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From HR leadership to diversity and inclusion, hybrid working, organisational data, performance management, and retention strategies, Human Times is the only trusted free online news source dedicated to covering the most up to date headlines, articles, reports and interviews to make sure you’re abreast of changes in the HR industry.
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Recent Editions
Human Times
North America
A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to reduce the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) workforce by 50%, saying that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) overstepped its legal authority. The ruling is a significant win for labor groups that argued the cuts violated protections meant to ensure FEMA's independence. Although the cuts were not implemented, the agency has faced significant staff departures, with over 4,300 employees leaving in the 2025 budget year. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston observed: “Frankly, the FEMA staffing plan number appears as if pulled from thin air.” FEMA responded in a statement late Saturday, saying: “DHS and FEMA are ready for the 2026 hurricane season . . . We're ensuring workforce stability and a strong, deployable force for upcoming national events and potential disasters; making the agency leaner, faster and laser-focused on supporting state, local, tribal and territorial partners before, during and after disasters . . . FEMA continues to maintain a roster of experienced leadership and support staff across headquarters and regional offices.”
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
The government is reconsidering planned minimum wage increases for young workers due to concerns about rising employment costs. Ministers are examining whether the rapid wage hikes have contributed to the youth jobs crisis: nearly 1m 16 to 24-year-olds are neither working nor studying. A government spokesperson explained that while they remain committed to closing the wage gap, they have asked the Low Pay Commission to consider employment opportunities in future recommendations. Alan Milburn, who is leading a review into youth worklessness, has suggested that slowing wage increases may help persuade companies to hire young people more readily.
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
Germany's IG Metall union wants a commitment from Volkswagen to a landmark labour deal that was reached in December 2024. A leading representative for the union cited fears that a recent turnaround agreement could undermine the 2024 deal with widespread job losses, and members are to invoke a legal clause, which was part of the agreement, calling on management to negotiate on the matter. "Volkswagen expressly welcomes this," the carmaker said. "From the company's perspective, this step is necessary to consistently implement the measures adopted in 2024 and, at the same time, to address the additional challenges facing the entire automotive industry," it said. "This uncertainty cannot continue for the workforce at our locations," observed Daniela Cavallo, Volkswagen works council chief.
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Human Times
Middle East
The 52nd Arab Labor Conference commenced in Cairo on Sunday, gathering representatives from 21 Arab nations. Organised by the Arab Labor Organization and under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the conference will run until 20 September. Key topics include sustainable economic growth, climate change impacts on workplaces, and the role of startups in job creation. Delegates aim to align workers' skills with market needs and enhance employment opportunities. The conference also seeks to strengthen Arab cooperation in labour policies and improve workforce conditions across the region.
Full Issue
Read the latest HR highlights
How HR is Tackling Long Covid?
Fingers remain tightly crossed around the world that the rampant hospitalization and fatality stage of the Covid-19 pandemic has generally peaked. Vaccination programmes are accelerating, and restrictions are gradually being lifted...
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ESG Is Not Just Another Name For CSR
Back in the distant 1980s if you wanted to demonstrate your environmental and ethical credentials it was sufficient to shop at or purchase shares in retailer The Body Shop. The charismatic Anita Roddick, founder of the “hippy” tinged retail chain, heralded a new age of environmental concern, caring capitalism and corporate awareness that evolved into what became known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR was much talked about and lauded, but in reality often ended up being a lot of a hot air (excuse the pun) and often never progressed much beyond a footnote in the annual report.
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Have Older Workers Paid The Highest COVID-19 Price?
Across the world the pandemic is slowly but surely moving into its next phase. Recovery beckons. As furlough schemes across the U.S. and U.K. are being wound down, restrictions eased or lifted, and workforces moving back up the gears, early signs indicate that older employees are more likely to be casualties of the pandemic aftermath than their younger colleagues. Here at the we have witnessed an increasing number of stories supporting the growing belief that older workers are disproportionately paying the highest Covid-19 price.
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Bosses. What's not to like? Plenty, say employees
“You’ll never have another boss like me, someone who’s basically a chilled-out entertainer”
So said, David Brent, the fictional manager of Slough-based paper merchant Wernham Hogg in the seminal TV comedy The Office. Ricky Gervais’s portrayal of Brent as a flawed, narcissistic, incompetent, and deluded manager was so well observed that many (including me) believed it was a genuine fly-on-the-wall documentary when they alighted accidentally on the first ever episode.
Rolling with the Payroll
To mark National Payroll Week the team at the Human Times has provided some insight into the industry that we hope you’ll find useful.
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