With heatwave conditions intensifying across Punjab, the state government has revised working hours for government offices and educational institutions in an effort to reduce public exposure to extreme temperatures. The new schedule came into effect on Monday, 25 May, following rising temperatures and forecasts suggesting prolonged heat conditions. Under the revised arrangement announced by the government, government offices, service centres, and educational institutions across the state will now function from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. until further notice. The change applies to government-run institutions as well as aided and private schools. The move has received a positive response from employees…
Author: HRK News Bureau
Maharashtra is stepping up efforts to establish itself as a major artificial intelligence (AI) destination, with the state outlining plans to generate nearly 1.5 lakh AI-related jobs through technology investments and a stronger innovation ecosystem. The vision was highlighted during the launch of ImagiNxt in Mumbai, a technology and innovation platform designed to connect startups, investors, policymakers, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders working in AI and emerging technology sectors. The state government is positioning AI as a key driver of its future economic agenda. Alongside job creation, the strategy focuses on strengthening startup activity, building digital capabilities, and creating long-term…
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has continued to tie employee performance-linked pay to office attendance and deployment measures, according to internal compensation guidelines. The framework indicates that employees’ work-from-office (WFO) adherence remains a significant factor in determining the final amount of variable pay they receive. As per the internal structure, employees who maintain a WFO compliance score of 85 per cent or higher are eligible for the complete performance payout. However, compensation gradually reduces as attendance levels decline. Employees whose office attendance falls below a 25 per cent threshold are not eligible for any performance payout under the policy. The company’s…
The government has announced the launch of the Employees’ Enrolment Campaign 2025, an initiative aimed at expanding social-security coverage and bringing more workers under formal employee benefit systems. The move seeks to encourage employers to voluntarily declare and register eligible employees who may not have been enrolled earlier. According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the campaign will run for a six-month period, beginning on 1 November this year and continuing until 30 April next year. During this window, employers will be allowed to enrol existing employees who joined their establishments between 1 July, 2017, and 31 October, 2025.…
A new debate around artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of work has gained momentum after productivity platform ClickUp reduced nearly 22 per cent of its workforce despite reporting strong business performance. The decision triggered intense reactions online, with many questioning whether AI-driven transformation is becoming the next major disruptor of employment. In a detailed statement shared on social media, ClickUp CEO Zeb Evans said the company was operating from a position of strength and described the move as part of a broader shift in how organisations will function in an AI-led era. He took responsibility for the layoffs and…
Global pharmaceuticals company, GSK, has appointed Roanne Parry as its chief people officer (CPO) bringing back a long-time company leader to head its global people agenda from London, UK. The appointment marks a return to GSK for Parry, who spent more than two decades with the company across a range of HR leadership roles before moving to CSL. Her latest move comes as global healthcare and pharmaceutical companies continue sharpening focus on workforce transformation, leadership capability and people-led business strategies. Before taking up the new role, Parry served as chief human resources officer, CSL for over two years. During her…
Amazon has highlighted a series of employee experiences to showcase how workplace support systems and benefits can influence lives beyond day-to-day roles. The stories, shared from across its operations workforce, focus on personal milestones and challenges including parenthood, grief, career transitions and medical crises. With a global workforce exceeding one million employees, the company said employee support systems can create wider effects that extend to families and communities. The spotlight on employee experiences also comes as Amazon continues investments aimed at improving compensation and lowering healthcare expenses for fulfilment and transportation employees in the US. Among the stories featured is…
Navin Fluorine International (NFIL) has appointed Vinod Shetty as chief human resources officer (CHRO), bringing on board a seasoned HR leader with extensive experience across people strategy, organisational transformation, capability building and global HR leadership. With more than two decades of HR leadership experience across pharmaceuticals, healthcare and manufacturing sectors, Shetty has built expertise across talent strategy, employee engagement, leadership development and cross-market HR operations. Before joining NFIL, Shetty served as senior director and head of India HR & communication, Teva Pharmaceuticals, where he led HR and communications functions for India operations. In this role, he worked on people strategy…
