Today's Human Resources Pulse
Lateral Associates Now Dominate Biglaw Hiring
In 2025, lateral‑hired attorneys accounted for roughly 48% of associate hires, overtaking new law‑school graduates for the first time. The shift reflects firms’ growing appetite for experienced talent amid heightened client demand and billing pressures, tightening the market for recent graduates.
Required Roth Catch-Up Contributions for 2026
The Secure 2.0 Act mandates that employees whose prior‑year FICA wages exceed $145,000 must make catch‑up contributions to 401(k), 403(b) or 457 plans as designated Roth contributions beginning in taxable years after December 31 2025. A two‑year administrative transition postpones enforcement until after 2025, giving employers time to add Roth 401(k) options and set up tracking systems. The standard catch‑up limit remains $8,000 for 2026, while “super” catch‑up for those turning 60 rises to $11,250, both required as Roth when the wage threshold is met. Participants can still achieve pre‑tax savings via FSAs or HSAs, but in‑plan Roth catch‑up elections may be deemed automatically by employers.
Transparency Spectrum: From Secretive CEOs to Open‑Book Cultures
Someone in Hampton (1000+ founders) asked people if they share revenue and P&L with employees. Here's what they said: Founder A (bootstrapped, ~20 employees): "I share nothing. Not even with my COO. I've never been happier running a company." Founder B (also anti-transparency):...
Fred Media Recruits Amazon MGM Alum
Fred Media has appointed Jamie I as its new sales manager for the Asia‑Pacific region, bringing over 20 years of distribution experience from her previous role as VP of Asia‑Pacific at Amazon MGM. She replaces long‑time representative Jimmy Elkington, who...
Hand Picked Hotels Appoints Two New GMs
Hand Picked Hotels announced the appointment of two seasoned general managers: Carl Lynch at Rhinefield House Hotel in the New Forest and Daniel Courtney at Buxted Park Hotel in East Sussex. Both bring over a decade of senior hospitality experience,...
Real Estate Balance Publishes Key Points to Drive Female Leadership Progression
Real Estate Balance (REB) released an eight‑point framework aimed at accelerating mid‑career women into senior leadership roles within the built‑environment sector. The recommendations were distilled from a REB event where 55 senior leaders—47% women—provided input, and 25 member organisations, including...
The Real Issue Isn’t Getting Girls Into Tech, It’s Helping Them See They Belong
The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology announced a package that creates 300 new tech roles, introduces returnships for women re‑entering the workforce, and launches a national competition to inspire school‑age girls. Veteran tech leader Padmasini Dayananda argues that...
Ethical Implications of Using AI in Hiring
AI-driven hiring tools promise efficiency but risk embedding human biases into recruitment decisions. The article explains how cognitive biases translate into algorithmic bias when historical data reflects discrimination, and why removing explicit protected attributes is insufficient. It highlights the EU...
The Best HCM Integrations: APIs, Flat Files or Hybrid?
Companies rolling out new HCM platforms face a choice between traditional flat‑file transfers and modern API‑driven connections. Flat files, moved via SFTP, offer simplicity and reliability for legacy benefits carriers that still demand nightly 834 batches. APIs provide real‑time employee...
Skills without Work Experience Are Meaningless to Recruiters
"If it's not in your work experience, it didn't happen." For example, let's say you list Python in your skills and summary. But nowhere in your work experience. Did you use it professionally or take a course? 1 year or 5? Recruiters aren't...
Navigating the HR Tech Marketplace with an ROI-First Approach
The HR technology landscape now includes a sprawling array of solutions, from comprehensive HRIS platforms to niche tools for recruiting, engagement surveys, and outsourced services. Vendors compete across dozens of categories, making selection increasingly complex for talent leaders. The article...
Federal Employee Satisfaction Halves, Signaling Systemic Collapse
Federal worker job satisfaction: 69% → 33% in one year. Willingness to recommend their workplace: 67% → 35%. "What we're seeing here is not a wobble or a rough patch or growing pains. It's a collapse." https://t.co/e0xnvkrd6c
Natural Grocers to Host Virtual Hiring Event for Nutritional Health Coaches Nationwide
Natural Grocers announced a virtual hiring event on April 1, 2026 to fill more than 30 Nutritional Health Coach positions across its 169 stores. The four‑hour online session, running 10 a.m.–2 p.m. MST, will let candidates meet recruiters, learn about the company’s...
