Nestlé’s Restructuring Plan Is Taking Shape in France and Germany
Nestlé’s 2025 restructuring plan aims to cut 16,000 jobs worldwide and save over three billion Swiss francs (≈ $3.3 bn) by 2027. Six months after the announcement, the first layoffs have begun in France and Germany, marking the initial phase of the cost‑reduction drive. The cuts are modest so far but signal the company’s commitment to accelerate change. CEO Philipp Navratil emphasized that the moves are necessary as the market landscape evolves rapidly.
Brabners Advises London Creative Studio on Transition to Employee Ownership
London‑based creative production studio Knock Knock has completed a transition to employee ownership, with its 12 employees now holding the equity. The move was structured by Brabners’ specialist EOT team, which reported more than £250 million (≈ $317 million) of deals in 2025. Knock Knock,...
Top Takeaways From Ragan’s Employee Communications and Culture Conference 2026
The 2026 Ragan Employee Communications and Culture Conference in Boston highlighted the tension between AI‑driven tools and the human touch in internal communications. Speakers warned that framing AI adoption as a cultural moment can ease employee anxiety, but over‑reliance on...
Samsung Workers Rally for Bigger Share of AI Windfall
Samsung Electronics faced a massive employee rally as roughly 30,000 semiconductor workers gathered near its Pyeongtaek plant, demanding a larger share of AI-driven profits. The union is pressing for a 15% allocation of operating profit, while Samsung has countered with...
IT Reskilling: The Pressing CIO Imperative
CIOs are now the architects of enterprise IT reskilling, targeting fast‑evolving domains such as generative AI, cybersecurity, data analytics and automation while also emphasizing soft skills like communication and leadership. Leaders argue that internal upskilling delivers far higher ROI than...
'In-Your-Face Racism' At an Elite Campus: Black Students Raise Alarm at Pomona College
Pomona College is facing a wave of student‑led protests after racist content circulated on the anonymous Fizz app and in classroom incidents, prompting the administration to acknowledge “deeply troubling” accounts. Black enrollment has slipped to about 7% of the 2025...
Strikes at Aldi Belgium Spread Like Wildfire: Concerns over Sunday Openings
Aldi Belgium is facing a wave of spontaneous walkouts as the retailer plans to open its stores on Sundays. Over 50 locations across Flanders and Wallonia have shut their doors, with unions reporting closures in roughly a dozen provinces. Employees...
The Majority of Senior Management Roles in MNCs Are Held by Singapore Residents, MOM Data Shows
Singapore citizens and permanent residents dominate senior‑management positions in multinational corporations, holding 84.7% of such roles in 2025, according to Ministry of Manpower data. Citizens account for 67.3% and PRs 17.4%, while Employment Pass holders comprise only 15.3%. The concentration...
Inside the Mind of a Rewards Leader
ENGIE’s APAC rewards overhaul, led by CHRO Eugene Loh, focuses on building a robust job architecture that balances regional consistency with local relevance. The strategy emphasizes phased implementation, stronger governance, transparent communication, and data‑driven decision‑making. Early wins include the global...
Changing Ideas of Respect and Power Are Transforming China’s Workplaces. Here’s What You Need to Know
ByteDance recently instructed staff to use the informal pronoun “你” instead of the formal “您,” signaling a shift toward flatter, startup‑style culture. The change challenges traditional Chinese norms where language denotes hierarchy and respect. Younger employees embrace the egalitarian tone,...
A Comprehensive Checklist to Boost Caregiving Support for Employees
U.S. caregivers now represent roughly 44.6 million people, delivering unpaid labor valued at $873.5 billion annually. Employee Benefit News reports that half of caregiving workers anticipate heavier duties, and the strain is already affecting productivity. The National Employer Benefits and Health Group...
CompuCycle, Texas School District Launch Workforce Training Program
CompuCycle, a Houston IT asset disposition firm, partnered with Pearland Independent School District to launch TechCycle, a workforce training program for students ages 18‑22 with disabilities. The initiative received $10,000 seed funding from Texas A&M and teaches participants to dismantle...
