The Health Department of Karnataka has decided to ensure more discipline and accountability amongst its employees, including doctors, officers and staff of all hospitals under the department. Starting 1 August 2024, all staff members will have to record their attendance using their mobile phones, so that their location becomes clear. This is not the first time the Health Department has felt the need to enforce discipline. In April 2022, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar had ordered the implementation of biometric attendance system at all hospitals and offices under the state health department. These numbered over 3,000 employing…
Author: HRK News Bureau
Chennai-based agriculture supply-chain startup, WayCool Foods, has laid off over 200 employees across various departments. This is the company’s third round of layoffs within the past year. The latest round of layoffs has impacted employees in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and its subsidiaries, CensaNext and BrandNext, as reported by Moneycontrol. The recent layoffs are part of the company’s ongoing efforts to streamline operations and reduce losses as it grapples with a funding crunch. Previously, WayCool laid off more than 300 employees in July last year, followed by the termination of 70 staff members in February this year. Financial difficulties for the…
Tech Mahindra reported a net employee addition of 2,165 for the first quarter ending 30 June. This aligns with the company’s plans to increase its workforce this financial year. The company onboarded around 1,000 freshers in Q1 and plans to engage in campus hiring this year to meet its target of adding 6,000 freshers for FY25. Attrition rates remained steady sequentially at 10 per cent and showed an improvement from 13 per cent in Q1 FY24. The company emphasised that the majority of this quarter’s headcount increase came from hiring interns in the business process services (BPS) vertical. Furthermore, the…
Maria Lorente Fraguas, presently serving as chief human resources officer, communications & corporate social responsibility (CSR), Nexans, will move to Bureau Veritas as executive vice president and chief people officer, on 1 October 2024. An electrical and electronics engineer, Fraguas began her professional journey with Schlumberger, way back in 2001. She was part of the EcoScope team at the global technology company that drives energy innovation for a balanced planet. Less than three years into this role, she relocated from France to Abu Dhabi with a promotion. The next year and a half saw her serving as wireline field engineer,…
National Securities Depository (NSDL) has roped in Meghna Gupta for the role of chief human resources officer (CHRO). She has moved from Axis Bank where she was SVP-relationship head since June 2022. An alumna of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Gupta is a commerce graduate who began her career with ICICI Bank as assistant manager-HR, in 1999. Four years into this role, she switched to Kotak Mahindra Bank, where she joined as AVP-human resources. For the next four years and ten months, as an HR business partner, Gupta participated in the growth of Kotak Mahindra Bank and sought…
Just when we were scared that artificial intelligence (AI) would take away jobs, we were pacified by experts saying that AI will only ease work and create more jobs. Hardly had we begun to relax and here comes a video where Reid Hoffman, co-founder, LinkedIn predicts that in a decade’s time the regular nine to five jobs will vanish for good. Given that Hoffman’s predictions have been fairly accurate in the past, this video shared by Neal Taparia, an angel investor and entrepreneur, on social media, may be a cause for concern. Hoffman believes that AI will affect traditional jobs…
The Indian government has woken up to the need for systematic and regular collection of employment data, which can be analysed to provide valuable insights into the job market. A meeting is already being planned, to be chaired by Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, which will be attended by representatives from various departments and at least 20 ministries. An integrated mechanism, for collecting and studying employment-related data, it is hoped, will help generate more and better jobs. Additionally, the process will help identify the issues and trends in the job market. It is eventually expected to result in the…
Manchester United is set for significant staff reductions. This change comes in the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a substantial stake in the club. Ratcliffe’s football operations team is driving this transformation, but it has led to decreased morale among employees, especially with the Club’s upcoming US tour. The Club plans to cut approximately 250 jobs at Old Trafford, impacting various staff members who have been informed individually about the potential layoffs. The staff reductions are part of a broader strategy to control costs, which also affected the preseason tour. The Club’s preseason tour, which was scheduled to…
The Employees’ State Insurance Corp. (ESIC) welcomed 2.30 million new employees in May 2024. This marks a significant 14 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, according to provisional payroll data. Administered by the Labour Ministry, ESIC provides social security benefits through monetary insurance to registered employees under the Employees’ State Insurance Act,1948. The scheme offers financial aid for health-related events that may result in wage loss. The data revealed that 48 per cent of these new enrolled individuals were under 25 years old, and nearly 20 per cent were women. The latest figures also show a…
