Suez: new European agreement on health and safety signed Transnational industrial relations At the beginning of October, water and waste management group Suez signed a new European agreement on health and safety. Though such agreement no longer existed following the absorption of a large part of the company's activities by Veolia, this text takes up the principles of the previous agreement and adds new commitments on mental health, prevention of harassment, extreme weather conditions and domestic violence. It has been signed by two European trade union organisations: the European Public Services Union (EPSU) and IndustriAll Europe.
Réglementaire Ireland: bill passed allowing postponement of maternity leave in event of serious illness National legislation On 23 October, the Irish parliament adopted a bill introducing the right for an employee to postpone her maternity leave in the event of serious illness (physical or mental),…
Réglementaire EU: Employment Council adopts first text on mental health at work European legislation One day on from World Mental Health Day, the topic is becoming even more of an issue at European level. On 9 October,…
Germany: pioneering employee mental health project at mutual insurance group DEVK Versicherungen Quality of life at work ‘Mental health: stop the taboo’ is the title of the corporate health management (CHM) project that the German mutual insurance group DEVK Versicherungen implemented in 2022, earning it a prestigious HR award in September 2022. The recipe for its success is that it is an all-employee programme using a multidimensional approach with full management support. Stephan Wegner, DEVK health manager and project leader, talks to mind RH about the origins of the project, its objectives and initial results.
Technologies France: scale-up Qonto supports growth push with mental health start-up moka.care National legislation Quality of life at work Since 2019, French financial services company Qonto has offered its staff access to mental health professionals, group prevention workshops and training for managers with the help of the start-up moka.care. Thanks to this mental healthcare solution, Qonto has been able to adapt its HR policy and support its rapid growth.
EU: European Economic and Social Council calls for a new directive on preventing psychosocial risks at work European legislation On 27 April, the European Economic and Social Council (EESC) adopted a resolution calling for a directive on the prevention of psychosocial risks at work. At the vanguard since July 2022, Spain has been addressing the psychosocial impacts of precarious employment,…
United Kingdom: Superdrug and Savers take care of employees’ mental and financial well-being Quality of life at work Superdrug and Savers, the UK health and beauty retail chains owned by industry giant AS Watson Group, have announced a series of measures aimed at better supporting their employees amid the rising cost of living. The move is part of AS Watson Group's global policy to safeguard employee well-being.
Exclusif France: Société Générale addresses PSR prevention amid a period of unease at the soon to be merged bank National industrial relations According to our information, on 10 November French bank Société Générale together with three trade unions reached an agreement on ‘quality of life and working conditions’. The text significantly strengthens psychosocial risk prevention by implementing a set of monitoring indicators and by promising appropriate plans going forward that are founded in the results of a diagnosis undertaken by an expert firm in this domain. The agreement comes at a time when the ongoing merger between Société Générale and Crédit du Nord unions fearing a deterioration in working conditions.
Free Scotland: a dedicated mental health at work platform for employers Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders Since 11 August 2022, Scottish employers have had free access to a digital platform that contains a wealth of information to support employers who want to engage in tackling and ending the stigma surrounding mental health.…
France: Dalkia turns to Mailoop to reduce volume of email traffic between employees Quality of life at work In an initiative that pre-dated the Covid-19 pandemic, EDF Group's energy services subsidiary Dalkia embarked on a push to reduce the level of email correspondence among the 2,500 people employed by its branch in the Île-de-France region. With the help of start-up Mailoop, Dalkia has reduced the volume of emails sent and ensured an improved application of the right to disconnect. The two companies were handed the top prize for best innovation in human resources at the Newwork RHévolution event held on 5 July in Paris.
