8 October 2021
Amid rapid evolutions in the world of work due to digitalisation, the ecological transition and demographic change, 26 large German companies employing a combined total of around one million people in the country have decided to join forces and form a so-called “Alliance of Chances”. This initiative, which is backed by employers’ associations as well as the chemicals sector...
6 October 2021
The Hospitality Council is a UK Government initiative that it set up to help the authorities identify the best support strategy at a time when the hospitality industry is attempting to recover now some of the effects of the pandemic are starting to recede. The council comprises 22 industry experts, including executives from companies such as Deliveroo and Burger King, and representatives of industry associations.
4 October 2021
As France gears up to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the national carer’s day, which is celebrated on 6 October, Nathalie Gateau, director for engagement and social stewardship at Apicil, the French social protection group, explains why companies must support their employees who act as carers. She underlines the need to create dedicated forums for discussion and covers the...
29 September 2021
On 27 September the Campaign for Accountability (CfA) research arm, the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) announced it had filed a complaint against Apple for importing products made in factories that make use of forced Uighur labor. Filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the complaint is based on a 1930 law, the Tariff Act, which prohibits ‘the importation of merchandise mined, produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, in any foreign country by forced or indentured labor, and the fact that ‘such...
28 September 2021
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has set a new diversity goal. The management consulting firm intends that by 2025, 5% of its workforce in Germany and Austria will be members of LGBTQ+ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, non-binary…), as compared with 2% currently. According to BCG, by setting out this objective the company aims to send a signal inside and outside the company, and above all to encourage diversity (a key success element) in the company.
27 September 2021
Uber, the US ride hailing company, announced on 24 September that it will set up a pension fund with auto-enrolment for its 70,000 drivers in the UK. This unprecedented move comes after the country’s Supreme Court ruling in February of this year, which said Uber drivers should be classed as workers as opposed to self-employed and should therefore enjoy certain rights (see article n°12369). However, the US tech giant seems keen to go beyond what the ruling requires and redefine its corporate policy more broadly...
22 September 2021
On 16 September, the online ready-to-wear retailer Asos announced that starting in 2022 its executive team’s salaries will be dependent on the company’s success in reducing its waste and carbon footprint to zero by 2030. “We are all responsible for creating a sustainable future and companies must lead by example,” Asos CEO Nick Beighton said in introducing the new CSR goals. In addition to ‘green’ commitments, Asos has promised to improve working conditions in subcontracting...
21 September 2021
French postal giant Le Groupe La Poste has been partnering with Lab2e (Fonds de Dotation Laboratoire des Entreprises Engagées – Committed Companies Lab Endowment Fund) since the association Solidarités Nouvelles Face au Chômage association (New Unemployment Solidarity association) first established the fund in 2020. Lab2e gathers a range of stakeholders together (associations, companies, HR heads) to promote initiatives that can tackle unemployment. Lab2e published a report in July 2021 promoting good...
20 September 2021
As part of its annual report, published on 15 September, the professional services group PwC for the first time revealed the “socio-economic background” pay gap for its UK employees. The move comes just a week after industry competitor KPMG published its own socio-economic background pay gap and decided to set a minimum threshold for working class employees in senior positions (see article n°12670). PwC, which employs 22,000 people in the UK, also reported its disability pay gap for the first time.
10 September 2021
On 09 September the Anglo-Dutch consulting giant announced its ambition that by 2030, 29% of its partners and managers will be from working class backgrounds. This unprecedented decision is part of its ‘Our Impact’ ESG plan, and comes after an internal survey of the group found that people from working class backgrounds earn on average 8.6% less within the company.
