Bharti Airtel has elevated Akanksha Kanojia to the role of head–talent, culture & DEI. In her new position, Kanojia will bring together Airtel’s talent, culture, and DEI priorities under a unified framework. The goal is to ensure these elements actively support business growth, innovation and customer-centricity. Based in Gurugram, Kanojia will lead the company’s efforts across leadership development, organisational culture, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Her mandate includes building future-ready leadership pipelines, embedding inclusive practices into core people processes, and shaping a high-performance culture aligned with Airtel’s long-term strategy. Kanojia is a long-serving Airtel leader with more than 13 years…
Author: HRK News Bureau
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has facilitated the release of Rs 311.67 crore for disbursement to former employees of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, offering long-awaited relief to workers whose dues have remained unpaid since the airline ceased operations. The release follows a 12 December order by the Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT), Chennai, which directed that funds realised from the sale of attached shares be transferred to the official liquidator for settlement of workmen’s dues. The amount will be distributed among eligible former employees in line with the tribunal’s directions. The funds have been sourced from assets earlier attached by the ED…
JPMorgan Chase is planning to build Asia’s largest global capability centre (GCC) in Mumbai, a move that could eventually support around 30,000 employees and significantly expand the bank’s workforce in India. The proposed two million sq ft single-user campus in Powai will be developed in phases and is expected to be completed by 2029. The planned centre underscores India’s growing role in JPMorgan’s global talent strategy, with the country increasingly housing critical technology, operations, data, risk and analytics teams that support the bank’s worldwide businesses. The expansion is expected to create a wide range of roles across software engineering, digital…
The Bombay High Court has ruled that women employees cannot be denied maternity benefits merely because they are appointed on a temporary or daily-wage basis. The Court clarified that employment status does not dilute a woman’s right to maternity leave and related financial benefits under the law. The ruling was delivered in a case involving a woman serving as a temporary assistant professor in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at a government medical college in Kolhapur. She had been engaged on a temporary basis but had worked continuously since September 2018, with her services being extended periodically *through short technical…
The Himachal Pradesh government has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the welfare and financial security of pensioners, outlining a phased plan to clear pending salary and pension arrears amid fiscal constraints. Speaking at a programme organised by the Himachal Pradesh Pensioners Joint Front in Ghumarwin, Bilaspur district, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said Pensioners’ Day was an occasion to acknowledge the contribution of retired employees in strengthening the state’s administrative system and public institutions. The government highlighted the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme as one of its early decisions, taken despite inheriting a debt burden of Rs 75,000…
The Delhi government has directed organisations across the national capital to shift at least half of their workforce to remote working arrangements, as part of emergency measures to tackle persistently hazardous air-quality levels. The directive applies to both government offices and private-sector establishments, requiring on-site attendance to be capped at 50 per cent. The move is aimed at reducing daily commuting and vehicular congestion, which authorities say is critical to limiting further deterioration of air quality. Officials noted that prolonged exposure to polluted air poses serious health risks, particularly for children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions, making immediate…
The UK Civil Service workforce has climbed to its highest level in almost 20 years, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. Headcount rose by around 3,000 between June and September 2025, taking the total number of civil servants to an estimated 5,54,000. This marks an increase from 5,51,000 in June and reflects a year-on-year rise of 1.1 per cent compared with September 2024. The latest figure is nearly a third higher than the level recorded in June 2016, when the Civil Service employed about 4,16,000 people, just before the EU referendum. The workforce has expanded…
The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a fresh relaxation of childcare leave rules for state government employees, widening eligibility and removing age-related conditions in a move aimed at offering greater flexibility to working parents and caregivers. Under the revised guidelines, employees will now be able to avail childcare leave without any upper age limit for children. The benefit will also extend to children with disabilities, allowing employees to use the leave whenever caregiving needs arise, rather than being restricted by age thresholds. Eligible employees can avail the leave at any stage of their service, subject to the overall entitlement prescribed…
