<![CDATA[HR in Five]]>928f53d2-b263-58e1-8525-ff7c44c10421Fri, 31 Jul 2026 10:04:13 +0000Captivate.fmFivewirehttps://artwork.captivate.fm/b65edef0-d3eb-47e0-85d6-61b147109e14/hr-cover-b2.pngHR in FiveFivewireFivewireHR in Five is the daily five-minute brief on the business of HR: the five stories that matter, every weekday. Employment law and rulings, the labor market and layoffs, benefits and comp, and the workplace and HR-tech shifts changing how companies hire, pay and manage people. Curated daily, sourced and straight. For CHROs, people and talent leaders, and the teams building the function. Walk in already caught up. In the know. In five.https://hrinfive.comfalseepisodicyespodcastVisa Blames AI for 2,600 Cuts, Porsche Buys a DecadeVisa Blames AI for 2,600 Cuts, Porsche Buys a DecadeVisa cuts 2,600 jobs, citing AI efficiency. HR Executive reports Visa is eliminating 7% of its workforce, giving HR leaders a live example of how large employers frame AI-driven restructuring. (HR Executive)

Porsche to cut 5,000 jobs by 2035. HRD Canada reports Porsche will reduce headcount by 5,000 under a new restructuring package the company describes as a socially responsible reduction. (HRD Canada)

Also moving today:

Workers who direct AI agents outperform peers who simply delegate to them (HR Dive)

ICHRA adoption slowed by ACA exchange costs, instability (HR Dive)

Jury awards male surgical technician $105K for delivery room discrimination (HR Dive)

Acas seeks views on new disciplinary and grievance code (Personnel Today)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>Visa cuts 2,600 jobs, citing AI efficiency. HR Executive reports Visa is eliminating 7% of its workforce, giving HR leaders a live example of how large employers frame AI-driven restructuring. (HR Executive)

Porsche to cut 5,000 jobs by 2035. HRD Canada reports Porsche will reduce headcount by 5,000 under a new restructuring package the company describes as a socially responsible reduction. (HRD Canada)

Also moving today:

Workers who direct AI agents outperform peers who simply delegate to them (HR Dive)

ICHRA adoption slowed by ACA exchange costs, instability (HR Dive)

Jury awards male surgical technician $105K for delivery room discrimination (HR Dive)

Acas seeks views on new disciplinary and grievance code (Personnel Today)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>6187ccd3-7311-49d1-b789-30fdd528b27eFri, 31 Jul 2026 10:04:13 +000004:03falsefullVisa is cutting about 2,600 jobs, roughly 7 percent of its workforce, and pointing to AI-driven efficiency as the driver, per HR Executive, though industry reaction reads the framing as investor-facing positioning. Porsche will cut 5,000 jobs by 2035 under a Future Package agreed with its works council, IG Metall and Südwestmetall, ruling out compulsory redundancies through 2035, according to HRD Canada. Also moving: a KPMG and UT Austin study on workers who direct AI agents, employer hesitation over ICHRAs and ACA marketplace costs, a $105,000 jury award in an EEOC sex discrimination case, and an Acas consultation on its disciplinary and grievance code.DEI Records Head to the EEOCDEI Records Head to the EEOCCourt orders Northwestern Mutual to produce DEI data. A Wisconsin federal judge rejected the insurer's bid to narrow EEOC information requests in a promotion-bias charge, per HR Dive, a signal that DEI program records can fall inside discovery. (HR Dive)

UK Supreme Court: Home Office must state fine reason. The Supreme Court ruled the Home Office must specify how an employer breached right-to-work rules when issuing a civil penalty, Personnel Today reports, giving employers a stated procedural basis to contest fines. (Personnel Today)

Also moving today:

SHRM’s insurance carrier says it’s not on the hook for $10M jury verdict (HR Dive)

1 in 4 workers stay in unwanted jobs for health coverage, survey finds (HR Dive)

Employer health plans to get $6.6T in tax help over 10 years (HR Executive)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>Court orders Northwestern Mutual to produce DEI data. A Wisconsin federal judge rejected the insurer's bid to narrow EEOC information requests in a promotion-bias charge, per HR Dive, a signal that DEI program records can fall inside discovery. (HR Dive)

UK Supreme Court: Home Office must state fine reason. The Supreme Court ruled the Home Office must specify how an employer breached right-to-work rules when issuing a civil penalty, Personnel Today reports, giving employers a stated procedural basis to contest fines. (Personnel Today)

Also moving today:

SHRM’s insurance carrier says it’s not on the hook for $10M jury verdict (HR Dive)

1 in 4 workers stay in unwanted jobs for health coverage, survey finds (HR Dive)

