Today's Human Resources Pulse
Greenhouse completes acquisition of Ezra AI Labs, adding voice‑AI interviewing
Greenhouse announced the completion of its acquisition of Ezra AI Labs, a voice‑AI interviewing platform. The technology enables on‑demand, role‑specific conversations that are scored against a uniform rubric, delivering transcripts and explainable evaluations. The deal expands Greenhouse’s structured hiring methodology to the earliest stage of the recruiting funnel.
EEOC Warns Agencies Against ‘Blanket Approach’ to Telework Denial
The EEOC and OPM released new technical assistance urging federal agencies not to apply a blanket denial of telework accommodations for employees with disabilities. The guidance stresses that telework decisions must be fact‑specific and comply with the Rehabilitation Act and ADA, distinguishing situations where remote work is the sole effective accommodation from those with viable alternatives. Recent litigation, such as the 2024 ADA case involving a stroke survivor, highlights the legal exposure of blanket denials. The EEOC also advises private‑sector HR to conduct individualized interactive processes before revoking existing telework arrangements.
Call Centers Signal AI‑Driven Job Crisis Ahead
A good canary in the coal mine for AI-caused job loss will be call centers. We're currently projecting ~2.75M call center jobs in the US in 2026. In 2016 it was ~2.63M. The global call center market size has grown...
Lawmakers Urge DHS to Exempt Health Care Workers From H-1B Visa Fee in AHA-Supported Letter
A bipartisan group of 100 lawmakers, led by Reps. Yvette Clarke and Michael Lawler, sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security urging an exemption from the $100,000 H‑1B filing fee for health‑care workers. The request is backed by...
Announcing: Enhancements to Quality Gates and Embedded Launch Activities for HCM and SAP Cloud ERP
SAP announced upgrades to its Quality Gate framework and introduced Embedded Launch Activity support for both HCM and SAP Cloud ERP. The enhancements include new CQC (Continuous Quality Check) reports that deliver real‑time visibility into gate compliance. Embedded launch activities...
Worker Sues Frito-Lay Alleging HR Dismissed Her Discrimination Complaint
A former Frito‑Lay merchandiser, Diana Truitt, filed a federal lawsuit alleging age and gender discrimination after being denied a higher‑paying co‑lead position in favor of younger male colleagues. When she raised the issue with HR, the complaint was dismissed as...
AT&T Employee Sues over Explicit Images in Workplace Group Chat
AT&T faces a federal lawsuit from senior specialist Bridgette Tolbert, who alleges a workplace group chat circulated explicit images and sexual innuendos. After reporting the harassment to HR, she claims the company failed to act, and instead subjected her to...
Judge Forces DC Fire Department to Face Supervisor Sexual Harassment Trial
A federal judge ruled that the sexual harassment allegations brought by DC fire investigator Whitney Ward against her former supervisor can proceed to trial. The court dismissed her discrimination and retaliation claims but allowed the hostile work environment claim to...
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Accusing Musk of Scheming to Strip Disability Accommodations
A federal judge in Washington dismissed a lawsuit filed by USDA Equal Employment Specialist Fenyang Ajamu Stewart, who alleged Elon Musk, the department secretary, and senior officials conspired to eliminate his remote‑work accommodation for disabilities and force him out of...
New York Court Forces Freight Company to Pay for COVID-19 Workplace Death
A New York appellate court ruled that ABF Freight System must pay death benefits after a truck driver died from COVID‑19 contracted at the company’s Brooklyn terminal in 2020. The decision affirms the driver’s death as a work‑related accident under...
Employer Loses Appeal Ruling on 'Thief' Comments About Ex-Worker to Clients
An Ohio appellate court ruled that a former copier‑services company breached its nondisparagement agreement by calling a ex‑employee a “thief” to prospective clients, overturning a lower court’s reliance on qualified privilege. The decision holds that disparaging remarks unrelated to the...
$1 Trillion Lost as Workers Delay Mental Health Care
A nationwide Renaissance Recovery survey found U.S. employees lost more than $1 trillion in earnings over the past five years due to untreated mental‑health and substance‑use disorders. Forty‑one percent said these conditions impaired their ability to work, cutting average income by...
