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North American Edition
2nd July 2025
 
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THE HOT STORY

Gen Z employees 'are treating the office like an extension of their homes'

The San Francisco Standard reports on how Bay Area companies are hiring etiquette coaches for their Gen Z employees as return-to-office policies have brought in the demographic for the first time, and in many cases after years of working and attending school remotely. Local etiquette coach Rosalinda Randall has said enquiries have risen 50% over the last two months, and "are a variation on the same complaint: Gen Z employees are treating the office like an extension of their homes." Jim Rettew, interim CEO at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, observes of Gen Z: “They’re great at challenging authority and the status quo, but sometimes I just want someone to buckle down and follow orders.”
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LEGAL

Trump administration move to overhaul health agencies is blocked

A federal judge has blocked Trump administration plans to overhaul the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by reorganizing several of its agencies and substantially cutting workforce numbers. An injunction on moving forward with the plans was issued by U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose in Providence, Rhode Island at the behest of a group of Democratic-led states which challenged an announcement made by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in March to consolidate agencies and dismiss 10,000 of the department's employees. "The Executive Branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress," DuBose wrote.
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TECHNOLOGY

Amazon deploys its one millionth warehouse robot

Amazon is rapidly expanding its use of robotics, and now has over a million robots operating in its warehouses, nearly matching the number of human workers. The company passed the milestone with the delivery of a unit to a fulfilment facility in Japan. Around 75% of Amazon deliveries involve robotic assistance, which the company says improves safety and reduces repetitive tasks for employees. Amazon is also increasing automation efficiency with artificial intelligence, with the release of a new generative AI model called DeepFleet. The company says the model can coordinate the robots’ routes within the company’s warehouses more efficiently, and will help increase the speed of its robotic fleet by 10%. 

U.S. Senate strikes AI regulation ban from Trump megabill

The U.S. Senate has voted down a proposed 10-year ban on states regulating artificial intelligence models.  Major AI companies, including Alphabet's Google and OpenAI, had expressed support for Congress taking AI regulation out of the hands of states to free innovation from a variety of local requirements. Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Commerce Committee, said: "we can't just run over good state consumer protection laws. States can fight robocalls, deepfakes and provide safe autonomous vehicle laws." Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: "We will now be able to protect our kids from the harms of completely unregulated AI."
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WORKFORCE

U.S. job openings hit 7.8m in May

U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in May, a sign that the American labor market remains resilient in the face of high borrowing costs and uncertainty over U.S. economic policy. In its latest JOLTS report, the Labor Department said that employers posted 7.8m vacancies in May, up from 7.4m in April, beating all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The number of layoffs fell by 188,000 in May, bringing the layoff rate down to 1%. Meanwhile, hiring declined, led by drops in health care and manufacturing. The number of vacancies per unemployed worker rose to 1.1, while the quits rate stood at 2.1%, well below the average rate of the past five years. 
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HIRING

Spirit Halloween seeks 50,000 employees

Spirit Halloween is gearing up for the 2025 Halloween season by seeking to fill 50,000 positions across its more than 1,500 retail locations. The stores typically open in August, aligning with National Retail Federation data showing that 47% of U.S. consumers start their Halloween shopping before October. Chief executive Steven Silverstein emphasized the importance of associates, commenting: "The talent and enthusiasm of our associates is the driving force that brings Halloween to life each year, and we look forward to welcoming new and returning faces for another killer season."
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ECONOMY

Global economy faces 'pivotal moment', says Carstens

Agustín Carstens, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements, has warned that the global economy is at a "pivotal moment" as it enters a "new era of heightened uncertainty and unpredictability." This, he said, is testing public trust in institutions such as central banks. Mr Carstens, the former governor of Mexico's central bank, said increasing protectionism and trade fragmentation is "particular concerning" as they were exacerbating a decline in economic and productivity growth. He also voiced concern over evidence that the world economy is becoming less resilient to shocks. Pointing to rising debt levels, Mr Carstens said: "This trend cannot continue."
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CORPORATE

Skip the chains and celebrate local stores, campaign group urges

The People's Union USA is urging Americans to boycott major retailers including Target, Walmart, and Amazon this Independence Day, advocating for a shift towards supporting local businesses. John Schwarz, the group's founder, highlighted the motivation behind the boycott, citing "recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, corporate decisions, and backlash against protests and policies under the Trump administration." In Alabama, the Free America Weekend event will combine Independence Day celebrations with a call for democracy and civil rights, featuring block parties and marches.
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WORKPLACE

Target tests digital locks

Target is testing new smartphone-based technology that allows store shelves to be locked and unlocked digitally, aiming to reduce theft and improve the customer experience. This system will enable staff, Shipt delivery workers, and paid members to access locked cases more efficiently than using physical keys. Shoplifting has driven many retailers, including Target, to lock more items, but this can frustrate customers and burden employees. Similar tools have been explored by competitors, including Walmart.
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INTERNATIONAL

Some U.K. workers' rights reforms pushed back

The U.K. government has set a new timeline for the Employment Rights Bill, pushing back several reforms by a year. Day-one protection against unfair dismissal, which was due to come into force next year, has been delayed until 2027, as has guaranteed flexible working and a ban on "exploitative" zero-hours contracts. Ministers say the roadmap will give businesses the "clarity and certainty they need to plan, invest and grow." Other measures set out in the Bill include removing the current limits on statutory sick pay, day-one paternity leave and unpaid parental leave rights. These are expected to come into force in early 2026. New whistleblowing protections are also due early next year, while October 2026 will see a ban on fire and rehire practices alongside rules to ensure that tips are allocated more fairly.

Qantas pilots threaten industrial action

Qantas pilots are set to launch low-level industrial action after more than 90% voted in favor of protected action against what they describe as a "lowball" pay offer. More than 100 Express Freighters pilots, represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP), and Australian and International Pilots Association, are demanding pay increases to match industry standards and improvements to work-life balance. The unions have expressed disappointment over Qantas's refusal to enhance its offer after six months of negotiations. "Industrial action is always a last resort," said TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine, as he highlighted the poor conditions faced by workers. Qantas has said that it is negotiating in good faith and has contingency plans in place to ensure that freight operations remain unaffected.

Company ordered to pay compensation for sending emails to employee on sick leave

The High Court of Justice of Galicia has fined a company €1,500 ($1,766) for sending emails to an employee who was on sick leave. The judges in the case observed that the right to digital disconnection in Spain "requires that no communications are received from the company outside working time . . . This right is not fulfilled simply because the employee is not obliged to respond to messages received outside working hours immediately or otherwise." The court heard that this right "entails an obligation on the part of the employer and of the dependent or related persons to abstain from communications of a work-related nature outside working time."
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OTHER

Alaska brown bear gets huge metal crown

An Alaska brown bear at the Lake Superior Zoo in northeastern Minnesota has a new silver-colored canine tooth following a first-of-its-kind procedure for a bear. The hour-long procedure on 800-pound Tundra was undertaken by Dr. Grace Brown, a board-certified veterinary dentist who helped perform a root canal on the same tooth two years ago, and who plans to publish a paper on the procedure in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry later this year. "This is the largest crown ever created in the world," she said. "It has to be published."
 
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