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Recent Editions
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Human Times
North America
Italian restaurant chain to pay $3m to settle sexual misconduct lawsuit

Il Fornaio, a California-based Italian restaurant chain, has agreed to pay $3m to settle a lawsuit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over allegations of sexual harassment affecting at least 100 female employees, many of whom were teenagers. The lawsuit had said that the company fostered a sexually hostile work environment, with reports of groping and retaliation against those who complained. "Sexual harassment continues to be a widespread issue in the restaurant industry," said Beatriz B. Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles District. The settlement includes three years of workplace reforms, including reinstating a dedicated human resources function (the company had eliminated its Human Resources Department), and hiring an external monitor to ensure compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Il Fornaio denied wrongdoing, saying that the settlement is not an admission of liability but a means to avoid the costs of litigation.

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Human Times
UK
Neets crisis is moral failure, Burnham says

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has warned that the UK is facing "economic catastrophe and moral failure" at a time when almost one million 16 to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training (Neets). Writing in The Times, Burnham advocates for welfare reform that invests in youth success rather than perpetuating reliance on benefits. He says that the present scheme provides "an assessment, a payment and, after that, a goodbye," with no support, skills or help getting employment. Burnham says his government aims to offer a "clear guarantee" of support, starting in schools, to address the issue of Neets. "We face a choice. We either invest in the success of our young people or pay for failure through the benefits system. We cannot afford to do both. I choose the first," he said.

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Human Times
Europe
Workers at former Ilva plant in Italy suspend protest

Workers at the former Ilva steel plant in Taranto, southern Italy, have suspended five ​days of strikes and roadblocks that disrupted fuel ​deliveries across the Puglia region after the ‌government agreed to hold fresh talks on the future of the facility. "We are looking forward ​to the meeting with the government on October 27. The suspension of the strike is only temporary because ​there are still no solutions, but we ​want to negotiate," said FION trade union representative Giovanni Lippolis. The ​workers' actions are aimed at a government plan that it is said ⁠would leave thousands reliant on furlough schemes instead ​of providing a long-term industrial solution, Reuters reports.

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Human Times
Middle East
Transforming worker housing in Saudi

Mnzil, The Development Group and Capital Partners have launched a SAR1bn fund to develop purpose-built workforce compounds accommodating up to 50,000 workers across Saudi Arabia. Mnzil will operate the portfolio, TDG will oversee site selection, design and development, and Capital Partners will manage the fund. Development is expected to begin in Q4 2026 across major employment centres including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Khobar, Makkah and Madinah. Compounds will include furnished rooms, recreational facilities, communal areas and on-site services, with locations chosen to reduce commuting. Mnzil chief executive Majeed Albabtain said, “Improving workers' lives is a collective effort.” The partners see the model as supporting Vision 2030 while establishing workforce housing as a scalable institutional real estate asset class backed by employer demand and long-term leases.

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