Author: HR Talk

Indian IT services company Infosys has postponed recruitment assessments for approximately 20,000 candidates after identifying instances of impersonation during its ongoing hiring process, according to reports. The assessments were being conducted as part of the company’s campus and off-campus recruitment programmes for entry-level positions. During routine monitoring and verification procedures, Infosys reportedly detected cases in which individuals other than registered applicants were suspected of taking the tests. The company has temporarily suspended the examinations while it reviews its recruitment procedures and strengthens candidate verification mechanisms. The assessments are expected to be rescheduled after additional safeguards are implemented. The postponement affects…

Public-sector banks expanded their workforce during the financial year ended March 31, 2026, with eight state-owned lenders collectively adding 13,223 employees, according to an analysis of their annual reports. The combined employee strength of the eight banks increased to 628,203 in FY26 from 614,980 in FY25, reflecting continued hiring across the sector despite ongoing investments in digital banking and automation. The analysis covered State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of India, Indian Bank, UCO Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. Annual reports for four other public-sector lenders—Punjab & Sind Bank, Union Bank of India,…

A US federal court has invalidated a $100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visa applications, ruling that the measure exceeded executive authority and amounted to an unlawful tax without congressional approval. US District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the fee, introduced through a presidential proclamation in 2025, functioned as a tax rather than a regulatory charge. The court found that only Congress has the authority to impose such taxes and ordered the policy to be vacated nationwide. The fee had significantly increased the cost of obtaining new H-1B visas, a program widely used by US employers to hire skilled foreign…

German automaker Volkswagen is proceeding with a restructuring programme that includes significant workforce reductions and cost-cutting measures across its operations in Germany. According to details expected to be presented by Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume at the company’s Annual General Meeting on June 18, Volkswagen aims to reduce its workforce in Germany by approximately 19,000 employees by the end of 2026. The planned reductions form part of a broader initiative focused on improving efficiency and strengthening competitiveness. The company has also set a longer-term objective of reducing more than 28,000 positions in Germany by 2030 as part of its transformation…

The Uttar Pradesh government has started the process of migrating official mobile connections used by approximately 4,200 employees at the Lucknow Secretariat from Vodafone Idea to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), according to reports. The transition affects employees across various departments and roles, including computer assistants, review officers, section officials, and senior administrative personnel. As part of the migration, BSNL has begun distributing new Closed User Group (CUG) SIM cards through the Secretariat’s Telephone Cell. The move follows the state government’s decision to shift its official telecommunications services to the state-owned telecom operator. However, the rollout has prompted concerns among…

Michael Page has released Hiring Through the Hype, its Talent Trends India 2026 report, part of a global study of 60,000 participants from over 170 countries. Three themes define the talent landscape this year: skills are overtaking credentials as the key hiring signal, AI is reshaping hiring for both clients & candidates and work-life balance has become the decisive factor in whether professionals move roles or stay put.   Nicholas Kirk, CEO, PageGroup   39 percent hiring managers are prioritising skills over education or career history pushing the candidates to apply for job adverts promoting skills, underscoring that capability now…

Freshworks is laying off around 11 per cent of its global workforce as part of a new restructuring initiative linked to operational changes and increased adoption of artificial intelligence across the company. According to multiple reports, the workforce reduction is expected to affect nearly 660 employees worldwide. The move comes even as the software company continues to report revenue growth. For the first quarter of FY2026, Freshworks reported revenue of $228.6 million, representing a 16 per cent year-on-year increase. The company also expects to incur restructuring-related expenses between $7 million and $9 million. Artificial intelligence is reportedly playing a central…

Accenture has significantly expanded its deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot across its global workforce, extending access to nearly 7.4 lakh employees. The move represents one of the largest enterprise-scale rollouts of generative AI tools to date. The expansion follows a phased adoption strategy that began in 2023, starting with a pilot group of around 20,000 users before gradually scaling across the organisation. During the early phases, the company focused on strengthening data governance, access controls, and usage frameworks, while closely studying how employees incorporated the tool into everyday workflows. Based on internal data from 2025, employees using Copilot reported faster…

The Indian government’s draft Income-Tax Rules, 2026 propose changes that could impact salaried employees by increasing tax-free allowances on meal benefits while raising the taxable value of certain company-provided perks. Higher Tax-Free Limit on Meal Vouchers Under the draft proposal, the tax-exempt limit for meal vouchers and subsidised office meals may increase from ₹50 per meal to ₹200 per meal. If implemented, eligible employees could potentially claim up to ₹1.05 lakh per year as tax-free benefits, subject to the conditions of their chosen tax regime. This move is expected to benefit employees who use meal cards or digital vouchers issued…

Capgemini is planning to reduce its workforce in France by up to 2,400 employees as part of a broader restructuring programme aimed at aligning its operations with changing client demand, particularly in areas related to artificial intelligence and digital services. The planned reduction would affect nearly 7 per cent of Capgemini’s workforce in France and is expected to be implemented primarily through voluntary departure programmes, according to people familiar with the matter. Employees impacted by the move may either leave the company or be reskilled and redeployed into areas where demand is stronger, including data engineering, cloud services and artificial…