Alibaba has announced a series of workforce reduction leading to approximately 7 per cent job cuts through the company. The employees from its cloud division will be the most affected. As cited by various media reports, the decision comes as a part of the company’s broader restructuring strategy. It is primarily aimed at preparing the cloud division, which was previously recognised for its swift expansion, for an independent spinoff and eventual initial public offering (IPO). The process is planned to be finalised within a span of one year. Alongside logistics divisions such as Cainiao, Alibaba Cloud will undertake independent fundraising…
Author: HRK News Bureau
On its 18th anniversary, SpiceJet announced that it will increase the salary of its captains to ?7.5 lakhs per month for flying 75 hours. This salary hike will be effective from May 16, 2023. Additionally, a tenure-linked monthly loyalty reward program has been introduced for captains, which can amount to up to ?1, 00,000 per month, in addition to their regular remuneration. Trainers and first officers will also see an increase in their salaries proportionate to the hike given to the captains. It is worth noting that in November 2022, SpiceJet had already revised the salaries of its pilots, raising…
Despite Microsoft and Google making some major headways in the AI domain, Apple has been conspicuously absent from the generative AI (GenAI) scene. Now, Apple has started hiring top AI engineers and experts in GenAI, which signals that it is looking to make a big push into the AI space. As a result, Apple products will become increasingly competitive. The company has decided to hire 176 people specifically dedicated to machine learning (ML) and AI, and has allocated 68 of these positions to the Siri department to enhance its voice assistant technology. Additionally, 52 positions will be focused on integrating AI…
Disney is currently undergoing its third wave of layoffs, resulting in significant job losses for its workforce. The number of employees expected to be impacted by this round of cuts exceeds 2,500, aligning with the previously announced reductions by Disney CEO Bob Iger. The specific divisions affected by these layoffs have not yet been disclosed. As the third wave of layoffs concludes this week, the total number of job cuts is estimated to surpass 6,500, coming close to the initially stated goal of 7,000 reductions. It’s noteworthy that Disney employed approximately 220,000 individuals globally as of October 1, making the…
Joe Grier, a loyal resident of Chicago, recently celebrated his 98th birthday while maintaining his lifelong dedication and daily routing of working every single day of the week. Grier, considered to be one of the nation’s most senior full-time employees, shared his enduring work ethic in an interview with Fox 32 Chicago. Grier works for Victory, a Chicago-based manufacturing company, where his expertise lies in crafting moulds specifically designed for trophies and awards. During an interview with Fox 32, Grier conveyed his contentment and strong bond with his work, crediting his positive outlook for his longevity. On a daily basis,…
Biz2credit is planning to expand its workforce in India by hiring 200 people for its Biz2X Digital lending Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. The recruitment process will start in the upcoming month in the domains such as data science, product development and product engineering. The company is targeting freshers from top-tier academic institutions, including IITs, BITS Pilani, NIT Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia, Hansraj, NSUT and Indraprastha University. Over the past few years, Biz2X has consistently hired students from these institutions. The hiring campaign is primarily aimed at filling vacancies in middle management and in front- and back-end areas. The company said it…
Hisense, the consumer electronics manufacturer, has appointed Kamalika Deka as director – HR and administration. Backed by over 16 years of experience, Deka is also the Head of Department (HOD) at Hisense, which manufactures smartphones, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, commercial displays and other products, and has its headquarters in China. Armed with a master’s degree in human resource management from ICFAI, Deka began her professional journey with Apollo Hospitals, as senior executive – corporate HR, Hyderabad. Less than three years later, she moved to Titan Company, as executive – HR, in 2009. A year into this role, she was promoted…
After several rounds of layoffs, Amazon is now faced with a walkout protest. The corporate employees of the e-commerce company are planning to stage a walkout on 31 May, against the company’s return-to-work policies. Earlier this year, Amazon had asked its employees to work from office at least thrice a week, starting 1 May 2023. The employees are demanding that they be given more flexibility with regard to where and how they work. They are urging Amazon to focus on climate impact when it comes to deciding on their return-to-work policies. The walkout is being organised under the aegis of…
Demanding wage and bonus changes, a group of workers from Swiggy’s food delivery division began an open-ended strike on Monday. The strike was initiated after S Ramakrishna, the general secretary, food and other goods delivery employees association, Tamil Nadu, informed TNIE that Swiggy had reduced various employee perks, such as delivery fees, incentives, and petrol allowances. Furthermore, the employees are being subjected to fines for late deliveries, without any consideration for their concerns. Hence, expressing their anger, employees have initiated a strike and are taking turns protesting in front of the collectorate. This strike has directly impacted customers, who are…
