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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
A group of Republican-led U.S. states has filed a lawsuit to block the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from enforcing broad legal protections for transgender workers. The states argue that the EEOC lacks the authority to assert that federal law allows transgender workers to use bathrooms that match their gender identity. The EEOC recently updated its guidance on workplace harassment, stating that discriminating against gay and transgender workers is a form of unlawful sex bias. However, the states claim that federal law only protects transgender workers from being fired but does not require employers to accommodate them. The lawsuit also challenges the constitutionality of the EEOC's structure as an independent agency. The states involved in the lawsuit include Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that while the unemployment rate increased to 4.3% between January and March, pay rises, excluding bonuses, remained at 6% despite predictions of a decline. Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said that once inflation was taken into account, "real pay growth remains at its highest level in well over two years." The report also shows that the number of jobs on offer dropped by 26,000 to 898,000 between February and April. The number of unemployed people per vacancy rose to 1.6 in Q1, up from 1.4 between October and December 2023. The ONS said: "Although this ratio remains low by historical standards, it does demonstrate a slight easing in the labour market, with vacancies falling alongside rising unemployment." The number of people claiming benefits rose to 1.5m in April, with this up 29,300 compared to April 2023. The rate of people considered economically inactive - those aged between 16 and 64 who are not in work or looking for a job – dipped slightly to 22.1% in Q1.
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, France is facing potential disruptions due to several unions threatening to strike over demands for better pay and conditions during the events. The unions representing civil servants, railway workers, and waste collectors are at the forefront of these calls for action. Railway workers have scheduled strike actions for May 21, urged by prominent unions like Sud-Rail, CGT, and in some areas, Unsa-Ferroviaire. Additionally, binmen and waste collectors in Paris are planning extensive strikes from May 14-16 and May 22-24, extending into the period from July 1 to September 8, encompassing both the Olympics and Paralympics. The primary demands of these unions include additional pay or bonuses to compensate for the anticipated increase in workload due to the influx of visitors and the extended operational hours during the games. While some progress has been made, with RATP drivers securing bonuses up to €1,600 and the Paris mairie negotiating variable bonuses for binmen ranging from €600 to €1,900, dissatisfaction remains among the workers. For example, Sud Rail has criticised the bonuses proposed by SNCF management as insufficient and is demanding that they be doubled. Negotiations are ongoing, with different unions at varying stages of agreement and readiness to strike.
Full Issue
Human Times
Middle East
A report on compensation for migrant workers who helped build the World Cup stadiums in Qatar has not yet been published by FIFA, more than 16 months after the tournament. The report, which addresses the question of legacy and remedies for workers, was submitted by consultancy Human Level in December 2023. FIFA has stated that the report is currently being reviewed and discussed by stakeholders. Amnesty International has called for the report to be made public, stating that the delay prolongs the suffering of workers who were abused while delivering the World Cup. The need for transparency and publication of the report is underlined as FIFA strengthens its ties with Saudi Arabia.
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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