Author: Liji Narayan | HRKatha

The Bombay High Court has ruled that the Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) cannot deny higher pension to workers simply because their employers failed to submit certain documents. This decision, delivered on 18 April, 2026, is a major relief for employees who contributed to their provident fund based on actual wages rather than the statutory ceiling of Rs 15,000. The case involved six employees, one of whom, Kallakuri, retired in 2017 after a 35 year career. Despite fulfilling all conditions and contributing on higher wages, their pension claims were rejected by EPFO because employers did not provide forms such as…

Microsoft is introducing its first voluntary buyout programme in the US, marking a new approach to workforce management. The plan, announced in a company memo, allows eligible employees to retire with financial support rather than face layoffs. About 7 per cent of Microsoft’s US workforce could qualify. The programme is open to staff at the senior director level and below whose age and years of service add up to 70 or more. Details will be shared with employees and managers on 7 May. Those on sales incentive plans are excluded. The initiative is designed to give long-serving employees the option…

Paras Kaushik, who is chief human resources officer for the HT Media Group and also leads IT for the Group, will now see his role being expanded. He will shoulder the responsibility for the VCCircle and the Events (IP) business across the Hindustan Times and Mint mastheads. Kaushik joined HT Media Group almost six years ago, as CHRO, moving from Motherson where he was heading group human resources. Armed with a PGDM in Human Resources, Paras Kaushik joined Aditya Birla Group as a management trainee in 2002. Ten months into this role, he was promoted to manager-L&D, Hindalco. Less than…

Moving beyond administrative support Maria Rajesh’s career has been shaped by a sustained curiosity about people and organisational dynamics. Early on, she found herself drawn to understanding how individuals, teams, and leaders come together to create meaningful impact. That curiosity gradually evolved into a deeper conviction: HR delivers its greatest value not as an administrative function, but as a strategic partner in shaping organisations through people. Over the years, working across industries, she has seen how leadership, talent practices, and culture are not merely people priorities, but business imperatives. When designed thoughtfully, they unlock innovation, strengthen resilience, and enable the…

After a long and successful tenure at Axis Bank, Abhishek Patel has joined Rapyder Cloud Solutions as chief human resources officer (CHRO). Patel’s professional journey began in 1997 when he served as an executive at ITC Hotels for over three years. He then moved to GE Money as branch manager for two years before joining HDFC Bank in a similar capacity in 2004. Patel was back at GE Money for a second stint as senior manager from 2006 to 2010. Mahindra Satyam BPO appointed him senior programme manager in 2010. Three years into this role, he switched to TMI Group…

Canada Post is preparing for one of the largest workforce reductions in the federal public sector as it faces mounting financial losses and political pressure. The Crown corporation reported a record pre-tax loss of $1.57 billion in 2025, up sharply from $841 million the year before. This marked its eighth straight year in the red and the largest deficit on record. Strike activity by mail carriers during 2024–25 drove parcel customers to private competitors, cutting volumes by more than 30 per cent in 2025 alone. The company warns this reversal will be difficult to recover even as labour peace returns.…

There is a number at the centre of Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report that should disturb every board, every HR director and every policymaker with an interest in economic growth. Global employee engagement has fallen to 20 per cent – its lowest level since 2020, and this is the first time in Gallup’s tracking history that it has declined for two consecutive years. The cost is not abstract. Low engagement cost the global economy approximately $10 trillion in lost productivity last year. That is 9 per cent of global GDP, erased not by recession or conflict, but…

ASML, Europe’s technology company and popular chip maker, is moving ahead with its plan to cut jobs and reorganise its structure. Internal documents reportedly show that the company will reduce around 1,700 positions, with many management and senior technical roles at risk. Media reports suggest that the changes are part of a wider effort to simplify operations and improve efficiency after complaints from employees and customers about the company’s complex and slow-moving structure. The restructuring will reduce the number of architects, who are senior technical staff responsible for coordinating projects. Their responsibilities will be streamlined and more clearly defined. ASML…

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has introduced a new system that records how employees use their computers. The tool, called the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), will log keystrokes, mouse clicks, and other activity on Meta’s internal apps. The company says this data will be used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models designed to help people complete everyday computer tasks. While Meta insists the information will only be used for AI development and that safeguards are in place to protect sensitive content, the move has raised concerns among staff. Many employees already feel uneasy after recent job cuts…

