Human Times

European Edition

6th November 2025

THE HOT STORY

Meta responds to French rights watchdog claims over gender discrimination

Meta has rejected a ruling by the French rights watchdog which said the platform's algorithm discriminates against users in job advertisements based on gender. The independent body, Defenseur des Droits, deemed Meta's practices a form of indirect discrimination and called for non-discriminatory measures to be implemented within three months. In response, Meta said: "We disagree with this decision and are assessing our options." Campaign group Global Witness together with French women's rights organisations Foundation for Women (Fondation des Femmes) and Women Engineers (Femmes Ingénieures), which had complained to the rights watchdog, welcomed the ruling.

Reuters

COMPLIANCE

Managing Substance Use at Work

Employee substance use - whether prescription or controlled - creates serious challenges for employers. From safety and performance to morale and liability, the impact can be significant. Yet HR leaders often face uncertainty about what testing is allowed, how to handle disclosures, and how to stay compliant with evolving regulations.

This briefing provides clear direction on developing fair, consistent workplace policies. It outlines compliant testing procedures, effective documentation, and balanced responses to incidents, helping HR teams act confidently and within the law.

Access the full report for practical HR guidance.

WORKFORCE

Britain’s ‘fit note’ system faces overhaul to get more people back to work

The government plans to reform the “fit note” system as it strives to keep more people with health conditions and disabilities in work. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said there is a “case for some change” amid fears that too many people are declared unfit for work too easily. McFadden, who was speaking at the launch of The Keep Britain Working report which found one in five working-age adults is now out of the labour force, said: “We are going to try some different ways . . . You could have different practitioners doing it, as long as it is someone trusted by the patient who can . . . see how ill they are and how long they need to be off or whether they could in fact be better off in work.”

Financial Times

The i

The Sun

CULTURE

'Toxic' work culture at Rotterdam's climate centre

Former employees of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in Rotterdam have reported a toxic work environment characterised by intimidation and burnout. More than 20 former staff and associates told NOS that the atmosphere at the centre was “toxic,” being run by “alpha males” and “roosters." The GCA has denied the claims, although director Patrick Verkooijen conceded his tone “can sometimes be sharp,” but that it stems from “strong involvement and a results-driven way of working.”

NL Times

LEGAL

Irish government unveils plan for collective bargaining

The Irish government has launched an action plan to promote collective bargaining, in response to the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. The strategy includes assessing mandatory mediation, reviewing the Unfair Dismissals Act, and improving protections for trade union representatives. It also features capacity-building programmes, funding for productivity agreements, and public awareness campaigns. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: "This Action Plan strengthens our voluntarist tradition." The initiative, developed with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Ibec, will run from 2026 to 2030.

RTE.ie

INVESTMENT

Eli Lilly to build $3bn factory in Katwijk

Eli Lilly is investing $3bn (approximately €2.6bn) to establish a new factory in the Dutch city of Katwijk. The investment will create 500 permanent manufacturing jobs and around 1,500 construction jobs. The facility, located in the Leiden Bio Science Park, aims to enhance Lilly's capacity for producing oral medicines and will manufacture orforglipron, its first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist. Construction is set to begin next year, pending necessary approvals. Lilly Chair and CEO David Ricks said: "Localised manufacturing ensures we can quickly respond to meet regional demand." The company reported $45bn in revenue last year.

NL Times

DutchNews.nl

STRATEGY

IBM plans to reduce its workforce

IBM has announced plans to reduce its workforce by potentially thousands of positions in the fourth quarter as it shifts focus towards its more profitable software sector. Despite a 35% increase in its shares this year, the company has faced a slowdown in its key cloud software growth, raising concerns among investors about future performance. CEO Arvind Krishna said that the job cuts would represent a low single-digit percentage of the global workforce, which stood at approximately 270,000 employees at the end of 2024.

Reuters

ECONOMY

German retail association upbeat ahead of holiday season

The German retail association expects the country's retail sales to rise 1.5% in November and December, with retailers bringing in a total of €126.2bn in the final two months of the year. "Despite a difficult environment and many uncertainties, the holiday business remains stable", said HDE president Alexander von Preen. "However, many retailers view the industry's by far most important sales period with caution or pessimism".

Reuters

RISK

‘Climate breakdown’: UN says world is heading for 2.8C temperature rise

The world is headed for a “climate breakdown” at a global average temperature rise of 2.8C under existing government policies, according to the latest UN report ahead of global climate talks. In a speech marking the report’s release, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that if existing national climate action plans are fully implemented by 2035, global warming would reach 2.3C to 2.5C by the end of the century. “That is progress, but nowhere near enough,” Guterres said. “Current commitments still point to climate breakdown . . . and the path to a liveable future gets steeper by the day.”

Inside Climate News

Financial Times

INTERNATIONAL

Gender pay gap in Australia widens with age

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) report reveals that the gender pay gap in Australia starts at 1% in favour of men for workers in their 20s but widens significantly as women age. By their 50s, female bosses earn an average of $85,600 less than their male counterparts. Non-managerial men in their 50s earn 31% more than women, equating to a $52,000 difference. Meraiah Foley, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, noted that caregiving roles hinder women's access to higher-paying managerial positions. WGEA chief executive Mary Wooldridge emphasised the need for employer interventions to address the disparity.

ABC Online

Bank staff in Tunisia strike over wages

Bank workers in Tunisia launched a two-day strike on Monday after talks on pay and working conditions broke down with the banking council, which represents all public and private banks. The walkout brought a halt to all financial transactions. "We are struggling with everything. Many medicines are missing. Some goods are in short supply . . . The cost of living is extremely high, and now we are left paralysed without cash,” one woman, Imen Ben Slama, is quoted by Reuters as saying.

Reuters

OTHER

‘Karen’ lawsuit dismissed by appeals court

A decision to dismiss a New Jersey mother’s lawsuit over children who heckled her and called her a “Karen” at an indoor amusement park has been upheld by an appeals court. The 55-year-old woman was at iPlay America, a massive indoor fun centre, with her two children in October 2022 when a worker told her she didn’t meet the height requirement for a go-kart ride. Her protests precipitated the name-calling by other children who were standing in line. The woman’s lawsuit claimed that iPlay America was negligent for not allowing her to take the ride and that the centre was responsible for preventing other guests from yelling at her.

New York Post

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