Rajasthan Raises DA to 60% for Employees and Pensioners
The Rajasthan government approved a 2 percent rise in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief, moving the rate from 58 percent to 60 percent effective 1 January 2026. The increase will affect more than 12 lakh state employees and pensioners, with salaries reflecting the change in...
Deal Ends Year-Long Engineering Construction Pay Dispute
A year‑long pay dispute between the Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA) and the Unite and GMB unions under the NAECI framework has been resolved. Employers offered a 4.5% hourly wage increase, roughly £2,000 per worker, along with higher radius, accommodation...
The Human Skills HR Must Prioritize to Make AI Work
HR leaders are confronting a surge in AI use while many employees lack the skills to validate and guide machine‑generated outputs. Roughly two‑thirds of U.S. workers say their firms encourage AI, yet a third receive no training, creating risk of...
EEOC Provides Guidance on Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation
In February 2026 the EEOC issued FAQs clarifying that telework can be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA only when it effectively enables an employee to perform essential job functions. The guidance, aimed at federal agencies, also applies to private...
Meta, Microsoft Cut Staff as AI Spend Surges
Meta Platforms and Microsoft are trimming their workforces as AI spending accelerates. Meta plans to lay off about 8,000 employees—roughly 10% of its staff—while cancelling 6,000 open positions, and will provide at least 16 weeks of pay plus extended health...
HR Needs Better Access to Data on Apprenticeship Provider Quality
HR teams often select apprenticeship providers without consulting Qualification Achievement Rates (QAR), a key public metric that shows how many learners complete their programmes. Department for Education data reveals up to an 82.1‑point gap in completion rates between providers, turning...
Workers at Ichthys LNG Back Strike Action in Australia
Workers at Inpex’s Ichthys LNG plant in Darwin voted overwhelmingly—over 98%—to strike over pay and conditions. The union Offshore Alliance said members could begin action as early as May 7 but agreed to pause until May 15 for six days of talks....
O’Reilly Expands Learning Platform with New Academies for Managers, Soft Skills, and Data Literacy
O'Reilly announced three new academies—Manager, Soft Skills, and Data Literacy—to deliver structured, enterprise‑wide upskilling. The academies blend technology and business content in short, multiformat tracks that include book chapters, courses, and audio, and award shareable badges with self‑serve progress reporting....
Korbyt-Commissioned Study Conducted by Reworked Reveals Why Employees Tune Out Workplace Communication
Korbyt and research firm Reworked released the 2026 State of Workplace Communication Survey, which polled 1,175 full‑time U.S. employees at firms with 50 or more staff. The study found that workers tune out internal messages that are not actionable, trusted,...
Lumin Digital Earns National Recognition for Excellence in Workplace Culture and Client Experience
Lumin Digital, a cloud‑native digital banking platform provider, earned Great Place to Work® certification for the third straight year, with 100 % of employees rating it a great workplace and scoring 43 points above the U.S. average. The firm also extended...
Harley-Davidson Cuts Costs Amid Losses, Signals Strategic Shift Ahead
Harley-Davidson announced a major restructuring to curb a $150 million cost gap after reporting a sizable operating loss for 2025 and a double‑digit drop in global sales. The company began layoffs in early April affecting both factory and corporate roles worldwide,...
Automating Probation Extensions After Sick Leave in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Organizations often extend probation when employees miss days due to short‑term sickness, but manual tracking creates administrative overhead and legal exposure. SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central now offers a configurable workflow that automatically adds the exact number of sick‑leave days to...
KRAFTON Chairman Chang Byung-Gyu Returns to MMORPGs: Hiring Begins for 'TERA 2'
KRAFTON announced public recruitment for senior development positions on its upcoming MMORPG “TERA 2,” signaling a move beyond planning into full‑scale production. The hiring drive covers seven key roles, including senior programmers, action designers, and lead artists, all tasked with building...
