Know What's Happening in Human Resources
Know What's Happening in Human Resources
Human Resources Pulse
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EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
IBM settles DOJ DEI probe with $17.1 million payment
IBM agreed to pay $17.1 million to resolve a Department of Justice false‑claims act investigation into its diversity, equity and inclusion practices on federal contracts. The DOJ alleged the company tied bonus compensation to demographic targets and limited certain training programs. IBM cooperated early and disclosed relevant facts.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Gusto expands AI compliance suite with acquisition of Mosey
The U.S. Labor Department reports that 348,000 of the 369,000 jobs created since the start of President Trump’s second term went to women, driven largely by a 390,000‑job surge in health care. Men captured only 21,000 of those new positions, a disparity of roughly 17 to 1. Economists argue the gap reflects men’s occupational identity and a lack of policy focus on drawing them into traditionally female‑dominated fields such as nursing and teaching. Experts suggest reframing these roles as masculine and launching targeted programs to boost male participation.
Network Rail has accepted a tribunal ruling that a former employee, Parjmit Bassi, was subjected to racial harassment and ostracism. The tribunal highlighted incidents such as an English Defence League leaflet placed in his locker and criticized the company's laissez‑faire...
AI is reshaping HR software by automating repetitive tasks such as survey analysis, training recommendations, and routine employee queries. The real breakthrough, however, is the shift from a pure technology story to a change‑management challenge once AI is embedded in...
Lowe’s Foundation has increased its commitment to $250 million to train 250,000 skilled‑trade workers by 2035 through its Gable Grants program. The expansion builds on a 2023 $50 million pledge and $53 million already invested, putting the initiative ahead of its original schedule...
HR data migration is critical when enterprises shift to cloud SaaS platforms, merge, or restructure. The article outlines the pitfalls of dirty data, security compliance, and technical mapping that can jeopardize accuracy and legal standing. It recommends a four‑step framework:...
The U.S. Department of Labor is adopting a historically consistent, guidance‑first strategy for AI, emphasizing workforce readiness before regulation. In February 2026 it issued an AI Literacy Framework to teach workers how to generate and evaluate AI outputs. The agency...
IRIS Software Group surveyed 500 final‑year students and early‑career accountants and found they waste roughly five hours each week – equivalent to 33 days of productive time per year – on manual data entry and fragmented systems. Only 1% of respondents...
Novaworks.ai, an AI-native Total Workforce Management platform built on ServiceNow, announced the appointment of Meg Bear to its Board of Directors effective April 2026. Bear, former President of SAP SuccessFactors, brings over three decades of experience scaling enterprise HCM solutions....
Recent accounts from League of Legends players Ève “Colomblbl” Monvoisin and Maya “Caltys” Henckel reveal they were turned down for team spots solely because they are women. Their stories sparked a wave of community backlash, highlighting that gender‑based exclusion remains...
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has filed a strike notice targeting BHP’s South Flank iron‑ore operation in Western Australia, with industrial action slated to begin on April 16. This marks the first Pilbara‑wide strike in almost four decades, underscoring heightened labor tensions...
Senior rugby union CEOs Julia Chapman and Andrea Pinchen joined Investec’s Jane Niles to discuss the persistent barriers women face in UK corporate leadership. They highlighted the scarcity of female CEOs—only eight women in FTSE 100 firms and a decline in...
Employee engagement is moving from periodic surveys to continuous, AI‑driven mood tracking. Traditional surveys, often quarterly or annual, deliver delayed, surface‑level insights and suffer from low participation. New HR‑tech platforms capture real‑time sentiment through pulse surveys, behavioral signals, and natural‑language...
The UK Fair Work Agency (FWA) has been granted police powers to conduct unannounced inspections, force entry into workplaces, and arrest suspected labour law violators. The authority stems from the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and applies to enforcement...
Emma‑Louise Taylor, head of Learning, Development and EDI at Gi Group UK, is urging the UK government to embed resilience and stress‑management training into the national curriculum. Her call follows Simplyhealth research showing mental ill‑health is now the leading cause of long‑term...
