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.

Okaying a Premium Problem: When Voluntary Benefits Become Involuntary Lawsuits
In this episode, Ropes & Gray attorneys discuss a wave of new ERISA class actions targeting voluntary benefit plans such as accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance. The plaintiffs argue that employers and their brokers have breached fiduciary duties by endorsing these plans and receiving unreasonable compensation, challenging the Department of Labor’s safe‑harbor exemption. Experts David Kirshner and Harvey Cotton explain the legal criteria for the safe harbor, the risks of perceived employer endorsement, and the potential liability of brokers. They advise employers to review plan documentation, adjust communications, and monitor broker fees to stay within the safe harbor and mitigate exposure.

Why Pet Insurance Is Becoming an Expected Benefit
Pet insurance is shifting from an optional perk to a core employee benefit. Millennials and Gen Z view pets as family members and are demanding coverage directly. Employers recognize that pet insurance bolsters financial wellness and talent retention, while administration fits...
Labor Law Updates Every Healthcare Employer Needs to Know
Healthcare employers are facing heightened labor activity, especially in unionized hospitals across the Northeast and New York City, prompting concerns over staffing ratios, wages, and broader workforce strategy. Littler Law is hosting a webinar on April 16, 2026, to dissect...

Prismforce Announces Agent-Based Talent Supply Chain Solution Built on the ServiceNow AI Platform
Prismforce unveiled an agent‑based talent supply‑chain solution built on the ServiceNow AI Platform, embedding domain‑specific AI agents into ServiceNow HR Service Delivery, Talent Development and Talent Acquisition dashboards. The offering, available on the ServiceNow Store, lets enterprises execute skill‑based workforce...

6 Steps to Finding an Executive Coach Who Fits Your Culture (and Fixes Your Blind Spots)
The article outlines a six‑step framework for selecting an executive coach that truly fits a company’s culture and leadership needs. It emphasizes starting with clearly defined coaching goals that tie directly to business outcomes, then narrowing the pool to coaches...

4-Day Work Week up in Laguna
Philippine provincial leaders are piloting four‑day work weeks to curb rising operational costs. Governor Sol Aragones of Laguna announced a temporary shift to 7 a.m.–6 p.m. schedules from Monday to Thursday, while keeping frontline and essential services on the traditional five‑day timetable....
Rosewood Hotel Group Introduces Global Gender-Neutral Parental Leave Standard of 16 Weeks Fully Paid Leave for Associates Worldwide
Rosewood Hotel Group announced a new Global Parental Leave Policy that will provide all eligible associates with 16 weeks of fully paid leave, effective January 1 2026. The gender‑neutral standard supersedes local statutory entitlements when they fall short, ensuring 100 % base pay...

UBS Bonus Pool Rises 10%, Ermotti Pay Unchanged at $19 Million
UBS increased its 2025 bonus pool by 10% as the Credit Suisse integration approaches completion, while CEO Sergio Ermotti’s total compensation remained unchanged at 14.9 million Swiss francs ($19.1 million). The bank cited stronger financial performance, progress on integration, and...

General Assembly Poised to Consider Wide Array of Workplace Bills
Connecticut’s General Assembly is set to hear a slate of employment‑focused bills during the week of March 9, 2026, ranging from an omnibus workforce‑development measure (HB 5003) to targeted reforms on NDAs, AI hiring tools, and wage transparency. Key proposals include expanding...