People First, the Profits: The Case for Wellbeing as Strategy
At AsiaHRM’s Sustainability in Business Series, experts highlighted employee wellbeing as a strategic sustainability pillar rather than a peripheral perk. They argued that psychological safety is the prerequisite for autonomy, creativity, and collaboration, which in turn drive productivity and profit....
IWD Voices: Kavita Prasad – ‘The Future Should Be About Capability, Not Assumption’
Kavita Prasad’s International Women’s Day commentary stresses that gender equity must be built into a company’s structure, not left to goodwill. She argues that hiring, mentoring, and promoting women into operational and technical positions is essential. While workplace respect has...
Jobs Warning | Ex-PM Rishi Sunak Warns AI Is 'Flattening' Entry-Level Jobs Market for Young Workers
Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak warned that artificial intelligence is flattening the entry‑level jobs market for young workers. He told the BBC that graduates’ fears of AI replacing early‑career roles are justified, as business leaders report scaling back recruitment....
'Fell Between the Cracks' | Police Force Breached Equality Act over ADHD Support and Noise-Cancelling Headphones Request, Tribunal Finds
An employment tribunal found that Avon and Somerset Constabulary failed to make reasonable adjustments for a Victim and Witness Care Officer diagnosed with ADHD, violating the Equality Act. The employee, Donna Vale, requested noise‑cancelling headphones, a request that was ignored,...
Ecosystem Roundup: The Illusion of Stability in Philippines’s Talent Market
The Philippine white‑collar job market looks steady, but a new survey reveals deep churn risk: 54% of professionals plan to switch jobs within a year and 66% would still leave even after a counteroffer. Employees are increasingly benchmarking salaries and...
HrFlow.ai Secures €6 Million Pre-Series A to Build “Hiring SuperIntelligence” To Tackle Unemployment
Paris‑based HrFlow.ai announced a €6 million ($7 million) pre‑Series A round, lifting its total funding to €8.5 million ($10 million). The round was led by 115K and EmergingTech Ventures and included high‑profile backers such as Xavier Niel and Allen Penn. HrFlow.ai provides an AI‑driven data orchestration...
UK Wage Tax Burden Rises Fastest Among Rich Nations as Hiring Concerns Grow
The OECD reports that the UK’s wage tax burden rose to 32.4% of labour costs in 2025, the steepest increase among advanced economies. The surge stems from higher employer National Insurance contributions and frozen tax thresholds that create fiscal drag....
Granting Flex Request Would "Create Expectations" In Broader Workforce
The Fair Work Commission ruled that an employer could refuse a flexible rostering request because granting it could set a precedent leading to widespread expectations and potential productivity losses. The case involved a Coal & Allied Mining Services employee on...
Women in UK Financial Services Earn £40,000 Less than Men as Pay Gap Widens
Women in UK financial services earn about £40,000 (≈$51,000) less than men, a gap that translates to roughly 30% lower total compensation and 25% lower hourly pay. eFinancialCareers’ survey of over 2,600 professionals shows men earn £68.66 ($87) per hour...
FWC Clarifies Restrictions on S-Xual Harassment Disputes
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) dismissed a TAFE Queensland employee's sexual harassment dispute because her parallel complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC) had not been resolved. Under section 734B(1) of the Fair Work...
Vinay Kumar Elevated to CPO, Skye Air Mobility
Skye Air Mobility announced the promotion of Vinay Kumar to Chief People Officer. Kumar, who joined the hyper‑local delivery platform in May 2024 as head of people, brings more than 15 years of HR leadership across retail, technology, and consumer‑goods firms....
Webcast: Crucial Developments in General Protections Claims
The Fair Work Commission reports that general‑protections claims are the fastest‑growing class of applications, prompting a wave of regulatory reforms. A recent HR Daily Premium webcast dissected procedural shifts, new case‑management rules in the Federal Court, and evolving case law....