Tamil Nadu is facing a major economic and humanitarian challenge due to the US imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports. Chief Minister M K Stalin has sought intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the issue. The tariffs have severely damaged the state’s textile, apparel, and leather industries, leading to losses of around Rs 15,000 crore in orders. This has put lakhs of jobs at risk, especially for women workers. In Tirupur, known as India’s knitwear hub, exporters have seen confirmed orders vanish and have been forced to cut production by up to 30 per cent. New…
According to Mercer’s Total Remuneration Survey 2026, employee salaries in India are expected to rise by an average of nine per cent in 2026. The highest increases are predicted in the automotive sector at 9.5 per cent and high tech industries such as product and consulting at 9.3 per cent. In contrast, sectors such as shared services organisations/global capability centre (SSO/GCC), life sciences, and consumer and retail are expected to remain flat. The information technology (IT), IT-enabled services (ITES), and GCC sectors continue to stand out for offering innovative employee benefits, showing their commitment to well being and engagement. Even…
Amazon is set to reduce its workforce at its European headquarters in Luxembourg, with 370 positions slated to be cut in the coming weeks. The move represents about 8.5 per cent of the company’s local headcount and marks the largest job reduction at the site to date. The layoffs come as part of Amazon’s broader global cost-control drive and follow an earlier announcement of significant workforce reductions worldwide. The Luxembourg cuts were finalised after mandatory negotiations with employee representatives, resulting in a lower number than initially proposed. Under European labour regulations, such discussions are required before redundancies can be implemented.…
Ford Motor Company is set to lay off around 1,600 employees at its BlueOval SK battery manufacturing site in Hardin County, Kentucky, as the automaker reworks its electric vehicle strategy and shifts focus toward energy storage technologies. The layoffs will impact the BlueOval SK facility in Glendale, a high-profile joint venture that was initially developed as a key pillar of Ford’s electric vehicle expansion in the US. Local authorities confirmed that the job cuts are part of a broader transition phase at the site. County officials are reportedly coordinating closely with Ford and state agencies to support affected workers and…
A Delhi-based café has drawn sharp criticism on social media after a post intended to celebrate an employee was widely mistaken for a condolence announcement. The controversy erupted after Wongdhen Cafe shared an Instagram graphic to recognise one of its staff members as “Employee of the Month”. The visual design of the post quickly became the focal point of criticism. The graphic featured a muted colour palette with clouds, white flowers and birds in flight surrounding the employee’s photograph. The layout and imagery led many viewers to initially assume it was a memorial or tribute poster rather than a celebratory…
The Maharashtra government has informed the Legislative Council that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) carried out 376 layoffs at its Pune campuses during the current financial year. The disclosure was made during Question Hour after multiple legislators sought clarity on reports of large-scale retrenchments in the IT sector. Members of the Council raised concerns over claims suggesting that as many as 30,000 TCS employees had been laid off across cities including Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mumbai, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Reportedly, Labour Minister Aakash Fundkar said the figure of 376 was officially shared by TCS and covered two quarters of the ongoing financial…
An employee’s unusual leave request has gone viral after his manager approved a day off to let him spend time with his girlfriend before she left town. The light-hearted exchange has struck a chord online, triggering wider conversations about empathy, flexibility and evolving workplace norms. The employee reportedly asked for a day’s leave explaining that his girlfriend was moving away and he wanted to be with her before her departure. Instead of rejecting the request or asking for formal justification, the manager responded with humour and warmth, approving the leave and remarking that love was a reason hard to deny.…
Unemployment in the US is at its highest in four years, reveals the latest jobs report. It rose from 4.4 per cent (in September) to 4.6 per cent (November). The last time the joblessness rate was this high was reportedly in September of 2021 when it stood at 4.7 per cent. While about 1.05 lakh jobs were lost in the month of October, 64,000 were added the following month, as per data shared by the Bureau of Labour Statistics, which is kind of confusing. Although 64,000 jobs were added in November, the public sector saw major job losses, with government…
Gen Z enters the workforce with striking clarity about their futures. Eighty-five per cent consider long-term career goals when evaluating new roles—the highest of any generation. In India, 77 per cent describe their current position as a “dream job,” far above the 58 per cent global average. Yet, 54 per cent are actively job hunting. One in three plans to leave within a year. Average tenure stands at just 1.1 years in their first five years of work—compared to 1.8 for millennials, 2.8 for Gen X, and 2.9 for baby boomers at the same career stage. According to Randstad’s ‘Gen…