Vaibhav Raghuvanshi has joined Arvind, the global textile company, as head of HR CoEs – talent management, learning & development, and organisation development. He moves from Aditya Birla Health Insurance where he was heading talent and organisation effectiveness since 2025. This alumnus of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), began his career as a senior executive-HR strategies with Future Group, in 2011. After spending over two years handling HR strategic planning for the Indian retailer, Raghuvanshi joined Deloitte in 2013, to look after talent management and organisation development. He dealt with the implementation of strategic projects, policies, programmes and…

Vidhi Bansal has joined IndusInd Nippon Life Insurance Company as head HR (integrated) and lead -talent management & learning. She moves Bandhan Life where she was SVP & head: talent & culture since 2022. It was in September 2004 that Vidhi Bansal began her professional journey in HR, with Knight Queen Group of Industries. She handled the complete HR function for the company and reported directly to the director for over a year and a half. She joined Max Life Insurance Company as an HR executive in April of 2006. For over two and a half years she was responsible…

Industrial workers in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, staged a major protest as more than 500 employees of the Motherson factory gathered to raise concerns about harsh working conditions. The factory, which produces wiring harnesses for the automobile industry, saw heavy police deployment to maintain order. Workers complained of being forced into 12-hour shifts instead of the standard eight, without proper pay. Women employees reported facing verbal abuse and restrictions on basic breaks, including access to water and washrooms. Staff also highlighted poor-quality food in the company canteen, describing meals as undercooked and unhygienic. Transport arrangements were another issue, with workers alleging that…

The Standard, a major US provider of insurance, retirement, and investment services, has opened a new global capability centre in Bengaluru’s Embassy Tech Village. This marks the company’s next step in expanding its presence in India, following the launch of its local operations in November 2025. The new facility was formally inaugurated by Shri Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Minister for Electronics, IT and Biotechnology. It is designed to strengthen The Standard’s global strategy by building expertise in several advanced areas. These include artificial intelligence engineering, cloud platform development, data and analytics, digital transformation, and insurance operations. By setting up this centre,…

Hindustan Power has roped in Gopalji Mehrotra for the role of chief human resources officer (CHRO). He joins this diversified group, empowering communities with affordable, reliable and sustainable energy, from ACME Group where he served as CHRO. An alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, Gopalji Mehrotra began his professional journey with ITC, in 1993. During his decade-long tenure there, he played multiple roles in corporate and manufacturing HR. By the time he moved on from ITC, he was heading HR for the technology joint venture. From 2003 to 2005 he served as vice president-human resources at Kennametal Widia India, working out of…

Shekhar Sinha has taken up the role of senior director-human resources at Jubilant Ingrevia, a global specialty chemicals company catering to pharmaceutical, nutrition, agrochemical, consumer and industrial customers. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) ,Lucknow, Shekhar Sinha began his professional journey in 2006, as senior human resources executive, with Samsung India Electronics. Less than two years later, he joined Nestle as assistant manager-HR, in 2008, working out of Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, for well over two years. Sinha’s next stop was Britannia Industries, in April of 2011 where he joined as location HR head for a year and four…

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has joined other federal departments in closely tracking whether employees comply with new in-office attendance rules. The department has launched a pilot project to monitor staff presence, aiming to strengthen reporting and ensure consistent expectations across its workforce. The move follows a Treasury Board directive requiring public servants to return to the office four days a week starting July, with executives mandated to attend five days a week from May. NRCan’s system builds on earlier aggregated attendance statistics and now uses more detailed data, including IP login information from office networks, in line with privacy regulations.…

Workers across India staged demonstrations this week, highlighting deep frustrations over stagnant pay, rising living costs, and unfair treatment. In Hyderabad, thousands of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) contract workers rallied outside the civic body’s office. Union leaders said nearly 50,000 workers have seen little improvement in wages over the past four years. They demanded a minimum monthly wage of Rs 26,000 to match soaring prices of food and essentials. Protesters also called for proper leave entitlements, bonuses, and benefits guaranteed under labour laws. At the same time, over 200 members of the Water Works Employees Union gathered at the…

POWERCON, an IndoGerman JV with BAXEnergy and a renewable energy asset construction & operations company, has appointed Deepika Chavan as its new chief people officer. Chavan comes with over two decades of experience, having begun her professional journey with Monster, as associate-client relations, in 2004. After training over 100 clients on Monster portal optimisation, and streamlining the profile screening process for recruiters for almost a year and a half, she moved to Maestro Trade Link, as business head-recruitments. Her next stop was Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management where she served as senior coordinator-placements and training, working out of Nasik for…

