IA 2027 aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI by companies and employees. It contains 12 measures applicable from...
4
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...
5
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...
6
UE: Commission proposes measures to facilitate “fair” worker mobility across the Union
The info. On 15 September, the European Commission adopted a series of measures aimed at encouraging “fair” worker mobility within the EU. It wants to remove the administrative...