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5th February 2025
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THE HOT STORY
20,000 federal workers set to take buyout offer
At least 20,000 federal workers are said to have taken the Office of Personnel Management’s offer to resign by tomorrow in exchange for a nearly eight-month buyout. Last week, the Trump administration sent an email to approximately 2m federal employees stating that if they resigned by tomorrow, they would retain pay and benefits through to September 30 while being out on paid administrative leave. The administration has anticipated that at least 10% of the workforce will accept the offer; however, only 1% of federal workers have as yet selected to take it. Meanwhile, the American Federation of Government Employees and two other unions have claimed that the buyout offer is "arbitrary and capricious" and violates federal law. The unions allege the administration cannot guarantee the plan will be funded and has failed to consider the consequences of mass resignations, including how it might affect the government's ability to function. ABC News reports that federal workers who accept the buyout must then waive their right to legal action. Separately, the Washington Post reports that if too few employees choose to quit then federal layoffs appear "likely."
HR PRIORITIES
Your 2025 HR priorities

What are your 2025 HR priorities? From the creating a positive employee experience to effectively implementing artificial intelligence to keeping up with new and ever-changing compliance requirements, you have a lot on your plate. That's why it's critical you set priorities and objectives, prepare for challenges, discover new opportunities, and align your HR goals with business objectives now. And we're here to help—our latest guide outlines the top 2025 HR priorities and challenges you need to focus on, so you can set your business up for a successful 2025.

