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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
The number of Americans voluntarily working part-time has reached a record high, with women, particularly mothers, benefiting from the rise in flexible work arrangements. Many businesses have accepted worker demands for part-time positions, resulting in more women entering the labor force. A record share of women aged 25-54 are now participating in the workforce, with the rate among women with a child under five surging to nearly 70% in March. While lack of accessible and affordable childcare remains a barrier, the influx of women into the workforce is promising for an economy facing labor shortages. The pandemic has also raised awareness about the benefits of part-time work and family leave. However, research shows that part-time work does not necessarily lead to gender equity in the labor force. Part-time work arrangements can be a useful tool for companies during uncertain economic times. The rise in part-time work has also led to the emergence of companies like Bus Stop Mamas, which helps stay-at-home mothers reenter the workforce on a part-time basis.
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
A new report has shown that the UK has dropped out of the top 10 countries for good governance under Rishi Sunak's leadership. Weak leadership, poor economic management, and Brexit have dragged Britain down in the global index on good government. The Chandler Global Index for Good Government (CGGI) ranked the UK in 11th place, with scores for "leadership and foresight" placing it in 20th place. The UK also ranked 27th in financial stewardship. Despite Brexit, the UK's reputation and global influence were boosted, coming second in the category, only beaten by France. However, Brexit negatively impacted the UK's international trade score, dropping it by 26 places. Labour has used these findings to criticise the Tories and Rishi Sunak's leadership. Downing Street, on the other hand, questioned the findings, describing them as “strange” and “lacking in evidence”.
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-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 survey conducted by Khaleej Times indicates that a significant majority of private sector employees in the UAE did not receive a bonus in the past year and do not anticipate receiving one in 2024. Out of the survey respondents, 900 claimed they had received a bonus in the last 12 months, and 700 expected to receive one this year. However, over 6,000 respondents reported not receiving a bonus and have no expectations of getting one this year. While Emirates Group recently awarded a substantial 20-week salary bonus following record profits, such an occurrence is rare, with bonuses typically being discretionary and not mandated by UAE labour law. Employment contracts often specify eligibility for bonuses based on performance or company profitability. According to Robert Half’s UAE salary guide for 2024, only 30% of employees reported that someone in their company received a bonus in the prior 12 months, highlighting a growing concern over employee dissatisfaction linked to bonus expectations.
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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