Author: HR Talk

A curious tale from Delhi’s startup scene has gone viral after an employee reportedly quit his new job on the very first day. According to accounts shared on X (formerly Twitter), the individual worked until lunch, left his company-issued laptop on the desk, and quietly walked out—never to return. When HR tried to contact him, he initially ignored calls before finally giving a brief response: he simply couldn’t continue working there. The stark honesty of the exit and the dramatic timing quickly captured attention online. The post struck a chord with thousands of professionals who related to the frustrations of…

In a landmark ruling, Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Qantas Airways to pay a fine of $58.64 million for illegally terminating 1,800 ground staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case, brought forward by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), marks one of the heaviest penalties ever imposed under the country’s labour laws. The controversy dates back to 2021, when the court found that Qantas had breached the Fair Work Act by preventing employees from exercising their workplace rights and unionising. While the airline insisted the sackings were a commercial decision, the court ruled that the process lacked fairness and adequate justification.…

Amazon India has announced plans to create over 1.5 lakh seasonal jobs across more than 400 cities and towns, gearing up for the upcoming festive season. The roles span the company’s extensive fulfilment, sortation, and delivery network, ensuring faster deliveries during peak shopping periods. The hiring drive covers both metros—such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune—and smaller cities including Ranchi, Jalandhar, Coimbatore, and Anantnag. Notably, thousands of women and more than 2,000 persons with disabilities have already joined the seasonal workforce. While many of these positions are temporary, Amazon says a significant number of recruits continue beyond the festive…

US President Donald Trump’s efforts to pressure Germany’s leading carmakers into building plants in America have hit resistance from Audi’s workforce. Labour leaders at the Volkswagen-owned brand insist that the company must protect jobs and production in Germany before committing to a US manufacturing facility. Audi is considering options for its own US plant, while Volkswagen already operates a facility there and is building another for its Scout brand. However, works council chief and deputy board chairman Jörg Schlagbauer said expansion would only be acceptable if management guarantees long-term employment and output levels in Germany. Currently, he sees “no need”…

Kia India has partnered with the Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) to develop a trained talent pool for the country’s automotive sector. The initiative aligns with the Skill India Mission and aims to prepare professionals for a rapidly evolving industry. The programme features a 30-day training curriculum, combining 15 days of classroom learning at ASDC-certified centres with 15 days of hands-on experience at authorised Kia dealerships. Participants will gain knowledge in core automotive concepts, dealership operations, and Kia-specific systems, processes, and brand standards, with a strong emphasis on product expertise. Upon completion, candidates will receive joint certification from Kia India…

A LinkedIn post by HR professional Priyavarshini M recently went viral after she shared an unusual resignation story — an employee quit just five minutes after receiving their salary. According to Priyavarshini, the staff member had joined only a month earlier. At 10:00 am, their first salary was credited, and by 10:05 am, an email announcing their resignation arrived. Priyavarshini questioned the employee’s intentions, asking why they completed onboarding and training if they never planned to stay. She described the move as demonstrating a “lack of intent, maturity, and accountability,” cautioning that such actions can send “the wrong message” to…

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, personally reviews the salaries of his entire 42,000-strong workforce — and he does it for every compensation cycle. While AI and machine learning (ML) tools help him process recommendations, the final decisions are made by Huang himself. Huang’s approach stems from a simple philosophy: when employees are well taken care of, everything else falls into place. He shared his management strategy during a recent podcast, emphasizing fairness, motivation, and a sense of belonging as key drivers of success. His generosity has had remarkable results. Reports indicate that around 76% of Nvidia employees have become millionaires,…

Just ahead of the rollout of GPT-5, OpenAI announced it is granting bonuses of $1 million each to 1,000 eligible employees, primarily AI researchers and engineers across various departments. Reports indicate that about a third of the company’s workforce qualifies for the bonus, marking the first time such a large number of employees are being rewarded simultaneously. The move underscores OpenAI’s focus on retaining top AI talent amid growing competition from companies like Meta and xAI. While the exact bonus for each employee has not been disclosed, it is expected to vary based on rank and role. AI researchers, who…

Air India has announced that its pilots will now retire at 65, up from the previous age of 58. The retirement age for non-flying staff has also been increased, from 58 to 60. The announcement was made by Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD of Air India, during a recent townhall meeting. The move aims to align Air India’s policies with industry peers like Vistara and is expected to benefit the airline’s workforce of around 24,000, which includes approximately 3,600 pilots and 9,500 cabin crew members. However, there is currently no official confirmation regarding a change in retirement age for cabin…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has quickly become HR’s most talked-about new recruit — and for good reason. While many still associate AI with scanning résumés or answering basic queries through chatbots, its true influence runs much deeper. Across industries, AI is now embedded in every stage of the employee lifecycle, from the moment a CV lands in a recruiter’s inbox to the day an employee walks out the door. In recruitment, AI has evolved far beyond keyword matching. Today’s systems analyze career histories, assess soft skills through video interviews, and even detect unconscious bias in shortlisting. Unilever, for example, has cut…