Deborah Cullingford, who worked as a bailiff in Leeds for over 10 years, brought a claim against the Ministry of Justice for disability discrimination and harassment after being prohibited from bringing her dog, Bella, to work. Cullingford adopted Bella in 2020, finding companionship in her during the Covid pandemic. She…
Hiring future talent for the skills they have, rather than the subjects they have studied, creates a more diverse workforce and gives us a competitive edge, says Noel Brown. Inclusion
We’ve all heard someone say that something is “on” or “part of” the COO agenda. But all too often, what that means is unclear. Indeed, in a recent roundtable discussion, few COOs said that they had taken the time to think through and define their agenda. Part of the reason…
In the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, AI has the potential to reshape how consumers engage with medical services. Today, consumers in the United States can struggle with everything from finding the right insurance coverage to understanding when they should see a doctor, what it will cost, and how to manage…
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers must provide current employees with written notice of the 2025 contribution rates for the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. Employees must receive notice of the 2025 contribution rates on or before December 2, 2024. The Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has published…
Quick Hits A federal judge in Texas struck down the DOL’s April 2024 overtime rule that sought to raise the minimum salary levels for the FLSA’s white-collar overtime exemption. The ruling comes in a challenge by the state of Texas and a group of more than a dozen business organizations.…
Since my last China Brief, consumption has gained momentum, particularly with the unveiling of a series of economic stimulus measures since September 24. The highly anticipated annual Double 11 Shopping Festival, which ended on November 11, well exceeded industry expectations, further fueling excitement among industry executives around the pickup in…
The extent of the victory by former President Trump was not expected but financial markets have been discounting a Trump victory since the end of September. Some of the rise in US 10-year bond yields last month (from 3.79% to 4.28%) were a reflection of that trend. Trump’s policies, including…
Quick Hits The Mexican government is eliminating the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI). The access to public information and the protection of personal data will no longer be overseen by an autonomous institution but by an agency within the executive branch of…
In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, a podcast dedicated to the exploration of software product management and engineering, McKinsey partner Rikki Singh speaks with Robert Chatwani, president of growth at Docusign. Chatwani’s decades-long career has focused on the marriage of the marketing and growth functions to create more-compelling…
Organizational health is crucial to long-term performance, yet it is a moving target. For more than 20 years, McKinsey’s Organizational Health Index (OHI) has examined the practices and outcomes that lead to better health (exhibit). Through extensive research that yielded our latest OHI insights, we identified emerging and evolving trends…
Quick Hits The New York governor’s office is discussing with the state legislature a possible amendment to the New York Retail Worker Safety Act, and it is anticipated that the legislature will vote on potential amendments in January 2025. Anticipated amendments include reducing the frequency of workplace violence training for…
A team of researchers from the UK and Australia analysed charcoal and pollen contained in ancient mud to determine how Aboriginal Tasmanians shaped their surroundings. This is the earliest record of humans using fire to shape the Tasmanian environment.Early human migrations from Africa to the southern part of the globe…
Four Oxford University academics are to co-lead ambitious new research projects backed by European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grants, part of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Synergy Grants foster interdisciplinary and international collaboration between outstanding researchers, enabling them to combine their expertise, knowledge, and resources to push…
Tania Yakunova/Ikon Images Sustainability has become a powerful driver of consumer behavior. People are changing what they consume, how they consume, and how they lead their day-to-day lives, motivated by a concern for sustainability. Our research has identified a consumer-driven megatrend that holds tremendous strategic opportunity for companies if they…
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Second District again held that issue preclusion barred plaintiff’s PAGA claim because he failed to establish any violation of the Labor Code and arbitral findings have a preclusive effect on a plaintiff’s standing in a stayed PAGA claim. The Second District again grappled with the issue…
Quick Hits In 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Rouses Enterprises, L.L.C. v. Clapp, held that Louisiana law does not allow an employer to enforce a noncompete agreement signed by a prospective employee. In Gallagher & Co. v. Annison, the Louisiana Court of Appeal, First…
The Ontario Capital Markets Tribunal (the CMT) dismissed the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) prosecution in Re Cormark Securities Inc. The CMT held that the OSC “failed to prove any of its allegations”, that the transactions in issue were not an illegal distribution, and that the respondents’ conduct did not engage…
Do these comments resonate with you? Owners don’t understand that we’re not just paperwork. HR is a punching bag expected to resolve everyone’s mess. There’s no HR budget, no support, and a team of 2 for 300+ employees. Even after a workforce survey, leadership still won’t listen to me! …
On the other hand, the current partners of the ANC in the ruling coalition embrace, as noted above, pro-Western and/or right-wing political views. In order to maintain unity within the coalition, certain compromises between the ANC and its partners in the government cannot be ruled out, including on foreign policy…
The rapid advancement of AI and generative AI (gen AI) is fundamentally transforming the cybersecurity landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges for cybersecurity providers. As more organizations in both the private and public sectors use AI to enhance their operations, they risk inadvertently introducing new cyber-related threats. This is creating…
