One of America’s largest coffee and café chains has announced it will no longer cover certain prescription weight-loss medications under its employee health insurance plan. The company told staff in an internal memo that the change takes effect next month. According to the communication, the move was driven by sharply rising healthcare costs and the need to keep overall benefits sustainable for all employees. The excluded category includes GLP-1 drugs that are commonly prescribed for obesity and weight management. Coverage will continue for other medically necessary uses of the same medicines, such as treatment for diabetes, if prescribed by a…
Author: HRK News Bureau
Bank of America is spending more than $250 million a year on GLP-1 medications covered under its employee health benefits, highlighting the growing cost of weight-loss drugs for large employers in the US. It is reported that he bank’s annual healthcare spending exceeds $2 billion for a workforce of around 211,000 employees. Based on figures shared by CEO Brian Moynihan, GLP-1 medicines now account for roughly 13 per cent of the company’s total healthcare expenditure. The spending has risen sharply from virtually zero four to five years ago. The increase reflects the rapid adoption of medicines such as Ozempic and…
Mahindra Group has appointed Shveta Arya as group chief strategy officer, effective September 15, 2026. She will also be part of the senior management team at Mahindra & Mahindra. In the new role, Arya will head the group strategy office and work across Mahindra’s businesses to spot growth avenues, create value, and strengthen long-term competitive advantage. She will join the group executive board and report directly to Anish Shah, group CEO & managing director. Announcing the appointment, Shah expressed delight. He stated that with over 20 years of experience in business leadership, strategy, and consulting across multiple industries, Shveta brings…
Many professionals believe moving into artificial intelligence is the safest career choice in today’s fast-changing job market. But a recent survey of 1,552 India-based workers suggests otherwise. Conducted in July 2026 by Blind, the survey reportedly found that 66 per cent of AI and machine learning professionals expect layoffs or major team cuts within the next three to six months. This places them among the most anxious groups, just behind sales and marketing employees at 68 percent. The findings challenge the idea that AI jobs are more secure. Despite companies investing heavily in AI, those building the tools feel vulnerable. Product…
Haryana’s electricity employees and engineers have started a three-day strike from 10 August after talks with company management broke down. The discussions, held under the state’s Energy Department, did not provide any clear assurances on key issues raised by workers. The employees’ groups had pressed for action on several demands, including stopping parallel distribution licences, halting the proposed agricultural distribution company (Agri DISCOM), and reviewing smart metering plans. They also sought regularisation of contract workers, equal pay for equal work, risk allowances, and changes to conditions under the ex-gratia employment scheme. Management maintained that these matters could only be decided…
After five years with Hero Housing Finance as chief human resources officer (CHRO), Paramjit Singh Nayyar has moved to Satin Creditcare Network in a similar capacity. He is backed by 26 years of experience, having begun his professional journey in the year 2000. With an MBA in human resource management from Jiwaji University, Nayyar pursued further studies in strategic HR management from the University of Michigan- Stephen M. Ross School of Business, in 2008 and also completed a leadership programme from the Harvard Business School, in 2013. He started off as an HR officer with the Aditya Birla Group in…
India’s transition to electric mobility is emerging as one of the biggest employment catalysts, with multiple industry and government estimates pointing to up to 40 million new jobs being created by 2030. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship projects 1 crore direct jobs and 5 crore indirect jobs from the EV industry by 2030. Also, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has stated that India’s EV market could reach Rs 20 trillion in the same period and generate about 5 crore jobs across manufacturing, services and allied sectors. This growth will cut across the entire EV value chain. Opportunities are expected…
Exide Energy Solutions has appointed Sandeep Pandey as chief human resources officer, effective 06 August 2026. He will report to Pravin Saraf, managing director & CEO, as the company strengthens its leadership team to build a future-ready organisation. Pandey brings over three decades of experience across human resources, industrial relations, talent management, organisational development, and HR strategy. Known for building high-performing organisations and driving people-centric transformation, he has played a key role in shaping HR practices across large manufacturing enterprises. Prior to joining Exide Energy Solutions, Pandey held senior HR leadership roles with Nuvoco Vistas Corp. He has also led…
Hindustan Platinum has announced the appointment of Vijayalakshmi Iyer as head – human resources. She takes over the mandate to lead the company’s talent strategy, culture building and organisational effectiveness. Iyer moved to Hindustan Platinum from Astec Lifesciences, where she was head of human resources from April 2024 to June 2026. Astec, a subsidiary of Godrej Agrovet, saw her drive people management and human capital initiatives across the business. With over 18 years in HR leadership, Iyer has worked across retail, infrastructure, manufacturing and aviation. Before Astec, she was the deputy general manager – HR at Otis Elevator from September…
