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European Edition
17th January 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
What's the secret to Denmark's happy work-life balance?
BBC News looks at why Denmark is consistently among the top five countries in the world for work-life balance rankings. Only 1.1% of Danes have to work 50 or more hours a week, according to the most recent global figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). That's a significantly lower proportion than the world average of 10.2%. By contrast, the figure for the UK is 10.8%, and the US is 10.4%. Meik Wiking, author of the book The Art of Danish Living, and who is also the boss of Danish think tank The Happiness Research Institute, identifies several policies that he believes help generate a strong work-life balance in Denmark, including the right to a minimum five weeks of paid vacation per year, in addition to public holidays. Denmark also offers a very generous six months of paid maternity and paternity leave. Janine Leschke, a professor in the department of management, society and communication at the Copenhagen Business School, says Denmark is definitely "not a work culture where you have to show up and be available all day, all evening, to show that you're working hard all the time."
STRATEGY
BP to cut 4,700 jobs to reduce costs
Oil giant BP is to cut about 4,700 staff, more than 5% of its total workforce, as part of plans to cut costs. The UK firm, which has a global workforce of about 90,000 people, confirmed the job losses on Thursday, but has not said how many roles will be affected in each country it operates in. An email to staff also confirmed that about 3,000 contractor positions will be axed this year. It is understood the cuts will be applied to those in office-based jobs rather than operational roles. In an email to staff, chief executive Murray Auchincloss said: "We have got more we need to do through this year, next year and beyond, but we are making strong progress as we position BP to grow as a simpler, more focused, higher-value company." Auchincloss added that he recognised "the uncertainty this brings for everyone whose job may be at risk, and also the effect it can have on colleagues and teams." 
HIRING
Number of advertised jobs in UK falls to pre-pandemic levels
The latest Labour Market Tracker from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) shows the number of advertised jobs in the UK fell to pre-pandemic levels in December 2024. Active job postings dropped to 1.41m, a 5.5% decrease from November and return to December 2019 levels. New job postings also saw a significant decline of 16.8%, totaling 550,000, largely due to the seasonal Christmas slowdown. The REC singled out new job postings for IT and some accounting-related occupations as having fallen dramatically in 2024, compared with the previous year.
WORKFORCE
Bankruptcies soar in Luxembourg
According to the official statistics agency Statec, bankruptcies in Luxembourg surged by 30% last year, resulting in over 3,300 job losses. The total number of bankruptcies reached 1,189 in 2024, an increase from 919 in the previous year. Notably, the bankruptcy rate among firms with more than 10 employees "exploded," rising by over 40%. The construction sector was the hardest hit, accounting for nearly 40% of job losses, followed by hospitality and trade. Holding companies and investment funds were the most likely to declare bankruptcy, with 143 closures. The education and health sectors experienced the largest increases, with bankruptcies rising by 65%.
LEGAL
Paid bereavement leave should cover miscarriage, UK lawmakers say
A cross-party group of MPs in the UK say women and their partners should be given paid time off work if they experience a miscarriage. Since April 2020, employees can be eligible for statutory parental bereavement leave, including pay, if they have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, but there is no specific leave for a pre-24 week miscarriage. The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) is recommending that the two-week leave period should now be made available to women who experience a miscarriage, and their partners who support them. The MPs said that while a "growing number of employers have specific pregnancy loss leave and pay policies," there remains a "very substantial" gap in support.
Spain moves to end blasphemy prosecutions
Spain's government has proposed legislation to abolish blasphemy laws, as it aims to balance freedom of speech with religious rights. Patxi Lopez, the parliamentary spokesperson, said that the current law "rarely achieves convictions and yet it is constantly used by extremist and fundamentalist organisations to persecute artists, activists (and) elected representatives." The Bill seeks to prevent lawsuits based solely on news clippings and restrict political parties from initiating legal actions. The government's opposition claims this move aims to shield Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez from private prosecutions related to corruption allegations against his wife, Begona Gomez.
RISK
War is the biggest threat to global economy
The world economy is experiencing unprecedented division, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report. The survey of over 900 risk managers found that 23% view armed conflict as the primary threat to global stability. Mirek Dusek, managing director at the WEF, said: "Rising geopolitical tensions, a fracturing of global trust and the climate crisis are straining the global system like never before." Extreme weather events caused by climate change were identified as the biggest risk by 14% of respondents, while 8% said that geo-economic confrontation - such as steeper trade barriers - would constrain the economy. Just 1% of those polled of respondents identified a new global pandemic as the greatest threat.
SUSTAINABILITY
Ingka Group to invest $1bn in recycling firms
Ingka Group, the world's biggest operator of Ikea stores, plans to invest €1bn in recycling companies, with the aim of better managing the waste created when the firm's products are discarded and end up either incinerated or in landfill. "The high carbon footprint for most of these materials, plus the capacity shortage for recycling, has motivated us to invest in these categories," Lukas Visser, investment director at Ingka Investments, said in an interview. "The circular economy is in the very early stages, so we have to narrow down where we focus". Two-thirds of the money will be go into new, as yet unannounced investments into recycling companies, with a particular focus on textiles, with the remainder earmarked for companies Ingka has already invested in, including mattress recycling firm RetourMatras and plastics recycler Morssinkhof Rymoplast.
INTERNATIONAL
New rules for employees stir debate at Pang Dong Lai
Chinese supermarket chain Pang Dong Lai has ignited controversy with new rules governing employees' personal lives, including prohibitions against domestic violence and child abuse. Yu Donglai, the company's founder, said the rules are “Based on the spirit of freedom, the belief in love and the mission of letting more people live a happy life,” adding that they aim to promote positive family values. However, the policies have sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some praising the initiative and others criticising it as intrusive. Lawyer Fu Jian noted that while the rules are legitimate if not tied to pay, they may infringe on personal freedoms. This is not the first time Pang Dong Lai has faced scrutiny for its staffing policies, after it previously required employees to reject bride prices and avoid lavish weddings.
Illinois could become first US state to decriminalise sex work
State lawmakers plan to introduce legislation this week that would make Illinois the first U.S. state to fully decriminalise sex work. “The threat of arrest and prosecution keeps sex workers unsafe and in the shadows, and this threat must be eliminated,” Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, told a news conference announcing the proposed bill. “This law is essential now more than ever.” The bill, which is sponsored by state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, and state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, would eliminate criminal penalties for adults who engage in consensual sex work, remove arrest and conviction records for sex workers, and establish a sex workers’ bill of rights.
More UAE employers are testing English skills while hiring
More employers in the UAE are using English language testing during the recruitment process, often before interviews or as part of assessments, according to an executive at Pearson, the educational publishing and services company. “[The tests] provide standardised benchmarks to evaluate candidates' English proficiency, ensuring their skills align with job requirements. Results influence hiring by helping recruiters identify candidates capable of thriving in roles requiring cross-cultural collaboration and technical communication. In competitive markets such as the Middle East where English proficiency varies, such evaluations ensure businesses build globally competitive teams,” explained Isil Berkan, marketing director, English Language Learning, MEA, Pearson.
 


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