6 Recommendations for PBM Procurement and Rx Benefits Optimization
The 2026 pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) RFP season is shaping up to be one of the most consequential for employers, driven by sweeping state and federal reforms and soaring healthcare costs. Nearly two‑thirds of plan sponsors are already considering alternatives...
Hardship Withdrawals Hit Record High, Underscoring Retirement Risks
Vanguard reports a record 6% of 401(k) participants took hardship withdrawals in 2025, with a median payout of $1,900 and many making multiple taps. This marks the sixth consecutive year of growth in early‑retirement cashouts, signaling widening financial strain among...
March 2026 Labor Market Update: How Women Have Closed the Other Workforce Gender Gap
The latest Indeed Labor Market Update shows that the historic male‑female employment gap has vanished, with women now holding slightly more nonfarm jobs than men as of early 2026. Over the past two years, women added roughly 298,000 jobs while...
Unlock High-Paying Jobs with the Briefcase Technique
This is The Briefcase Technique You can use it to land jobs far out of your normal reach. You can use it to land clients and charge 10x more. Thousands of my readers have used it to negotiate $$$ in salary...
Laudio and AONL Report Reveals Distinct Expectations and Work Patterns Among Gen Z in the Healthcare Workforce
The Laudio and AONL Spring 2026 report, based on a national dataset of nearly 100,000 RNs, shows Generation Z is the fastest‑growing nursing cohort and the only one still expanding. Gen Z nurses demand 2.5 times more frequent, meaningful manager interactions and...
Faces of HR: Why Carolyn Archibald Traded the Bar for the HR Suite
Carolyn Archibald, formerly a legal secretary and office manager, now serves as Director of Human Resources at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, a California law firm with over 250 staff across ten offices. After earning a master’s in HR management, she...
Why Top Executive Hires Fail and How to Fix It
Boards are increasingly aware that most failed executive hires stem from flawed board‑level decisions rather than the individual’s abilities. Common missteps include hiring based on résumé prestige, relying on familiar networks, underestimating cultural and stakeholder complexity, rushing the process, and...
Blue-Collar Salaries Outpace White-Collar Entry-Level Jobs: Report
A WorkIndia report shows India’s blue‑collar minimum wages jumped 8.6% year‑on‑year to roughly $185, outpacing entry‑level white‑collar salaries that rose only 6.75% to about $190. Operational roles such as delivery and driver jobs saw the steepest gains, up 16% (≈$260),...
Liberia: Workers Resign Amid Alleged HR Abuses At Bea Mountain Mining
Multiple employees at Bea Mountain Mining Corporation resigned, accusing the firm’s human‑resource officer of unprofessional conduct and a hostile workplace. The complaints also allege mishandling of documentation for foreign staff, raising concerns about compliance with Liberia’s labor and immigration rules....
Remote Workers Hit by Unexpected State Tax Bills as 22 States Tax From Day One
Cross‑state remote employees are being hit with surprise tax bills as 22 states can levy income tax from the first day of work, and five states apply a “convenience of employer” rule that taxes wages in the employer’s state. The...
Outplacement Leader Offers Candidates ‘Golden’ Interview Tips Amid Crowded Job Market
UK unemployment has risen to 5.2%, leaving roughly 726,000 vacancies and intensifying competition for job seekers. INTOO, an outplacement specialist, is urging candidates to adopt the STAR method, skills audits and values analysis as "golden" interview tips. The firm also...
Nearly One in Eight Employers Does Not Provide Sexual Harassment Training, as Key Employment Rights Act Deadline Arrives
A March poll of 464 UK HR professionals reveals a gap between intent and action on sexual harassment prevention under the upcoming Employment Rights Act (ERA) requirements. While 81% plan to increase efforts, only 5% rate current training as excellent...