Employer health plans to get $6.6T in tax help over 10 years (HR Executive)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>a01a467a-4701-4067-9f03-486ebfc3be44Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:06:43 +000003:57falsefullA Wisconsin federal judge ordered Northwestern Mutual to comply with an EEOC subpoena covering 21 categories of DEI program records, including affirmative action plans and an interview with its VP of diversity and inclusion, in a reverse-discrimination charge filed by a White male employee, per HR Dive. Personnel Today reports the UK Supreme Court has ruled the Home Office must state the reason for an employer's right-to-work breach when it issues a civil penalty. Also: SHRM's employment practices insurer Twin City has sued the organization over a $10 million punitive award in a race bias case, one in four workers say they stay in jobs for fear of losing health coverage, and budget analysts now value the employer group health tax break at $6.6 trillion over ten years.The Frozen Track for Federal Bias ClaimsThe Frozen Track for Federal Bias ClaimsUnion sues EEOC over halted federal class complaints. The AFGE alleges in a Tuesday lawsuit that the EEOC has stopped processing class-style discrimination complaints from federal employees, a claim that, if upheld, would affect how systemic bias cases are resolved across the federal sector. (Reuters, Federal News Network, AccessWDUN)

Uber cuts 10% of customer service staff, citing AI. Uber says it is reducing its customer-service workforce by 10% to remove internal fragmentation it describes as slowing AI adoption, making it an unusually explicit link between a support-function cut and automation plans. (HRD Canada)

US jobless claims lowest since the 1960s, reporting notes caveats. Weekly US jobless claims hit their lowest level since the 1960s, though reporting cautions the single-week record may obscure softer signals in the underlying labor market. (HRD Canada)

Also moving today:

Fintech company violated NLRA when it fired worker for LinkedIn post, judge finds (HR Dive)

Nike’s $7.5 million pay bias verdict a warning to HR (HR Executive)

Tribunal supports right of employee to keep camera off in meeting (Personnel Today)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>Union sues EEOC over halted federal class complaints. The AFGE alleges in a Tuesday lawsuit that the EEOC has stopped processing class-style discrimination complaints from federal employees, a claim that, if upheld, would affect how systemic bias cases are resolved across the federal sector. (Reuters, Federal News Network, AccessWDUN)

Uber cuts 10% of customer service staff, citing AI. Uber says it is reducing its customer-service workforce by 10% to remove internal fragmentation it describes as slowing AI adoption, making it an unusually explicit link between a support-function cut and automation plans. (HRD Canada)

US jobless claims lowest since the 1960s, reporting notes caveats. Weekly US jobless claims hit their lowest level since the 1960s, though reporting cautions the single-week record may obscure softer signals in the underlying labor market. (HRD Canada)

Also moving today:

Fintech company violated NLRA when it fired worker for LinkedIn post, judge finds (HR Dive)

Nike’s $7.5 million pay bias verdict a warning to HR (HR Executive)

Tribunal supports right of employee to keep camera off in meeting (Personnel Today)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>db96067f-15e5-4b09-9818-d3d6638067afWed, 29 Jul 2026 10:03:03 +000004:04falsefullReuters reports the American Federation of Government Employees has sued the EEOC, alleging it has stopped processing class-style discrimination complaints from federal workers since at least December, with administrative judges barred from hearings, discovery and decisions; the AP reports the co-plaintiff class of Bureau of Prisons officers is estimated at at least 182 women. Uber is cutting ten percent of its customer-service staff and citing structural fragmentation slowing its AI adoption, per HRD Canada, which also reports weekly jobless claims at their lowest level since the 1960s while cautioning the print masks a harder-to-read market. Also moving: an NLRB judge's finding against Apex Fintech Solutions over a DEI-related LinkedIn firing, a willful equal pay verdict against Nike, and a tribunal ruling that camera-on instructions can amount to disability discrimination.Peak Office Use Tops Pre-Pandemic, and a $5M Accommodation BillPeak Office Use Tops Pre-Pandemic, and a $5M Accommodation BillCBRE: peak office attendance reaches 80%. CBRE reports peak-day office use has topped pre-pandemic levels, giving workplace teams an external benchmark for attendance and space decisions. (HR Dive)

9th Circuit: prior shots don't bar religious exemption. The 9th Circuit held that a worker's earlier vaccinations do not defeat a religious exemption request, narrowing the grounds reviewers can cite in a denial. (HR Dive)

Idaho lab contractor to pay $5M in EEOC settlement. Battelle Energy Alliance agreed to pay $5 million to more than 100 workers over vaccine-mandate discrimination charges, putting a figure on EEOC exposure from exemption denials. (Idaho State Journal, East Idaho News)

Also moving today:

Confidence in HR may hinge on moving beyond task-level AI use (HR Dive)