Paul McCallum, founder of Leeds‑based PJ Staffing and SME News’ Managing Director of the Year 2025, detailed how his firm supplied flexible staffing for York Racecourse’s busiest days. On a single race day the agency deployed more than 215 workers across hospitality, cleaning...
National Australia Bank’s Agribusiness Graduate Program helped Connie Burls shift from a seven‑year teaching career to a management role in rural banking. After completing a postgraduate agribusiness qualification, she joined the January 2025 cohort, receiving a four‑month rotation in the Goulburn...
Uncommon has bolstered its leadership team by appointing Robyn D’Arcy as head of data and Steph Morrow as head of cultural strategy. Both new executives will report directly to Chief Strategy Officer Tobey Duncan and co‑founder Lucy Jameson. D’Arcy brings...
Australian regulators have stepped up unannounced inspections of vineyard employers in South Australia under Operation Zephyr. To date, the Australian Taxation Office, Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Border Force have visited 18 vineyards across the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and...
Kennedys, a global insurance‑focused law firm, is under scrutiny after senior partner John Bruce acknowledged bullying and sexual‑harassment allegations during a worldwide partners’ call. Internal sources claim the firm applies a two‑tier disciplinary approach, treating commercially valuable senior staff more...
A survey of 2,000 UK workers shows that workplace relationships and recognition outrank salary as the top drivers of employee happiness, with 36% citing each factor. Employees who feel happy at least 20 days a month are twice as likely...
The Training Journal L&D Influence Report 2026 confirms that learning and development must move closer to the business, rely on portable evidence, and focus on performance rather than content. While those directions are widely accepted, most organisations stumble on translating them...
In this episode, former stand‑up comedian turned keynote speaker Jan McInnes explains how leaders can use humor as a strategic tool without becoming comedians. She debunks three common myths: that you must tell full‑blown jokes, that you’ll inevitably bomb, and...
Will AI kill software jobs? History says no. Jevons Paradox: when steam engines got efficient in the 1800s, coal usage went UP, not down. Same with software. I've written more code in the last month than in 2 years — because AI makes...
In her recent interview, Bree Groff emphasizes the importance of fostering a fun workplace to enhance creativity and collaboration among team members. More insights can be found here: https://t.co/TYuGg6TVOy @performbetter
HR thought leaders highlight three understated capabilities—low drama, genuine relationship building, and early business acumen combined with networking—that keep teams functioning smoothly. These skills rarely appear in job descriptions or performance metrics, yet they prevent escalation, foster trust, and align...
SpiceJet has begun a workforce reduction affecting more than 500 employees in its first phase, using six‑month furloughs and unpaid leave. The airline’s fleet has contracted from 50 aircraft to 13 owned planes plus 14 wet‑leased units, intensifying operational strain....
Kashish Kapoor has been appointed Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Newgen Software, succeeding a nine‑year stint as CHRO at NEC Corporation India. Her career spans over three decades, covering roles at Modi Xerox, Essar Cellphone, Oriflame India, ING Vysya...
In this 7‑minute episode, Kalpana Fitzpatrick talks with Karen Hewitt of The Gym Group about how partnering with Jobcentre Plus has become a core growth strategy for the fast‑expanding gym chain. Hewitt explains the challenges of finding qualified Level 3 personal trainers...
Subitha Pallithara, former Group Head‑Rewards at Arvind, has been appointed Vice President‑Rewards at Vodafone Idea. She brings over a decade of experience across FMCG, banking, manufacturing and real estate, including senior roles at L’Oréal and DBS Bank. In her new...
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez‑DeRemer is facing three civil‑rights complaints filed by women who worked in her executive office. The allegations describe a hostile environment, citing sexual harassment by her husband, retaliation for participation in an internal probe, and misuse of...
SafetyCulture’s fifth Feedback from the Field report finds U.S. frontline middle managers lose an average of 33 days per year to low‑value tasks such as endless meetings and duplicate data entry. The wasted time translates to roughly $6,400 per manager,...
The op‑ed argues that Australia’s media and creative sectors still rely on unpaid internships, a practice that, while legal under narrow Fair Work provisions, often blurs the line between learning and free labour. This model excludes candidates without financial support,...
