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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
Recent actions by companies like Ford and Lowe's to dismantle their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have raised concerns about alienating LGBTQ+ employees. According to a survey by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), nearly 80% of LGBTQ+ respondents indicated they would boycott companies that rolled back DEI policies. Furthermore, 20% stated they would consider quitting if their employer made such changes. The survey highlights that over 72% of participants felt their workplace experience would suffer due to these rollbacks. Despite some companies facing pressure to eliminate DEI programs, the data suggests that LGBTQ+ employees are closely monitoring corporate support for their community, with 93% believing that a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index reflects strong support. As the backlash against DEI initiatives grows, it remains to be seen how companies will respond to the voices of their LGBTQ+ workforce.
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
PwC has told its UK employees that it will start monitoring their office attendance as the firm toughens up its hybrid work policy. A memo sent to staff on Thursday by managing partner Laura Hinton also told staff and partners that they should spend at least three days a week in the office or with clients, up from two or three days previously. “We will start sharing your individual working location data with you on a monthly basis from January as we do with other data such as chargeable hours,” Hinton wrote in the memo. “This will help to ensure that the new policy is being fairly and consistently applied across our business.” She added: “We all benefit from the positive impact of a hybrid approach, but the previous guidance of at least two to three days a week was open to interpretation.”
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
Volkswagen's finance chief, Arno Antlitz, has warned that the core VW brand has "one, maybe two" years to implement significant cost reductions, including potential plant closures in Germany, if the brand is to survive the shift to electric cars. During a meeting with 16,000 workers, he highlighted a shortfall of about 500,000 cars, equivalent to two plants, due to a shrinking market post-pandemic. Works Council chief Daniela Cavallo expressed that management had "massively damaged trust" and urged CEO Oliver Blume to prioritise job security over costly software partnerships. Amidst rising economic challenges in Germany, Labour Minister Hubertus Heil emphasised the need for the company to secure employment while the government considers tax reductions to stimulate demand for electric vehicles. Volkswagen aims for a 6.5% profit margin by 2026, up from 2.3% in the first half of this year, but faces pressure from unions to address plant closure threats before wage negotiations in October.
Full Issue
Human Times
Middle East
In August, Saudi Arabia's private sector welcomed 37,009 new local employees, reflecting a 6.94% increase from July's figures. The National Labor Observatory reported that the total workforce in the private sector reached 11,572,408, marking a 0.86% rise from the previous month. This growth is attributed to the government's strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing local talent and aligns with the Vision 2030 goals to diversify the economy. Notably, Saudi nationals now make up 2,369,828 of the workforce, including 972,682 women, showcasing efforts to promote gender inclusivity. The Private Sector Empowerment Program, known as Tawteen, has been instrumental in encouraging Saudization by providing incentives for companies to hire and train nationals. The government's focus on job creation is seen as crucial for economic transformation, and is supported by reforms from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
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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