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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
Rising marijuana positivity rates are prompting U.S. employers to reconsider whether pre-employment drug screening remains useful. Quest Diagnostics found that 4.4% of urine tests were positive in 2025, up from 3.9% in 2021, while 15% of hair tests detected cannabis and random hair screenings reached 21%. Outside safety-sensitive industries, many companies increasingly treat off-duty use like alcohol consumption and fear strict testing will reduce applicant numbers. Employment lawyer Todd Logsdon said some employers warn: “If I test for that, I’m not gonna have any applicants.” Around half of surveyed employers excluded cannabis from pre-hire testing, while several major companies have relaxed their policies. Differing state protections and possible federal reclassification create further uncertainty. Transport and construction employers are expected to retain testing, but other businesses may increasingly focus on workplace impairment. Meanwhile, cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine positivity increased, although fentanyl detections fell by half.
Full Issue
Human Times
UK
Poorly managed disciplinary investigations are causing widespread burnout, sickness absence and staff departures, costing the UK economy an estimated £28.5bn annually. The Faculty of Public Health says formal proceedings are often prioritised over employee wellbeing, creating harm for accused workers, colleagues, managers and organisations. President Prof Tracy Daszkiewicz warned that the effects include “damage to individual wellbeing, loss of trust in systems, avoidable sickness absence and the undermining of staff morale and retention”. The faculty recommends treating investigations as a last resort and resolving concerns informally where possible. An approach used by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board reduced investigations by 71%, prevented more than 3,000 sick days and saved at least £700,000 each year. Acas and the TUC also support earlier, less adversarial intervention and stronger union involvement.
Full Issue
Human Times
Europe
Volkswagen could eliminate about 50,000 additional jobs worldwide as it seeks to close a 20% cost disadvantage against comparable companies. Chief executive Oliver Blume told staff that the estimate represents a “theoretical deduction” rather than a confirmed target, with the group still assessing what reductions are necessary and feasible across its brands, businesses and regions. The potential cuts would come on top of 50,000 positions already agreed across Volkswagen, including at Porsche and Audi. Blume said further savings are required to improve competitiveness, signalling that the German carmaker’s restructuring could become considerably larger as management reviews operations throughout the global group.
Full Issue
Human Times
Middle East
A new World Economic Forum and Marsh report highlights that age-related workplace barriers could lead to nearly $500bn in productivity losses for OECD economies by 2040. The report states that the ageing population will grow significantly, while the working-age group will increase only modestly. Countries like the US and France are projected to face substantial GDP losses due to extended unemployment among older workers. The report also links ageism to health issues, noting that tackling it could enhance productivity and provide health benefits, while allowing employers to tap into valuable skills of older workers.
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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