Roundup: HR Tech Confronts Cooling Investor Sentiment Despite AI
HR technology firms are posting solid revenue growth as AI‑enabled talent‑management tools gain traction, yet investor sentiment is cooling. Recent earnings beats have been offset by sharp share‑price declines, reflecting worries about slower sales cycles and rising customer‑acquisition costs. Workforce...
How HR Can Help Employees ‘Earn the Commute’
HR leaders are re‑examining the daily commute as a key component of the overall workplace experience. Leesman data shows 62% of workers are satisfied with short commutes, but satisfaction falls sharply after 45 minutes. JLL’s Amanda Kross proposes an “outside‑in...
Italy's Pay Transparency Decree: A Turning Point for Equal Pay
On 5 February 2026 Italy’s Council of Ministers approved a draft legislative decree to transpose the EU Pay‑Transparency Directive (2023/970) into national law, with a June 7 2026 deadline for full implementation. The decree anchors equal‑pay assessments to the classifications set out in national...
Judge Dismisses Missouri Lawsuit Against Starbucks’ DEI Practices
A federal judge in the Eastern District of Missouri dismissed the state’s lawsuit accusing Starbucks of discriminatory DEI practices. The court found the complaint speculative and lacking concrete demographic data to show harm to white, male, or heterosexual applicants. Missouri’s...
Seres to Lay Off Staff, Pause Top Program in Latest Reboot
Seres Therapeutics, a cash‑strapped microbiome drug developer, will cut about 30 % of its workforce and suspend its lead program SER‑155, which targets graft‑versus‑host disease. The company will redirect resources toward earlier‑stage immunology candidates such as SER‑603, aiming to extend its...
Workplace Bias Hides Behind Covert Tactics, Not Overt Acts
Most workplace bias isn't done openly-- it's tactically concealed to avoid being identified and exposed.
LiveOne Says Artificial Intelligence Helped Company Cut 250 Jobs
LiveOne reported that artificial‑intelligence tools enabled it to slash its staff from 350 to 88, eliminating more than 250 jobs in fiscal Q3 2026. The company’s revenue dropped 31% year‑over‑year to $20.26 million, but its net loss narrowed to $1.95 million from...
Recent Case Highlights Need for Employers to Strictly Comply with Background Check Rules
A California Court of Appeal ruled that applicants can sue for violations of the Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act (ICRAA) without proving actual harm, awarding statutory damages of $10,000 or more. The decision arose from Parsonage v. Wal‑Mart, where the...
OFCCP Poised to Produce Contractors’ EEO-1 Data Following Losses in Litigation
The Ninth Circuit ruled in July 2025 that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) must disclose consolidated EEO‑1 reports for federal contractors covering 2016‑2020. After a series of FOIA lawsuits by the Center for Investigative Reporting, OFCCP abandoned...
Resident Doctors in Scotland Accept Pay Deal, Averting Strikes
Resident doctors in Scotland have overwhelmingly approved a revised pay offer, with 97.1% voting in favour and a 62.4% turnout, averting planned strike action. The British Medical Association secured a deal that provides a 4.25% pay rise for 2025‑26 and...
Instant Financial Named Payroll Solution of the Year by the HR.com Awards
Instant Financial has been named Payroll Solution of the Year by the HR.com Awards, recognizing its innovative payroll platform for hourly workers. The award is based on weighted feedback from HR professionals and customers. In 2025, Instant processed over $8 billion...
This Job Board Just Broke My #1 Rule
A new platform dubbed “Glassdoor for News” launched with a dual focus on anonymous newsroom reviews and job listings, but its job board is completely empty. The author highlights this as a breach of the core rule for any job...
UK Agri-Tech Centre Marked International Day Of Women And Girls In Science With Industry Voices
The UK Agri‑Tech Centre marked International Day of Women and Girls in Science by partnering with FA Bio for a discussion on inclusive scientific careers. FA Bio’s founder Dr Angela de Manzanos Guinot highlighted the company’s female‑majority team and its work developing microbial bioproducts to...