Deputy’s new report, based on 41 million shifts and 268 million hours, shows AI is accelerating the shift‑work economy rather than displacing frontline jobs. AI tools are trimming documentation, improving patient coordination in hospitals, and sharpening demand forecasting and staffing precision in...
FedEx and the Air Line Pilots Association reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement, sidestepping a possible strike that could have crippled cargo capacity. The news sent FedEx shares up 4.6% in early trading, underscoring the market’s relief. The deal now...
AIHR published a comprehensive guide on building AI skills for employees and HR professionals, outlining a three‑layer training model. The guide cites McKinsey’s $4.4 trillion productivity potential and warns that only 1% of leaders feel their firms are AI‑mature, underscoring the...
Proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has advised Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders to vote against a $887 million golden parachute for CEO David Zaslav in the pending $77.7 billion Paramount Skydance acquisition. The recommendation comes as the deal could ultimately award Warner executives...
Property managers who maintain composure during emergencies set a steady tone for their teams, turning potential chaos into coordinated action. In multifamily settings, where resident disputes, maintenance crises, and staffing pressures intersect, emotional regulation becomes a core operational asset. The...
Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 Americans and discovered that participants consistently chose robot colors that mirrored human racial stereotypes for different occupations. The bias intensified when a human worker of a matching race was shown alongside the robot, highlighting a...
The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has launched recruitment for two additional Director General (DG) positions—digital transformation and digital products—offering salaries of £200,000‑£260,000 (approximately $250,000‑$325,000). Both roles are currently filled on an interim basis by Emily Middleton...
Dr Jaclyn Lee, Certis’ CHRO, says HR must be built outward from business needs and stay data‑driven to remain at the decision‑making table. She outlines a five‑pillar HR roadmap—strategic rewards, talent development, employer brand, business partnering, and HR tech/analytics—anchored by real‑time...
Deloitte’s 2026 CFO Guide and Human Capital Trends report both confirm that a hybrid AI‑human workforce is now an operational reality, yet they speak different languages about the same challenge. While finance emphasizes AI infrastructure, cost control and ROI, HR...
Disney announced plans to eliminate roughly 1,000 marketing positions, representing under 1% of its 231,000‑strong workforce. The cuts are part of a broader restructuring led by a new chief marketing officer under the internal "Project Imagine" initiative, and come as...
The Writers Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with the major studios, injecting $321 million into its health plan while raising deductibles and premiums. The contract shifts from the traditional three‑year cycle to a four‑year bargaining period and includes modest...
Executives anticipate a turbulent decade, with 57% expecting stormy conditions, forcing organizations to deliver more bad news. Yet a gap persists: 80% of leaders rate internal communications as clear, while only half of employees agree. Poorly handled bad news erodes...
Taiwan’s Cabinet approved a draft amendment that outright bans employers and labor brokers from retaining migrant workers’ identity documents or confiscating their personal property. The measure tightens penalties, imposing fines of NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 (approximately $1,900‑$9,600) and possible revocation of...
Over the past year more than thirty AI researchers have left Silicon Valley for Chinese tech giants, including ByteDance and Tencent. High‑profile defections such as Wu Yonghui from Google DeepMind and Yao Shunyu from OpenAI illustrate a broader reverse migration....
Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) locked out about 1,600 United Steelworkers members on April 2 after their contract expired, demanding acceptance of a final offer. The lockout could hinder maintenance at its coal‑fired Schahfer plant, though the utility says non‑represented...
One way to respond to people accusing you of not paying them for months is to simply apologize and send the money.
Law firms are accelerating non‑equity expansion by opening new regional offices and supplementing them with lateral hires. In 2026, three AmLaw 200 and midsize firms launched Wilmington, Delaware locations focused on bankruptcy work, while Simpson Thacher re‑established a Singapore office by...
The Secret Service has asked for a $3.5 billion budget for fiscal 2027, proposing to add 852 positions, including 520 special agents, 256 uniformed officers, and 50 technical law‑enforcement roles. The request builds on a $1.2 billion allocation through 2029 aimed at...