Hyundai Motor India has introduced and implemented a redesigned and collaboratively developed organisational structure to enhance its vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’. This new transformation is aimed at making the organisation future ready at a whole 360-level and will help employees to grow and excel on their professional journey. The new structure is aimed at streamlining company responsibilities, along with promoting agile work networks, creating opportunities to showcase talent, and offering flexible career paths that facilitate continuous learning. Expressing his thoughts on the milestone transformation, Unsoo Kim, MD and CEO, Hyundai Motor India highlighted how the programme will support each…
Reliance, the owner of JioMart, an e-commerce platform, has recently terminated approximately 1,000 employees and is planning to further reduce its workforce by approximately 9,900 positions in the coming weeks. The decision to downsize is driven by the Indian retail giant’s aim to enhance profitability and increase its earnings. JioMart’s previous practice of offering products at significantly lower prices had raised concerns among traditional distributors about potential supply disruptions, as per a report by the Economic Times. However, the company is now shifting its focus towards generating higher profits and minimising losses, prompting a change in its strategy. In pursuit…
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is the social security organisation under the Government of India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment responsible for the regulation and management of provident funds. Since April 2018, EPFO has been releasing payroll data covering the period from September 2017 onwards. It has added 1.39 crore net members with a rise of 13.22 per cent in 2022-23, compared to 1.22 crore net members in 2021-22. There are around 7.58 lakh new members who registered, for the first time. It added 13.40 lakh net members in March this year. This data is further categorised by age, gender and…
In an attempt to emphasise the importance of maintaining cybersecurity practices, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently released a directive to its staff members. The advisory encompasses various measures and precautionary steps to avoid any cyber mishap that could happen at the workplace. This advisory is prompted by the recent arrest of Pradeep Kurulkar, a senior scientist associated with DRDO. Kurulkar stands accused of divulging sensitive information to operatives from the Pakistani intelligence agency. Kurulkar held the position of director at a research and development establishment for engineers, a laboratory based in Pune. A detailed examination of the…
According to data from Layoffs.fyi, as of May 2023, more than 197,000 employees had been laid off by 698 companies. This year’s layoffs have already surpassed the figures of the previous year, with 1,056 tech companies cutting jobs and impacting approximately 164,000 workers in 2022. Among the prominent companies that have laid off employees this year are Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Twitter. Twitter, under the leadership of Elon Musk since late October, initiated a global workforce reduction, cutting its employees in half. The workforce specific to India was significantly affected. Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft have also announced plans to…
A study conducted by the Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ) and Sattva Consulting, supported by JP Morgan, reveals the potential for India to create up to 35 million jobs across existing and emerging sectors. The report, “Gearing Up the Workforce for a Green Economy” was based on interactions with over 85 industry leaders, experts from the skills ecosystem and over 2,000 youths. Sectors such as renewable energy, waste management, electric vehicles, green hydrogen, sustainable textiles and green construction are major sectors that will navigate green growth in India and record the highest number of green jobs. In EV for instance,…
Coal India (CIL), the state-owned company, announced on May 22, 2023, that it has successfully reached an agreement with its 238,000 non-executive workers regarding wage revisions. The agreement guarantees a minimum benefit of 19 percent from July 1, 2021, on various emoluments such as basic pay, variable dearness allowance, special duty allowance (SDA), and attendance bonus. Additionally, allowances will see a 25 percent increase. This information was disclosed by Coal India in a filing to the stock exchanges. The National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA)-XI, recommended and signed by the Joint Bipartite Committee for the Coal Industry (JBCCI)-XI, has received approval.…
Close on the heels of Singapore Airlines (SIA) granting eight months’ salary as bonus to its employees, its subsidiary, Scoot, has decided to give six months’ salary as bonus to its staff. All eligible employees of Scoot will receive a six-month salary bonus following record profits posted by the SIA Group for FY 2022-23, which ended on 31 March, 2023. The SIA Group earned profits to the tune of $1.63 billion after suffering losses for three consecutive years. With this bonus, Scoot wishes to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of its employees, along with the sacrifices they made to…