A Hyderabad-based technology company is taking a direct approach to encourage greener commuting habits by financially rewarding employees who switch to electric vehicles. Aja Consulting Services has launched what it calls a Green Workplace Movement, offering employees Rs 10,000 toward the purchase of an electric four-wheeler and Rs 5,000 for buying an electric two-wheeler. Alongside EV purchase support, the company has also introduced a separate incentive programme aimed at encouraging employees to carpool during their daily commute. While modest in scale, the initiative signals a broader shift in how private employers may begin participating in sustainability efforts beyond office infrastructure…
The Allahabad High Court has reiterated that government employees cannot claim a legal right to remain posted at a location of their preference. While dismissing a teacher’s petition challenging a transfer order, the court observed that transfer remains a routine and essential part of public service. Justice Manju Rani Chauhan made the observation while refusing to interfere with a transfer order issued by the District Basic Education Officer in Fatehpur. In its 18 May order, the court stated that transfers are an incident of service and employees cannot insist on staying in a place of their choosing. The case arose…
CarTrade Tech, an Indian online automotive marketplace for buying and selling new and used vehicles, has appointed Gaurav Sirohi as its new group chief human resources officer, adding an experienced HR and transformation leader to its executive team as the company continues expanding its automotive technology and marketplace operations. In his new role, he will oversee people strategy, talent management and organisational development across CarTrade Tech’s multi-brand automotive platform ecosystem. The company operates several automotive platforms and services including CarWale, CarTrade, Shriram Automall, BikeWale, CarTrade Exchange, Adroit Auto and AutoBiz, delivering technology-enabled solutions across customer, dealership and OEM segments. Sirohi…
GitHub has revealed a significant internal security breach after attackers gained access to nearly 3,800 private repositories through a compromised employee device. The incident was traced back to a malicious extension installed within Visual Studio Code, highlighting growing concerns around software development environments and third-party tools. The security issue surfaced earlier this week when GitHub identified suspicious activity on an employee endpoint. Internal investigations linked the breach to a poisoned Visual Studio Code extension that had infiltrated the device. The company moved quickly to isolate the affected system and launch containment procedures. Sensitive credentials and secrets were also rotated immediately,…
Congratulations to Gurjeet Singh on his appointment as head-global talent acquisition, Atain. This leadership move reflects the growing importance of AI-enabled hiring strategies and workforce- transformation initiatives across organisations. At Atain, he will lead global talent acquisition strategies across more than 30 delivery centres, helping align AI-enabled hiring models with future-ready workforce capabilities. In his new role, he will be tasked with enhancing recruitment efficiency while integrating human intelligence with AI capabilities to attract technology and customer experience talent. He will also champion diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to strengthen employer branding efforts. Singh brings over 24 years of experience…
Edwin Sudhakar has taken up the role of senior vice president-talent at Saksfot. This is his second stint with the AI-led, data-driven digital engineering and enterprise modernisation partner. He has served as head of the recruitment function earlier in 2009 for over a year and a half. It was way back in 1999 that Edwin Sudhakar’s tryst with HR began when he joined e-Calyx and Indchem as an HR executive. Three years later, he moved to Scope International as a recruiter. He served Deloitte as manager-recruiting from 2005 to 2006. Sudhakar’s next stop was Hexaware Technologies where he played manager-HR…
There is a particular kind of business book that arrives not so much to be read as to be seen on the right desks. AI for CEOs: A call for leaders to be on the right side of the future is not quite that book, though it understands the genre well enough to borrow its jacket. What distinguishes it is that, beneath the urgency and exhortation, there is a genuine attempt to be useful to the people it addresses: senior leaders who have sat through enough AI presentations to feel vaguely implicated, but not yet moved. The book is co-authored…
Samsung Electronics’s tentative agreement with its labour unions will see semiconductor employees getting average bonuses of about 509 million won ($338,000). The deal, struck after government mediated discussion, has successfully averted a planned 18 day strike. Under the proposal, workers will receive bonuses equal to 10.5 per cent of the chip division’s operating profit in stock, in addition to 1.5 per cent in cash. In total, payouts could reach up to 12 per cent of operating profit. Based on projected operating profits of 331 trillion won and a workforce of around 78,000 semiconductor employees, the estimated average bonus comes to…
Lajja M has moved from Spark Capital Advisors to Religare to take up the role of executive vice president-human resources. Armed with an MBA in Human Resource Development, Lajja M began her professional journey as a senior officer with Bennet, Coleman and Co. (Times Group), in 2005. After three years of playing HR business partner for the editorial departments, she moved to ICICI Venture as HR manager, in May of 2008. The next six years were spent in a generalist role covering the areas of interventions, performance appraisal, training & development, employee benefits, HR policies and recruitment at ICICI Venture.…
