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Human Times helps you stay ahead of the latest news and trends that impact the HR industry. Every weekday, our unique blend of AI and team of expert HR and employment editors and researchers monitor 100,000s of articles, and social posts to create summaries of the most relevant and useful content to help you lead, innovate and grow. The award winning Human Times newsletter has four geographical editions with news tailored to your region.
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
Meta is targeting May 20 for a first wave of layoffs, with more coming later, three sources familiar with the company's plans have told Reuters. The parent of Facebook and Instagram will lay off about 10% of its global workforce, or close to 8,000 employees, in the initial round, one of the sources said. The company is planning further layoffs in the second half of the year, although details of these cuts, including date and size, are not yet settled, the sources said.
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
Research by human resources data publisher Brightmine has found that UK employers offered slightly higher pay deals in the first quarter of 2026 but early signs of softness emerged in April. Brightmine said the median pay deal was 3.5% in the three months to March, up from 3.3% in the previous two quarters. Initial analysis indicated a median pay award of 3% for April, a key month for settlements. "While increases remain broadly in line with expectations, there is little evidence of upward pressure building," observed Sheila Attwood, senior content manager of data and HR insights at Brightmine.
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
Slovakia is set to enhance protections for trade union leaders following a controversial dismissal case involving Amazon, which earlier this year dismissed the head of a newly formed union just a week after it was established. The proposed amendment to the Labour Code aims to close loopholes that allow employers to dismiss union representatives without consent. Labour Minister Erik Tomáš said: “Union leaders are there to negotiate better conditions for employees. They cannot be blackmailed by employers with threats of dismissal.” The reform would require employers to notify the national labour inspectorate before dismissing a union leader, with a tripartite commission deciding on whether the move is justified. The government also plans to remove compensation caps for wrongful dismissals.
Full Issue
Human Times
Middle East
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has announced its transformation into the world’s first AI-Native financial centre, embedding artificial intelligence into its legal frameworks, business operations, and infrastructure. The initiative aims to create $3.5bn in economic benefits and 25,000 jobs. Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, said: “This initiative reinforces Dubai’s role in setting new standards for innovation.” The centre will also provide advanced AI tools to financial firms and integrate physical AI technologies. By 2030, DIFC plans to feature intelligent buildings and autonomous systems, positioning itself as a global leader in AI for finance.
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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