Employers may underestimate workers’ financial concerns (HR Dive)

Ford, Unifor sign deal including $1.25 billion in Canadian manufacturing investment (HRD Canada)

Punching In: NLRB, Federal Worker Boards Primed for New Leaders (news.bloomberglaw.com)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>CBRE: peak office attendance reaches 80%. CBRE reports peak-day office use has topped pre-pandemic levels, giving workplace teams an external benchmark for attendance and space decisions. (HR Dive)

9th Circuit: prior shots don't bar religious exemption. The 9th Circuit held that a worker's earlier vaccinations do not defeat a religious exemption request, narrowing the grounds reviewers can cite in a denial. (HR Dive)

Idaho lab contractor to pay $5M in EEOC settlement. Battelle Energy Alliance agreed to pay $5 million to more than 100 workers over vaccine-mandate discrimination charges, putting a figure on EEOC exposure from exemption denials. (Idaho State Journal, East Idaho News)

Also moving today:

Confidence in HR may hinge on moving beyond task-level AI use (HR Dive)

Employers may underestimate workers’ financial concerns (HR Dive)

Ford, Unifor sign deal including $1.25 billion in Canadian manufacturing investment (HRD Canada)

Punching In: NLRB, Federal Worker Boards Primed for New Leaders (news.bloomberglaw.com)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>d6232b01-13e3-42d8-901b-18116bf2723fTue, 28 Jul 2026 10:06:42 +000005:02falsefullCBRE reports peak office use has reached 80 percent, above pre-pandemic levels, per HR Dive, though trade reaction cautions that peak days sit well above average utilization. The Ninth Circuit held that a worker's prior vaccinations should not bar a religious exemption request from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and Battelle Energy Alliance agreed to pay 5 million dollars to resolve EEOC charges over denied religious and disability accommodations, per the Idaho State Journal and East Idaho News. Also moving: Culture Amp on falling AI optimism, a Bank of America read on employee financial security, Ford's deal with Unifor, and a Senate vote lining up on labor agency nominees.AI Hiring Suits, a Dropped Penn Subpoena, and the EEOC's Real DocketAI Hiring Suits, a Dropped Penn Subpoena, and the EEOC's Real DocketWorkday, Meta suits test AI hiring liability. Two lawsuits are helping define when employers are liable for AI-informed personnel decisions, a question growing as the tools spread across HR. (Employee Benefit News, HR Executive)

Administration drops subpoena for Penn employees' names. The EEOC agreed to withdraw a demand for the names of Jewish people at the University of Pennsylvania, a walk-back HR and legal teams track on government data requests. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, news.bloomberglaw.com, The Times of Israel)

EEOC performance plan signals 2026 enforcement priorities. A published EEOC roadmap outlines the Commission's litigation agenda, indicating the enforcement priorities employers may face under the current administration. (ashurstperkinscoie.com)

Also moving today:

H-1B visa program hits 2027 cap (HR Dive)

There's No Easy Answer for How Nike and More Firms Should Shape DEI Policies (WWD)

Companies aim for more ‘strategic’ pay increases: WTW report (HR Dive)

Employer English-Only Rules Risk Suits Even With EEOC Rescission (news.bloomberglaw.com)

Labor Department proposes rule expanding disclosure e-delivery for employer plans (HR Dive)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>Workday, Meta suits test AI hiring liability. Two lawsuits are helping define when employers are liable for AI-informed personnel decisions, a question growing as the tools spread across HR. (Employee Benefit News, HR Executive)

Administration drops subpoena for Penn employees' names. The EEOC agreed to withdraw a demand for the names of Jewish people at the University of Pennsylvania, a walk-back HR and legal teams track on government data requests. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, news.bloomberglaw.com, The Times of Israel)

EEOC performance plan signals 2026 enforcement priorities. A published EEOC roadmap outlines the Commission's litigation agenda, indicating the enforcement priorities employers may face under the current administration. (ashurstperkinscoie.com)

Also moving today:

H-1B visa program hits 2027 cap (HR Dive)

There's No Easy Answer for How Nike and More Firms Should Shape DEI Policies (WWD)

Companies aim for more ‘strategic’ pay increases: WTW report (HR Dive)

Employer English-Only Rules Risk Suits Even With EEOC Rescission (news.bloomberglaw.com)

Labor Department proposes rule expanding disclosure e-delivery for employer plans (HR Dive)