Statutory Sick Pay and the Future of Payroll (Webinar)
The UK Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces day‑one statutory sick pay and removes the lower earnings limit, reshaping payroll compliance. Employers must adjust payroll systems within the first 12 months to accommodate immediate SSP payments and altered eligibility for part‑time...
The Hidden Risks of AI-Driven Layoffs
January 2024 saw the steepest layoff wave in 17 years, with roughly 108,000 jobs cut, driven in part by AI‑enabled workforce planning at firms like Amazon and Pinterest. Companies are deploying algorithms to model redundancies, forecast financial impact, and interpret...
The Hidden Risks of AI-Driven Layoffs
January saw roughly 108,000 job cuts, the steepest layoff wave in 17 years, driven in part by firms accelerating AI adoption. High‑profile exits at Amazon and Pinterest highlighted a growing reliance on algorithmic tools to identify redundant roles. While AI...
Legal and Compliance Readiness Plunges Amid Growing Regulatory and Cyber Threats
The 2026 Litigation Trends Survey from Norton Rose Fulbright shows a steep decline in litigation preparedness, with confidence among U.S. general counsel dropping from 46% in 2024 to 29% in 2025. The dip aligns with regulatory uncertainty following the shift...
Subba Rao Joins Vertex Group as Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer
Subba Rao Bhairavabhatla joins Vertex Group as co‑founder and chief growth officer after four years at Teleperformance. He brings two decades of process excellence, quality, and digital transformation experience from Asian Paints, HSBC, Wipro, Capita, WNS and Teleperformance. At Vertex,...
10 Tactics of Obnoxious Leaders
The article outlines ten hallmark tactics used by obnoxious leaders, from obsessing over short‑term results to withholding gratitude and demanding respect without earning it. It argues that such behavior stems from self‑deception and a belief that problems lie with people...
Peter Hinssen: HR, Get Comfortable with Uncertainty or Be Left Behind
Peter Hinssen warned HR leaders that uncertainty is now the permanent climate of business, not a temporary storm. He urged companies to abandon the traditional machine‑like, risk‑averse model and adopt agile structures he calls "octopus" and "phoenix" organizations. By leveraging...
Faces of HR: How Omnissa’s Chief People Officer Bridges the Gap Between Tech and Talent
Omnissa’s Chief People Officer Suni Lobo leverages a globe‑spanning career to fuse artificial intelligence with human‑centric leadership. Her rise, driven by senior sponsors rather than traditional mentors, informs a talent‑pipeline strategy that emphasizes resilience and cross‑cultural fluency. At Omnissa, Lobo...
Payroll Mistakes Cost More Than Dollars
Restaurant operators face razor‑thin margins and complex payroll compliance, and generic all‑in‑one SaaS platforms often fail to handle industry‑specific nuances such as tip pooling and multi‑state tax rules. Payroll errors not only frustrate staff but also trigger fines, higher turnover,...
JPMorgan’s 5-Day Office Rule Faces Tepid Pushback as Employee Petition Gains Support
In March 2025 JPMorgan Chase instituted a strict five‑day‑in‑office requirement, ending the hybrid work model that many employees had adopted during the pandemic. An internal petition opposing the rule has drawn roughly 2,000 signatures out of a global workforce of...
Why “This Is Unfair” Isn’t a Retaliation Claim
A federal appeals court ruled that an FAA employee’s retaliation claim failed because his internal grievance did not allege unlawful discrimination, and therefore was not protected activity under Title VII. The court emphasized that only complaints that challenge discrimination, not...
Six Flags Hiring for More than 50,000 Jobs Across US Parks
Six Flags announced a National Hiring Week from Feb. 14‑22, targeting more than 50,000 part‑time and seasonal positions across its U.S. parks. The rollout covers roles in rides, food and beverage, admissions, entertainment, retail, security, EMT services and lifeguarding. Applicants...
