Starbucks has announced that it will be introducing ‘connection’ sessions with its store employees as part of its updated mission statement. These two-hour meetings, which will involve group activities, coffee tastings, and games, will begin with a video message from the company’s new CEO, Laxman Narasimhan. According to the company, the meetings are not intended to address operational issues, and previous employee forums have focused on business and culture. The primary objective of these new sessions is to emphasise the importance of connection and highlight Starbucks’ responsibility in uniting individuals. The move comes at a time of increased tensions between…
Author: HRK News Bureau
LIFE BEYOND WORK IN THREE WORDS Joy, Entertainment, Compassion PASSION BEYOND WORK I am passionate about ‘networking’ and do so as much as possible. I network with people from various fields and not only HR. This gives me a chance to learn more about people and their life learnings. I also get together with friends, from the HR world, as well as from school and college, and learn from them. I believe in staying in touch with some old favourite teachers and bosses, and seek their mentoring and blessings from time to time. I’m also passionate about acting. I did…
Apple has recently launched its premium stores in Delhi and Mumbai, which attracted a large number of people who eagerly came to experience the flagship store of the iPhone makers in the presence of Tim Cook, CEO, Apple. These stores are managed by 170 qualified employees who handle the daily operations. As per an Economic Times report, the employees working in these Apple stores earn a salary of over Rs 1 lakh a month and are entitled to health and wellness schemes, paid leaves, tuition fees, and discounts on purchasing Apple products. According to a report, the employees at the…
Telangana power utility management terminated 200 artisans from their service on 25 April, 2023 after warning employees to end their strike and resume work. The remaining employees were given until Wednesday morning to resume their duties or face termination. The Telangana Vidyut Employees Union and Ittehad Electricity Contract Employees Union had issued a notice to go on strike on Tuesday, supporting six demands for artisans in power utilities. However, the chairman and managing director of TS TRANSCO and GENCO, D Prabhakar Rao, stated that the strike did not significantly impact power supply in the state as the management had made…
Air India pilots have reached out to Ratan Naval Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, in an online petition expressing their disappointment with the airline’s Human Resource department. According to the petitioned statement, the pilots are not being treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as employees of Air India. Due to that their morale is lowered and they expressed concern that it may also affect the functioning of their duties to the best of their abilities. The pilots expressed their commitment to working with the company to find solutions that would benefit all stakeholders, which is why they…
Haryana’s Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, has announced that nearly 800,000 skilled and educated residents registered with the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRNL) may be offered private sector employment based on industry requirements. HKRNL currently facilitates government department outsourcing employment recruitment and will now provide registered individuals with private company employment opportunities. The fees for providing manpower will be lower than the private sector, and the state government will vet these employees. Registered residents’ data categorised by skill level, education, experience, age, and other qualifications will be shared with corporates to identify eligible candidates for hiring. According to HKRNL, 373…
A social media user recently shared a photo on the Reddit page ‘Mildly Infuriating,’ which gained popularity online. The photo on Reddit shows a note from their boss that prohibits ‘fun’ in the workplace. The notice mentions strict rules on how employees should interact in the workplace. It clearly mentions that the employees should not be talking about anything other than work. It also states that the workplace is not to facilitate friendships and people can socialise after their working hours ends. The notice clearly delineates how employees must interact with each other during their working hours. The Reddit post…
Gap, has declared that it will eliminate hundreds of positions as part of an overhaul of the entire organisation. The clothing retailer is said to be entering its second phase of layoffs, affecting thousands of employees. The news of the upcoming layoffs at Gap comes just a week after the company announced its partnership with toy manufacturer Mattel, known for its iconic Barbie brand. The collaboration between Gap and Mattel involves a new clothing line ‘inspired by Mattel’s range of brands and Gap’s distinctive icons.’ The company stated that the Gap x Barbie collection is one of several forthcoming Gap…
Despite experiencing a turbulent period of layoffs and declining stock prices, Meta has come under fire from its employees after it was revealed that top executives were awarded six-figure bonuses in 2022. A report reveals that many employees raised concerns about the executive team receiving positive performance evaluations despite making decisions that resulted in layoffs. In the light of the ongoing layoffs, the matter of these large disbursements of money was taken up during a virtual Q&A session with Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta. It was revealed that Susan Li, chief financial officer, CPO Christopher Cox, chief people officer, Javier Olivan,…
