Category: Global Compliance

Apple Breaks Labor Laws in China

Apple is a company with a huge following and massive demand. When new products are announced, millions of people around the world start planning for how many days they will need to take off work or school in order to line up at their nearest Apple store days in advance of the release. In order to keep up with this massive product demand, Apple appears to have made the calculated decision to violate Chinese Labor Laws in order to cut costs and circumvent regulation.

  • The GPS Team
  • 15 October, 2019
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Switzerland Overhaul of Labor Law 2019

Switzerland is a country commonly praised for creating an environment for employees that encourages positive work life balance, and many Swiss cities are consistently ranked as places with the best quality of life around the world. These positive aspects of the country can be directly linked to the way that employees are treated and the labor laws protecting employees at work. 2019 has been a busy year for Swiss lawmakers with many proposed developments to Swiss labor laws.

  • The GPS Team
  • 8 October, 2019
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New Visa Requirements in New Zealand

New Zealand is currently in the process of developing a new temporary work visa to replace six current visa categories. By doing so, the country is aiming to increase employer, job and worker checks and also to help improve the overall conditions for New Zealand workers.

  • Julie Gaertner
  • 17 September, 2019
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Part II. Global Talent Attraction – The Challenges

While we know about the benefits of global talent attraction and how it can positively affect both organizations and employees, there is another side also worth discussing. As with any hiring practices, there are challenges that must be overcome to ensure that an organization is operating to the best of their abilities, while also still functioning as a socially responsible organization.

  • The GPS Team
  • 10 September, 2019
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Part I. Global Talent Attraction – The Positive Benefits

Gone are the days of only large multinational corporations having the ability to hire international talent. Thanks to the Internet and its virtual hiring options, the hunt for global talent is on the rise! The trend toward a globally distributed workforce benefits both businesses and employees. For example, businesses can now save money by hiring virtual assistants for their administrative needs for a lower cost than hiring an administrative assistant who is in the office each day. In addition, remotely located employees with desirable skills have the opportunity to work from home, without necessarily incurring the higher costs of living in big cities.

  • The GPS Team
  • 3 September, 2019
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Gender Equality in the Swiss Workplace

Another historical moment was created in Switzerland this year as thousands of women started a strike to bring many different organizational issues into the foreground of public conversation. Discrimination, gender wage gaps and underrepresentation of women in the work force are three major issues in the Swiss workplace and many employees are fighting for solutions. While Switzerland is commonly viewed as highly progressive and economically developed, women did not win the right to vote until 1971. This is a surprising since four out of the five countries that are Switzerland’s neighbors have had women voting since the late 1910s to mid 1940s (Liechtenstein is the last country bordering Switzerland where women won the right to vote only in 1984).

  • The GPS Team
  • 27 August, 2019
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Young People Hit Hardest by Working Conditions in the Netherlands

While the spring started out positively for those working in the Netherlands, the summer season hasn’t seen the same level of positive returns over the past few weeks. Even though from May to July of this year, there was a substantial increase in the number of working-age people (9 million of ages 15 to 74), the progress has not only stalled, but has also started to decline with 4000 people per month being laid off since the start of July.

  • The GPS Team
  • 20 August, 2019
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Truck Drivers, Trade Unions and the Impending Strikes in Portugal

After weeks and months of negotiations, Portugal is preparing for disruption as transport trucks are scheduled to begin their strike on August 12. The full magnitude of the strike has not been defined, but the nation is preparing all industries for material shortages and shipment delays. Truck drivers are some of Portugal’s most underpaid and overworked employees and face dangerous and harmful situations as they transport hazardous materials across the country daily.

  • The GPS Team
  • 6 August, 2019
  • No Comments

Avoiding Employment Law Problems in China

With China’s economy slowing down, foreign-owned companies in China are facing increasing scrutiny in different aspects of their business, especially if they hire Chinese workers. As a whole, the Chinese government has become stricter about the business dealings of foreign companies, making it all the more important for foreign companies to be completely compliant with Chinese labor laws and standards (both national and local standards), while also providing ethical work conditions.

  • The GPS Team
  • 30 July, 2019
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Productivity Trends in France

President Emmanuel Macron of France wants its citizens to work longer hours in an effort to increase the country’s tax revenues. Working 13 percent fewer hours than the OECD average, and 14 percent less than US workers, the full-time French working week, at 35-hours, is 3 hours shorter than those in the UK and other wealthy countries.

  • The GPS Team
  • 23 July, 2019
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