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North American Edition
7th November 2025
 
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THE HOT STORY

DEI critic to lead workplace civil rights agency

President Donald Trump has appointed Andrea Lucas as chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in a move that signals a vote of confidence for her efforts to stamp out diversity programs and prioritize religious rights in the workplace. Trump elevated Lucas to acting chair of the agency in January and concurrently fired two Democratic commissioners, clearing the way to establish a Republican majority. Lauren Khouri, senior director of workplace equality at the National Women's Law Center, said: “Andrea Lucas was handpicked by Trump to lead the EEOC and his mission of weaponizing the agency to attack hardworking people across the country . . . Lucas has a history of abandoning workers at every turn and leaving them without protection, including women workers, transgender and nonbinary workers, and workers of color."
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LEGAL

Starbucks workers plan major strike for Red Cup Day

Starbucks workers are preparing to strike on November 13th, coinciding with the company's Red Cup Day, unless a contract agreement is reached. The union, Starbucks Workers United, indicated that workers in at least 25 cities plan to participate, with more locations potentially joining if progress is not made. Barista Lupe Gutierrez emphasized the importance of standing up, saying: “We’re not going to stop because we’re scared.” Currently, around 550 of Starbucks' 10,000 U.S. stores are unionized. Starbucks has expressed disappointment over the strike plans, asserting that it already offers competitive pay and benefits. Chief partner officer Sara Kelly noted that the union's proposals, including a 65% pay increase, are not serious. Jasmine Leli, a barista and strike captain, highlighted the disparity in pay, commenting: “Our fight is about actually making Starbucks jobs the best jobs in retail.”

Court lets stand ruling on UC hiring ban

The California Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that the University of California's policy prohibiting students without legal status from campus jobs is discriminatory. Rachel Zaentz, a UC spokesperson, said that the decision "creates serious legal risks for the University and all other state employers in California." Former UC lecturer Iliana Perez, a plaintiff in the case, called on the university system to take the court's decision as an opportunity to revise its hiring policy. “The California Supreme Court's decision . . . gives UC the clarity to finally unlock life-changing opportunities for the thousands of immigrant students who contribute to its campuses, and to the state's economy and workforce,” she said.

Trump administration sued over political 'loyalty' hiring plan

Unions representing federal workers have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the inclusion of a "loyalty question" in over 1,700 job postings since October. The American Federation of Government Employees, along with other unions, argues that this question, which asks applicants how they would support the President's Executive Orders, violates free-speech rights and undermines the nonpartisan nature of federal employment. "This isn't just illegal, it also harms our members and all Americans by depriving them of opportunities to serve their country," said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. The lawsuit claims that the question's inclusion is arbitrary and breaches the Privacy Act.

Lawsuit claims bias in Paramount firings

Joseph Jerome, a former lawyer at Paramount, has filed a lawsuit alleging age and race discrimination after being fired in favor of younger, minority colleagues. Jerome claims that his termination was part of CBS Media Ventures' (CMV) compliance with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) quotas. He asserts that he was one of three white male attorneys let go in 2024 and replaced by less experienced individuals. Paramount has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
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WORKFORCE

Domestic flight cuts to start at 4% on Friday

The Federal Aviation Administration has directed airlines to reduce domestic flight operations by 4% at 40 high-traffic airports starting at 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT) on Friday, citing safety concerns about air traffic control due to staffing shortages during the government shutdown. The reductions mark the first widespread disruption for airlines as a result of the shutdown. International flights will be spared from the cuts.

Chicago Fed: U.S. unemployment rate hit 4.4% last month

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago estimates that the U.S. jobless rate rose to 4.36% in October, its highest level in four years, from 4.35% in September. "The October 2025 reference week (October 12th through October 18th) for the BLS survey used to estimate the unemployment rate overlapped with the federal government shutdown that began in early October," the Chicago Fed said. "This special factor is likely to be only partially reflected in the October 2025 Final release of the Chicago Fed Labor Market Indicators. The Congressional Budget Office expects that as many as 750,000 federal government workers have been furloughed during the government shutdown, representing up to 0.4 percent of the civilian labor force (as of August 2025 data)."
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TECHNOLOGY

The future of work is still human

Michigan Ross School of Business professor Marcus Collins says the importance of technology in the future of work has been overemphasized, and the future of work is actually cultural, not technological.
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TAX

Axe comes down on IRS Direct File program

The Trump administration has confirmed that the IRS Direct File program, which allowed taxpayers to file returns electronically for free, will not be available in Filing Season 2026. Despite its initial success, with 296,531 accepted returns in 2025, the program faced criticism from Republican lawmakers and commercial tax preparation companies. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that there are “better alternatives” to Direct File, suggesting that the private sector could provide superior services. The program, developed during Joe Biden's presidency, was intended to simplify tax filing but has now been discontinued, leaving many taxpayers to seek other options. According to the Treasury, taxpayers spend an average of 13 hours and $270 preparing their tax returns each year. The IRS’ free Direct File program was hugely popular, with 90% of respondents in one survey rating the program above average or excellent.
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INTERNATIONAL

McDonald's U.K. strengthens measures against harassment

McDonald's has agreed to strengthen its measures to protect U.K. staff from sexual abuse, extending its legal agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for an additional year. The EHRC's chairwoman, Baroness Kishwer Falkner, said: "We needed to update the action plan with stronger actions." The new measures include working with external experts on safeguarding, investigating complaints against managers externally, and hiring an auditor for the complaints handling unit. The move follows allegations of harassment and discrimination at over 450 restaurants. Earlier this year, law firm Leigh Day said it had been instructed to start legal action against McDonald's by hundreds of staff and former staff. "I think we can assume that the equality watchdog wouldn't be taking this action if things were OK at McDonald's," Leigh Day employment lawyer Kiran Daurka said.

France's highest audit court slams Louvre security

The Louvre has spent too much on new artworks and not enough on security in recent years, France’s state auditor has said. Pierre Moscovici, the head of the French Court of Auditors, France's highest audit institution, said in a highly critical report on Thursday that last month's heist was a "deafening wake-up call" for museum security, which had been moving at a "woefully inadequate pace." 

Japan embraces disability inclusion in workforce

Japanese businesses are hiring more people with disabilities, and major companies including Kirin and Nomura are implementing initiatives to support career development and retention. Kirin provides tools including noise-cancelling earphones and text-to-speech software, while Nomura Kagayaki focuses on tailored measures for its 120 employees, 90% of whom have mental disabilities. Analysts stress the need for ongoing public assistance to ensure long-term employment for disabled workers. Current programs mainly focus on job placement.
 
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