Multinational tech giant, VXI Global Solutions, has announced plans to invest in the city of Hyderabad, by setting up a delivery centre. The investment deal was signed after Erika Bogar King, global chief human resources officer (G-CHRO), VXI Global Solutions, met with Telangana IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao in Houston, US. They announced that the company will set up a delivery centre in Hyderabad that will not only create 10,000 job opportunities but also contribute to the city’s economic growth. KTR explained how Telangana became an investment magnet in the last nine years with its progressive policies,…
A division bench of the Delhi High Court observed that it is important to save human lives and that it is the duty of the State to ensure that a person is given medical attention on time and when needed. If the obtaining of such a treatment is not accepted, then it is tantamount to violation of Article 21of the Constitution. Therefore, according to the HC, if a government employee gets treated at a certain hospital in an emergency situation, and the hospital happens to be absent from the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) panel, the mediclaim for reimbursement will…
Rahul Singh, a seasoned professional in the hospitality industry, has recently assumed the position of director of Human Resources at the Grand Hyatt. With an impressive career spanning 16 years and a wealth of experience in renowned hotels across India, Singh brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to his new role. Singh’s journey in the hospitality industry began in Liverpool, England, where he started as a supervisor at Burger King. After gaining valuable experience, he transitioned to Renaissance Hotels as a human resources executive. Singh’s dedication and hard work earned him recognition, leading him to take on the role…
Microsoft has announced that there would be no salary increases for employees this year. The decision was conveyed in an internal mail to the employees by CEO, Satya Nadella. The mail mentioned that the decision has been taken considering the uncertain economic conditions across many dimensions. The mail mentioned that Microsoft never takes their decisions ‘lightly,’ and that this is an essential step to help the company move ahead in its future growth trajectory. Following the decision, employees have expressed their frustration on Twitter, referring to the decision as a disrespectful gesture, and calling it a straight ‘slap in the…
In a heartwarming turn of events, a former Amazon employee has returned to the company, rejoining her old team after only four months. Paige Cipriani, a female employee who was laid off by the tech giant in January, has triumphantly come back as the product marketing manager. Expressing her joy on LinkedIn, Cipriani shared the news of her return, stating that she has started back at Amazon on the Social Marketing team, the same team she was a part of before her layoff. However, she now holds the position of product marketing manager, focusing on a different line of business.…
Apple has banned its employees from using ChatGPT and other AI tools. Trained AI tool Github’s Copilot, which helps developers to write code, is also banned from use. Artificial intelligence tools and services rely on user input data to train their modela to make them more user-friendly and as accurate as possible. This formula can unintentionally leak the private data of its users. It is a matter of concern for companies if their employees upload any inside data on AI services. In January, Amazon banned the use of ChatGPT for its staff members as the company discovered the resemblance between…
Amidst the wave of employee turnover, there are those who remained steadfastly loyal to their employers, such as Singapore Airlines (SIA). These employees are now reaping the benefits of their commitment and dedication. SIA, in a recent announcement, revealed that it had achieved an impressive annual profit of approximately $2.16 billion for the fiscal year 2022/2023. This outstanding financial result marks a robust rebound for the airline after enduring three consecutive years of losses triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent border closures. The successful revival of the SIA group not only strengthens the company but also brings positive outcomes…
Constructive dismissal, also known as constructive termination, takes place when employees resign as a result of their employer creating a hostile work environment. The rules and legal consequences of ‘constructive dismissal’ differ from country to country. While it is difficult to find out when and where the term originated from, constructive dismissal has been a part of employment law in countries such as the US, Canada and the UK. When employers put unreasonable pressure on their employees, driving them to the edge and forcing them to resign, it is said to be a case of constructive dismissal. The Constructive Dismissal…
Bo Young Lee, head – diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), Uber, has been sent on leave following allegations that she had been insensitive to people of colour. It all began with an employee event called ‘Don’t Call Me Karen’ that Lee was moderating. ‘Karen’ is the name used to refer to White women who often bring up grievances against co-workers of colour, especially Blacks, and report them to their managers. Therefore, it is a way of referring to a person who is not behaving appropriately or is insensitive towards non-Whites. Two such events have been held over the past two…