Private-sector workers in the United Arab Emirates will now receive a paid day off on 1 January, aligning their holiday entitlement with public-sector employees. The government’s announcement makes it mandatory for all private establishments, regardless of industry, to grant the New Year holiday without any deduction in wages. The decision reflects ongoing labour reforms aimed at standardising employee benefits and promoting well-being across workplaces. Authorities highlighted that the move is part of efforts to create consistency in employment practices and ensure fair treatment for all workers. This measure is expected to be particularly appreciated by expatriate employees, who form a…
McKinsey & Co is preparing to reduce its global workforce over the next two years, even as the global consulting firm celebrates its 100th year in business. The move is part of an effort to control costs after a prolonged period of muted revenue growth and shifting client demand. According to people familiar with the matter, the firm is considering trimming around 10 per cent of roles in non-client-facing functions. The reductions are expected to be phased over the next 18 to 24 months and could impact several thousand employees across locations. The focus is on support roles rather than…
More than 1.22 lakh Central government employees have chosen to move to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) since its introduction, according to information shared in the Parliament. The figure includes newly- recruited employees, serving staff and retired personnel, with data recorded up to 30 November, 2025. The UPS was rolled out with effect from 1 April, 2025, offering an assured pension structure under the National Pension System framework. Employees were initially given time until the end of June 2025 to exercise their option. This deadline was later extended twice, first till September and then till 30 November, to allow wider…
A company’s internal update on employee leave rules has sparked sharp criticism online after screenshots of the policy surfaced on Reddit. The post quickly gained traction, with many users describing the changes as excessive, demotivating and out of step with basic employee-welfare norms. The screenshots appear to show an internal communication shared by a human resources professional, outlining a complete restructuring of the organisation’s leave system. According to the update, the company has eliminated separate categories for casual and sick leave. Instead, employees will now receive a consolidated annual paid leave allowance of 12 days, credited monthly at the rate…
Indian ethnic wear brand SHR Lifestyles has rolled out a round-the-clock employee- support helpline, Shree-Saathi, aimed at providing timely and confidential assistance to its retail workforce. The initiative was unveiled to coincide with Retail Employees’ Day, observed globally on 12 December, a day dedicated to recognising the contribution of retail professionals who keep the sector running every day. The newly-launched helpline has been designed as a single, dependable point of contact for employees seeking guidance or support on a wide range of workplace-related concerns. These include issues linked to working conditions, health and safety, compliance matters, interpersonal conflicts, and even…
AmbujaNeotia Group has appointed Subhashish Das as its group chief human resources officer (CHRO), reinforcing its senior leadership as the Kolkata-headquartered conglomerate scales operations across its diversified businesses. In the new role, Das is expected to focus on strengthening leadership capability, integrating people strategies across the group’s multiple businesses, and building purpose-driven workplaces aligned with long-term growth ambitions. The group, led by chairman Harshavardhan Neotia, has interests spanning real estate, hospitality, healthcare and education. The appointment marks a return to the Ambuja fold for Das, whose professional journey in human resources began nearly three decades ago with Ambuja Cements. He…
Cognizant has elevated Jennifer Gomes to HRBP lead for the Americas Market Delivery Unit. She had been serving as director-global HRBP lead, enterprise platform services, Cognizant, since July of 2022 A commerce graduate from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, Gomes went on to complete an MBA in Human Resources Development from SIES College of Management Studies, in 2005. She began working as an executive at Bristlecone India in 2005. Two years later, she moved to Accenture as learning lead for the Advanced Technology Centres in India and corporate functions. Over five years into this role, she was elevated…
After serving Genesys as head of talent acquisition for over two years, Suresh JV has now joined OSBIndia in a similar role. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and the Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Suresh JV started off his professional journey as a team manager with Convergys, in 2003. He then moved to RR Donnelly as client manager in 2006. Less than a year and a half later, he moved to Societe Generale as assistant manager, in July of 2007. His next stop was Wanhan Consultants, as practice lead, from 2009 to 2010, based out of…
The Indian government has introduced a comprehensive overhaul of labour protections for the country’s audio-visual workforce. With the introduction of the unified regulatory framework, it aims to improve wages, safety standards and job security across film, television, digital media and allied creative professions. The changes arise from the consolidation of 29 labour laws into four Labour Codes, a reform that is particularly significant for the audio-visual sector, which has expanded rapidly with the growth of OTT platforms, digital content creation, dubbing services and stunt-driven productions. As part of the overhaul, the earlier definition of “cine workers” has been replaced with…