A selection of the latest European HR news from the Federation of European Employers (FedEE).

Call for relaxation of temps sector

The Dutch Economic Affairs Ministry is pressing their German counterpart to give Dutch temporary work agencies more opportunities. According to the Dutch Economics Minister Maxime Verhagen, the temps sector is "still strongly regulated in Germany, as a result of which a company like Randstad is hindered in its activities". Additionally, there are problems for other professional services, such as architects and lawyers, due to barriers concerning the mutual recognition of diplomas.

Pensions shortfall could be evident as early as this summer

The French supplementary pension providers Agirc and Arrco have predicted that pension values could drop from 1 July 2011, due to a contribution shortfall. This will mainly be because of the combined effect of France's ageing population and rising unemployment rate.

Backing for new skills passport

The European Parliament has given its backing to a series of proposals that aim to revitalise the Single Market - including increased mobility for employees through clearer recognition of professional qualifications.

The Europass CV has been in operation for several years. An extension to this concept is the European skills passport to help employees register their internationally recognised skills in a transparent and comparable way. It will ensure that once an individual has acquired their professional qualifications in one EU member state that they have a ready way to gain access to the same profession in another member state.

Taxation of exit payments

Changes to the UK taxation regime for termination payments took effect on 6 April 2011. Under the new regime, exit payments that are made after the issue of a P45 form are subject to tax deductions at an employee's own marginal tax rate instead of the basic rate. This will mean that for higher paid employees any tax payable will be immediately due in full, rather than at the point of self-assessment.

Voluntary code seeks to avoid boardroom quotas

Germany's top 30 companies listed on Frankfurt's DAX index of leading shares have now undertaken to recruit and promote more women, especially into senior management positions. This voluntary action comes hard on the heels of a call by many federal politicians for a quota on boardroom positions. The German government has indicated that firms must aim for a minimum of 30 percent female representation at board level by 2013 or face, as yet, unspecified penalties.

Restoration of top pay levels

Pay levels of top German executives have climbed back to pre-crisis levels. Average pay for the head of a company listed in Frankfurt's DAX index amounted to EUR 4.6 million last year, compared to EUR 4 million at the peak of the global financial crisis in 2008.

Men still seen as dominant in business

Ninety-three percent of women in leadership positions believe that men still hold the most influence over decisions made in Belgian business organisations. A study by the headhunting firm Heidrick and Struggles has revealed that only 19 percent of women in top jobs believe that women are offered equal business opportunities in comparison to men. Moreover, 70 percent stated that they get paid less than their male counterparts in corresponding positions.

Eurozone jobless figure below 10 percent

Unemployment across the 17 euro countries fell below 10 percent in February 2011. The number of people out of work declined by 77,000 from the previous month - taking the rate down to 9.9 percent, the lowest since December 2009.

Persistent inequalities

New figures released by the EU Institute for Gender Equality reveal that despite recent attempts to close the gender gap in Europe, women earn on average EUR 2 per hour less than their male counterparts and do 13 hours more work per week in the home. In addition, employment among women remains 12 percent lower than amongst men.

Pensions frozen for 2011

A survey by the Dutch central bank (DNB) has found that, on average, the 25 largest pension funds are planning to freeze payments to beneficiaries this year. Normally payments are indexed in line with salary and consumer price changes, but funds are able to make adjustments in order to maintain "coverage ratios" (CR). Although the indexation factor was +0.4 percent in 2010, the CR went down from 109 percent to 107 percent.

Permanent switch to daylight savings time

Clocks in Russia have moved permanently forward to Summertime. From now on, daylight savings time will be maintained throughout the year. This change has been introduced to maximise evening daylight in a country where many winter daylight hours are short. The government is also concerned that the twice-yearly transition between time zones is "injurious to health and performance".

© Copyright: FedEE Services Ltd 2011