Author: Maya Singh

Apple has carried out another round of workforce reductions, with a small number of employees in its Fitness+ division affected as the company continues to reorganise parts of its business. The latest cuts reportedly involve employees working on audio-based Fitness+ features, including Time to Walk and Time to Run. The services are expected to continue, although the pace of new audio content could be reduced. The move comes less than two months after Apple eliminated more than 200 positions across several teams, including groups working on Siri, Vision Pro and Intelligent Systems Experience. Fitness+ content strategy under review Apple launched…

Kerala is scaling up a programme aimed at helping 10,000 women who have taken career breaks re-enter the workforce through skills training, employment opportunities and returnship programmes. The initiative brings together the state government, employers and voluntary organisations to support women seeking to restart or advance their careers. State Labour Minister Bindu Krishna said the government would adopt a multi-pronged approach to help women overcome barriers associated with returning to employment after an extended break. Programme expands beyond pilot phase The 10,000 Women Back to Career initiative was launched as a pilot in 2024 under the leadership of Women Inclusive…

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has reduced its global workforce by about 13,000 employees from its peak, bringing its headcount to roughly 66,000, as the company restructures its operations and prepares for its next phase of growth. The company disclosed the latest workforce figure at its Capital Markets Day on September 21, 2026. The restructuring follows a workforce reduction of around 9,000 employees announced in September 2025, shortly after Mike Doustdar became CEO. A further 4,000 employees have reportedly left since then. Novo Nordisk said the restructuring has generated more than DKK 10 billion in savings. The company plans to…

Microsoft is eliminating another 268 positions across its Xbox business as it continues a broader restructuring of its gaming operations, including changes to the organisation of several studios and major franchises. The latest reductions affect employees at Halo Studios, other first-party development teams, as well as Xbox Game Studios’ management and central functions. The cuts follow Microsoft’s larger restructuring announced in July, which included plans to eliminate approximately 3,200 positions, representing about 20% of the affected Xbox workforce. Xbox restructuring enters later stages Microsoft said the restructuring programme launched in July is now approximately 75% complete. The changes extend beyond…

India now represents about 20 per cent of the global workforce involved in chip design and VLSI, according to a senior Intel executive, highlighting the country’s growing role in the semiconductor industry. Speaking at SEMICON India 2026, Iyengar, senior vice president, Fellow and general manager of Intel’s Central Engineering Group, said more than 85,000 semiconductor-related skill sets had been developed in India over the past four years. The comments come as India expands its semiconductor ecosystem, with investments in chip manufacturing, design and related technologies increasing demand for specialised engineering talent. According to Iyengar, more than 355 universities across India…

Meta has suspended an internal programme intended to collect data on how employees use computers, following concerns over workplace privacy and the possible use of the data to automate certain tasks. The programme, known as the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), was developed by Meta’s artificial intelligence division TBD. Its objective was to collect computer-use data that could help researchers develop AI systems capable of carrying out routine tasks on computers. According to reports, the programme involved collecting information about activities such as keystrokes, mouse movements and screen interactions. Meta’s AI teams viewed this type of employee-generated data as potentially useful…

The Mumbai Suburban District Consumer Commission has directed the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to pay interest to a retired employee after finding a delay in the settlement of his provident fund claim. The case involved a former employee of Fleet Maritime Services (India), who submitted a provident fund claim of ₹14,06,272 on October 19, 2016. Under the Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 1952, eligible PF claims are generally required to be settled within 20 days. In this case, however, the amount was credited to the claimant’s account on December 14, 2016. EPFO disputed the allegation of delay. The organisation argued…

Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) plans to increase the share of women in its executive workforce to 20 per cent by 2030, as the automaker expands its focus on workplace diversity, career development and women’s participation across the organisation. Women currently represent more than 8 per cent of HMIL’s executive workforce, which comprises more than 4,000 employees. At the entry level, the company is seeing a stronger gender mix, with women accounting for around 45 per cent of management trainees and engineer trainees recruited in 2026. Women’s Participation Expands Across Functions HMIL said women’s representation is increasing across several areas of…

Samsung India has reportedly started reducing its workforce in its television and home appliance businesses as the company undertakes a restructuring aimed at controlling costs and protecting profitability. Around 80 to 100 executives have reportedly been asked to leave in phases, according to industry sources. The employees affected are said to include senior officials, team leaders, branch managers and area managers. Employees Reportedly Asked to Leave in Batches According to reports, termination letters are being issued to employees in small batches, with some workers receiving them without a notice period. The reported severance package includes three months of salary, along…

Amazon is facing a proposed nationwide class-action lawsuit in the US over allegations that the company denied pregnant employees workplace accommodations and penalised workers for taking time off for pregnancy-related needs. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Brooklyn by four former Amazon warehouse employees. The plaintiffs allege that the company failed to provide reasonable workplace support during pregnancy and took adverse employment action against workers who needed time away from their jobs. Amazon has disputed the allegations, saying the accounts presented in the lawsuit contain inaccuracies and omit important details. Lawsuit Alleges Denial of Workplace Accommodations According to…