Discover your HR priorities with this guide from Brightmine here


 
LEGAL
CIA workforce receives buyout offers
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has offered buyouts to its entire workforce as it seeks to bring the spy agency into line with U.S. President Donald Trump's priorities. A CIA aide said the agency is also freezing the hiring of job applicants already given a conditional offer, and said some of those frozen offers are likely to be rescinded if the applicants do not have the right background for the agency's new aims, which include the targeting of drug cartels and the Trump administration's trade war. A CIA spokeswoman told the Journal that the move was part of an effort to "infuse the agency with renewed energy."
WORKFORCE
Labor Department reports sharp drop in job openings
Job openings slid in December while hiring, voluntary quits and layoffs held steady, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) found that available positions increased to 7.6m, a drop of 556,000 from November and 1.3m fewer than 12 months earlier. The decline left the ratio of open jobs to available workers at 1.1 to 1. Decreases were heaviest in the professional and business services sector, down by 225,000, and health care and social assistance, where 180,000 fewer positions were available. Finance and insurance lost 136,000 jobs. The hiring rate held at 3.4%, among the lowest in the past decade, while the quits rate, which measures the percentage of people voluntarily leaving their jobs each month, stayed at 2%. “Looking ahead, we continue to expect payroll growth to moderate over 2025 but look for labor supply to be an increasingly important driver of the slowdown,” said Sam Bullard, managing director and senior economist for Wells Fargo’s corporate and investment banking group. He added that "tentative signs of stabilization in the job openings rate, small business hiring plans and purchasing managers’ indices suggest demand is not continuing to weaken. These factors should help keep the unemployment rate only a little over 4% this year, even as payroll growth moderates to a monthly pace of about 130K.”
President Trump prepares order to close the Education Department
President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing an executive order aimed at eventually closing the Education Department, according to three people briefed on its contents, who said it could be released as early as this week. The department, with approximately 4,400 employees and an annual budget of $79bn, has broad responsibility over three major areas: managing approximately $1.6tn in federal student loan debt, overseeing implementation and enforcement of the nation's special education law, and administering Title I. It is among the agencies that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is looking at as part of its efforts to overhaul federal bureaucracy. The executive order would shut down all functions of the agency that aren’t written explicitly into statute or move certain functions to other departments.
STRATEGY
Walmart to cut jobs, relocate staff to Bentonville, Sunnyvale hubs
Walmart is eliminating some roles and closing its office in North Carolina, as part of its move to relocate employees from offices including Hoboken, New Jersey, to its main hubs in Sunnyvale, California and Bentonville, Arkansas. The moves are part of Walmart's broader relocation strategy that began last year and comes as several other U.S. corporates mandate employees return to office three to five days a week.
POLITICAL
Senate confirms Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general
Pam Bondi will become U.S. attorney general after the Senate approved her by a 54-46 vote. All Republican senators voted to confirm Bondi, while Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote in favor. Born in Tampa, Florida, Bondi studied criminal justice at the University of Florida and then received a degree from Stetson University College of Law. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1991. A longtime Donald Trump ally who has criticized the criminal cases against him, she was elected as Florida's first female attorney general in 2010. Bondi has sought to reassure Democrats that politics would play no part in her decision-making, but she has also refused to rule out potential investigations into Trump's adversaries. Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) said Bondi was “accomplished and competent” but said his "grave concern is really about President Trump and what he is clearly demanding . . . That clearly is a loyalty oath to him as opposed to a demand for straightforward, candid advice, including if the president is asking for something to be done like the prosecution of a political adversary.”
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Aldi U.S. pulls DE&I content from website
Aldi U.S. has quietly removed all evidence of its Diversity and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives from its careers website. The company's "Aisle of Shame" section, which featured the company's DE&I efforts, has been removed. Aldi's DE&I initiatives are still prominently featured on its U.K., Ireland, and Australia careers websites. Fortune notes that the retailer is an outlier among major U.S. grocery chains, with Walmart reaffirming its commitment to a diverse workplace, Costco doing likewise, and Kroger listing DE&I among its employee values on its careers website.
ECONOMY
U.S. consumer stress levels hit new highs
Recent reports indicate a troubling rise in consumer financial stress, with the Philadelphia Federal Reserve revealing that the share of credit card holders making only minimum payments has surged to a 12-year high of 10.75%. This increase, noted in the third quarter of 2024, reflects a broader trend of financial strain among consumers, as the delinquency rate for 30+ days also doubled from pandemic lows to 3.52%. Despite claims of a resilient economy, the data suggests otherwise, with many Americans struggling to manage their credit card debts. Bunita Sawhney, Mastercard's chief consumer product officer, observed: "The economy's strong. Why are more Americans barely making credit card payments?"
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Cigna streamlines physician claims process
Cigna has announced new measures to simplify the claims and prior authorization process for physicians. The initiative comes in the wake of discussions surrounding frustrations with the U.S. health insurance system, particularly after the tragic killing of Brian Thompson, head of UnitedHealth's insurance unit. Cigna's health benefits unit highlighted that "one of the most common reasons for a delayed prior authorization decision is incomplete information in the initial submission." To address this, Cigna will expand digital communication options for physicians, making it easier to submit necessary information through its provider portal or electronic medical records. Meanwhile, UnitedHealth is also working with policymakers to reduce prior authorization requirements for Medicare patients.
INTERNATIONAL
Spanish ministers agree to cut the legal working week
Spanish ministers have approved a reduction of the legal working week to 37.5 hours, down from 40, without altering salaries. Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz said:  "This proposal is about living better, working less and being much more productive and more efficient economically." The measure, a key part of the coalition government's agenda, still requires parliamentary approval, where the Socialist government could face challenges due to a lack of a majority. Opposition comes from the center-right Catalan party Junts and employer associations such as CEOE, which argue that the change could increase costs and reduce competitiveness. "The corporate world is in favor of dialogue, but not in favor of monologue," CEOE chief Antonio Garamendi said. Despite the potential hurdles, Diaz says she remains committed to the plan, and aims for implementation by the end of 2025.
Factory workers signed contracts with abusive clauses
According to contract seen by Reuters, Chinese workers hired by Jinjiang - a contractor for electric car maker BYD - had to hand over their passports to their new employer when they went to work in Brazil. They also had to agree to most of their wages being sent directly to China, and pay a near-$900 deposit that they could only get back after six months' work. The paperwork violates labor laws in both Brazil and China, according to experts.
Workplace discrimination has declined in Singapore, study says
According to a 2024 study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in collaboration with racial and religious harmony non-governmental organization OnePeople.sg, Singaporeans have reported a decrease in racial discrimination at work. The study found that 18.4% of Malays and 16.7% of Indians experienced discrimination in job applications or promotions, down from over 25% in previous surveys. The report highlights that while overall discrimination has decreased, issues persist, particularly regarding perceptions of promotions based on race rather than qualifications. OnePeople.sg chair Dr Janil Puthucheary notes the need for both legislative measures and community efforts to address these challenges.
OTHER
Flossing may reduce stroke risk
New research suggests that regular flossing may lower the risk of strokes and irregular heart rhythms, particularly atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can lead to strokes. The study, involving 6,278 participants, found that those who flossed at least once a week had a reduced risk of strokes caused by blood clots from the heart. Lead researcher Dr. Souvik Sen, a professor at the University of South Carolina, said: “I wouldn't say dental flossing is the only thing you need to do to prevent a stroke, but our findings suggest it is one more thing to be added to a healthy lifestyle.” The findings will be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles today.
 


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