Accor Announces Appointment of Laurent Choain as Global Chief People & Culture Officer
Accor has appointed Laurent Choain as its Global Chief People & Culture Officer, effective April 1, 2026. He will also sit on the Premium, Midscale & Economy Executive Committee, overseeing the group’s talent agenda and cultural transformation. Choain brings more...
Human‑AI Hybrid Teams Define the Future of Work
🚀 The Future of Work is Humans with AI The workplace is undergoing one of the most profound transformations in modern history. Rapid technological progress, shifting employee expectations, and global disruption are redefining how work gets done. But the biggest change isn't...
Human-in-the-Loop: AI vs Judgment on Brainfood Live
Ai recommendation vs Human judgement - what does it really mean to be a human-in-the-loop? Doing this debate on Brainfood Live this Friday

Job Board Talk: Daniel O’Neill From Job Today
Job Today, a decade‑old Spanish job board founded by CEO Eugene Meesin after a food‑delivery staffing crisis, markets itself as a modern Craigslist for hiring. The platform streamlines direct communication between hiring managers and job seekers, reducing time‑to‑fill. It currently...
Innovative Pitch Self-Selects Ideal Sales Talent for Clay
Definitely the most innovative, modern pitch I've seen for hiring salespeople. Will self-select the right profiles and attitudes for Clay.
Rising Degrees, Failing High Schools on Career Guidance
Also, every year we have more 4 year degreed candidates than the year before. We have too many people getting worthless degrees, from worthless schools, because we've failed students at the high school level to give each segment of students...

Scale Your Hybrid Teams With 7 Calendar Tips
Hybrid work’s promise of flexibility is being undermined by chaotic scheduling and uneven meeting experiences. A recent Owl Labs survey shows 59% of hybrid employees cite calendar conflicts as the top friction point. Experts from Atlassian and Slack argue that...
Fact of the Week – 3/9/2026
A recent ABC study shows that 90% of construction workers in 24 states were non‑union in 2025, amounting to roughly 9 million non‑union employees versus just under 1 million union members. The report also highlights a projected 349,000 worker shortage for 2026....
NYC RIA Seeks Mid‑Level CIO with CFA Credentials
An RIA we've worked with over the years is actively looking to hire a CIO. Some of the specs are below: 1) Mid-level experience (5-10yrs) 2) NYC area 3) CFA/CIO-savvy and can chat with clients 4) Focused on investing and not advising DM/email if interested.
Another Flight Attendant Strike at Lufthansa Could Be On The Horizon As Airline Demands ‘Radical Overhaul’ of Work Rules
German flag carrier Lufthansa has presented a “radical overhaul” of its collective agreement for flight attendants, targeting working hours, rest periods and sick‑pay provisions. The UFO union rejected the proposal outright and warned it will not resume talks until the...

Leverage Launches AI Workforce Productivity Platform to Help Employees Find Information and Work Faster
Leverage announced an AI‑powered workforce productivity platform that links information across an organization’s existing applications and data sources. The solution lets employees ask natural‑language questions and receive answers, summaries, and automated outputs drawn from emails, documents, CRM, chats and more....
New Recruiting Insights in Issue 258 Newsletter
Check out the latest article in my newsletter: This Week, In Recruiting - Issue 258 https://t.co/vuBoB9ef2w via @LinkedIn

CEAT Expands Workplace Policies to Support Women Across Career & Life Stages
CEAT, the tyre manufacturer under the RPG Group, has rolled out a suite of workplace policies aimed at supporting women throughout their careers and personal lives. The new measures include a paid menstrual wellness leave, 26 weeks of maternity pay,...

ADP, Workday Top Best Companies for Women List
Comparably’s 2025 Best Companies for Women list placed ADP at the top and Workday at third, reflecting strong employee approval. ADP earned nearly 2,000 reviews with 91% positive, while Workday garnered about 900 reviews and a 94% positive rating. Both...

Joelle Emerson: Why Company Culture Is a Core Governance Issue
In this episode, Joelle Emerson, CEO and co‑founder of Paradigm, discusses how company culture is fundamentally a governance issue, tracing her journey from civil‑rights law to building a culture‑focused advisory firm. She explains how the rapid DEI push after 2020...

