Human Times

North American Edition

22nd September 2025

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THE HOT STORY

H-1B workers overseas race to US following Trump order

Workers on H-1B visas from India and China were forced to abandon their travel plans and race back to the U.S. at the weekend after President Donald Trump imposed new visa fees. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Friday that companies would have to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas. Urgent memos to employees were sent by tech companies and banks, advising them to return before a deadline of 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday (0401 GMT), and instructing them not to leave the country. Reuters reports that Trump's proclamation on Friday had set off alarm bells among employers even though a White House official on Saturday, addressing some of the confusion over who would be affected, sought to clarify that the order applied only to new applicants and not to holders of existing visas or those seeking renewals.

NPR / National Public Radio

OregonLive.com

Reuters

EMPLOYMENT LAW

2025 Required handbook policies by state

Is your employee handbook current and compliant with 2025 employment laws?

Employment laws change rapidly, and there’s often little guidance on which policies you should or must include.

These decisions can be even more overwhelming for multistate employers who are navigating numerous state and local laws and policies.

That’s where we come in. We’ve created a comprehensive chart outlining all the current required employee handbook policies by state and locality.

Download our 50-state chart and keep your handbook compliant and current no matter where you operate today.

Feel confident in your handbook here

LEGAL

LG Energy Solution admits using ESTA to bypass visa rules for U.S. workers

Documents reveal that LG Energy Solution was employing workarounds for U.S. visa restrictions long before President Donald Trump's administration intensified immigration enforcement, which led to the detention of hundreds of the Korean company's workers. The company advised employees to utilize the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to bypass the high rejection rates of B-1 business visas. Following the recent immigration raid at a battery plant in Georgia, LG has called for clearer visa guidelines to facilitate smoother business operations in the U.S.

Reuters

CFPB considers furloughing employees due to funding crisis

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is contemplating furloughs for its employees due to a significant funding shortfall, which has been exacerbated by Congress reducing the agency's funding cap. Following a lack of fresh funding from the Trump administration, the CFPB has been forced to consider workforce reductions while facing legal challenges from employee unions regarding mass firings. Concerns have been raised that the agency may not have sufficient funds to cover payroll and severance costs in the upcoming fiscal year, prompting discussions about suspending workers without pay.

Reuters

Lawsuit that could change how flight crews get paid

A former flight attendant has launched a class-action lawsuit against United Airlines in federal court, alleging the airline's failure to compensate hourly staff for work performed outside of flight time. It is claimed that United violated New Jersey labor laws by only paying flight attendants for time spent in the air, neglecting duties such as check-ins, preflight meetings, and assisting passengers. The former flight attendant said: “This case is about ensuring that flight attendants . . . are paid fairly for all of the work they perform.” The lawsuit seeks damages, penalties, and class certification for all United flight attendants in New Jersey who have not been paid for all hours worked over the past six years.

NJ.com

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

K-12 satisfaction hits record low

Public satisfaction with K-12 schools has reached a record low, with only 35% of Americans expressing contentment with the education system, according to a Gallup survey conducted with the Walton Family Foundation. This marks an eight-point decline from last year and is below previous lows recorded in 2000 and 2023. Notably, dissatisfaction is particularly pronounced among Democrats and independents, with satisfaction dropping to 42% and 34%, respectively, since President Donald Trump took office. Megan Brenan, a senior editor at Gallup, noted that “respondents’ own partisanship is affecting the way that they answer the overall K-12 question.” Despite the overall dissatisfaction, about 75% of parents remain satisfied with their child's school, consistent with trends over the past 26 years. The survey also revealed that only 21% of adults believe schools are doing an excellent job preparing students for the workforce.

Education Week

TECHNOLOGY

DeepMind and OpenAI achieve gold at ‘coding Olympics’ in AI milestone

Google DeepMind and OpenAI’s artificial intelligence models achieved “gold-medal level” against the best human competitors at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals - the “coding Olympics” - in early September.