Phillipson: Updated EHRC Code ‘Does Not Apply to Workplaces’
Women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson told a meeting with nurse Jennifer Melle and health minister Karin Smyth that the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s revised code of practice applies only to services, associations and public functions, not to workplace...
Singapore Budget 2026: Key Highlights for HR Leaders, Employers, and Employees
Singapore’s 2026 Budget, delivered by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, projects growth slowing to 2‑4% and introduces a suite of measures to keep the city‑state competitive. For employers, the budget raises the minimum qualifying salary for new Employment Passes to $6,000...
Top Takeaways From Charter’s Leading with AI Summit in New York
Charter’s Leading with AI Summit in New York highlighted a counter‑intuitive hiring strategy: double down on entry‑level talent while reshaping those roles for an AI‑augmented workplace. IBM’s CHRO, Nickle LaMoreaux, shared that the company is tripling entry‑level hires, even in...
Rethinking Employer Coverage for High-Cost Medications
Employers face a projected 9% rise in health‑benefit costs for 2026, driven largely by soaring prescription drug expenses. GLP‑1 receptor agonists, originally diabetes treatments now popular for weight loss, have become the fastest‑growing cost component, with 79% of employers reporting...
Burnout’s New Face
The episode explores the evolving nature of burnout, shifting from long hours to cognitive overload caused by constant context switching, endless meetings, and digital distractions. It highlights how "quiet burnout" manifests as disengagement despite steady productivity, and argues that traditional...
AI Polishes Everyone, Erasing Unique Voices
Something honestly scared me today. I was scrolling LinkedIn and I couldn’t tell who wrote what anymore. • Same tone • Same structure • Same “smart” voice I use LLMs every day. I love them. But here’s the part nobody says out loud: LLMs don’t just help...
Engaged Employees, Not Just Tech, Drive Transformation
Driving transformation requires more than technology - it demands engaged employees who understand the vision and their role in achieving it. Hear strategies from digital leaders. #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership #Transformation https://t.co/7PLi7KH9Ub https://t.co/lvb9oX5v61
HDFC Bank Staffer Issues Clarification After Viral Video Triggers Caste Row
An HDFC Bank relationship manager in Kanpur, Astha Singh, issued a clarification after a viral video showed her repeatedly stating her caste during a heated internal dispute. Singh says the footage, recorded on January 6, captures only a fragment of...
Seres Cuts Staff and Pauses Flagship Program
Seres to lay off staff, pause top program in latest reboot https://t.co/yJRtypSN3d by @Lilah_Alvarado $MCRB - 37%
Elevating the Next Generation of Senior Leadership Through New Rise Initiative
Rise Broadcast has launched Elevate, a six‑week leadership accelerator for women in mid‑level broadcast and media‑technology roles. The hybrid programme, running in June and July, combines virtual and in‑person sessions, expert‑led skill training, real‑world challenges, and mentorship from senior industry...
Workplace Silence Leaving Staff Afraid to Raise Mistakes
Nearly half of UK employees feel unsafe speaking up about errors or risks, according to a survey of 2,000 workers commissioned by MHFA England. The research found 45% lack psychological safety, and 15% have made preventable mistakes because they stayed...
Managers’ Biggest Fears? ‘Confrontation and Redundancies’
New research by Breathe HR surveyed over 500 UK line managers, revealing that the most dreaded workplace scenario is having their authority publicly challenged, followed closely by redundancies, negative feedback, and ungrantable pay‑rise requests. More than a quarter of managers...
Former Walgreens IT Director Sues over Firing After Bias Complaint
Former Walgreens IT director Sachin Sangamnerkar filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was fired after reporting racial and national‑origin discrimination. He claims a hostile work environment intensified following his HR complaint, including micromanagement and exclusion from meetings. The suit cites...
HR Job Demand Lags 20% Behind Pre-Pandemic Levels
A new SHRM report shows active HR job postings have fallen to 78% of their February 2020 levels, a drop of more than 20%, even as HR employment rose roughly 16% through September 2025. The decline is linked to economic pressure, rapid...