Innovation, Insight and Industry Leaders to Unite at HR Technologies UK 2026
HR Technologies UK 2026 will convene senior HR and People leaders at Excel London on April 29‑30 for its largest edition yet. The two‑day event will feature around 100 exhibitors, including Oracle, Workday, Sage and fast‑growth innovators showcasing AI‑driven recruitment,...
Union Vote at Downtown Music Venue Highlights Service‑Sector Organizing Trend
Employees at a newly opened downtown music venue voted to join a union, marking a rare win for service‑industry labor organizing. The vote reflects broader momentum seen in recent collective‑bargaining battles, from the WNBA to hospitality workers, and raises questions...
You Can’t Sue Your Staffing Agency to Cover Your Own Title VII Liability
A federal district court dismissed with prejudice a Title VII defendant’s third‑party indemnification claim against three staffing agencies. The employer had instructed the agencies not to refer women for laborer jobs and then tried to shift any resulting liability to...
Why Work Feels Better Together
The Science of Happiness episode released March 26, 2026 explores how collective work models boost employee engagement and organizational success. It features Nino Serrano and Jenabi Pareja of Understory, a worker‑owned restaurant in Oakland, and Niloufar Khonsari of Pangea Legal Services, a...
Parents of Singaporean Babies Born From 1 April 2026 to Get up to 10 Weeks’ Shared Parental Leave Under Enhanced...
Effective 1 April 2026 Singapore will expand its parental‑leave framework, allowing eligible parents up to 10 weeks of shared parental leave (SPL) on top of 16 weeks of government‑paid maternity leave and four weeks of paternity leave. The total paid leave entitlement rises to...
British Airways To Offer Pilots Bonus For Burning Less Fuel: Smart Or Risky?
British Airways will introduce a pilot incentive program that offers up to a 1% bonus on basic salary if collective fuel‑burn reductions meet a target of 60,000 tonnes of CO₂ below 2025 levels, slated to begin in 2027 after a...
IWD Voices: Hilary Badger – ‘It’s Only When Leadership Looks Different That Real Change Happens’
Hilary Badger, a branding leader in Asia, reflects on a career without female supervisors and urges companies to diversify leadership. She highlights how caregiving responsibilities limit women’s leadership pipelines and how perception of commitment hampers advancement. Badger’s “‘Til It’s Done”...
Are Online Platforms Destroying Networking?
A recent Express Employment survey of 504 Canadian hiring managers and 502 job seekers finds networking is increasingly viewed as a business transaction. Seventy percent of managers and 76% of candidates say online platforms make interactions feel more transactional, while...
Hiring: Why It’s So Slow and What Might Speed It Up
A GoodTime survey of 504 senior talent‑acquisition leaders found that 90% of companies missed their hiring goals, with AI‑generated fake candidates identified as the top hiring threat for 2026. Gartner warns that AI has turned recruiting into an arms race,...
Wall Street Bonuses Hit an All-Time Record in 2025—But the Outlook for 2026 Is Already Darkening
Wall Street’s securities industry posted a record $49.2 billion bonus pool in 2025, a 9% rise over the prior year, while average bonuses climbed to $246,900. Pretax profits surged 30% to $65.1 billion, driven by strong trading, underwriting and asset‑management fees. Despite...
ITE and BDx Data Centers Partner on Talent Development for Singapore's Digital Infrastructure Sector
The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and BDx Data Centers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a talent pipeline for Singapore’s digital infrastructure sector. The partnership will give ITE students hands‑on training at BDx’s AI‑ready SIN1 data‑center, embedding...
Asylum-Seeker Health Staff Gain Right to Work in NHS
From 26 March 2026 asylum‑seeking doctors, nurses and other qualified health professionals who have waited at least 12 months for an initial asylum decision will be allowed to work in any role listed on the Appendix Skilled Occupations at RQF level 6 or above,...
Montserrat Puig on Barcelona, Talent, and the Real Work Behind Innovation Ecosystems
Barcelona is positioning itself as a leading European innovation hub, leveraging a deep‑tech and life‑science specialization that now supports over 130,000 digital professionals, 33% of whom are foreign. The city hosts more than 203 global tech hubs, 9,600 foreign companies...
