THE HOT STORY

Four-day workweek 'brings improvements in workers’ well-being'

A four-day working week could bring significant benefits to workers' mental and physical health while also improving performance, according to a new study by researchers in the US and Ireland published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. Income was not reduced as part of the six-month trials, which involved almost 3,000 employees working across 141 organisations based in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the US. Employees were given a reduction in their weekly working time of one to four hours, five to seven hours, or eight hours. “We see global trends (not just in high-income countries, but in many low- and middle-income countries) where workers are struggling with burnout, long work hours and little time for themselves and for their families,” said study author Wen Fan, associate professor of sociology at Boston College in the US, adding: “Our four-day work week is a potential way to reimagine how we can reconstruct the work arrangement in order for workers to benefit, and the societies to benefit as well.”

The Times of India

Nature Human Behaviour

BBC Science Focus

RISK

Microsoft to stop using engineers in China for some tech support

Microsoft is to cease using China-based engineers to provide technical assistance to the US military following a media report which prompted Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who chairs the chamber's intelligence committee and also serves on its armed services committee, to send a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the company's reported practices. The investigative journalism outlet ProPublica detailed Microsoft's use of Chinese engineers to work on US military cloud computing systems under the supervision of US "digital escorts" hired through subcontractors who have security clearances but often lacked the technical skills to assess whether the work of the Chinese engineers posed a cybersecurity threat, Reuters reports. Hegseth has ordered a two-week review of Pentagon cloud deals.

Reuters

WORKPLACE

Korean food giant launches committee to address factory safety

Food conglomerate SPC has established a new internal committee to address safety issues and ensure compliance with labour laws following the tragic death of a female employee at an SPC Samlip factory in May. The 10-member committee, led by Hur Jin-soo, chief executive of Paris Croissant, includes representatives from various subsidiaries and the labour union. The Transformation Office, which oversees the committee, will focus on safety systems, welfare policies, and legal compliance. During its inaugural meeting, the committee proposed the introduction of a “safety smart factory” equipped with AI technologies and smart sensors to enhance workplace safety and reduce workloads. Kim Se-eun, a labour union representative, expressed optimism, saying: “There is a great expectation within SPC about the Transformation Office and how all the CEOs will discuss and improve the conglomerate's welfare policies.”

The Korea Times

LEGAL

Meta fights for AI training data

Meta has urged the Australian government to reconsider proposed changes to privacy laws that would restrict the use of personal information from Facebook and Instagram posts for artificial intelligence training. In a submission to the Productivity Commission's review on data and digital technology, Meta argued that generative AI models require "large and diverse datasets" and cannot solely rely on synthetic data. Meta has been training its AI, Llama, on publicly accessible posts since last year, but faced restrictions in Europe. Other companies, including Bunnings and Woolworths, have also expressed concerns about the implications of privacy reforms on their operations.

The Guardian

STRATEGY

AI groups spend to replace low-cost ‘data labellers’ with high-paid experts

Top artificial intelligence groups are replacing low-cost “data labellers” in Asia and Africa with highly paid industry specialists, in the latest push to build “smarter” and more powerful models.

Financial Times

ECONOMY

Australia considers reforms to cash distribution systems

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and the Council of Financial Regulators, are to look into a potential framework for the distribution of physical money across the country as increasing use of online and card payments adds to complexities of keeping cash in circulation. The consultation paper's suggestions include the registration of cash distribution companies, designating entities that provide essential cash services as "critical", and new crisis resolution powers to enable the government to intervene when cash distribution is at risk. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of Australia has released a separate consultation paper to consider removing surcharges on credit and debit card payments, with the aim of bringing Australia into line with Europe and the UK.

Bloomberg

HEALTH & WELLBEING

14m children didn't receive vaccines last year

According to a U.N. report, over 14m children did not receive any vaccinations last year, mirroring the previous year's figures. The World Health Organization and UNICEF highlighted that nine countries accounted for more than half of these unvaccinated children. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that “drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about the safety of vaccines, threaten to unwind decades of progress.” The report also noted that while measles vaccination rates slightly improved, they still fall short of the 95% target needed to prevent outbreaks.

U.S. News

INTERNATIONAL

US government HR chief distances himself from Elon Musk

Scott Kupor, the US government’s new human resources chief, has said he wants to “institutionalise” the pursuit of “operational efficiency” by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), while distancing himself from Elon Musk’s controversial approach to cutting spending. "I have zero personal relationship with Elon Musk. I have talked to Elon Musk once on the phone in my life," Kupor, who was sworn in to lead the Office of Personnel Management earlier this month, told reporters, adding “What [Doge] did was catalyse the start of a process . . . Now, we have to actually institutionalise those things” and pursue “operational efficiency.”

Financial Times

U.S. News

Commerzbank employees voice UniCredit deal concerns

Employee representatives from Commerzbank have met with members of the European Parliament to voice their concerns about a possible takeover by Italy's UniCredit. "We made clear that a takeover would not be progress towards a European banking union," Commerzbank supervisory board member Nina Olderdissen wrote in a post on LinkedIn. "What may seem like a step towards European integration actually harbours considerable risks for employees, customers and investors on both sides - without any discernible added value."

Reuters

Migrant workers overrepresented in Dutch fatal workplace accidents

Migrant workers are overrepresented among the victims of workplace accidents in the Netherlands, NOS reports. Trade union FVN says 2025 threatens to equal or surpass 2023, when 72 people died in workplace accidents. FNV said: “We know that [migrant workers] are more likely to be accident victims. They often perform unskilled, low-paid, and temporary work in sectors where the risks are higher. They are also often highly dependent on their employer, making them less likely to report poor working conditions. Due to language barriers, instructions and warnings are not always properly understood, and these people are not properly trained.”

NL Times

OTHER

Jane's Addiction bandmates sue each other over onstage fight

Members of Jane's Addiction, including guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins, and bassist Eric Avery, have filed lawsuits against singer Perry Farrell in Los Angeles Superior Court following an onstage altercation during a Boston concert, which led to the cancellation of their reunion tour and a planned album. The bandmates are seeking at least $10m, claiming Farrell's behaviour was erratic and culminated in an assault. Their lawsuit states: “With a series of swift blows, [Farrell] single-handedly destroyed the name, reputation, trademark, and viability of the Band.” In response, Farrell and his wife have counter-sued, alleging that Navarro and his bandmates engaged in a bullying campaign against him. Both lawsuits include claims of assault, battery, and emotional distress.

Boston Globe

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