Human Times

UK Edition

19th January 2026

THE HOT STORY

Business leaders shun juniors over false allegations fears

One in ten business leaders avoids meeting junior colleagues due to fears of false allegations, according to a YouGov survey by global investigations firm Nardello & Co. The study revealed that 25% of leaders consider reputational damage a top concern, with 20% worried about managing wrongful allegations. Alan Kennedy, managing director at Nardello, noted that advancements in AI complicate the challenge of false narratives. Additionally, 42% of businesses are concerned about the reputational impact of data breaches, while 30% cite financial crime as a major threat. Joseph Pochron at Nardello points out that the UK Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which is expected to be enforced later this year, will force organisations to adopt risk-based cybersecurity measures.

The Times

WORKFORCE

Ofcom hires security amid online abuse

Ofcom has engaged a security consultancy to protect its staff following online harassment during an investigation into Elon Musk's X. The media regulator's online safety team has faced a wave of abuse, including offensive images generated by X's Grok bot. Ofcom previously hired Control Risks, a firm founded by ex-SAS officers, to enhance employee safety. The recent tender specifies "bespoke external online security checking" to identify and mitigate risks for staff. Ofcom has not commented on the situation.

The Sunday Telegraph

Universities face tough choices on pay

Sir Nishan Canagarajah, vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester and chair of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, has said universities face a trade-off between pay rises and job security. He said financial pressures mean higher pay awards would likely lead to further redundancies, while protecting jobs would limit pay increases. Around 15,000 university roles were lost last year, according to the University and College Union. Pay talks resume in March, with unions seeking guarantees against compulsory redundancies amid worsening sector finances.

The Times

Reliance on China puts UK jobs at risk

UK jobs are at risk due to reliance on trade with China, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The report highlights that around 90,000 jobs, particularly in clean energy and automotive sectors, could be threatened by geopolitical tensions. Pranesh Narayanan, senior research fellow at IPPR, said: "These shocks ultimately hurt the UK economy because we rely so much on trade to source the essentials." The report calls for the UK government to adopt strategies including stockpiling, investment partnerships and keepshoring - which involves the retention domestic production capacities - to mitigate risks from potential disruptions.

City AM

The Guardian

LEGAL

Tribunal backs nurses over changing room policy

Eight nurses from the Day Surgery Unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital have successfully claimed harassment against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. The Employment Tribunal ruled that the trust violated the nurses' dignity by allowing a trans colleague to use the women's changing room without providing alternative facilities. Employment Judge Seamus Sweeney said the "conduct had the effect of violating the dignity of the claimants and creating a hostile, intimidating, humiliating and degrading environment for them."

Farage faces backlash over discrimination comments

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has sparked outrage by advocating for the removal of long-standing protections against discrimination. He described it as "ludicrous" that employers cannot prioritise British nationals over foreign workers. Labour MP Imran Hussain condemned Farage's comments, likening them to National Front rhetoric. Clive Lewis, another Labour MP, argued that allowing such discrimination would undermine workers' rights. Farage remains steadfast, saying: "I do think we should actually put British workers first."

Daily Mirror

NHS sexual safety charter fails women

The NHS sexual safety charter, launched in September 2023, has not improved safety for female staff, according to Rights of Women charity. Calls to their advice line from women in the NHS have surged, rising from 11% in 2023 to 22% in 2025. Laura Bolam, the charity's employment law officer, said: "This highlights that sexual harassment within NHS trusts is not only rising but appears to be an entrenched, systemic issue." Despite the charter's zero-tolerance commitment, many NHS trusts report improbably low incidents of sexual harassment, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the initiative.

The Guardian

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Labour to create new school for civil servants

Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the Prime Minister, is set to announce a new "school of government" for senior civil servants. The new body will aim to build in-house capabilities with training in economics, finance, policy, AI and other skills. "The School for Government and Public Services will help support our ambitions for a world-class professional civil service," Jones said. The news comes after Jones last week told the Times that performance-related pay would be increased for civil servants and underperformers would be sacked.

The Guardian

TECHNOLOGY

AI and robots reshape the workforce

Patrick Vallance, the Science Minister, says that advancements in AI and robotics will significantly alter jobs, particularly in warehouses and factories. He notes that the combination of AI and robotics is creating new opportunities for humanoid robots which will enhance productivity. Mr Vallance remarked: "Activities that require movement around warehouses and factories . . . will be made robotic." However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned that AI could lead to mass unemployment unless proactive measures are taken. The government is investing £52m to support robotics adoption in British businesses through new hubs.

The Guardian

CORPORATE

FRC stands firm on naming policy

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is resisting pressure from audit firms to abandon its practice of publicly naming companies under investigation, according to the Times. Despite concerns raised during a recent consultation, the FRC is unlikely to change its policy, which allows discretion in naming firms. Noah Law, Labour MP, said that the practice could harm reputations without providing significant transparency. However, some industry voices support the current regime, citing the importance of maintaining public confidence. A spokesman for the FRC said: "Communication of the opening of investigations can be an important part of maintaining public and investor confidence in the integrity of the audit system, but a decision to publish is considered on a case-by-case basis and informed by the public interest."

The Times

REMUNERATION

Rolls-Royce CEO set for £13m pay boost

Rolls-Royce Holdings plans to increase CEO Tufan Erginbilgic's annual pay package to over £13m, following a successful turnaround of the company. The board has consulted with shareholders and approved a new remuneration policy that raises his bonus entitlement from two to three times his base salary of £1.2m. Additionally, his long-term incentive award will double from 375% to 750% of his salary. Erginbilgic, who joined Rolls-Royce in early 2023, has significantly improved the company's performance, with shares rising from 93.2p to 1285.5p since his appointment.

Sky News

TAX

Millions of taxpayers overpay as total nears £3.5bn

Analysis by UHY Hacker Young shows that 5.6m UK taxpayers overpaid in 2023/24 due to HMRC errors, with overpayments totalling £3.47bn. Meanwhile, analysis shows that some people are waiting a year for the tax office to refund overpaid tax and National Insurance contributions. An investigation by the Guardian found that some refunds that were previously processed within a few weeks are taking the best part of a year. The ICAEW said "significant backlogs" were having a negative impact on businesses and individuals, and noted that HMRC's focus on response targets for current claims means older requests have been nudged to the back of the queue.

Financial Times

The Guardian

INTERNATIONAL

India urges quick-commerce firms to drop 10-minute delivery promise

India’s labour ministry has called on rapid delivery platforms including Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto to remove 10-minute delivery guarantees amid concerns over gig worker safety and conditions. Blinkit has already dropped the branding, and others are expected to follow. While the move is seen as a reputational response rather than a change in operations, analysts say fast delivery remains essential in India's fiercely competitive e-commerce market.

Bloomberg

Hindustan Times

Reuters

OTHER

Study to assess impact of NICU stays on school readiness

Researchers at the University of Cambridge are preparing to launch a major study that will follow the physical and mental health, and educational outcomes, of 1,000 babies who have spent time in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to better understand the factors that lead to twice as many children previously admitted to NICUs failing their school readiness assessment at the age of five. Professor Catherine Aiken says the study "has been led by the questions parents are asking, that we notice in our practice, that we don’t know the answers to." Children who have spent time in a NICU, she says, have "a higher chance than most children of needing support," but doctors don't understand the "nuanced detail" of which children will face challenges.

The Times

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