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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
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Human Times
North America
Trump administration blocked from firing federal employees on probation

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot swiftly terminate thousands of probationary federal workers across 19 states and Washington, D.C. U.S. District Judge James Bredar said that federal agencies must adhere to proper procedures for mass layoffs. The administration previously fired around 24,500 employees in February without prior notification to state and local governments. Bredar's ruling only mandates the reinstatement of employees in the states involved in the lawsuit. Bredar last month had already ruled that the firings were likely illegal and ordered 18 agencies to reinstate workers who had been fired pending further litigation. Yesterday's decision will be in place pending the outcome of the lawsuit, which could take months to resolve.

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Human Times
UK
UK workers see easing pay growth

Annual pay growth for low-wage positions in the UK slowed to 6.2% in February, the lowest since February 2022, according to jobs website Indeed.  Jack Kennedy, a senior economist at Indeed, said: “For some time now, low-paid sectors have been seeing significantly stronger pay growth than the rest of the market . . . That gap is starting to close.” Kennedy said that a wave of costs this month, including a change to national insurance contributions, a payroll tax, and a higher minimum wage, may force companies to hold down salaries across the board. Mohammad Jamei, director of economic policy at the Confederation of British Industry, said some employers are halving pay rises from around 5% to 2% to help offset the government's cost increases.

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Human Times
Europe
France stands firm on DEI policies

France's minister for foreign trade, Laurent Saint-Martin, has said that his country will not compromise on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives despite reported demands from the US State Department for French companies to abandon such policies. Speaking on RTL Radio, Saint-Martin expressed his shock at the US interference, emphasising that the DEI initiatives align with French values and laws, including equality and anti-discrimination efforts. He said: “All of this is progress that corresponds first and foremost to our French values, we are proud of this and we don't want to compromise on it.” He did however stress the need to have a “positive agenda” and maintain a dialogue with the United States.

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Human Times
Middle East
Spending Eid at work

The Oman Observer reports on how, during the Eid holidays, many workers, including media professionals, police officers, and oilfield workers, remain committed to their roles to ensure the continuation of essential services. Abdullah al Abri from the Ministry of Information highlighted the media's role in keeping the public informed, saying: “During Eid Al Fitr, the News Centre at the Ministry of Information keeps pace with local, regional and international events.” Oilfield worker Hisham bin Rashid shared his unique experience, saying: "Eid here differs from anywhere else," as he emphasised the pride in contributing to national production. Issa bin Nasser al Saadi, a private company employee, noted the importance of being present in the workplace during the holiday to monitor technical systems, adding that creating a friendly atmosphere among colleagues helps alleviate the feeling of being away from family.

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