Topics Culture Champions Building a healthy culture is one of the most important — and hardest — leadership jobs. These articles, based on a webinar series and research by Donald Sull and CultureX, share actionable advice from leaders whose cultures produced exceptional business results and a world-class employee experience. More…
In celebration of the recent release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook (authored by the Seyfarth Government Contracts Group), we’re sharing six essential questions and answers that every government contractor should be prepared to address regarding procurement fraud. This milestone edition dives into the complexities of…
Ontario has a new proposed pilot program for testing automated vehicles on Ontario’s public roads. While the initial program commenced in 2016 was restricted to non-commercial automated vehicles (such as passenger vehicles, light-duty delivery trucks/vans, and small shuttles), the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) announced on Oct. 16, 2024…
A pair of red and white concrete road barriers aligned on a street against a light blue background. You know about guardrails on the highway: barriers along the edge of the road that protect vehicles from veering off course and into danger. With the advent of generative AI (gen AI),…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images When it comes to maximizing growth and revenue, you may be missing something — something big. It’s the harnessing of predictive AI to enhance and deploy sales performance management (SPM). Companies with sizable sales forces — whether in the technology, medical device, pharmaceutical, industrial,…
Rock Staar, Unsplash As we previously reported, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it is amending and reorganizing the document requirements for pre-merger notifications under the Hart Scott Rodino Act (“HSR Act”), 15 U.S.C. 18a, which also includes a requirement for buyers to indicate the existence of non-compete and…
*This article was originally published on the American Bar Association website There have been several significant new developments in product-related class actions in Canada in the past two years. These decisions, arising from Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia provide important insights into how courts are deciding product liability class actions,…
From virtual assistants to self-driving cars to medical imaging analysis, the use of modern AI technologies based on deep-learning architectures has increased dramatically in recent years. But what makes us put our faith in such technologies to, say, get us safely to our destination without running off the road? And…
On this page: Opportunity | Solution | Impact 0Kdocumentseasily searchable in database$0K+per hourestimated saved via recouped downtime0%improvement inapprox. 1st-time resolution rates The Opportunity Enhancing field service support with generative AI Ascendum is a Portugal-based global provider of machinery and equipment for the construction, infrastructure, haulage, and agriculture sectors. The company…
On November 18 at 12:00 noon Moscow time, the Valdai Club will host a presentation of the Valdai Paper "Russia-Africa: Overcoming Challenges". Today, Russia is pursuing an active policy of expanding cooperation with African countries. The first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Sochi on November…
As India embraces digital transformation, inclusion, and a new role as a tech leader exemplified by a decade of technology transformation, or “techade,” new opportunities open up for the insurance sector and the wider financial services industry. With strong valuations and a significant growth trajectory, India’s insurance industry is poised…
14 November 2024 By Yıldız Akkaya, John Hutchinson, Kasper Jørgensen and Emanuel SkeppåsThe Eurosystem has started to reduce its bond holdings. This ECB Blog post investigates how strongly the shrinking balance sheet affects long-term interest rates. Estimates based on the Survey of Monetary Analysts suggest: an expected €1 trillion reduction…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Employee engagement — the measure of individual commitment to organizational success — positively correlates with discretionary effort and meaningfully impacts every individual and organizational performance metric that matters. However, despite significant investments across most industries, leading engagement studies have never found more than 36%…
On November 12, 2024, the final rule issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) amending premerger notification requirements under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Act was published in the Federal Register. The HSR Act typically requires parties to mergers and acquisitions over a certain size ($119.5 million in 2024) to provide…
Discover prompts for educators to manage last-minute tasks efficiently and keep students engaged as the term winds down. The weeks before a term ends and break begins are filled with opportunities for growth and creativity. Final assessments, lesson prep, and keeping students engaged as they eagerly anticipate the coming break…
You might think of your financial plan as being a way to help you reach your life goals. But it could benefit more than just you. As a financial plan focuses on your goals, you might choose to include ways to create a legacy for your loved ones. It could…
A great aviator is constantly aware of their surroundings. Watching for changes in the weather and in the paths of other aircraft is vital. The same is true for being a great CEO, which is why the business press is full of information about what’s happening in the business environment:…
Professor Myles Allen, Oxford University Physics, Head of Climate Science. Credit: Martin Small. The science of net zero, developed over 15 years ago,* does not include these natural carbon sinks in the definition of net human-induced CO2 emissions.Natural sinks play a vital role to moderate the impact of current emissions…
Research suggests that a worrying number of families are putting off major life decisions until they receive an expected inheritance. It could place their long-term finances at risk, but talking to your loved ones may identify ways you could offer support. According to a Canada Life survey, more than 1…