In a notable shift from a five-year downsizing trend, the Centre has expanded its workforce to 3.56 million in FY24. This increase reverses the previous decline, which saw the number of Union government employees fall to 3.17 million in FY23, the lowest level in nearly a decade. The peak of 3.33 million employees was recorded in FY14, according to a Moneycontrol analysis of Budget documents. Despite this expansion, the average pay per employee is expected to decrease in FY24, due to the induction of more young workers, though it is projected to rise again in FY25. The average expenditure per…
AdvantageClub.ai, a global leader in AI-powered employee engagement and rewards, has achieved a significant milestone – reaching 5 million users worldwide. This rapid user growth underscores the widespread adoption of the company’s innovative platform. AdvantageClub.ai’s trajectory is impressive. It took 4.75 years to reach the first million users, but subsequent milestones were achieved in increasingly shorter timeframes: 10 months for the second million, 8 months for the third, 6.5 months for the fourth, and just 8 months for the fifth million. This demonstrates the platform’s accelerating adoption rate. Founded in 2016, AdvantageClub.ai has become a game-changer in employee engagement. It…
A new global study has revealed a significant disconnect between the optimistic expectations of AI’s impact on productivity and the reality faced by many employees. The survey included inputs from 2,500 global C-suite executives, full-time employees and freelancers. Despite 96 per cent of C-suite executives expecting AI to boost productivity, 77 per cent of employees using AI report increased workloads and challenges in achieving the anticipated productivity gains. Artificial intelligence is not only adding to the workloads of full-time employees but also hampering productivity and contributing to burnout. Adding to the concern, nearly half (47 per cent) of employees using…
Scoring exceptionally high in terms of gratitude, courage and freedom, Madison World has been recognised as one of the Happiest Places to Work. Over 900 employees vouch for this, having been part of the Happiness Dialogue across various divisions, including media planning, buying, digital, PR, outdoor, and sports marketing. The Dialogue witnessed a participation rate of more than 82 per cent and a completion rate of 86 per cent. Clearly, there is no better way to gauge how good the employees feel about their company. Is it difficult to obtain this certification? Of course it is. The rigorous certification process of Happiest Places…
Humble Games, the video games publisher, known for popular games such as Slay the Spire, Signalis and Unpacking, has decided to trim its team by 36. The company claims that the decision was taken to ensure that its ongoing projects remained stable and its developers continued to receive the required support for the same. The company, has, however, reportedly assured that the impacted employees, including its development partners will be helped through the transition. A senior quality-assurance analyst of Humble Games, who was impacted in this layoff round, has posted on social media about the respect and visibility she received…
While a promotion is not a fundamental right, it is definitely a statutory and a fundamental right of an employee to be considered for a promotion if they fulfil the eligibility criteria. The Supreme Court said that by failing to consider an employee for promotion the employer goes against the employee’s fundamental right. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah stated that employees have the right to be considered for upgradation provided they meet the conditions required for the same. They also clarified that promotion itself is not a fundamental right. The case was related to the promotion…
Pierer Mobility, the parent company of KTM, has announced significant job cuts due to a sharp decline in sales for 2024. The company expects sales in the European and American markets to drop by 10 to 15 per cent compared to last year. In a statement, Pierer Mobility revealed that in the last ten years, the number of employees at the motorbike subsidiary KTM AG has more than doubled. However, with the changed in market situation, the number of employees now has to be adjusted. The decision has also come because the company wishes to maintain and secure its competitiveness…
The Uttarakhand High Court has overturned the denial of Assured Career Progression (ACP) benefits to five non-permanent employees of the Training and Employment Directorate. The Court instructed that the benefits be granted within eight weeks from the date of entitlement. The five petitioners—Bhagwan Chandra Pant, Vijay Kumar Joshi, Prakash Chandra Joshi, Gajendra Singh Dasila and Satish Kumar Upreti—were originally hired as technicians at Teletronics and Kumaon Television, subsidiaries of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, a state government enterprise. Both companies ceased operations in 1996, and the petitioners were later reassigned to the Training and Employment Directorate as instructors. After fulfilling a…
