Author: Maya Singh

The Delhi government has directed organisations across the national capital to shift at least 50 per cent of their workforce to work-from-home arrangements as part of emergency measures to address persistently hazardous air quality levels. The order applies to both government offices and private-sector establishments, limiting on-site attendance to half of total staff strength. The move is aimed at reducing daily commuting and vehicular congestion, which officials say is essential to preventing further deterioration in air quality. Authorities have warned that prolonged exposure to polluted air poses serious health risks, especially for children, senior citizens, and individuals with respiratory or…

Samsung Electronics has announced a new adoption benefit for employees, expanding its family-support and inclusion-focused initiatives. Under the new policy, the company will provide a one-time payment of $10,000 to employees who adopt a child, regardless of their benefits plan tier. The benefit will take effect from January. The company said the move reflects its commitment to supporting diverse family structures and evolving employee needs. Samsung’s people team noted that employees increasingly expect workplaces to recognise and accommodate different paths to parenthood, including adoption. The benefit is intended to help offset the financial costs associated with adoption and give employees…

The Bihar government has announced an accelerated recruitment initiative aimed at addressing long-standing shortages of medical staff across the state’s public healthcare system. The large-scale hiring effort is intended to strengthen services at primary health centres, district hospitals and other government-run facilities that have faced staffing gaps for several years. From January 2026, the state health department plans to recruit more than 11,000 nurses, along with 663 general doctors, 808 dentists, 498 nursing tutors and 121 AYUSH doctors. Officials said the initiative is designed to improve the availability and quality of healthcare services across urban and rural areas. A key…

Samsung has expanded its DOST (Digital & Offline Skills Training) Sales Programme with plans to train 9,400 young people from underserved communities for careers in India’s organised retail sector. The initiative seeks to develop a job-ready talent pool while supporting inclusive economic growth. The new phase, DOST Sales 4.0, builds on the programme launched in 2021 and continues in partnership with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India and the Telecom Sector Skills Council. The expansion aims to address the rising demand for skilled retail professionals as digital adoption and consumer expectations increase nationwide. Shubham Mukherjee, head of CSR and…

Zee Entertainment Enterprises has clarified that the employee exits reported recently are not part of a new round of layoffs. In a filing to the stock exchanges, the company stated that the departures fall under the workforce rationalisation plan announced in April 2024 as part of its long-term restructuring strategy. The initiative aims to create a more agile, collaborative and cost-efficient organisation. Reports this week suggested that around 200 employees had left the company. Zee said these exits were already accounted for within the previously communicated plan to reduce its workforce by 15 per cent. The company further noted that…

Amazon is facing one of its largest internal employee actions to date, with more than a thousand staff members signing an open letter addressed to CEO Andy Jassy. The letter expresses concerns about the pace at which the company is adopting artificial intelligence technologies. According to the letter, employees believe Amazon’s accelerated focus on becoming an “AI-first” organisation may negatively affect its workforce, long-term climate commitments, and broader societal impacts. The signatories state that the rapid expansion of AI development could undermine Amazon’s pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions within the next 15 years. They claim the company’s annual emissions…

Following several days of widespread flight cancellations, the Government of India has intervened and asked IndiGo to present a detailed plan to stabilise its operations. The review comes amid indications that the airline is facing a shortage of cockpit crew under the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. According to reports, IndiGo currently has around 5,000 pilots, but this number is insufficient to meet operational requirements after the updated FDTL rules were introduced. The revised guidelines define stricter limits on night flying, extend weekly rest periods and broaden the definition of “night”, all aimed at reducing pilot fatigue and…

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has announced plans to invest approximately $11 billion over five years to establish a one-gigawatt AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The project will be developed through a joint venture, Digital Connexion, in partnership with Canadian multinational Brookfield and American real-estate investment trust Digital Realty. The initiative aims to generate employment, promote innovation, and attract global technology investment to the region. The AI-native data centre campus will be spread across 400 acres of land. The investment comes shortly after Google revealed plans to invest $15 billion over five years in a large AI-driven data centre…

Apple has reportedly laid off dozens of sales employees across its global offices as part of a restructuring effort aimed at improving client engagement. Earlier layoffs affected about 20 sales personnel in New Zealand and Australia. Affected employees have been asked to seek alternative roles within Apple by the second week of January 2026. Those unable to secure internal positions will face termination by 20 January 2026, with severance packages provided. The impacted staff include account managers serving corporate clients, educational institutions, government organisations, and personnel at Apple briefing centres. Some tenured employees with two to three decades at the…

New Delhi: The Centre has officially notified the four labour codes, introducing a unified framework intended to expand worker protection, simplify compliance, and extend social security coverage to gig, platform, and unorganised sector workers for the first time. The changes are primarily driven through Sections 113 and 114 of the Code on Social Security, 2020, marking a major shift in India’s approach to employee welfare. Key Features of the Labour Codes Universal and Inclusive Social Security The new codes make gig workers, platform workers, and a large segment of the unorganised workforce eligible for benefits such as insurance, provident fund,…