Bank CEO Earns Roughly a Year’s Worth of the Average Worker’s Pay in About a Workday
Royal Bank of Canada disclosed that CEO Dave McKay earned $22.09 million in 2025, roughly 30 percent above his target and equivalent to a year’s average Canadian worker pay in a single workday. The bank posted record earnings of $20.4 billion, a 25 percent...
Senior Producer, Video
Lemonada Media announced a full‑time Senior Producer, Video position to lead video production for its expanding podcast slate. The role will design end‑to‑end workflows, edit long‑form episodes, and create short‑form cutdowns for platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, with a...

A Culture-Driven Organization
The article argues that culture should be the foundation of a business, not a peripheral marketing layer. In mature markets where product advantages fade quickly, cultural relevance becomes the durable moat that fuels pricing power, better unit economics, and sustained...

The Benefit 95% of Workers Are Craving
The 2026 Workplace Benefit Report from Empathy, based on more than 4,000 employees in North America and the U.K., reveals that 95% of respondents place a high value on bereavement benefits. Nearly half of the workforce wants employers to support...
Do AI Creators Feel Safe Voicing Ethical Concerns?
Question for your next meeting: "If the people building our AI systems had ethical objections, would they feel safe raising those concerns?" Most leaders assume yes. Very few have tested it. The answer matters more than your AI roadmap.

New Data Shows Millennials and Gen Z Prefer to Work From Home. Here’s How to Optimize Their Productivity
New data from the National Bureau of Labor Statistics shows remote work is resurging as millennials and Gen Z move into managerial positions, making work‑from‑home more common under younger founders and CEOs. The report links this shift to an entrepreneurial mindset...

The ‘Silent Middle’: The Burnout Crisis Quietly Spreading Through Organizations
The article introduces the “Silent Middle,” a cohort of high‑capability employees who appear competent while silently battling burnout. These workers keep output stable but mask declining capacity, creativity, and risk tolerance. Because they do not overtly disengage, leaders often miss...

Sudden Guest Worker Halt Triggers Firm Closures, No Local Hiring
"The Effects of a Sudden Stop in Low-Skilled Immigration: Evidence from Korea’s Guest Worker Program" https://t.co/7CVAD5Zj6v "the collapse in inflows led to a significant increase in firm exit.... Firms did not respond by expanding domestic hiring to replace missing guest workers."

AWE Staff to Strike over Redundancy Plans
Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) staff will strike on 12 and 26 March after the Prospect union reported that redundancy plans have risen to 800 jobs, up from an earlier target of 400‑500. The union says AWE failed to provide sufficient...
Why Visibility Has Become the New Test of Leadership
In professional‑service firms, quiet excellence has given way to visible leadership. Partners now must demonstrate impact through LinkedIn posts, client reviews, and internal dashboards, turning transparency into a credibility metric. MIT Sloan’s research identifies three levers—internal recognition, external reputation, and...

Mercedes-Benz Settles Case over Alleged US Union-Busting
Mercedes‑Benz settled an NLRB case over alleged union‑busting at its Alabama plant, agreeing to post a notice that it will not threaten closure, relocation, benefits loss, or surveillance of workers. The settlement closes the fallout from a May 2024 vote...
Australia, Saudi Arabia, Europe Compete for SA’s Tech Skills
South African ICT and engineering talent is attracting heightened interest from abroad, with international job ads rising from 1.6% in 2021 to 2.2% in 2025. Australia remains the top recruiter, focusing on engineers and technicians, while Saudi Arabia’s demand surged...
Systems-Led Transformation: HR’s New Strategic Role
From #HR to Organisational Systems: A Practitioner’s Perspective on Systems-Led Transformation @ABPsychologists https://t.co/2C7ku7wml6 #HCM #HRM #HumanResources #HRTech #CHRO #CPO #Hiring #Recruitment #PeopleManagement #Culture #Change #FutureofHR #HRCurator
CPO, Zepz | Empathy to Enterprise Value: The Modern HR Mandate Must Stretch Beyond 'Employee Concierge'
As companies transition from startup to scale‑up, HR must shift from informal, proximity‑driven culture to a structured operating framework. The article argues that empathy alone cannot sustain large workforces; it needs to be codified in systems, rhythms, and fair processes....

