Honda Agrees to $2.3M Settlement in Lawsuits Tied to Kronos Outage
Honda Development and Manufacturing of America agreed to a $2.3 million settlement to resolve wage‑and‑hour lawsuits stemming from a Kronos time‑keeping outage caused by a 2021 ransomware attack. Employees claimed the company failed to accurately track hours, resulting in unpaid overtime during the weeks the software was offline. The settlement, pending court approval, covers claims affecting an estimated 1,264 to 8,797 workers across multiple lawsuits. Honda emphasized its commitment to timely, accurate pay while moving to close the dispute.
The Key to Companywide AI Adoption? Empowering Managers, Gartner Says.
Gartner’s latest analysis warns that HR must shift AI‑adoption responsibility to managers, who are already experimenting with the technology at higher rates than rank‑and‑file employees. While nearly 50% of managers reported AI trials, only 26% of employees did, and 14%...
Week in Review: Why Pay for Performance Matters
A new McLean & Co. report finds employees who expect fair pay for exceeding performance are 2.7 times more likely to be engaged, underscoring the strategic value of pay‑for‑performance systems. However, many firms still struggle to design and implement such compensation...
Entry-Level Jobs Should Be Entry Level
Employers increasingly label positions as “entry level” while demanding three or more years of experience, a trend highlighted by SHRM’s finding that 61% of such postings exceed true entry‑level criteria. This mismatch discourages recent graduates, creates confusion, and narrows talent...
Why Pay-for-Performance Programs Don’t Always Work
A new McLean & Co. study finds that while 69% of HR leaders view total compensation as critical, only a quarter feel truly effective at designing pay‑for‑performance programs. Employees who are satisfied with their overall pay are 1.8 times more...
AI Literacy and Change Management Among Most-Needed HR Skills
LinkedIn’s February 2026 Skills on the Rise report shows AI literacy has become the second‑fastest‑growing skill among HR professionals, trailing only employment law and compliance. The metric combines skill acquisition on LinkedIn profiles with hiring success, indicating both training demand...
Using Percentages to Manage Raises May Perpetuate Gender Pay Gaps
New research from the University of Texas shows that framing raise budgets as dollar amounts, rather than percentages, can narrow the gender pay gap. In an experiment, dollar‑based raises reduced the gap by $91, while percentage‑based raises widened it by...
AI Isn’t Replacing that Many Jobs — Yet
Recent analysis shows AI has not yet displaced large numbers of workers. Companies that have laid off staff cite reallocating resources toward AI investments rather than AI replacing roles. While automation tools are expanding, most firms view AI as a...
Cemetery Locked Black Employees Out of Restroom Open to White Workers, EEOC Alleges
The EEOC filed a complaint against StoneMor GP, LLC alleging the funeral‑services firm locked a restroom and break room, allowing only White employees to use them while Black staff were forced to use a neighboring gas station’s facilities for ten...
SHRM: Year-Round Upskilling Opportunities Tied to ‘Significantly’ Higher Engagement
SHRM’s latest survey of over 1,500 employees finds that organizations that promote upskilling opportunities year‑round see engagement rates of 59%, compared with 31% at firms that do not. Respondents also reported higher job satisfaction and stronger commitment when access to...
Black Women Employment Sees One of Its Sharpest Annual Declines in Past 25 Years
New Economic Policy Institute analysis shows Black women’s employment rate fell to 55.7% in 2025, a 1.4‑point drop and one of the steepest annual declines in the past 25 years. The decline was most pronounced among college‑educated Black women, whose...
Resistance to Management Style Didn’t Create Hostile Work Environment, Court Finds
A federal district court in Pennsylvania ruled that a White internal audit head’s resistance to a Black compliance executive’s supervision was based on management style, not race or gender. The court found Drexel University had not adequately communicated expectations, but...
Human-Led Training May Be More Effective than Digital Learning
A new report from Insights Learning and Development and the Association for Talent Development reveals that only 32% of U.S. digital learning is personalized, despite 94% of learners demanding it. Human‑led training outperforms digital formats, with 84% of participants reporting...
Employees Need a Real Say in How Things Work to Flourish, Study Finds
A February 2026 survey of 2,000 U.S. workers found that 68% of employees flourish when they belong to high‑autonomy, high‑support "empowered squads," while only 10% thrive in low‑autonomy, low‑support settings. The study, conducted by the University of Illinois’ Gies College...
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...
This Week in 5 Numbers: Nearly One-Third of Workers Want to Break up with Their Jobs
A new Glassdoor survey shows 63% of employees describe their job relationship as “complicated” or ready to break up, highlighting rising disengagement. Demand for HR professionals has fallen more than 20% from pre‑pandemic levels, according to SHRM. Meanwhile, Target announced...
When Leaders Misbehave, What Is HR’s Responsibility?
The article examines HR’s responsibility when senior leaders engage in misconduct, from romantic entanglements to financial fraud. It stresses that HR must launch disciplined investigations, document every detail, and follow established policies rather than improvise. When violations are severe, escalation...