Tribunal Rules in Favour of Addison Lee Drivers over Compensation
An employment tribunal in Watford ruled in favour of over 900 Addison Lee drivers, confirming they are workers entitled to minimum wage, holiday pay and other employment rights. The judgment establishes the principles for calculating compensation, which lawyers estimate will...
What Qualities Matter Most in Radio’s Next Generation of Leaders?
Radio Ink surveyed the Top 20 leaders in radio to uncover the traits they deem essential for the next generation of executives. The consensus emphasizes a deep love for radio, strong character, and a blend of creativity, curiosity, and collaboration....
Budapest Boasts Minimal Wage Gaps Between Women and Men
Budapest’s public transport operator BKV announced that its 2025 gender pay analysis shows an average hourly wage gap of –6.8% and a median gap of –7.3%, indicating women earn slightly more than men. Bonus distribution is similarly balanced, with a...
The Global Payments Problem: Why Your Payment Infrastructure Is a Workforce Strategy Issue
The article argues that global payment infrastructure is a critical workforce strategy issue, not merely a finance function. It highlights how traditional wire transfers, currency conversion fees, and varied compliance requirements create costly friction for hiring contractors across borders. Modern...
Royal Mail | Are Your Targets Driving Performance - or Encouraging Employee Misdirection?
Royal Mail postal workers allege they were instructed to conceal undelivered mail to make delivery targets appear met. The company defended its performance‑measurement system, but an employee described the practice as embarrassing and deceitful. The claims surfaced alongside a LinkedIn...
IWD Voices: Kaveri Khullar – ‘Confidence Should Not Be a Prerequisite for Participation’
Kaveri Khullar, speaking for International Women’s Day, argues that confidence should emerge from participation rather than be a prerequisite for it. She highlights a persistent gap in female allyship, noting that women often focus on delivering results instead of uplifting...
IWD Voices: Indu Mehta – ‘When Balance Is Maintained, Fairness Becomes Sustainable Rather Than Situational’
Indu Mehta emphasizes that maintaining balance in organizations turns fairness into a sustainable principle rather than a situational response. She argues current workplace policies on harassment and safety are often too rigid, failing to reflect modern women’s lived realities. Mehta...
GM Mexico Workers Face April Strike Deadline in Wage Dispute
SINTTIA, representing nearly 7,000 workers at GM’s Silao plant, has tabled a 10% wage increase for the 2026‑2028 contract after initially demanding 20%. A worker vote is set for April 9‑10, with a strike deadline of April 15 if negotiations stall. Silao...
EDI Needs to Move Past ‘Fashions’, Committee Hears
The Women and Equalities Committee heard that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives are increasingly treated as corporate fashions rather than strategic imperatives. Experts such as the CIPD chief executive and academics urged a shift toward collective inclusion, cultural change...
Leadership, Not Managers, More Likely To Drive Employees Away, BioSpace Finds
A BioSpace survey of U.S. life‑science professionals shows 15% are looking for new jobs because they are unhappy with company leadership, compared with 9.1% citing dissatisfaction with their direct manager. Respect for CEOs remains flat at roughly 80%, while respect...
How to Hire a Marketer Who Does Crazy Sh*t 📄
The post reveals how Kalshi is willing to pay up to $8,000,000 a year for a marketer who can deliver disruptive, viral growth, highlighting the failure of most firms to craft effective job descriptions. The author, a veteran hiring manager,...
Public Contracts to Favour Firms that Deliver Jobs and Apprenticeships
The UK government has introduced new procurement rules requiring firms bidding for public contracts to demonstrate job creation, apprenticeships and local economic benefits. Contracts over £5 million (≈$6.4 million) will be assessed for social‑value commitments, and a Public Interest Test will apply...
Revealed: Women Sell Themselves £9,000 Short Before They Even Apply for Jobs
JobLeads analysis shows UK women apply for jobs with salaries about $11,400 lower than men. Women’s upper salary expectations are $131,500 versus $149,900 for men, a 12% gap. Women also apply to roles with median $77,300 pay compared with $88,800...