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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
U.S. companies will no longer be able to enforce noncompete agreements on employees, following a rule approved by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The ban aims to increase job mobility and prevent restrictions on workers' ability to switch jobs for higher pay. The FTC argues that noncompete agreements harm workers and the economy by reducing job churn and limiting the hiring ability of other businesses. The rule, which received support from the majority of the 26,000 comments received, will take effect in six months unless blocked by legal challenges. Business groups have criticized the measure, claiming it exceeds the FTC's authority. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce plans to sue to block the rule. Noncompete agreements are already banned in three states, including California.
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
UK employers are reducing the number of flexible job opportunities, which could hinder the reintegration of inactive individuals into the workforce and undermine the recent increase in women's working hours, according to data from Reed Recruitment. The decline in flexible job postings, including those offering part-time and remote work, poses challenges for the government's efforts to ease labour market tightness. Employers are becoming stricter about when and where people work, with a decline in work-from-home jobs and a rise in hybrid positions. Experts argue that part-time and flexible-hour jobs are crucial for attracting people back to work. However, employers are now less likely to offer flexibility compared to during lockdowns.
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
Almost a third (31%) of Greece’s workforce is considered overqualified for their current positions, according to new data released by Eurostat. Greece is behind only Spain (36%) in terms of highly qualified individuals working in roles that do not require their level of education. The report also highlights that 22% of workers across the EU are deemed overqualified, with a slightly higher rate among women compared to men. Luxembourg has the lowest rate of overqualification at just 5%. The data also reveals a record-high employment rate of over 75% among citizens aged 20 to 64 in the EU in 2023, with the Netherlands, Sweden and Estonia leading in employment rates. Greece, Italy and Romania have the lowest employment rates in the EU.
Full Issue
Human Times
Middle East
Two major US law firms, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Morgan Lewis, are opening offices in Saudi Arabia following a change in the country's foreign lawyers practicing regulations. Quinn Emanuel, with 1,000 lawyers, has been focusing on Saudi Arabia due to its investment in diversifying the economy and encouraging international investment. Morgan Lewis, with over 2,000 lawyers, is also preparing to open an office in Riyadh. Since October 1, several other US and international law firms have either opened offices or been granted licenses to work in Saudi Arabia. The country has been implementing economic and social policies to reduce dependence on oil exports, including plans to double the size and population of Riyadh through $800bn investments. Last year, Saudi Arabia allowed foreign law firms to operate independently in the country. Quinn Emanuel has had a presence in Saudi Arabia since 2022 through its affiliation with Alrubayyi & Attorneys. Nasser Alrubayyi, the head of that office, also serves as the co-chair of Quinn Emanuel's Middle East and North Africa practice.
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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