The growing use of employee monitoring software in Canadian workplaces is coming under scrutiny, with workers at several large organisations expressing concerns over rising stress, declining trust and the impact on their mental well-being. Productivity tracking tools, which monitor employees’ screen activity and time spent on work applications, are increasingly becoming a source of anxiety, even as employers defend them as workflow optimisation measures. The debate gained fresh attention after TD Bank informed employees in one of its financial crime and risk management teams that it would begin using WorkiQ, a software that tracks time spent on browsers, internal communication…
India’s white-collar job market expanded 5 per cent year-on-year in July, supported by strong hiring across non-IT sectors and a sharp rise in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) roles. The latest employment data shows that while overall technology hiring remained flat, demand for AI-ML talent jumped 33 per cent year over year. Companies are increasingly prioritising niche, high-skill capabilities even as they moderate general IT recruitment. Non-IT industries led the growth. Hospitality, insurance, education and oil & gas posted double-digit increases, fuelled by both entry-level and experienced hiring. Fresher recruitment rose around 8 per cent year over year,…
The Supreme Court has ruled that employers can examine an employee’s entire service record while deciding whether the individual should be retained in service or compulsorily retired. The judgment clarifies that adverse entries made before an employee’s promotion do not lose relevance during such assessments. A Bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Shree Chandrashekhar held that the “washed-off theory” — which means that adverse remarks or negative entries in an employee’s record are ignored after a promotion while considering the employee for further promotions — applies only to promotion-related decisions. The Court clarified that this principle does not…
MP Birla Group has appointed Manoj Tiwari as vice president – human resources, bringing over 17 years of experience in human resources leadership across manufacturing and industrial organisations. In his new role, Tiwari will support the group’s people agenda across its diversified businesses, with a focus on strengthening HR strategy, leadership capability, workforce effectiveness and organisational development. Prior to joining MP Birla Group, Tiwari served as chief human resources officer at Best Value Chem (Wipro Group), where he led corporate HR, workforce transformation and people strategy initiatives across multi-plant operations. Before joining Best Value Chem, Tiwari was associated with Polycab…
TikTok has shut down its Nashville office and laid off all employees based at the location, marking a major shift in its US operations just over two years after significantly expanding its presence in the city. The ByteDance-owned social-media platform had leased more than 1,43,000 square feet of office space on Nashville’s Music Row in April 2024, making it one of the city’s largest office deals that year. Before moving to the new premises, the company operated from a co-working space in downtown Nashville. The closure is part of a broader operational restructuring aimed at streamlining the company’s operations and…
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a host of employee-welfare measures during FY2025–26, with a focus on inclusion, financial security, work-life balance and learning, according to its Annual Report 2025–26. One of the key initiatives is the introduction of Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses for employees with benchmark disabilities under the visually impaired category. The AI-powered wearable is designed to improve accessibility at the workplace by enabling visually-impaired employees to carry out day-to-day tasks with greater independence. The move is part of SEBI’s efforts to create a more inclusive and accessible work environment. The market regulator has…
Iris Software has elevated Saurabh Agarwal to the role of director, HR, marking another milestone in his nearly 18-year career in human resources across the technology and engineering sectors. In his new role, he will continue to drive the company’s people strategy, partnering with business leaders on talent management, workforce planning, organisational development and leadership capability as Iris Software continues to expand its technology workforce. Agarwal has been with Iris Software since 2021, when he joined as senior manager-HR business partner. Over the past four years, he has steadily progressed through key leadership roles, before taking on his new position.…
Aditya Birla Group has promoted Anusha Garg to assistant vice president – rewards & benefits, group HR, effective July 2026. In the elevated role, Garg will drive the group’s total rewards agenda across businesses. Her remit includes compensation and benefits design, governance, employee value proposition and people-centric initiatives aimed at strengthening talent retention and organisational growth. The move reflects the conglomerate’s focus on building HR leadership from within. Garg brings extensive expertise in total rewards, HR business partnering, talent management, employee engagement, organisational effectiveness, leadership development and HR analytics. Garg has spent eight years with Aditya Birla Group. She was…
