Surveys
EU: Unemployment still rising as recession ends
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 18/03/2010
Despite a return to modest economic growth across the EU since mid-2009, unemployment has continued to increase, according to the European Commission's winter 2010 Quarterly EU Labour Market Review, published in February.
Pay up by 6.6% across Europe
Source: IRS Employment Review
Date: 09/10/2009
The average annual wage increase for European workers fell from 7% in 2007 to 6.6% in 2008, according to a report from the European Industrial Relations Observatory.
International: Minimum wage update 2009
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 18/09/2009
National minimum wages in the EU ranged from €1,642 per month in Luxembourg to €123 in Bulgaria, as at January 2009, according to the latest figures from Eurostat.
EU: Employment situation continues to deteriorate
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 13/08/2009
Unemployment across the EU has increased by one-third over the past year, with young people particularly hard hit, according to the European Commission's summer 2009 Quarterly EU Labour Market Review, published in July.
Holistic health promotion in EU
Source: Occupational Health
Date: 01/08/2009
An integrated approach brings the biggest rewards, says a three-year study of lifestyle-related workplace health promotion in Europe.
EU: Unemployment mounts across Europe
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 14/05/2009
The European Commission's spring 2009 Quarterly EU Labour Market Review, published in April, finds that the overall EU employment level has been shrinking since mid-2008, while unemployment has been increasing steadily, with three million more people now out of work compared with this time last year.
EU: Economic downturn hits labour market
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 03/02/2009
The economic slowdown is starting to have a clear impact on EU labour markets, with employment growth halted and unemployment rising, according to the European Commission’s latest quarterly review of developments, published in December 2008.
Wellness policies expand globally
Source: Occupational Health
Date: 01/02/2009
Growing numbers of employers outside the United States are introducing workplace wellness strategies, according to research from Buck Consultants.
EU Commission: Deteriorating economic situation slows employment growth
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 30/09/2008
The European Commission’s latest quarterly review of the EU labour market, published in September 2008, finds that overall performance has “moderated” following the recent slowdown in economic activity, but that employment continues to increase for now.
Most EU employers think pay should reflect ethical behaviour
Source: IRS Employment Review
Date: 29/08/2008
More than two-thirds (68%) of European employers would like to see some of their employees' salary or bonus linked to "ethical behaviour", according to research from international risk management consultancy Integrity Interactive Europe.
EU Commission: Employment growth slows across Europe
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 10/06/2008
The European Commission’s latest quarterly review of the EU labour market, published in May 2008, finds that performance is “still solid overall” but that “the pace of improvement appears to be slowing”.
EU Commission: Report finds women face persistent 'gender gaps'
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 11/02/2008
The European Commission's annual report on equality between women and men, published on 23 January 2008, finds women's employment is increasing across the EU but that they still face major “gender gaps” in areas such as pay, labour market segregation and work/life balance.
Multiple discrimination in the EU
Source: Equal Opportunities Review
Date: 01/02/2008
Tackling multiple discrimination is becoming a key issue for the European Union. Recent research initiated by the European Commission shows that, although there is not yet a universal definition, there is an understanding of the concept amongst organisations in the EU.
EU Commission: Review finds positive developments on EU labour market
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 11/12/2007
According to an analysis published by the European Commission in November 2007, employment across the EU has been growing healthily over the past year, while unemployment has been falling. The labour markets in the major economies of Germany, Poland and Spain have been performing particularly strongly.
EU Commission: Undeclared work targeted
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 07/11/2007
In October 2007, the European Commission proposed new action to tackle undeclared work across Europe, with the latest figures indicating that 5% of EU workers admit to receiving "cash-in-hand" wages.
International: Fixed-term work increases in the EU
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 10/10/2007
Since 2000, the proportion of EU employees working on fixed-term contracts has increased from about 14% to 15% among women and from 12.5% to 14% among men, according to recent figures from Eurostat.
Accounts reveal funding improvement
Source: Occupational Pensions
Date: 01/10/2007
On the basis of disclosures in company accounts for 2006 that it has updated, actuarial consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP) estimates that the pension schemes of FTSE 100 companies had a net surplus of £12 billion as at mid-July 2007.
Case studies
International: Volkswagen agrees worldwide participation rights
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 17/12/2009
Volkswagen, the Germany-based automotive multinational, signed an agreement in October 2009 that guarantees employee participation rights in its sites around the world. The rights include information, consultation and German-style co-determination.