Recently, Meta declared its second wave of layoffs, which was similar in scale to the first, when the company eliminated 11,000 roles. CEO Mark Zuckerberg notified Meta’s choice to lay off an additional 10,000 workers in an email. As a result, LinkedIn once again is flooded with posts from former Meta employees seeking a new job opportunity. One such former Meta employee, Micah Vono rather took the new move with a positive attitude. Despite being laid off after 8 years of service, he stated that he will use this period to ‘recharge and reimagine.’ “After nearly 8 years, I and…
Mukesh Ambani, the head of Reliance Industries, has gifted Manoj Modi, the mastermind behind the success of multi-billion dollar deals at the company, a 22-storey building located in the upscale neighborhood of Nepean Sea Road in Mumbai. The property, called ‘Vrindavan’, was presented to Modi a few months ago, as per Magicbricks.com. Modi, who serves as a director at Reliance Jio and Retail, has been a dedicated employee at RIL for a long time. Notably, Sajjan Jindal, the chairman and managing director of JSW Group, also resides in Maheshwari House on Nepean Sea Road. Manoj Modi, who serves as a…
49 per cent American business owners and managers stated that they faced difficulty while working with Gen Z employees all or most of the time. A global survey with approx. 1,344 individuals in managerial roles from various industries in the US revealed that they possess an unfavourable perspective toward Gen Z employees, causing them to face challenges in the workplace. The study also revealed a number of reasons why managers and owners in the US have this kind of approach while working with the Gen Z workforce. They identified entitlement and insufficient effort, drive, and output as factors behind their…
Red Hat, owned by IBM, is cutting 4 per cent of its worldwide staff, according to an email from CEO Matt Hicks to employees. The open-source software services provider stated that the layoffs would impact those in general and administrative positions. According to Hicks, the layoffs will spare employees who are involved in direct customer sales or product development and stated that the measure is significant for the company to align with its future goals and compete in today’s market. In the mail, Hicks, stated that the company had attempted to avoid the layoffs, but they had become necessary “‘to…
Infosys and Aramco have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the latter’s human resource (HR) technology. This collaboration will see the two entities attempt to study and harness the powers of HR data and analytics, speed up automation and use of related tools, and improve employee experience with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Taking pride in the “globally benchmarked” learning and development programmes at Infosys, Ashiss Kumar Dash, EVP & global head – services, utilities, resources and energy, Infosys, said, “Through this collaboration, we intend to bring our digital expertise and tools to Aramco’s HR practice to…
Disney is set to begin its second phase of job cuts this week as part of its goal to eliminate 7,000 positions. The company plans to notify staff of their job eliminations from today until Thursday, resulting in an overall reduction of approximately 4,000 jobs across various divisions and locations, excluding hourly frontline operations roles at Parks and Resorts. The impacted divisions include Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. The company has confirmed that a third and final round of layoffs is expected to take place ahead of summer, ultimately bringing the total job cuts to 7,000.…
After the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) was hit by a Rs3 crore fraudulent employee scheme, the organisation has taken action by transferring 147 employees from various departments for the first time in 10 years. This move is seen as a means of cleaning up the organisation. A total of 31 clerks/typists, 16 office assistants, 15 field officers, 13 draughtsmen, 14 surveyors, 10 stenographers, and 48 peons are affected by this decision. CIDCO has been in the spotlight for its financial situation and controversies in recent years. The nodal agency, which has invested in various mega projects such as…
Japan and South Africa are considering changes to their respective foreign working visa programs. In Japan, the government is contemplating expanding the list of industries where skilled foreign workers can obtain long-term work visas from three to twelve. The proposed change, which could include the food service industry, would allow workers to bring their families and stay for an extended period. While Japan is experiencing a severe labour shortage, it has been hesitant to allow widespread immigration of foreign workers. In 2019, Japan implemented a law that granted Japanese visas to specified skilled workers in 14 sectors, including farming, nursing…