‘Can’t Penalise Employees for Employers’ Record Gaps’: Bombay HC
The Bombay High Court ruled that the Employee Provident Fund Organisation cannot deny a higher pension simply because an employer failed to file required forms. The judgment, delivered on 18 April 2026, mandates EPFO to process claims based on actual wage contributions,...
Microsoft Offers Voluntary Exit
Microsoft announced its first voluntary buyout program for U.S. employees, allowing eligible staff to retire with a generous financial package instead of facing layoffs. Roughly 7% of the U.S. workforce could qualify, based on a formula where age plus years...
The AI Workplace Paradox: Higher Productivity, Higher Anxiety
A new Anthropic survey of 81,000 Claude users reveals a paradox: workers using AI report higher productivity yet also heightened anxiety about job displacement. One‑fifth of respondents fear AI will replace parts of their work, with early‑career and high‑exposure roles...
Nike to Lay Off About 1,400 People Under Global Restructuring
Nike announced it will cut roughly 1,400 global positions, primarily within its technology organization, as the final phase of the "Win Now" turnaround plan unfolds. The layoffs span North America, Europe and Asia and follow a January reduction of more...
Philippines’s Calm Job Market May Be Hiding a Resignation Wave
The Philippines’ white‑collar market appears calm, yet Monroe Consulting’s Talent Market Report 2026 reveals that 54% of candidates are eyeing a job change within a year and 66% would still quit even after a counteroffer. Employers report turnover under 5%,...
Canva Hires Andy Ford After Short Analytic Partners Stint
Canva has appointed data veteran Andy Ford as head of marketing data, ending his three‑month stint at Analytic Partners. Ford, previously leading data intelligence at Coles 360, joins Canva as it expands its marketing production suite and readies for a...
Job-Swaps-Weekly:-SMBC-and-Mount-Street-Hires,-While-Departures-Hit-UBS-and-CQS
The securitisation market saw several high‑profile hires this week, with SMBC appointing Adrian Luput as head of lender finance for EMEA and Mount Street Group bringing in Neil Odom‑Haslett to drive commercial‑real‑estate business development. Benefit Street Partners created a global...
Oxfam’s Living Wage for Hong Kong Set to Rise to HK$64 per Hour From Oct
Oxfam Hong Kong announced a new living‑wage benchmark of HK$64 per hour (about $8.20) effective Oct. 1, up from HK$62.8. The increase reflects recent wage data and the Composite Consumer Price Index. Meanwhile, the statutory minimum wage will rise by HK$1...
Fears of AI Cheating by Candidates ‘Overblown’, Study Claims
A Clevry study reveals that while 62% of HR professionals believe candidates are using AI to cheat on assessments, only 26% have actually witnessed such behavior. The research suggests the fear of AI‑enabled cheating is driven more by perception than...
Director of People & Culture – Oregon Shakespeare Festival via TOC Arts Partners
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is recruiting a Director of People & Culture to lead HR strategy, employee experience, and labor relations for its 500‑plus staff. The senior role will oversee recruitment, compensation, benefits, compliance, and union negotiations as the...
Second Strike Planned
Council workers in Melbourne will stage a second strike on May 5, the day the Victorian state budget is delivered. More than 1,000 staff from eight councils, including library, planning, nursing and administrative roles, will walk out. They are demanding a...
Dev Targeted by Sophisticated Job Scam: 'I Let My Guard Down, and Ran the Freaking Code'
A Serbian web developer was duped by a fake LinkedIn recruiter claiming to represent blockchain firm Genusix Labs. After two seemingly legitimate video interviews, the scammers sent a live‑coding test that contained a hidden shell script, which installed a Go‑based...
Chicago/Midwest People & Company News, Week of April 24, 2026
Premier Design + Build Group bolstered its national leadership by hiring Audra Billmeyer as senior vice president of professional development, where she will steer the PREMIER U education program. Transwestern added Alissa Adler and John Homsher, CCIM, as managing directors in...