Financial Times

HIRING

Military leaders weigh recruiting campaign centered on Charlie Kirk

The Pentagon is reportedly considering a new recruiting campaign that would encourage young people to join the military to pay homage to the assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The campaign would be framed as a national call to service with a recruiting slogan to possibly be along the lines of "Charlie has awakened a generation of warriors,” NBC reported, citing two Pentagon officials. The recruiting effort would use chapters of Kirk's conservative student group Turning Point USA and universities across the U.S. as military recruitment centers, the officials said.

NBC News

HEALTH & WELLBEING

CBO: ACA expansion plan adds $349.8bn to deficit

Democratic proposals to make enhanced Obamacare tax credits permanent could increase the deficit by $349.8bn over the next decade while providing coverage to an additional 3.8m individuals, according to a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis. The CBO also projected that average premiums for benchmark plans would decrease by 7.6% annually from 2026 to 2035. However, if the extension is enacted after September, premiums in 2026 may only drop by 2.4% due to insurers' potential lack of adjustment. Democrats have demanded that the premium tax credits be permanently extended in exchange for their votes to fund the government, which Republicans will need to avoid a shutdown. Conservative House Republicans are opposed to extending the tax credits, and some top House Republicans have called the subsidies “massive taxpayer-funded handouts to the wealthy and large health insurance companies.”

INTERNATIONAL

U.K. bosses admit they avoid employing pregnant women

Research from Bath University in the U.K. has found that many employers in England, Scotland, and Wales admit to avoiding hiring pregnant women, despite this being illegal under the Equality Act 2010. The study involved interviews with 37 managers, in which 23 expressed views indicating direct or indirect discrimination against pregnant women. Researchers also analysed data on workplace pregnancy and maternity discrimination. Rachel Grocott, chief executive of the campaign group Pregnant then Screwed, said the findings were "deeply shocking," observing: "These managers are making performance and hiring decisions based on conscious bias due to motherhood. It is also illegal."

The Times

PwC culls jobs of 60 partners and 1,500 staff in Middle East after Saudi clash

PwC has slashed the jobs of about 60 partners and 1,500 staff from its Middle East business as part of its efforts to deal with a year-long ban on new advisory contracts imposed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). PwC had been working on PIF projects including the $500bn Neom development. However, an unwillingness to take on audit work that would conflict with more lucrative consulting contracts, along with an attempt to hire Neom's chief internal audit officer, created "friction and angst," according to the Financial Times.

Bloomberg

Financial Times

German pilots admit to in-flight naps

The German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has reported that 93% of pilots admitted to falling asleep during flights, with 44% napping regularly. The survey, which included over 900 pilots, highlighted growing concerns about cockpit fatigue amid staffing shortages and tight schedules. VC spokesperson Katharina Dieseldorff said: "A short nap is not critical in itself. But a cabin crew that is permanently exhausted poses a significant risk." The union has called for regulatory reforms to address chronic overwork and improve flight duty oversight, especially during peak travel seasons.

The Jerusalem Post

Italy approves comprehensive law regulating AI use

Italy has become the first European Union country to pass a comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence. The legislation, which is aligned with the EU's AI Act, aims to ensure "human-centric, transparent and safe AI use." It introduces prison sentences of one to five years for harmful AI-generated content and imposes stricter rules for workplace transparency. Children under 14 will need parental consent to access AI. Alessio Butti, undersecretary for digital transformation, said the law "brings innovation back within the perimeter of the public interest." The government has meanwhile allocated up to €1bn ($1.2bn) to support AI initiatives.

The Guardian

OTHER

Uber Eats launches drone deliveries

Uber Eats is set to revolutionize meal delivery by partnering with Flytrex to utilize drones for deliveries. The collaboration aims to launch in test markets by the end of the year, although specific locations have not been disclosed. Flytrex, based in Tel Aviv, has already made over 200,000 deliveries in the U.S. and also partners with DoorDash. Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's president of autonomous mobility and delivery, said: “With Flytrex, we're entering the next chapter - bringing the speed and sustainability of drone delivery to the Uber Eats platform.”

The Columbian

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