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Recent Editions
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Human Times
North America
Google settles racial discrimination lawsuit for $50m

Google has agreed to pay $50m to settle a lawsuit filed by Black employees alleging systemic racial discrimination in hiring, pay, and advancement. April Curley, a former employee, claimed the company engaged in unfair treatment, steering Black workers into lower-level roles. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the plaintiffs, said: "This case is about accountability, plain and simple . . . For far too long, Black employees in the tech industry have faced barriers that limit opportunity. This settlement is a significant step toward holding one of the world’s most powerful companies accountable and making clear that discriminatory practices cannot and will not be tolerated.” The settlement includes commitments to pay equity analyses and limits on mandatory arbitration for employment disputes until August 2026. Google has not commented on the settlement.

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Human Times
UK
Complaints against employment tribunal judge to be examined

Complaints of misconduct against Philip Lancaster, an employment tribunal judge in Leeds, are to be examined after a U-turn by the the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO), which had previously dismissed most of the allegations against him without examining them. The JCIO has now agreed to "reconsider" the 10 complaints, which spanned a seven-year period, after three of the complainants - who alleged they suffered bullying, intimidation, banging of the table and/or excessive interruption during employment tribunal hearings presided over by Lancaster - took legal action. Nine of the 10 complainants are female. Emily Soothill from Deighton Pierce Glynn solicitors, the lawyer for the three women, said it was "crucial that the JCIO now undertakes a proper and lawful investigation into the numerous complaints which have been raised against Judge Lancaster . . . so that public confidence in how complaints against the judiciary are investigated can start to be restored."

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Human Times
Europe
Dutch unions threaten strikes over benefit cuts

The FNV, CNV, and VCP unions have threatened potential nationwide strikes if the cabinet does not withdraw proposed cuts to unemployment benefits (WW), disability benefits (WIA), and state pensions (AOW) by May 30. FNV Chairman Hans Spekman said: "This issue affects people's very existence. We cannot enter a dialogue on these dismantling proposals." The cabinet's proposal aims to increase the AOW retirement age in line with life expectancy, which the unions argue unfairly burdens workers and pensioners. CNV Chairman Hans van den Heuvel described the cabinet's approach as a "blunt axe," while VCP Chairman Nic van Holstein condemned it as a violation of previous agreements.

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Human Times
Middle East
Most UAE firms allow staff to continue remote working

Remote and flexible work arrangements persist throughout the UAE and other Gulf countries, and the majority of companies are not requiring employees to return to the office, according to research from Mercer. Ted Raffoul, partner and career and workforce products business leader for Mena at Mercer, told Khaleej Times: “Average work-from-home levels remain substantial, including 62% in the UAE, 64% in Kuwait and 86% in Lebanon. Most organisations are also still not requiring employees to return to the office. In the UAE, for example, 82% said they were not requiring a return, with similarly high figures across the region. This suggests remote working is still playing an important role in business continuity, but it also means arrangements introduced at speed are now lasting long enough to raise practical questions about consistency, communication and future expectations.”

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