Ukrainian women are making significant strides in traditionally male-dominated fields as Ukraine grapples with the effects of ongoing conflict. The war disrupted lives, but has reshaped the workforce, opening new opportunities for women in roles once reserved for men. In Pavlohrad, women are now taking up job underground jobs at a coal mine, a position previously unavailable to them. This shift is a direct response to Russia’s invasion, which began in February 2022. Faced with a critical labour shortage as men left their civilian jobs to join the military, the mine began hiring women for underground roles, marking a historic…
Just a day after receiving funds to the tune of $500 million, Cohere, the GenAI model startup based out of Toronto, Canada, has cut about 20 jobs. That means, five per cent of the artificial intelligence (AI) firm’s 400-strong workforce will be rendered jobless. What is surprising is that the move came right after a new funding round at a $5.5 billion valuation. However, Aidan Gomez, CEO, Cohere, reportedly maintains that hiring will continue at the company which offers competition to OpenAI, as well as Meta, Mistral and Anthropic. In fact, Gomez expects to double the workforce strength this year,…
After a successful five-year long tenure at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lori Petersen has joined Cipla has vice president-human resources. Having begun her professional journey in 2001, with MRINetwork, as research manager, Petersen comes with over two decades of experience. She served as talent acquisition specialist at CHEP from 2006 to 2008 before moving on to Rolls-Royce in June of 2008. She joined as North American early career recruitment manager, based out of Indianopolis. Less than two years into this role, she was elevated to EMEA and North American early career recruitment manager (expat). This promotion took her to Derby, UK.…
Faridabad-based Umwelt.Ai, an AI-based people analytics and employee engagement SaaS platform is all set to expand globally, with the capital it has obtained. It has received funds to the tune of $125K in a seed funding round, from Upekkha, a SaaS accelerator. Founded by Vishal Chopra six years ago, Umwelt is meant to “ bridge the gap between employee expectations and organisational realities”, which allows firms to leverage the full potential of their employees. Umwelt helps senior managers and leaders understand and examine the feedback received from employees and take immediate action in real time. The platform makes use of…
As thousands of Disneyland employees continue negotiations with the company over issues including higher pay, a potential strike looms on the horizon. If the strike proceeds, it would be the largest labour strike at Disneyland since the 1980s. Recently, some employees who have reportedly worked for over three decades, have spoken to the media about why they are preparing to walk off the job. Despite their love for her job and interacting with children, the workers finds it increasingly difficult to make ends meet their wages. They further highlighted that even after nearly four decades of service, employees earn about…
A bizarre technique of monitoring employees’ performance and fitness has surfaced in Japan. According to the South China Morning Post, AEON, a Japanese supermarket chain, has implemented a unique system to measure employees’ smiles to determine their mental fitness for the job. The report indicates that AEON has developed an artificial intelligence system designed to analyse employees’ smiles. The aim is to enhance customer service quality. This system, dubbed ‘Mr. Smile’, was launched on 1 July, 2024 and has already been installed in over 250 AEON stores across Japan. Developed by a Japanese tech company, the AI system evaluates various…
Adda247, a multilingual learning platform, has announced its inaugural Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) buyback. The plan is said to benefit more than 130 employees. The move comes as the company gears up for its anticipated IPO in 2027. The buyback price is set at an impressive 40 times the initial purchase price. This ESOP buyback programme is rather significant in the company’s evolution. Furthermore, the initiative is a testament to Adda247’s commitment to empowering its employees and fostering a culture of shared success. This buyback demonstrates the company’s appreciation for the employees’ dedication and hard work, even while allowing…
With effect from 21 July, 2024, 25 per cent of engineering jobs in the private sector of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia (KSA) will be localised. This is part of KSA’s efforts to reduce unemployment to seven per cent by 2030. The localisation will be applicable to private establishments that have at least five employees in the field of engineering or related roles. The move has full support of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, KSA. This measure, it is hoped, will result in more productive jobs…
Sanjay Gawde has been appointed head-HR and administration and senior management personnel (SMP), Mahindra Logistics, starting 1 October 2024. He will take over from Edwin Lobo who is opting for early retirement, . Gawde’s association with the Mahindra Group began in 2021, with him handling group rewards for over two years before heading group talent management in February 2024. This alumnus of the University of Mumbai began his professional journey as an engineer with Gammon India, in 1998. Two years later, he joined GE Capital as AM-HR. December 2004 saw him joining EXL Service as manager-HR for a little over…