International: ArcelorMittal signs Europe-wide restructuring deal
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 10/12/2009
ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer, signed a European agreement with trade unions in November 2009 on managing and anticipating change. The accord provides for no plant closures or compulsory redundancies during the current economic downturn, and puts in place long-term training and skills policies, along with commitments to dialogue with employee representatives and unions.
International: DNV sets up global employee forum
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 15/10/2009
DNV, a risk-management services multinational based in Norway, has set up a global employee information and consultation forum. We look at the DNV case and at other companies that have established "world works councils".
International: Post-merger EWC agreed at GDF Suez
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 18/06/2009
An agreement signed in May 2009 to create a European Works Council (EWC) at GDF Suez, the newly merged energy multinational, has been hailed as a "benchmark" by trade unions, not least because it reflects some of the changes recently made to the EWCs Directive.
International: 'Euro-bargaining' develops at Total
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 09/05/2007
Total has recently signed a highly innovative Europe-wide agreement with trade unions on assistance in the creation or development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the areas around its main production sites. The France-based petrochemicals multinational is pioneering a form of European-level collective bargaining - this is the third agreement of this type that it has concluded since 2004.
Belgium: Restructuring deal at Volkswagen
Source: European Employment Review
Date: 01/02/2007
Trade unions and management have agreed a redundancy plan to accompany a major workforce reduction at the Volkswagen plant at Forest/Vorst, near Brussels.
The role of leadership
Source: Personnel Today
Date: 23/08/2005
By championing the cause from the top, investment bank Lehman Brothers has been able to push the diversity agenda across the organisation.
Maritime museum lifts the age barrier
Source: Equal Opportunities Review
Date: 01/07/2005
The National Maritime Museum is one of the first public sector bodies to abolish its mandatory retirement age. In recognition of this it was nominated for a "Not old just older" (Nojo) award in 2003.
Seeking international talent
Source: Training Magazine
Date: 01/06/2005
Will the Bologna Accord really help employers to navigate the maze of global recruitment? Christine Taylor tries to assess the parity of international qualifications.
Bridgestone UK moves towards pan-European consistency
Source: Competency & Emotional Intelligence
Date: 01/04/2005
Bridgestone's pan-European competency framework provides a consistent approach to performance management and helps identify training and development needs for management, specialist and senior employees.
The proactive approach
Source: personneltoday.com
Date: 01/03/2005
The Information and Consultation Directive will come into force in little over a month. Simon Kent looks at one company making sure it doesn't get caught out.
One world for recruiters
Source: IRS Employment Review
Date: 10/12/2004
The recent accession of 10 new countries to the European Union has pushed economic migration even further up the employment agenda. We draw on the experience of employers and consider some of the key issues concerned with recruiting overseas.
National Maritime Museum turns the tide on ageism
Source: IRS Employment Review
Date: 12/11/2004
In part two of our series on age diversity, we examine anti-ageist policies and their effects at a medium-sized public sector organisation where the mandatory retirement age has been abolished.
Developing a global reward strategy at Tibbett & Britten
Source: IRS Employment Review
Date: 23/07/2004
Developing a reward strategy can provoke some challenging questions about how pay and benefits practices fit in with organisational objectives. We present an overview of reward strategies and examine how multinational logistics firm Tibbett & Britten Group is seeking to bring internal consistency to reward across 35 countries.
Diversity and equality at Roche
Source: Equal Opportunities Review
Date: 01/04/2004
Equality and diversity are issues being addressed by organisations throughout Europe, particularly major multinational companies. Beatrice Harper* examines the policies at the pharmaceutical group Roche.
Driving home equality
Source: Employers' Law
Date: 01/03/2004
Bowing to pressure from its trade unions, BMW Group's once strike-ridden Oxford plant agreed to take a partnership approach to tackling equal pay by undergoing the TUC's 'Close the Gap' training course as a prelude to carrying out an equal pay review.
Less is more
Source: Personnel Today
Date: 29/04/2003
With legislation looming over the use of temporary and agency workers, Jim Matthewman, worldwide partner at Mercer Human Resources, looks at how one company approached streamlining its management of temporary staff.
Sun sets its new goals
Source: Training Magazine
Date: 01/02/2003
Training at the network computing company Sun Microsystems highlighted the importance of understanding customer needs as it moved from a product- to a solutions-based offering.
