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Human Times helps you stay ahead of the latest news and trends that impact the HR industry. Every weekday, our unique blend of AI and team of expert HR and employment editors and researchers monitor 100,000s of articles, and social posts to create summaries of the most relevant and useful content to help you lead, innovate and grow. The award winning Human Times newsletter has four geographical editions with news tailored to your region.
From HR leadership to diversity and inclusion, hybrid working, organisational data, performance management, and retention strategies, Human Times is the only trusted free online news source dedicated to covering the most up to date headlines, articles, reports and interviews to make sure you’re abreast of changes in the HR industry.
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Recent Editions
Human Times
North America
More states are passing or weighing laws that require employers to offer paid medical or sick leave. Voters in Missouri, Nebraska and Alaska approved paid sick leave laws in November, and at least seven states are considering paid family and medical leave laws this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Advocates say such laws can lessen financial anxiety and increase employee productivity - although some measures can place stress on smaller employers, which often don’t have a separate human resources department to monitor compliance with mandated leave policies, observes Beth Milito of the National Federation for Independent Business. Meanwhile, experts say the patchwork nature of the laws can be an additional frustration for multi-state employers.
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
The traditional 9 to 5 workday is becoming increasingly uncommon, with many employees now facing extended hours, often without additional pay. Despite a decrease in average weekly hours in the UK from 38.1 in 1992 to 36.5 in 2024, many workers are contracted for 40 hours or more. Research from Canada Life shows that 51% of UK employees regularly exceed their contracted hours, while TUC research from 2024 found that 3.8m people did unpaid overtime, putting in an average of 7.2 unpaid hours a week. Gearalt Fahy, an employment law expert and partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, notes that employers are not legally required to pay for overtime and that in many workplaces it can become the norm that people stay on later or take lunch at their desks. He suggests that "it's really a bargain between the employer and employee," adding that "it comes down to what the employer requires and what the employee is prepared to tolerate."
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
At Tesla's Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg in Germany, approximately 3,000 workers have signed a petition demanding longer breaks and increased staffing, despite the company reporting that around 80% of employees are satisfied with their jobs. The IG Metall union plans to present the petition, signed by 3,086 staff, at an upcoming works council meeting. Tesla conducted its own survey of about 7,500 workers, and said that only 5% expressed dissatisfaction. As production of the new Model Y ramps up, Tesla is converting 300 temporary workers to permanent positions, but union representatives remain concerned about whether this will suffice to meet production demands.
Full Issue
Human Times
Middle East
Denmark has been identified as having the most resilient business environment among 130 nations and territories, according to an analysis by FM, a global property insurance and risk management company. Eight of the top 10 countries are European, with one United States region placing tenth. The 10 most resilient countries, according to FM, are: Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Belgium, and United States Region 3. Chad ranked bottom. Haiti, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Mali rounded out the bottom five. Ghana rose 17 spots to No. 72, Lebanon has dropped 23 spots since the 2021 edition, and Argentina was down 22. Armenia and Russia each fell nine places.
Full Issue
Read the latest HR highlights
How HR is Tackling Long Covid?
Fingers remain tightly crossed around the world that the rampant hospitalization and fatality stage of the Covid-19 pandemic has generally peaked. Vaccination programmes are accelerating, and restrictions are gradually being lifted...
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ESG Is Not Just Another Name For CSR
Back in the distant 1980s if you wanted to demonstrate your environmental and ethical credentials it was sufficient to shop at or purchase shares in retailer The Body Shop. The charismatic Anita Roddick, founder of the “hippy” tinged retail chain, heralded a new age of environmental concern, caring capitalism and corporate awareness that evolved into what became known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR was much talked about and lauded, but in reality often ended up being a lot of a hot air (excuse the pun) and often never progressed much beyond a footnote in the annual report.
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Have Older Workers Paid The Highest COVID-19 Price?
Across the world the pandemic is slowly but surely moving into its next phase. Recovery beckons. As furlough schemes across the U.S. and U.K. are being wound down, restrictions eased or lifted, and workforces moving back up the gears, early signs indicate that older employees are more likely to be casualties of the pandemic aftermath than their younger colleagues. Here at the we have witnessed an increasing number of stories supporting the growing belief that older workers are disproportionately paying the highest Covid-19 price.
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Bosses. What's not to like? Plenty, say employees
“You’ll never have another boss like me, someone who’s basically a chilled-out entertainer”
So said, David Brent, the fictional manager of Slough-based paper merchant Wernham Hogg in the seminal TV comedy The Office. Ricky Gervais’s portrayal of Brent as a flawed, narcissistic, incompetent, and deluded manager was so well observed that many (including me) believed it was a genuine fly-on-the-wall documentary when they alighted accidentally on the first ever episode.
Rolling with the Payroll
To mark National Payroll Week the team at the Human Times has provided some insight into the industry that we hope you’ll find useful.
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