Every business strives to become a great-place-to-work and employee satisfaction survey is a powerful tool that Human Resource Managers use to understand the level of satisfaction of the employees. Typically, employees fill out a review describing their job, the workplace environment and the company as an employer over the past year. Usually, these surveys are developed and administered by company’s personnel department. But, if needed, there are professional services like www.GreatPlacetoWork.com who help companies survey their employees, and, when appropriate, certify companies as “Great Place to Work,” along with comparative ranking against other similar businesses. 

One of the many better-known surveys is Forbes annual list of the “World’s Best Employers.” For the latest survey, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to compile their fourth-annual 2021 ranking by surveying 160,000 full-time and part-time workers from 58 countries for businesses with operations in multiple nations or regions. The surveys are anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions. The respondents were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. They were asked to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stood out either positively or negatively. They were also asked to rate their satisfaction with their employers’ Covid-19 responses, and score their employers on its image, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility. The final list comprised of 750 multinational and large corporations headquartered in 45 countries.

The United States dominated the list with 247 employers, followed by Europe with 224 and Asia + Oceania with 208. South Korea’s Samsung was ranked No. 1, followed closely by American Amazon and IBM at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Unsurprisingly, employees of IT, software and telecommunications organizations, which have seen business grow and were able to shift to working remotely more easily, tended to rate their companies more positively than workers of travel and leisure or transportation companies. Respondents from Colombia and Brazil were also much more satisfied with their employers’ handling of the pandemic than those from Japan, Singapore, South Korea or Italy.

Unique perks help higher ranking

There were some notable benefits that made employees very happy. Hewlett Packard company offered its employees a host of additional unusual perks during the pandemic. The U.S. company allowed everyone who faced a pandemic-related financial hardship to apply to receive up to $10,000,   gave access to physicians during office hours, free cooking classes and homeschooling/tutoring for children. German company Siemens, ranked 9^th on the list, embraced the remote-work lifestyle permanently, announcing that its employees can telecommute two or three days a week even after the pandemic ends. CISCO India sought to support employees, with a 24/7 hotline for its 10,000 employees in the country, connecting them to medical professionals who could provide advice and assistance in getting them quality care.

Sad reality

The well-known employee satisfaction surveys and employer rankings all involve white-collar workers. These employees work in nice environment, are generally treated well, but often expect even more from employers. There have been stories about large tech companies that provide free snacks and food, but employees still complain about not having more varieties of free food available! I suppose there is no need to conduct employee satisfaction survey for government employees. They have the best job security, great benefits, and some may allege, poor efficiency.  During the height of the pandemic in USA, 22 million private jobs were lost, but not a single government worker was laid off!

Unfortunately, we rarely, if ever, come across such surveys for workers in businesses like coal mines, metal casting, rubber molding, to name a few. In such industries, employees toil under extremely harsh conditions. These are the workers whose job satisfaction should be our top priority. (TT)

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The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), alongside 13 other European business organisations, has signed a Joint Statement urging the European Commission to ensure a strong and ambitious implementation of the Data Act.

The coalition, including numerous SMEs and Small Mid-Caps from the digital and industrial sectors of European companies, has urged the European Commission to uphold the regulation against pressure to dilute its core provisions, identifying it as a crucial framework for unlocking industrial data across the EU economy. The signatories contend that a robust implementation is vital for fostering a competitive market and unleashing innovation, particularly for smaller businesses.

The coalition highlights the Act’s benefits, which include empowering SMEs with data portability rights, protecting them from unfair contractual terms and mandating that data sharing occurs on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. A key provision requires cloud providers to facilitate switching through open standards, combating vendor lock-in. The statement expresses concern that lobbying efforts for delayed enforcement, weaker interoperability definitions and reliance on global standards without fairness guarantees threaten to undermine these objectives.

For the Data Act to be effective, the coalition insists on full implementation to open data markets to genuine competition and prevent SMEs from being excluded by legal complexity. The statement also calls for a proportionate approach, requesting practical guidance, standard contractual clauses and well-resourced enforcement authorities to support smaller companies. It notes that in certain sectors, supplementary legislation may be needed for full clarity.

The coalition concludes that strong enforcement is paramount, asserting that without it, the Act's rights will remain theoretical. They warn that any delay or softening of key provisions risks reinforcing the very market barriers the regulation was designed to eliminate. The signatories urge the Commission to ensure robust enforcement to secure a competitive and innovative Single Market for all companies.

