Human Times

UK Edition

22nd July 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Employer's national insurance should be cut for under-25s, MPs say

MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee have called for employer's national insurance contributions for under-25s to be cut to help bring down the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet). The committee said it had heard "overwhelming evidence" that the rising cost of employing young people has resulted in cuts in vacancies and training opportunities. Committee chair Debbie Abrahams also called for a unified strategy to be introduced to cut the number of Neets, saying this would "improve policy coherence so no policy unintentionally pulls against attempts to help more young people into work." Abrahams said: "Even a short spell as Neet in one's formative years can damage mental health, impact future career opportunities and reduce lifetime earnings."

BBC News

TALENT STRATEGY

The hiring shift HR leaders can’t ignore

Talent scarcity has topped recruiters’ challenges for two years running, and a record share of organisations are now cutting recruitment budgets. For HR directors, that raises a harder question than “how do we hire more?”, it’s “where do we invest when the pressure isn’t easing?” The UK Candidate Attraction Report 2026, drawn from 700+ UK recruitment professionals, turns this year’s data into decision-ready insight, read through an HRD lens: where budget is quietly leaking, how AI is changing what an application really tells you, and how candidate experience, retention and workforce planning now connect. If you’re being asked to prove ROI and improve outcomes at the same time, it turns those pressures into decisions you can defend.

Download the report here →

LEGAL

Civil servants face sanctions for misgendering

Civil servants may face disciplinary action for not using the preferred names and pronouns of transgender colleagues, according to leaked guidance from the Cabinet Office which says that misgendering could lead to formal sanctions. The guidance details how transgender civil servants should be treated at work and includes telling employees they "may not use facilities of your affirmed gender which are designated as single-sex." The Times reports that ministers had so far refused to publish the guidance, which has been updated since the Supreme Court ruling last year which clarified that sex in the Equality Act referred to biological sex.

The Times

McDonald's chief targets safer workplace culture

Lauren Schultz, the chief executive of McDonald's UK and Ireland, has pledged to restore confidence in the fast-food chain after years of workplace abuse allegations. Acknowledging that the company's values had been breached, she defended its response, highlighting mandatory anti-harassment training, new reporting systems and a "zero-tolerance" approach. McDonald's remains under legal scrutiny, with more than 700 current and former employees pursuing claims. Schultz said safeguarding staff, particularly its predominantly young workforce, is her top priority while strengthening oversight of franchisees.

The Times

WORKPLACE

London Stock Exchange to launch round-the-clock trading next year

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) plans to launch a night-time trading venue in the first half of next year. The new exchange will operate separately from the LSE’s main market, and will initially offer access to exchange-traded products such as funds tracking the UK or US stock market. LSE 24 will give "global investors greater flexibility ⁠to respond to market events, access liquidity across time zones and manage risk", the company said. The new exchange will operate from 5 p.m. to 7:50 a.m. London time, with a 30-minute pause between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to apply end-of-day processes. The main market will continue to operate its standard hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WORKFORCE

Unemployment steady as vacancies fall

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that unemployment in the UK remains steady at 4.9%, despite a significant drop in job vacancies, which fell to 712,000 in May, nearly half the level of 2022. Private sector earnings growth dropped to 2.9%, putting the average rise in earnings, including bonuses, at 4.3%. Suren Thiru, chief economist at ICAEW, said the ONS figures "point to a fragile labour market," noting the impact of "soaring employment taxes and the economic turbulence." He warned that jobseekers may face increased challenges as demand for staff diminishes and hiring slows due to high staffing costs and regulatory pressures.

TECHNOLOGY

AI fails to boost productivity

Barclays analysts have expressed scepticism about the impact of AI on productivity. They said that evidence linking AI adoption to improved productivity is "unconvincing." Barclays noted that AI adoption appears gradual, with many businesses still lacking exposure to the technology. The analysts' report concluded: "Evidence of a structural pickup in productivity growth remains surprisingly fragile."

The Daily Telegraph

STRATEGY

British Business Bank cuts jobs amid restructure

The British Business Bank, which backs loans from financial institutions in a bid to boost UK small business lending, has reduced its workforce as part of a major restructuring. The bank has saved £9m, with £6.3m of this coming from staff costs.

City AM

CORPORATE

Diageo chair hunts for drinks ‘heavyweights’ in board revamp

Diageo chair Sir John Manzoni is seeking to strengthen the drinks group's board by recruiting non-executive directors with significant drinks and distribution industry experience as chief executive Sir Dave Lewis pushes ahead with a wide-ranging turnaround of the business. The move is intended to improve sector expertise on the board and provide stronger oversight as Lewis implements restructuring, cost-cutting and strategic changes aimed at reviving growth following a prolonged downturn in global spirits demand. Lewis, who became chief executive in January, is expected to outline his turnaround strategy alongside the company's full-year results on August 6th.

Financial Times

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Anthropic's $1.5bn settlement of copyright lawsuit approved by judge

A US judge has approved Anthropic’s $1.5bn settlement of a major AI copyright lawsuit filed by a trio of authors - Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson - who accused the company of misusing their books to train its AI chatbot Claude. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin in San Francisco granted final approval of the largest known settlement of a US copyright case, rejecting arguments that it was too small. Judge William Alsup initially approved the deal last September. "We reached this settlement in 2025, after the court's landmark ruling that training AI on books is fair use under copyright law - which remains the law today," Anthropic deputy general counsel Aparna Sridhar said. "We are pleased that more than 91% of authors and publishers covered by the settlement have claimed their share of the payment, and we're looking forward to bringing this matter to a close."

Reuters

Silicon Republic

Aldi reaches proposed A$55m settlement with over 30,000 workers

Aldi has proposed a A$55m settlement to address claims of underpayment in a class action lawsuit involving over 30,000 workers. The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association had said that Aldi directed employees to work before and after their shifts without pay. Aldi has already compensated approximately A$28.9m to affected workers and anticipates an additional A$26.3m payout, along with A$1.5m for legal fees. SDA national secretary Gerard Dwyer said: "This is a major result for tens of thousands of current and former Aldi workers." The court will review the settlement in October.

Yahoo News Australia

OTHER

American Heart Association says up to five cups of coffee a day is safe

The American Heart Association (AHA) has said that drinking up to five 8-oz cups of coffee a day, or around 400mgs of caffeine, is safe for most adults and may reduce the risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes. The scientific statement, published in Circulation, reviewed dozens of studies and concluded that evidence supporting coffee’s safety and potential cardiovascular benefits has strengthened over time. The AHA said the greatest benefits appear to come from consuming two to four cups of coffee daily, while noting that individual responses to caffeine vary. Researchers also cautioned that adding large amounts of sugar, syrups, or high-fat creamers can offset potential health benefits, and advised consumers to avoid high-caffeine energy drinks, which have been linked to irregular heart rhythms and high blood pressure.

ABC News

USA Today

Wall Street Journal

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