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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 Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing it to proceed with plans to lay off tens of thousands of federal employees without Congressional approval. In an 8-1 decision, the justices lifted a previous order from U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who had blocked the mass layoffs across more than 20 federal agencies. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, arguing that Congress should have the authority to determine the size and function of federal agencies. The court said: “The Government is likely to succeed on its argument that the Executive Order and Memorandum are lawful,” although it did not address specific layoffs. The ruling comes amid ongoing litigation, but the justices are unlikely to reverse their decision. The layoffs could affect agencies such as Health and Human Services, which plans to cut 8,000 to 10,000 employees, and the Veterans Administration, which initially aimed to lay off 83,000 but has since reduced that number to about 30,000.
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
GPs will pilot a scheme replacing automatic sick notes with tailored support to help patients stay employed. Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticised the current approach as a “bureaucratic dead end,” noting that 93% of the 11m fit notes issued last year declared patients unfit without offering alternatives. Under the £64m WorkWell scheme, 15 regions will fund in-practice teams, including employment advisers and social prescribers, to assist patients. “We simply can’t afford to keep writing people off,” said Streeting, highlighting the pilot's aim to reduce economic inactivity linked to health issues. The initiative will include physiotherapy, counselling, and even gym memberships to support physical and mental health. It also empowers non-GP staff, such as occupational therapists, to issue fit notes, aiming to reduce GP workload and guide more people back into employment with appropriate accommodations.
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
Germany's heightened border controls have sparked legal and operational concerns, particularly affecting federal police staffing and morale. Federal Police Commissioner Uli Grötsch reported over 2.8m overtime hours since March 2024, largely driven by just 285 asylum-related rejections. Officers face poor infrastructure, such as winter use of portable toilets, and unresolved legal ambiguity, as the Berlin administrative court ruled pushbacks illegal under EU law. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt maintains the policy despite criticism. Grötsch also addressed 19 racial profiling cases, urging greater empathy from officers balancing security duties with sensitive identity checks targeting individuals from the Global South. The redirection of officers to border posts has also depleted riot police units and weakened regular police operations nationwide, increasing strain on already overburdened local forces.
Full Issue
Human Times
Middle East
In the second quarter of 2025, hiring in the UAE increased by 4%, the highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, according to Cooper Fitch's quarterly report. While the UAE thrived, other GCC nations experienced slower hiring due to the Eid holidays, with Saudi Arabia and Oman seeing a modest 2% increase, and Bahrain at 1%. In contrast, Kuwait and Qatar faced declines of 4% and 3%, respectively. The report highlighted strong demand in sectors like finance, legal, and technology, although many firms paused senior-level hiring due to budget constraints and shifting priorities. Overall, the UAE's job market remains robust, with expectations for continued growth into the third quarter.
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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