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has been selected as the official tyre supplier for the groundbreaking FIA Extreme H World Cup, the world's first hydrogen-powered motorsport series. The company will supply its GEOLANDAR brand of tyres for the championship, which is scheduled to commence next month in Saudi Arabia. The company will also continue to supply GEOLANDAR tyres for the Extreme E off-road electric vehicle series, which holds its final event on 4–5 October in Saudi Arabia.

Central to both the Extreme H and Extreme E series is a shared mission to advance sustainability and equality. The championships serve as dynamic platforms to promote environmental awareness and demonstrate cutting-edge technologies while also enforcing a strict mandate for gender parity by requiring each team to field one male and one female driver. The Extreme H series will feature eight international teams operating the Pioneer 25, a cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell vehicle capable of generating 550 horsepower and accelerating from 0 to 100 kmph in 4.5 seconds. The global significance of this new championship is expected to draw a worldwide television audience across multiple continents.

As the predecessor to Extreme H, the Extreme E series utilised the high-performance all-electric Odyssey 21 vehicle. All teams competing in the new hydrogen series will also participate in this final Extreme E event, marking the conclusion of the electric championship as it transitions towards a hydrogen future.

In alignment with the environmental principles of these series, Yokohama Rubber will provide a specially developed prototype tyre based on its GEOLANDAR X-AT model. This tyre has been engineered with a significantly increased ratio of sustainable materials, comprising 38 percent renewable and recycled content. It has also been fortified with enhanced durability characteristics to withstand the unique demands of heavy hydrogen-powered and electric off-road racing vehicles.

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Hankook Tire is advancing its future mobility leadership through strategic open innovation and collaborative design projects. This effort was showcased at the company’s recent Design Innovation Day 2025, held at its Pangyo Technoplex headquarters. The event serves as a platform to present new solutions integrating sustainability, innovation and design while reinforcing partnerships with global technology leaders.

A major focus was the unveiling of two key outcomes from Hankook’s ongoing Design Innovation Project. The first was ‘Sustainable Concept Tyre’, an embodiment of the company’s ESG vision. Developed using advanced 3D printing technology, it is constructed from renewable and recycled materials. Its distinctive organic design was realised in collaboration with Harvestance using specialised engineering software.

The second reveal was the WheelBot 2, a multi-directional mobility platform developed with robotics startup CALMANTECH. This advanced robotic wheel system, equipped with tri-axial spherical tyres, demonstrates new possibilities for movement. Its potential was illustrated through a live demonstration of the PathCruizer, a two-seater pod concept powered by the WheelBot technology.

Beyond product reveals, the event highlighted Hankook’s commitment to knowledge sharing, featuring a presentation on 3D printing advancements from LG Electronics. These collaborations are central to Hankook’s strategy of strengthening its technology leadership. Since 2012, the company has partnered with world-renowned design universities and technology firms, consistently earning prestigious international design awards and solidifying the premium stature of its global brand.

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Indian tyre maker to pass full benefit of tax cuts to customers from 22 September

CEAT Limited said on Thursday it would reduce prices across its entire tyre range following the Indian government’s decision to cut goods and services tax (GST) rates on tyres, with the full benefit being passed on to customers.

The Mumbai-based tyre manufacturer said new prices would take effect from 22 September, covering commercial, agricultural, passenger vehicle and two-wheeler segments.

India’s 56th GST Council meeting approved significant reductions in tax rates for the tyre industry. GST on new pneumatic tyres was cut to 18% from 28%, whilst tractor tyres and tubes will attract a reduced rate of 5%.

“We thank the Government of India and the GST Council for their timely and progressive decision to rationalise tax rates in the tyre sector,” said Arnab Banerjee, Managing Director & CEO of CEAT Limited.

“The reduced GST slabs will greatly benefit the tyre industry and consumers alike. Not only will it lower the cost of owning and operating a vehicle for customers across various segments, but by making tyres more affordable to replace, it will also make our roads safer.”

Banerjee added the move would “spur formalisation and greater compliance, while also fostering sustainable growth in the sector.”

The GST rate cuts represent a significant policy shift for India’s automotive sector, where high taxation has been a longstanding concern for manufacturers and consumers.

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