There is a growing trend that implies that mental health be discussed alongside labour and employment regulation.
In Mexico, for example, the secretary/department of labour is competent to perform audits on working conditions and fine employers when the mental stability or mental health of employees is compromised by certain situations. Furthermore, employers with more than 50 employees are required to perform tests regarding employment conditions and their impact on the mental stability of employees (known as NOM 035). This trend has several implications, only two of which we will touch upon.
On 22 February 2023, The European social partners in the metalworking sector (Ceemet and IndustriAll Europe) adopted joint conclusions to guide the social partners in the metal, engineering, and technology industries on “Artificial Intelligence in the MET industries.”
They published the joint conclusions in view of their social dialogue meeting on competitiveness and employment on 15 March 2023, aiming to set out guidelines for approaching AI in the workplace.
On 28 March 2023, Eurofound published a new research report showing how many countries have addressed labour shortages through more robust labour market policies and education and training measures focused on the skills and occupations demanded in the labour market.
On 16 March 2023, the General Confederation of Labor (GCL) and the Argentine Industrial Union (AIU) signed an agreement to modify specific obligations of Decree 144/22 regarding company childcare services.
On 23 March 2023, The Governing Body (GB) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 347th session.
This particularly challenging session included topic issues for the world of work, from decent work in the platform economy and supply chains to the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situations in Myanmar, Belarus, and Venezuela.
On 30 March 2023, the European Union Parliament adopted the Pay Transparency Directive, approving the legislative proposal of the European Commission based on equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women.
The Council will have to formally approve the agreement before the text is signed into law and published in the EU Official Journal, and the new provisions will come into force twenty days after their publication.
French unions and employers have agreed on a draft collective agreement on value sharing that facilitates profit-sharing, incentive schemes, and tax-free bonuses in all companies.
The agreement will be included in an employment bill which the government is expected to present in spring 2023.
On 13 February 2023, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a new report that measures the effects of teleworking on work-life balance, pay, and career advancement from a gender perspective, showing mixed results.
It reveals that prevailing gender norms are likely to mediate the effect of teleworking on all three outcomes and should be a focus of future research.