Eyewear retailer Lenskart has issued a public apology and introduced a new workplace style guide after facing criticism online over an internal grooming document. The earlier version, which went viral, appeared to restrict employees from wearing certain religious and cultural symbols, sparking widespread concern and calls for a boycott. Peyush Bansal, founder, Lenskart, clarified that the document circulating online was outdated and did not reflect the company’s current stance. Building on this, Lenskart has now released a revised “In-Store Style Guide” that openly welcomes employees to wear symbols of faith and tradition at work. The updated guidelines specifically include items…

What does ‘strategic defiance’ mean? Strategic defiance is the deliberate and calculated act of challenging authority, norms, or established systems in pursuit of long-term goals. Unlike impulsive rebellion, it is intentional, measured, and directed towards a clear purpose. It is not defiance for its own sake, but resistance used to correct inefficiencies, expose inequities, or drive change. At its core, strategic defiance is a choice. Compliance may preserve order, but it can also perpetuate stagnation. Strategic defiance recognises when to resist and how to do so constructively. It differs from passive resistance, which is quiet and indirect, and from reckless…

A manager at a Mumbai technology firm opens her leave calendar for November. Three team members have requested the same week off, not for Diwali, but for a colleague’s wedding. The bride works in finance, two floors up. The absences would leave critical client deliverables exposed. Yet denying them risks appearing culturally tone-deaf in a workplace where attendance is almost expected. This scene repeats itself across India every wedding season. As multinational firms expand here, what was once an accepted cultural norm now collides with global leave frameworks built for societies where weddings last hours, not days. The question is…

Starting May 2026, Tapaswee Chandele will play global chief people officer, The Coca-Cola Company. She has been with the food & beverages major since 2001 when she joined as a humble area manager, human resources. In 2007, she was elevated to senior manager looking after talent management and playing an HR generalist role. Less than two years into this role, she was elevated to general manager-human resources, handling, among other things, client management and key programme development. By January of 2011, she was promoted to HR strategic business partner, looking into capability frameworks and organisational restructuring among other responsibilities. She…

Sandipa Chandorkar has taken up the role of chief people and culture officer at Foodlink F&B Holdings India. She moves from Sapphire Foods India where she was heading HR for KFC, since 2023. Having pursued an MA in Psychology, Chandorkar went on to obtain an MBA in Human Resources from Institute of Technology and Management, in 2009. She began her career in an HR generalist role, as a senior executive-HR with CS, in 2001. Over five and a half years later, she moved to Aspri Spirits as manager-HR, in 2006. Over four years into this role, she switched to Team…

Tekion Corp, the cloud-native platform for automotive, has elevated Vanaja Deva Shetty Gowda to senior director, talent acquisition. Gowda had moved to Tekion in 2024 after having served Myntra for over 13 years. Equipped with an MBA in Human Resources from IIPM, Bangalore University, Vanaja Deva Shetty Gowda began her career as a staffing specialist / IT recruiter with Yahoo Software Development India, in August of 2005. In 2007, she moved to VMware as senior recruiter for about three and a half years. It was in August of 2012 that her association with Myntra began. She started off as senior…

IDA Ireland, the Irish government’s agency for foreign direct investment, has appointed Kanishk Kumar as its new country director for India. This move is part of IDA’s 2025–2029 efforts to strengthen economic ties with India and attract more investment into Ireland. Working with over 1,800 client companies worldwide, IDA Ireland supports more than three lakh jobs and contributes over €40 billion annually to the Irish economy. In the past decade, employment in IDA-supported firms has grown by 55 per cent, while spending on Irish goods and services has risen sharply. Kumar brings nearly 20 years of experience in advising businesses…

S&P Global has opened a new office in Downtown Gurugram, marking a major expansion of its India operations. The 1,90,000 square foot facility will house more than 3,500 employees working in technology, data, operations and customer success, operating in a hybrid model. India is already a key base for S&P Global, with over 16,000 employees across the country. The new hub reinforces India’s importance in the company’s global strategy and highlights its role as a centre for talent and innovation. The Gurugram office has been designed to support productivity and wellbeing, with modern amenities such as wellness spaces, creative zones,…