Author: Asher J

The Madras High Court has ruled that denying maternity leave to women government employees for a third pregnancy is legally unsustainable. The decision was delivered by a Division Bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and Shamim Ahmed while hearing a petition filed by a woman whose maternity leave request was rejected in December 2025. The government had rejected the request based on a clarification that Tamil Nadu Fundamental Rules did not provide maternity leave for a third child. The petitioner argued that previous High Court rulings had allowed maternity leave for third pregnancies, and that the government’s denial ignored established…

Emirates Airline has announced plans to recruit nearly 20,000 operational staff by the end of the decade as part of a major fleet and network expansion. The hiring initiative is tied to the delivery of new aircraft, which will be deployed to both new destinations and existing routes to increase flight frequency. Adel Al Redha, deputy president and chief operations officer at Emirates, said during a media briefing in Dubai that the recruitment will focus on a range of operational roles, including cabin crew, pilots, engineers, technicians, and airport staff. The 20,000 figure applies specifically to operational positions, with additional…

Akasa Air has resumed hiring pilots after a pause of nearly 18 months, following improvements in aircraft delivery timelines from Boeing. The hiring restart comes as the budget airline prepares to expand its fleet in the coming weeks. The airline currently operates 32 aircraft and expects to add two more by the end of February 2026, taking its total fleet size to 34 aircraft, subject to deliveries proceeding as scheduled. According to statements made by Akasa Air Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube, the airline is in a stable financial position and currently employs around 750 pilots operating a fleet of…

Amazon’s next phase of corporate workforce reductions became visible earlier than planned following an internal communication error within Amazon Web Services (AWS), causing confusion among employees ahead of formal notifications. Earlier in the week, an internal email was circulated to AWS staff referring to a forthcoming team meeting. The wording implied that some employees had already been notified about job losses, even though official communications had not yet been issued. The email was later retracted, and the meeting was cancelled, leaving employees uncertain about the status and scope of the anticipated changes. The message was linked to an ongoing restructuring…

Amazon India has rolled out road-safety awareness and training workshops across multiple cities for its delivery associates, partners and truck drivers, covering more than 80,000 personnel across its operations network. The month-long programme is aimed at promoting safer driving practices and responsible road behaviour across Amazon’s last-mile and mid-mile logistics operations nationwide. As part of the initiative, participants will undergo mandatory on-ground training that includes interactive sessions on helmet and seat belt compliance, safe riding and driving practices, speed management, distraction prevention and emergency preparedness. Practical drills focusing on lane discipline, traffic signage awareness, maintaining safe vehicle distance, hydration breaks…

Autodesk plans to eliminate around 1,000 roles, representing nearly 7 per cent of its global workforce, as the design and engineering software company completes a multi-year transformation of how it engages with customers, solution providers and resellers. The company said a significant portion of the reductions will affect customer-facing sales functions. Autodesk clarified that the decision is linked to the completion of its go-to-market (GTM) transformation and is not driven by artificial intelligence adoption, macroeconomic conditions or an ongoing cost-cutting initiative. In a letter to employees, Andrew Anagnost, President and Chief Executive Officer of Autodesk, said the move follows organisational…

Microsoft has discontinued employee access to its internal library services and several paid business and technology news subscriptions, according to people familiar with the matter and internal documentation. The change follows Microsoft’s workforce reduction of approximately 15,000 roles last year and began quietly in late 2025. Publishers were notified through automated communications that their contracts would expire at the end of existing terms. No company-wide internal announcement was issued, and subscriptions were allowed to lapse as contracts concluded. Among the services affected was Strategic News Service (SNS), a technology and business analysis provider that had been available to Microsoft employees…

Ericsson has announced plans to reduce its workforce in Sweden by around 1,600 roles, representing nearly 12% of its employees in the country. The move is part of the telecom equipment maker’s ongoing efforts to control costs and boost operational efficiency amid continued pressure on global telecom spending. The latest reduction builds on earlier layoffs in Sweden, including 1,200 positions cut in March 2024, and a larger global restructuring in early 2023 that affected roughly 8,500 roles worldwide. The company has also implemented recent job cuts in its Canadian operations, signalling that its cost-control measures remain active across multiple regions.…

Infosys continued its steady talent expansion in the December quarter, adding over 5,000 employees and taking its total workforce to 3,37,034. This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of net hiring, highlighting the company’s consistent approach to building talent even as global clients remain cautious on technology spending. Over the past three quarters, Infosys has hired more than 13,000 employees, standing out in India’s IT services sector where many peers are slowing recruitment or trimming staff. The company attributes the continued growth in headcount to strong demand visibility in specific sectors and geographies where client spending remains stable. Employee retention also…

India’s fast-growing quick-commerce sector is rethinking one of its hallmark promises: ultra-fast delivery. Leading grocery and essentials delivery platforms have started removing references to “10-minute delivery” from their branding, following regulatory concerns over rider safety and working conditions. The shift comes after discussions between senior government officials and executives from major platforms, where attention moved from growth metrics to the pressures faced by delivery partners. Authorities highlighted that promoting extremely short delivery windows could encourage unsafe riding practices and increase stress among gig workers, particularly during peak hours. Several platforms have already revised their messaging, replacing ultra-short delivery promises with…