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Recent Editions
Human Times
North America
President Trump has suggested that diversity initiatives from previous administrations contributed to the tragic collision between a passenger jet and a U.S. army helicopter which resulted in 67 fatalities. The incident, the deadliest air disaster in the U.S. in over two decades, saw the aircraft collide mid-air before crashing into the Potomac River. Trump said: "The [Federal Aviation Administration] is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website.” He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.” An initial report from the FAA reveals that staffing shortages on the night of the crash forced one air traffic controller to do two people’s jobs.
Full IssueHuman Times
UK
CNBC reports that Google employees have launched a petition for “job security” as they prepare for more expected layoffs. The petition urges Google CEO Sundar Pichai to offer buyouts before conducting layoffs and to guarantee severance to employees that do get laid off. The petition has been signed by more than 1,250 employees. CNBC says it is the latest indication of employee upheaval at the company, which has struggled to maintain high morale among its workforce following "embarrassing product rollouts, worker protests sparked by controversial enterprise contracts, and continued rounds of layoffs that stretch back to 2023 and are expected to continue."
Full IssueHuman Times
Europe
Akzo Nobel has announced plans to cut approximately 2,200 jobs and close at least five sites by 2025 as part of its restructuring strategy. The paint and coatings company, which employed around 34,600 people at the end of December, aims to achieve over €150m in annualised gross savings by the end of this year, according to CEO Greg Poux-Guillaume. The job cuts will primarily affect functional roles in finance and HR, with final decisions expected by mid-year. The Dulux paint maker last year announced plant closures in Ireland, the Netherlands and Zambia, and in January, it said it would lay off up to 211 people in France. "We don't want to create the impression that restructuring is a recurring item for Akzo Nobel," Poux-Guillaume said. "Whatever the number ends up being . . . it will be something that we will finalise this year and then we'll move on."
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Middle East
Israel's Labor Ministry has launched an investigation into Teva Pharmaceutical following a whistleblower complaint submitted by an employee in 2024. The complaint is one of three filed at the ministry between 2021 and 2024, with only the one against Teva being forwarded for investigation. The Jerusalem Post notes that most complaints submitted to the ministry are closed, and the already low number of such complaints has raised questions about whether there is sufficient awareness of the whistleblower protection mechanism and whether it is truly effective.
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