23 May 2019
In Italy there is a longstanding tradition of overlooking the right to disconnect from work and the right does not feature in overall labor regulation. It does however feature in the law that frames smart working (c.f. articles No. 10206 and No. 10886), by which is meant working outside of company premises for one to two days per week. An increasing prevalence of agile work and the growth of technologies enabling remote working has spurred Italy’s social partners to address the ‘disconnect’ topic, and ahead...
17 May 2019
Since the start of 2018 all senior managerial positions at Germany’s multinational software corporation SAP have in principle been available for job sharing and flexible working opportunities. Since March 2019, SAP has gone one step further so that now all work positions at the company will be able to be shared between two workers operating in tandem, so what had formerly been an option at SAP has now become a right. Cawa Younosi, HR Head at SAP Deutschland and SAP SE in Germany is renowned for his revolutionary...
18 April 2019
Like others in the insurance industry, French insurance company Maif (7,500 employees) is facing a thorough overhaul of its entire business, not least with the arrival of insurtech startups, and as such since 2015 it has positioned digital transformation as a key priority. Established in 1934 this mutual insurance company is however taking on the digital challenge in a way that respects its core values of placing ‘humans at the heart of transformations’. Maif is departing from what can be termed as the...
15 April 2019
Several large Indian companies are trying to shift trends in the corporate world in favour of workplace equality. There are more and more examples of diversity and inclusion policies, for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT), that have been put in place and the movement appears to have built up momentum since the decriminalisation of homosexuality in September 2018.
27 March 2019
In its recently published annual Global Talent Trends report for 2019, LinkedIn analyses the four major trends driving change in the employment relationship (new employee expectations and new company needs) that it has been able to identify both from the key search terms its network’s members are using, as well as from a qualitative survey of more than 5,000 talent professionals in 35 countries. In October 2018 the report identified these four key areas: job candidate soft skills, work flexibility,...
21 March 2019
In line with the rest of the industrial world, Germany’s largest auto-parts manufacturer, Bosch (400,000 employees), is having to deal with enormous challenges that must be met, or else risk the company falling behind, or failing entirely. These challenges stem from technological and organizational changes that are revolutionizing how learning and knowledge is managed. In order to meet these challenges Bosch is looking to transform itself into a ‘Learning Company’. Launched in 2015/2016, the Learning Company...
18 March 2019
Launched in January 2018, the Wagestream application allows employees to receive a percentage of their earned wages when they want, before their routine pay date. The creators of the application say that, in February 2019, more than 40,000 people in the UK had access to the so-called ‘Get-Paid-As-You-Go’ system. Its aim is to alleviate end-of-the-month stress for workers and to provide support for when they take a financial hit, at a time when monthly payment of wages is commonplace. These are plus points that...
12 March 2019
What is the impact of digitalization on training and lifelong learning within businesses? How can we identify essential competences several years ahead? How can we learn to learn in the digital age? Working on these types of questions is the daily work of Matthias Reuter, Global Director Learning and Digital Transformation, at Siemens AG. Matthias Reuter explained to Planet Labor to what extent the company has to shorten the time required for developing new competences as well as to alter how learning occurs....
28 February 2019
Europe’s largest industrial and electro-technical manufacturing company is also facing the changes being brought about by digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and energy transition. In order for its employees to adjust their know-how and expertise, Siemens has launched a €100 million ‘Future fund’ (Zukunfstfonds) to cover funding until 2022 for qualifications that will help manage major ‘structural transformations’. However in contrast with current training options, with this fund employees...
19 February 2019
According to the latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook study (LMO) by the Professional HR association, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the interim employment specialist firm Adecco, private sector businesses intend to raise 2019 annual salaries by on average 2.5%. 2018 salaries rose by just 2%, an increase that has become commonplace in recent years and indeed a rise of 2.5% hasn’t been seen since the LMO was established in 2012. The extra fillip is down to a skills shortage as...
