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MEPs back 20-week maternity leave
25th of November 2010Euro MPs have backed a controversial draft law to extend maternity leave to 20 weeks on full pay and make that mandatory in the EU. Minimum maternity leave in the EU is currently 14 weeks. The European Commission now has to find a compromise that will also be acceptable to the member states.
According to the Parliament, a female employee should
Making a comeback
15th of October 2010
Lorraine Thomas managing director of Metzger Search & Selection explains the growing trend in the cleaning industry of using interim executives to fulfil short term company requirements in the face of transition or change.
If one thing’s for sure in these uncertain times, workplaces throughout the cleaning industry and beyond are
Extended leave for parents
15th of October 2010The European Parliament's Equality Committee has adopted an amendment to the EU Pregnant Workers Directive that would raise the minimum maternity leave entitlement in EU member states to 20 weeks.
The proposal removes the mandatory leave period before the birth of the child and introduces a right for women returners to take two-hour breaks from
Advantages of shorter hours
15th of October 2010Working shorter hours could reduce the burden our lifestyles impose on the environment while offering solutions to the mass unemployment caused by the economic crisis. That's according to research carried out by the University of Gothenburg.
Shortening working time by one per cent reduces the environmental impact by 0.8 per cent, according to
Europeans lose faith
15th of October 2010Only 42 per cent of Europeans say they trust the European Union, according to a new opinion poll from Eurobarometer, down six percentage points in six months.
The survey also found that fewer than half (49 per cent) of Europe's citizens see their country's membership of the EU as a positive thing, however 75 per cent said stronger coordination
Stronger European rules on late payment
15th of October 2010New rules to speed up bill payments by public authorities across the European Union have been agreed in Brussels. The regulations will require local authorities to make payment within 30 days in most cases, a move aimed at improving cashflow for small and medium-sized companies in particular.
In exceptional circumstances payments can be delayed
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