Human Times
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North American Edition
28th January 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Amazon accidentally sends email confirming layoffs

Amazon informed employees of a new round of global layoffs in an email apparently sent in error. A draft email written by Colleen Aubrey, a senior vice president at Amazon Web Services (AWS), was included as part of a calendar invitation sent by an executive assistant to a number of Amazon workers late on Tuesday. In the email, Aubrey refers to a swathe of employees in the U.S., Canada and Costa Rica having been laid off as part of an effort to "strengthen the company." An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.
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TECHNOLOGY

Employees say AI is not saving time

Despite bold claims from executives about artificial intelligence's productivity gains, a new survey reveals a stark disconnect with employees, most of whom report little to no time saved using the technology. While over 40% of executives say AI saves them more than eight hours per week, two-thirds of non-management staff say they save less than two hours or none at all, according to a Section survey of 5,000 white-collar workers. Many workers said they feel overwhelmed or anxious about AI integration, using it mainly for basic tasks including draft writing or search, and often spending time correcting AI errors. CEOs acknowledge limited bottom-line impact so far, with just 12% reporting both cost and revenue benefits from AI, according to PwC. The findings suggest a growing credibility gap between C-suite optimism and employee experience.
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LEGAL

Citi seeks to move harassment claim against top executive to arbitration

Citigroup has rejected claims by former managing director Julia Carreon, who sued the bank over alleged sexual harassment by wealth management chief Andy Sieg. The bank’s complaint alleged Carreon lodged the sexual harassment allegations to avoid requirements that otherwise would have necessitated the employment dispute to be handled through arbitration. "Citi's retaliatory filing of a lawsuit against Ms. Carreon after she sued the firm for gender and racial discrimination speaks eloquently to the bullying and intimidation tactics Wall Street firms routinely employ against women or people of color who have the courage to seek reform," Carreon's lawyer Linda Friedman said.

TikTok settles ahead of landmark social media addiction trial

TikTok has reached an eleventh-hour settlement to avoid its involvement in a landmark social media addiction trial. The settlement came just hours before jury selection was due to begin in California. The plaintiff, a 19-year-old woman identified as K.G.M., alleges that social media apps fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts and is seeking to hold the tech companies liable. "The parties are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution of this dispute," the Social Media Victims Law Center said of the TikTok settlement, adding the terms were confidential. The defendants now include Meta - which owns Instagram and Facebook - and YouTube parent Google. Snapchat settled with the plaintiff last week.
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STRATEGY

UPS plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs this year

UPS plans to eliminate up to 30,000 operational jobs this year as part of its restructuring efforts and to decrease its Amazon shipments. Chief Financial Officer Brian Dykes said that the cuts will occur through voluntary buyouts and attrition. The company also intends to close 24 facilities in the first half of the year, and more closures are under consideration. UPS previously cut around 34,000 positions and closed 93 buildings in the first nine months of last year. CEO Carol Tome noted that the company aims to reduce Amazon's volume by another million pieces per day by 2026.

Hanwha Group aims to create 200,000 jobs in Canada by 2040

South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group has announced plans to generate at least 200,000 jobs in Canada by 2040 through investments across multiple sectors, including shipbuilding, artificial intelligence, and aerospace. The initiative coincides with Hanwha's bid to secure a significant submarine contract, estimated to be worth over $12bn, amid ongoing competition with the shipbuilder TKMS.

ASML to lay off 1,700

ASML, the world's largest supplier of computer chip equipment and Europe's biggest company by market cap, is to lay off 1,700 employees, or 3.8% of the total workforce, mostly in the Netherlands and U.S. and largely at leadership level. The job reduction program is the largest the company has seen in absolute numbers, CFO Roger Dassen said. ASML reported stronger-than-expected bookings in the fourth quarter on Wednesday.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Trump administration proposes near-flat Medicare Advantage payments

The Trump administration has proposed a modest 0.09% average payment increase for Medicare Advantage plans in 2027, far below Wall Street’s expected 4%–6% hike. The move caused steep after-hours stock declines for major health insurers including UnitedHealth (-9%), Humana (-12%), and CVS Health (-9%). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also plans to eliminate a lucrative billing tactic: using unlinked chart reviews to justify higher payments for diagnoses not tied to specific medical services. This change alone would reduce payments by 1.53 percentage points. While CMS says the proposal improves payment accuracy and competition, industry groups warn it could lead to benefit cuts and higher costs for the 35 million Medicare Advantage enrollees. Final rates will be set in April after further data analysis.
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RISK

Starbucks removes CEO's private jet reimbursement cap, citing security threats

Starbucks has mandated that chief executive Brian Niccol exclusively use the company’s private jet for all travel, including personal trips, and has eliminated the requirement for him to reimburse the company for non-business flights. The change follows a board-initiated security review citing “enhanced media attention” and credible threats. Previously, Mr. Niccol had to repay costs above a $250,000 annual cap. In fiscal 2025, he paid nothing under that agreement. Starbucks is set to report its first-quarter results later today.
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CORPORATE

SpaceX weighs June IPO timed to planetary alignment and Elon Musk’s birthday

Elon Musk has proposed a mid-June timing of SpaceX’s $50bn initial public offering to coincide with a rare planetary alignment and his birthday, the Financial Times reports. 
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INTERNATIONAL

Uber drivers can be treated as independent entrepreneurs, Dutch court rules

A Dutch court has overturned a 2021 ruling that had classified all Uber drivers as employees, covered by the country's Taxi Transport collective bargaining agreement, which sets wages, working hours, and benefits for taxi drivers. The Amsterdam court said six drivers who had joined the rideshare company in its appeal are self-employed rather than employees, given the investments they made in their vehicle, their freedom to choose working hours, and their ability to accept or reject fares.

U.K. water regulator will pay employees to stay

U.K. water regulator Ofwat plans to offer extra money to some staff, including engineers and data experts, as it struggles to fill roles after its workforce shrank by a fifth, partly as a result of government plans to abolish it and establish a new watchdog. The new regulator will take two years to set up, and in the meantime Ofwat must have a workforce that is sufficient to manage projects as well as the transition, Chief Executive Officer Chris Walters told lawmakers in parliament. 
 
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