Human Times

European Edition

13th March 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Stellantis pushes white-collar workers back to the office full-time

Stellantis, the carmaker that is the owner of brands ranging from Jeep to Fiat, is pushing tens of thousands of its white-collar workers in Europe back to the office full-time to boost efficiency. Since the pandemic, workers in France, Italy and Germany were allowed to work as little as ⁠1.5 days per week in the office. The return to office full-time will start in these three countries and "progressively extend to other countries," Stellantis said. The CFE-CGC union, the main union representing the company's workers in France, opposes the plan. "This abrupt reversal . . . undermines 10 years of pioneering policy on agility," CFE-CGC union representative Laurent Oechsel told Reuters. "It ⁠creates a climate of major concern."

Reuters

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WORKPLACE

Bundesbank scraps planned return to its historic headquarters

Germany’s Bundesbank has scrapped plans to move back into its headquarters in Frankfurt, despite spending €168m on stripping asbestos from the historic office block. Germany's central bank said Wednesday it was abandoning a project to renovate the headquarters following intense criticism over costs that could spiral into the billions, and would instead move permanently to a new site. Bundesbank chief Joachim Nagel said an analysis had shown that purchasing a new building made more sense than going ahead with the overhaul. The decision was not easy, he said, observing that "many people - active and former colleagues, residents of the city and the country - have a connection to this building."

Barron's

France 24

Financial Times

HIRING

PwC UK plans to hire more graduates

PwC in the UK plans to increase the number of graduates it takes on next year. UK boss Marco Amitrano said the consultancy had cut back on new graduate roles last year due to the flagging economy, not AI. Critiquing notions that younger workers are a "snowflake" generation, Amitrano said new hires to PwC had struck him as eager to learn and earn. "I don't see a new wave of young people coming into organisations wanting to work from home, being more vulnerable, more fragile. I don't see that," he said. "What I'm finding from our new joiners is that they want to be in the office, or on the client side, as often as they can be, because they're hungry."

BBC News

WORKFORCE

Police union in Slovenia launches strike

Police officers in Slovenia, represented by the Police Trade Union of Slovenia (PSS), have commenced strike action due to low pay, staffing shortages, and stalled negotiations. Approximately 200 officers protested outside the Government Palace, demanding a new pay grade classification and better working conditions. PSS deputy leader Marko Jakac said: "For more than a year the government has been dragging its feet where it should be acting." The government has deemed the strike unnecessary, asserting that it is addressing the union's concerns. The PSS said it plans to escalate actions if no agreement is reached after the elections.

The Slovenia Times

Nearly a third of workers face layoffs at Rotterdam climate centre

Rotterdam's Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is facing potential closure as funding from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom has been withdrawn. With only $4m pledged for this year, the centre is struggling to meet its $6m annual budget. Director Patrick Verkooijen has announced his resignation, and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a long-time public face of the centre, is also stepping down. Many employees are international hires whose Dutch work visas depend on their employment with GCA. Discussions are reportedly underway with the Dutch labour office (UWV) about potential forced layoffs

NL Times

LEGAL

Former Deutsche Bank employees seek $800m in damages

Deutsche Bank has disclosed in an annual report that four of its former employees are seeking more than £600m ($800m) in ‌damages in a case involving Italian bank Monte dei Paschi. Germany's largest lender said it "will defend itself against them robustly, including disputing the inflated, unrealistic alleged losses claimed." The plaintiffs ⁠allege that Deutsche Bank harmed their careers. The claims, filed in English courts, are "without merit," Deutsche Bank ⁠said.

Reuters

STRATEGY

Spanish automotive supplier to shut Trnava plant

Spanish automotive supplier Antolin is closing its factory in Trnava, Slovakia, due to ongoing losses and declining activity. The decision affects about 50 workers. Martina Cisarová, Antolin's HR manager, said: "In the course of adapting our industrial footprint to customer demand and the evolving needs of the automotive sector, Antolin has decided to continue the gradual closure of its plant in Trnava." The closure adds to a trend of factory shutdowns in Slovakia's automotive sector.

The Slovak Spectator

ECONOMY

US launches trade probes into 16 economies

US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer has announced new trade investigations into 16 economies, including the EU, Taiwan, Switzerland, India, Japan and Korea. The probes relate to “structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors.” The investigations under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 will determine whether their acts, policies and practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict US commerce. "We need to protect American jobs, and we need to make sure we have fair trade with our trading partners," Greer said. The investigation could result in new tariffs as soon as this summer.

Yahoo News

Fibre2Fashion

Financial Times

INTERNATIONAL

Nevada will use AI for unemployment appeals

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is to implement a Google AI tool to expedite unemployment appeal rulings, a move that has raised concerns among state lawmakers regarding potential issues of transparency and consent. State officials say AI is a way to simplify and expedite existing processes, but they also caution that it must not replace human oversight. As such, two state workers will be involved in the process. “AI is a great tool - but that's what it is. It's a tool,” DETR Director Christopher Sewell said, adding “We have to have human review with everything that we do.” AI sceptic Sen. Skip Daly (D-Sparks) observed: “I don't think there should be a reliance on this, and this is where it starts . . . You get used to it, and then you get comfortable with it.”

U.S. News

Global unions urged to condemn US-Israeli aggression

Representatives from the Supreme Council of Iranian Workers Association (SCIWA) have reached out to Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and Luc Triangle, Secretary-General of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). They condemned the recent military aggression by the USA and Israel, and have urged international support for Iranian workers affected by the conflict. The letter highlights the dire situation of workers who have lost jobs and livelihoods due to the ongoing violence, and calls for an international campaign to demand an end to the aggression and assistance for those affected.

Tehran Times

HSBC scraps work from home for client-facing staff in Hong Kong

HSBC has announced that customer-facing staff in Hong Kong must return to the office five days a week, effective April 1. An internal memo outlined that managing directors and senior staff with direct reports should be in the office at least four days a week, while other staff must attend at least three days weekly. The memo stated: “To our people managers, you are instrumental in driving good practice and experience . . .We ask you to role model the change with clear guidance.” HSBC, the largest bank in Hong Kong, employs over 20,000 staff and previously asked managing directors to work in the office four days a week to "set the tone from the top."

Business Times SG

South China Morning Post

Atlassian cuts 10% of workforce in pivot to AI

Atlassian, Australia’s largest listed technology company, is to cut 10% of its staff, or 1,600 employees, in response to the threat posed by AI to its operations. The Sydney-based company said it plans to "rebalance" its resources to focus on the "future of teamwork in the AI era." CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes said in a memo to staff: "Our approach is not 'AI replaces people.' But it would be disingenuous to pretend AI doesn't change the mix of skills we need or the number of roles required in certain areas. It does."

Financial Times

Reuters

OTHER

Women judges lead the charge for justice

Women judges worldwide are addressing the gender justice gap, despite their under-representation in courts and tribunals. A UN Women report reveals that female involvement enhances the legitimacy and responsiveness of justice systems. In the small Pacific nation of Kiribati, women hold 38% of magistrate positions and 29% of legislative roles. Ruth Cross Kwansing, Kiribati's Women's Minister, said: "When women hold the gavel, the law begins to see women too." She pointed to the need for inclusive justice systems to build equitable societies, especially in the face of climate change challenges that affect women disproportionately.

Daily Mail

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