Get HR in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://hrinfive.com

]]>f49293f1-4f3c-43e3-8783-ac54597d8ab0Mon, 27 Jul 2026 14:25:00 +000005:06falsefullEmployee Benefit News reports on two lawsuits, Mobley v. Workday and Doe v. Meta, testing whether AI hiring and performance systems properly account for disability-related leave and accommodations; Workday and Meta both deny the allegations. The Trump administration agreed to drop an EEOC subpoena that ordered the University of Pennsylvania to hand over the names of Jewish people on its campus, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, with Penn dropping its Third Circuit appeal in exchange. A law-firm client alert finds disability claims were the single largest share of EEOC filings in the first half of the year, even though disability did not appear among the agency's four stated enforcement priorities.The EEOC Votes to Scrap the EEO-1The EEOC Votes to Scrap the EEO-1EEOC Votes to Propose Ending EEO-1 Demographic Reporting. The commission advanced a rulemaking on July 21 that would unwind a longstanding federal reporting requirement, but the filing obligation remains in force during the comment period. (Law and the Workplace, Jezebel, ArkansasOnline)

D.C. Circuit Rejects NLRB Successor-Bar Doctrine. A federal appeals court set aside a Board-made rule on inherited union recognition, in a decision the reporting frames as part of the post-Loper Bright wave. (Mondaq Business Briefing)

Judge Blocks New York's NLRB Trigger Law in Amazon Suit. A Brooklyn federal judge overturned the state law letting New York's labor board take private-sector disputes when the NLRB cannot, a ruling multistate employers are tracking. (amNewYork)

DOL: Ordinary Midday Commutes Are Not Compensable. A pair of opinion letters addresses compensable working time, giving wage-hour teams non-binding footing for commute and hybrid-work pay policies. (HR Dive)

3rd Circuit Says Employers Need Not Infer Disabilities. An appeals court held that a fired midnight-shift worker's late references to fatigue and dry eye did not properly invoke the ADA, addressing when accommodation duties attach. (HR Dive)

Also moving today:

Google employees demand severance guarantees as tech layoffs near 157,000 (HR Executive, HR Grapevine USA)

Four big-name AI layoffs, four different explanations (HR Executive)

A New Gilded Age: Supreme Court ruling says era of regulated... (Liberation News)

Drug formulary rejections jump 67% (HR Executive)

Game Workers March at Six Xbox Studios Over 440 Union Cuts and Stalled Contracts (Tech Times, Ars Technica)

NLRB Orders Second Kroger Unit to Compensate Union for Lost Dues (news.bloomberglaw.com)

]]>EEOC Votes to Propose Ending EEO-1 Demographic Reporting. The commission advanced a rulemaking on July 21 that would unwind a longstanding federal reporting requirement, but the filing obligation remains in force during the comment period. (Law and the Workplace, Jezebel, ArkansasOnline)

D.C. Circuit Rejects NLRB Successor-Bar Doctrine. A federal appeals court set aside a Board-made rule on inherited union recognition, in a decision the reporting frames as part of the post-Loper Bright wave. (Mondaq Business Briefing)

Judge Blocks New York's NLRB Trigger Law in Amazon Suit. A Brooklyn federal judge overturned the state law letting New York's labor board take private-sector disputes when the NLRB cannot, a ruling multistate employers are tracking. (amNewYork)

DOL: Ordinary Midday Commutes Are Not Compensable. A pair of opinion letters addresses compensable working time, giving wage-hour teams non-binding footing for commute and hybrid-work pay policies. (HR Dive)

3rd Circuit Says Employers Need Not Infer Disabilities. An appeals court held that a fired midnight-shift worker's late references to fatigue and dry eye did not properly invoke the ADA, addressing when accommodation duties attach. (HR Dive)

Also moving today:

Google employees demand severance guarantees as tech layoffs near 157,000 (HR Executive, HR Grapevine USA)

Four big-name AI layoffs, four different explanations (HR Executive)

A New Gilded Age: Supreme Court ruling says era of regulated... (Liberation News)

Drug formulary rejections jump 67% (HR Executive)

Game Workers March at Six Xbox Studios Over 440 Union Cuts and Stalled Contracts (Tech Times, Ars Technica)

NLRB Orders Second Kroger Unit to Compensate Union for Lost Dues (news.bloomberglaw.com)

]]>b981fc55-7dc1-4b74-8d40-4ef113dba9d6Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:04:16 +000005:29falsefullThe EEOC voted 2 to 1 to propose rescinding the EEO-1 workforce demographic report, a filing in place since 1966 covering roughly 73,000 employers, per the Associated Press, with the obligation still in force through a 30-day comment period. The D.C. Circuit rejected the NLRB's successor-bar doctrine in Hospital Menonita de Guayama, and a federal judge in Brooklyn permanently blocked New York's NLRB trigger law as preempted under Garmon. Also: Labor Department opinion letters on compensable midday commutes, a Third Circuit ruling on when an employee's passing health remark triggers ADA obligations, and a Google employee petition on severance and forced rating distributions.