Local Businesses and Employees Shine at BEST Awards
Bridgend’s Employability Bridgend team celebrated the first‑year results of its BEST (Bridgend Employer Support Training) programme at the BEST Awards on 18 February 2026. The initiative placed 50 local job‑seekers with employers, and 40 remain in their roles after six months of...

Oman Orders Early Salary Payments for Employees Ahead of Eid
Oman has mandated early salary payments for both public and private‑sector workers ahead of Eid al‑Fitr 2026. Government entities must enter payroll data by 8 March, obtain audit approval by 15 March, and disburse salaries on 17 March, while private employers are required...

My Employee Is Sobbing at Her Desk Every Week
A manager is struggling with an employee, Brenda, who cries frequently at her desk, often without clear triggers. Brenda’s emotional volatility is disrupting team productivity as the company approaches a high‑demand period. While she is receiving therapy, the manager wants...
Women in Advertising Are Closing Every Gap They Can. The Pay Gap Persists Anyway
A new study of 900+ U.S. advertising professionals finds women earn about 5% less than men, rising to 8% for mothers, even after adjusting for education, experience, hours, geography and agency type. The research, led by Jess Watts with UCLA...

Turning Talent Into Superstars – How Arizona Cardinals CPO Is Aligning People Strategy with Business Success
Arizona Cardinals Chief People Officer Shaun Mayo outlines a five‑point people strategy for 2026, targeting leadership effectiveness, AI‑ready capabilities, a best‑place‑to‑work culture, expanded learning, and HR system optimisation. The plan hinges on "The Cardinals Way" manifesto, co‑created by staff to...

CVSense Launches AI Recruitment Platform to Help Companies Reduce Costly Hiring Mistakes
CVSense, a UK‑registered AI recruitment platform founded by Nigerian entrepreneurs, launched to address the massive CV overload and costly mis‑hires plaguing firms in Nigeria and beyond. The service replaces crude keyword‑based ATS filters with contextual AI that reads, scores, and...

Your AI Isn’t Failing. Your Org Just Can’t Absorb It
A Wall Street Journal survey revealed a 38‑point gap between executives, who claim AI saves eight or more hours weekly, and front‑line workers, who report less than two hours of benefit. A National Bureau of Economic Research study of 6,000...

Quarter of Workers Planning Job Change This Year
A recent Ciphr poll of 2,000 UK employees finds 24% intend to change jobs within the year. Job‑hopping is strongest among workers under 45, with 32% of those under 34 and 30% of 35‑44‑year‑olds looking elsewhere. The top drivers are...

Partou Revamps Long Service Award to Celebrate Shared Success
Partou, the UK arm of the Netherlands' largest childcare group, announced a revamp of its long‑service award programme on March 9, 2026. The new scheme replaces the previous five‑year voucher model with recognitions at one, two, three and four years of tenure,...

WIZZ AIR MARKS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY WITH TEN ALL-FEMALE FLIGHTS ACROSS EUROPE
Wizz Air celebrated International Women’s Day 2026 by operating ten all‑female flights across ten European markets, involving 70 female pilots and cabin crew. The initiative marks the airline’s fifth consecutive year of all‑female flights, underscoring its commitment to gender diversity....

HDFC Life Insurance Names Vijay Vaidyanathan as CHRO
HDFC Life Insurance has appointed veteran executive Vijay Vaidyanathan as its chief human resources officer, effective April 1, 2026. Vaidyanathan, who joined the insurer in 2001, brings more than two decades of experience across sales, bancassurance, and talent management, most...

The Gender Gap Hiding in Your Incentive Structure
The article reveals that many corporate incentive structures prioritize sheer output volume, unintentionally widening the gender pay gap. It explains the quantity‑quality tradeoff, where workers forced to increase production often sacrifice quality, a dynamic that disproportionately penalizes women whose contributions...