May 29, 2019

Kathleen O'Driscoll
Vice President, GBGH

News Update

Did You Know....

May is mental health awareness month. By 2030, it is predicted that mental health problems will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. Employers have a unique role in helping employees seek care. The commitment of the Business Group to continue to support our members on this topic is reflected through some of our recent announcements, including: the mental health virtual summit series beginning this June; and a global initiative in partnership with other organizations. The intent of the global initiative is to create actionable resources enabling employers to understand of the local nuances of mental health in various countries.  We also have a number of valuable resources that can assist you in your global efforts. You can also learn more about the challenges of mental health and its impact to the workforce around the world here.

For additional articles of interest to global employers, check out GBGH's News Update.

Future Watch

A new United Nations (UN) report projects that the death toll from common diseases that become resistant to today’s antibiotics may reach 10 million annually by 2050. Already, 700,000 people die each year from drug-resistant infections. The threat isn’t only to our health; antibiotic resistance may also lead health care costs to rise sharply, severely damaging the global economy. While experts, including those at the UN, agree that a multi-stakeholder approach to new drugs that includes governments, the private sector and civil society is urgently needed, the problem isn’t yet getting enough attention for changes to be made.

What Your Peers Are Asking

Global Parental Leave. Globally parental leave policies play an important role in efforts to attract and retain talent. However, the amount of leave and who is eligible for coverage varies significantly by country, causing many global companies to consider their global leave strategy. Many countries are enhancing statutory legislation, progressing well-beyond traditional maternity provisions. 

In a recent example, last week, Ireland announced a new parental scheme applying to parents of babies born after November of 2019, giving parents two additional weeks of leave in the first year and up-to seven weeks by 2021. The Government will also offer a statutory rate of €245 a week. In addition, the Government plans to increase the current 18 weeks of unpaid leave by an additional 4 weeks in 2020. Studies show that there has been low utilization of leave entitlements by fathers both in Ireland and the EU, with a Eurostat study showing that 90% of fathers in the EU do not use parental leave. The proposed changes are intended to encourage a culture shift. Due this cultural shift, peers are asking how their supplementary company policies coordinate with changing statutory guidance as well as how leave programs compare for their employees around the world.

This June in DC at the Global Summit, attendees will discuss their company’s approach and challenges to this evolving topic.

Global Summit

Global Summit 2019. Having an agile benefit design is required for effective global strategic workforce planning. 99% of companies are taking action to prepare for the future of work. How can you best adapt to the demands of tomorrow and its various personas? Learn more about global governance strategy from David Newman, Global Consulting Leader – Multinational Client Group, Mercer while spaces last at our Global Summit #BGGS19. Join the Business Group June 19-20 in Washington DC.

Explore more of the agenda to learn more about the insider insights you can expect to discover June 19–20 in Washington, DC. Register soon while space lasts! 

Global Benefits Perspective

Global Purchasing Alternatives. Managing benefits across multiple countries means having a large volume of local benefit policies to procure. To help address the many challenges, companies are increasingly exploring purchasing strategies and alternatives. Regional Plans and Global Underwriting are examples of two approaches. This report explores employer learnings from rolling out regional plans and global underwriting arrangement efforts.

Public Policy Update

Labor Law Changes in Mexico. In Mexico, the government has made changes to its labor law that impact employers, employees, unions and collective bargaining agreement. This policy summary provides high level information on the new law. This Business Group report is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.

Do you have a question? Write to the staff or post to the GBGH Employer Community.

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Global Business Group on Health helps you to optimize your company’s business performance through your health improvement and health care management initiatives. HR and Benefits thought leaders from some of the most progressive companies come together to share, learn, and leverage leading-edge solutions. It’s like having an organization behind you that is anticipating your issues and concerns and is proactively pursuing solutions and best practices from an employer and C-suite perspective.

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