GCC nations are turning to generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to revamp their education systems. ChatGPT, an AI tool released in November 2022, can write essays, screenplays, poetry, and pass some written exams as well. While some educational institutions have banned its use, GCC countries are embracing the new tool as part of their broader AI strategies. GCC countries are turning to generative artificial intelligence (AI) to transform their education sectors as they seek to diversify beyond hydrocarbon revenues. Saudi Arabia is predicted to have the largest real-term contribution to GDP at $135.2 billion, while the UAE is expected to…
Over 2,000 employees of Adobe will now enjoy a new state-of-the-art office in Bengaluru, which is focussed on enhancing the employee experience of the company’s workforce. Having been in India for well over two decades now, India is the software company’s largest base outside of the US, with more than 7,800 employees across five campuses. It is the centre of Adobe’s business development and software innovation. The new sustainable office is part of Adobe’s expansion plans and is designed with the aim of maximising employee experience and in line with the company’s hybrid model of work. Each floor of the…
A Chinese technology firm terminated the employment of one of its workers when it was discovered that he had utilised his two-week medical leave on a tropical island. A man named Xu, challenged the decision made by his employer, but Beijing’s Third Intermediate People’s Court dismissed his appeal in mid-April 2023. As per a report by China’s National Business Daily (NBD) on April 16, the conflict began in July 2019 when Xu, who had been working for the company since 1998, requested a two-week paid leave. However, his manager refused the application, citing the need for manpower. Xu informed his…
Ankiti Bose, co-founder, Zilingo, reportedly increased her salary by 10 times without obtaining consent from the board of the company. The Singapore-based fashion tech company, dismissed Indian-origin Bose as CEO last year due to suspected financial irregularities. As per the report, Bose’s salary rose from SGD 5,500 in 2017 to SGD 58,900 (more than 10 times) in 2019. Additionally, it has been also alleged that along with Bose, co-founder Dhruv Kapoor and chief operating officer Aadi Vaidya, significantly increased their salaries to threefold and sevenfold respectively. Last year in May, Zilingo, announced the decision to suspend Bose due to suspected…
Despite the decline in many economies around the world and the resulting job losses, top executives, particularly in the tech industry, continue to earn millions of dollars. Companies are also cutting costs by eliminating perks such as free snacks and laptops. However, this has not affected the earnings of CEOs and other top executives. In Alphabet’s recent filing, it was revealed that CEO Sundar Pichai earned almost $226 million in 2022, while Google laid off 12,000 employees globally and suspended several services, including free snacks and laptops. Google recently disclosed its intention to reduce its workforce by 6 percent, resulting…
F5 has declared its plan to cut its workforce by 9 per cent. Amid the unstable macroeconomic conditions, the US-based software company will let go of approximately 623 employees across the world. The decision comes as the company wishes to reduce costs without compromising the company’s future growth prospects. In an internal mail to employees, Francois Locoh-Donou, CEO, president, and director, F5, detailed how the company’s customers’ spending patterns have been significantly impacted by the increase in interest rates, geopolitical events, and macroeconomic uncertainty over the last six months. The mail also stated that the company’s conditions might get better…
Deloitte Deloitte is set to lay off approximately 1,200 jobs, representing about 1.5 percent of its US workforce, according to internal employee emails cited by the Financial Times on April 21. The majority of the layoffs are anticipated to concentrate on industries such as financial advice, which has been adversely impacted by mergers and acquisitions. This news comes on the heels of Ernst & Young’s announcement that it will be laying off 5 percent of its staff at its US arm. The job cuts were announced less than a week after the department expressed opposition to the company’s plan of…
Lenovo, a technology giant, is said to have initiated workforce reductions due to a significant downturn in its PC business. The decline in sales is attributed to the confluence of global economic challenges and dynamic shifts in market demand. In December 2022, Lenovo’s revenue plummeted by 24 percent YoY to $15.3 billion, and its net income dropped to $437 million. As part of a larger reduction in spending, Lenovo’s CEO Yang Yuanqing had mentioned in February about an impending ‘workforce adjustment’. As part of the company’s cost-cutting plan, approximately $115 million will be allocated, with an expected significant impact on…
A young female executive, aged 26, has made a serious accusation against the HR manager of the private company she is employed at in Gurugram. The woman has claimed that the HR manager of her company, located at Sector 48’s Vatika Business Park, sexually harassed her at the workplace. The incident has been reported to the police, and an FIR has been filed against the accused under sections 354 (molestation) and 354-D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code. According to the woman’s complaint, the HR manager had repeatedly molested and stalked her at the office premises. In addition, she has…