In our recent October forum meeting, attendees identified mental health, communications, well-being engagement, and global brokers as their top 4 priorities for 2020.

Did You Know....

More than half the population in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries are overweight and almost half are obese. Obesity-related diseases are predicted to claim more than 90 million lives in OECD countries in the next 30 years, with life expectancy reduced by almost 3 years. This puts a heavy toll on an individual’s productivity and engagement at work and in their personal lives. You can learn more about obesity’s burden and its impact to economics here. Be sure to review this month's News Update, to keep your finger on the pulse of what's making headlines world-wide in health and well-being.

Asia’s Future is Now, McKinsey Global Institute, July 2019

Asia, a region made up of vastly different countries, will account for more than 50% of the world’s GDP and 40% of the world’s total consumption by 2040. Its rise as an economic leader as come much faster than experts expected. “The question is no longer how quickly Asia will rise; it is how Asia will lead.” Many who call the region home have been lifted out of poverty as living standards, lifespans, literacy levels, education rates and access to public health services have increased. However, growth has been so rapid that inequality is a major issue. Many still live without access to housing and infrastructure that creates a good quality of life. This paper summarizes how Asia is evolving related to four areas: trade flows and networks, corporations, technology, and the consumer.

Bereavement Leave. Global institute members are interested in global leave policies across the world, as leave practices across the world can vary greatly. One such type of leave your peers are asking about is bereavement, or compassionate leave. When looking at providing bereavement leave, taking into consideration country legislation and cultural expectation is important. For example, in Spain two days leave is given to all workers for the death of first- and second-degree relatives and four days is typically granted for the need to travel or attend a funeral.

Learn more about global leave at the Business Group’s Virtual Global Leave Event on November 12 from 1-3 pm EST.

Women at Work. Saudi Arabia passed an amendment that permits women over the age of 21 to obtain passports and travel abroad without the need to secure the permission of their guardians, and also seeks to create equality as between males and females in relation to the Ministry of Labour and Social Development Regulations, including with respect to retirement age. While this is progress, there are concerns about women needing permission from a male guardian to access basic needs. For companies with a workforce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), visit our website to learn more about KSA’s Healthcare Initiative – Vision 2030.   

Peer Benchmarking. Here are recent employer questions raised in the Employer Community. Please share your company's approach to these topics:

• What is your company's caregiving strategy in the U.K.?
• Does your company offer housing loans in Africa and South America?
• What has your company's experience been with paid volunteer time off?
• What commuting allowance does your company offer to employees in the Netherlands?
• How does your company approach family-friendly benefits in Europe?

Working on a priority and want the perspective of your peer members in real time? Post a question in our Employer Community.

Headlines. Interested in new content? View our quarterly GBGHeadlines newsletter to see a collection of all of our new resources from Q3.

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