DBS Bank is stepping up its investment in young talent, announcing plans to bring more than 500 local youths into the organisation this year through its management associate, internship and traineeship programmes. The move comes as businesses continue debating whether artificial intelligence will shrink entry-level opportunities or reshape them. The hiring push forms part of DBS’ broader strategy to strengthen its future talent pipeline. Between 2024 and 2026, the bank expects to onboard close to 1,600 young Singaporean professionals across various early-career initiatives. The bank said the approach reflects its continued commitment to nurturing talent despite rapid changes brought about…
Tata Consultancy Services has responded to employee concerns surrounding its revised salary structure, stating that no employee has experienced a reduction in gross or take-home pay following the latest appraisal cycle. The clarification comes after discussions emerged around lower cost-to-company (CTC) figures, revised appraisal outcomes and changes in compensation components. Questions surfaced after employees noticed differences in salary revision letters issued during the FY26 appraisal process. Several employees reportedly expressed concern over gratuity no longer appearing as part of overall CTC calculations. Others also raised doubts over shifts in variable compensation and revised salary structures that they felt affected monthly…
A workplace leave dispute shared on Reddit has triggered a wider conversation around paid time-off policies, management practices and how companies enforce workplace rules. As organisations continue revisiting attendance and leave structures, employees increasingly appear frustrated over inconsistent interpretations of PTO policies and approval processes. The discussion began after a Reddit user claimed their employer denied a vacation request that had allegedly been submitted six months in advance. According to the employee, the company’s leave policy stated that if HR did not respond within one week, the request would automatically be considered approved. The worker said no objections were raised…
Just days after reports emerged that nearly 48,000 Samsung employees were preparing for what could have become the company’s largest-ever strike, the crisis has taken a dramatic turn. Samsung and its labour union have now reached a tentative wage agreement, leading the union to suspend plans for an 18-day walkout that had threatened to disrupt chip production and rattle South Korea’s economy. The labour dispute had intensified last week after workers raised concerns over widening compensation gaps inside Samsung’s semiconductor division. While the company’s memory business posted record first-quarter performance driven by AI-fuelled demand, tensions grew within the broader Device…
New Zealand is preparing for a significant restructuring of its public sector, with the government announcing plans to cut nearly 9,000 public-service jobs by mid-2029 as part of a wider effort to reduce spending and improve efficiency. The proposed move would reduce the government workforce by around 14 per cent and is expected to generate savings of approximately NZ$2.4 billion over the coming years. The announcement was made by Finance Minister Nicola Willis, who outlined a broader cost-cutting strategy that includes budget reductions across government agencies, consolidation of departments and stronger adoption of artificial intelligence and digital technologies. Under the…
A workplace debate around leadership expectations and employee accountability has gained momentum online after a Noida-based startup founder shared why he dismissed a senior employee. The incident, posted on social media, has triggered divided reactions among professionals, with many questioning where ownership ends and leadership support begins. The discussion started after InstaAstro founder and CEO Nitin Verma described an interaction with a senior hire whom he had brought in to independently lead a specific business function. According to the CEO, the employee was given complete autonomy from the beginning, without close supervision, frequent reviews or approval layers. The situation took…
India’s largest IT services company, TCS, is facing renewed scrutiny after reports suggested it has asked managers to identify a fixed percentage of employees for its lowest performance category during the latest appraisal cycle. The development comes shortly after the company carried out one of the largest workforce reductions in its history, adding to concerns among employees. According to reports, TCS Human Resources asked business unit leaders to closely review employee performance and prepare lists of associates who could be placed in B and D, the company’s lowest performance categories. Internal communication reportedly referred to achieving an agreed distribution target…
Infosys has lowered performance bonus payouts for the March quarter after reporting one of its strongest variable pay cycles in recent years during the previous quarter. The move signals a moderation in payouts after a period of gradual increases and comes at a time when the technology industry continues to navigate market uncertainty. The average performance bonus payout for the fourth quarter of FY26 stood at nearly 70 per cent, according to reports. This marks a decline from the approximately 85 per cent average payout recorded during the December quarter, which had been viewed by employees as one of the…
Standard Chartered is preparing for a significant workforce overhaul as it deepens its investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. The global banking major is expected to eliminate more than 7,000 roles over the next four years as part of a long-term transformation strategy focused on technology-led operations. The planned restructuring is linked to the bank’s goal of reducing around 15 per cent of positions across its corporate and support functions by 2030. These divisions currently employ over 52,000 people, while Standard Chartered’s overall global workforce stands at nearly 82,000 employees. The move is being seen as one of the…