A company’s decision to honour an accidentally declared public holiday has sparked discussion online, with many praising the HR team for prioritising employees over correcting an administrative error. The incident was shared by an employee on Reddit’s r/IndianWorkplace forum, where they explained that the company’s internal holiday calendar had listed the wrong date for an upcoming festival. According to the post, HR later realised the mistake, but by then many employees had already made personal plans based on the announced holiday. Rather than cancelling the leave at the last minute and asking employees to report to work, the company decided…
Novartis India (NIL) has appointed Rahul Vijayvargiya as chief human resources officer (CHRO) effective July 2026. He will be based in Mumbai. Immediately before this role, he was with Alkem Laboratories as the head of HR from June 2024 to June 2026, where he managed the full spectrum of people operations. Before Alkem, Rahul Vijayvargiya led HR at Reliance Retail’s pharma business for three years, from June 2021 to May 2024. A large part of his career has been in the pharmaceuticals space. He spent seven years at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals from December 2013 to June 2021 and two years at…
Etsy is laying off around 220 employees, or nearly 12 per cent of its workforce, as the online marketplace restructures its organisation to speed up decision-making and execution. The layoffs, announced alongside the company’s second-quarter earnings, will primarily affect employees in the product and engineering teams. The move marks one of the first major organisational changes under CEO Kruti Patel Goyal, who took over earlier this year. In a message to employees, Goyal said the restructuring is intended to build an organisation better suited for the company’s next phase of growth. According to the company, the workforce reduction is not…
More than one lakh clerical and ministerial employees in Punjab have launched a three-day statewide protest, disrupting routine government operations and affecting the delivery of several public services. The agitation, led by the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU), began with a two-day “pen-down and computer shutdown” strike. On the third day, employees will proceed on mass casual leave and march to Chandigarh to press for their long-pending demands. The union said discussions with the state government have not resulted in a resolution, prompting employees to intensify their protest. It has also warned that the agitation could continue beyond the…
Employee and retiree groups of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, have urged the Centre to expedite the release of pending salaries and employee- welfare payments, despite the company reporting a turnover of Rs 36,363 crore over the last two years. The appeal was made through a representation addressed to the Prime Minister’s Office and shared on social media by employee collectives, including VizagSteelFamily. The employee groups claimed that the steelmaker has sufficient financial resources to clear the outstanding dues. According to the representation, the plant saves around Rs 55 crore every month on wage-related…
NITI Aayog has recommended building a trained and professional caregiver workforce to meet India’s growing care needs and tap into rising global demand for caregiving services, according to a new report. The report proposes developing a structured caregiving ecosystem that recognises caregiving as a skilled profession while creating new employment opportunities and improving access to affordable care. It highlights caregivers as a key part of the care economy and calls for greater professional recognition, workforce welfare, institutional support and better access to quality care for families and communities. Among its key recommendations is the introduction of a National Policy on…
Urban Company has promoted Chetna Wadhwa to director – rewards & people excellence. She had joined the tech-driven online marketplace that connects users with trained and certified professionals for home and personal care services in 2022, as senior manager-rewards and people excellence. Over two and a half years into this role she had been elevated to associate vice president-rewards and people excellence. After interning with IBM and Cisco, Chetna Wadhwa began her professional journey with Samsung India Electronics, as an engineer. Then, she completed a PGP in Human Resources Management from Management Development Institute, Gurgaon before joining Eli Lilly &…
Anthropic has confirmed plans to set up its own chip-design team to support the growing demand for its Claude AI models. The move comes amid a global shortage of advanced chips needed to power artificial intelligence systems. The company is recruiting engineers with expertise across hardware and software to co-design chips and AI models that can run faster and more efficiently at scale. This step is part of Anthropic’s broader multi-chip strategy. While it already works with AWS, Google, Nvidia, and AMD to access computing hardware, the startup sees in-house design as critical to scaling operations. Reports earlier suggested Anthropic…
The Indian Institute of Technology–Patna (IIT-Patna) has recorded its best placement season so far, even as the global job market remains uncertain. The class of 2026 received more than 687 job offers from multinational companies, startups and public- sector undertakings, reports ToI. Salaries also saw a sharp rise, with the median annual package for undergraduate students increasing by nearly 38 per cent, from Rs 13 lakh to Rs 18 lakh. The average salary rose by 17 per cent to Rs 23.17 lakh per year. Pre-placement offers went up by almost 30 per cent, from 94 to 122. Over 230 recruiters…