Human Times

UK Edition

28th September 2026

THE HOT STORY

Labour to extend rights to workers stuck in 'bogus self-employment'

Nearly 1m workers trapped in "bogus self-employment" may gain rights from new proposals announced at Labour's party conference. Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds will today vow to close loopholes that let employers evade obligations like the National Minimum Wage. A formal consultation will explore extending employment rights to workers such as parcel couriers, delivery drivers and gig economy workers and will also consider a legal assumption of worker status in tribunal cases.

Daily Mirror

REMOTE WORKING

Barclays faces backlash over office mandate

Barclays is encountering significant resistance to its proposed return-to-office mandate. Staff, represented by the Unite union, oppose increasing mandatory office days from two to three for most employees and from three to four for senior leaders. An open letter opposing the changes has garnered over 5,200 signatures. Unite said: "Barclays has been unable to provide . . . an evidence-based rationale."

The Observer

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

More checks could spot those falling behind

Alan Milburn, who is leading a review into youth inactivity, recommends more literacy and numeracy tests for secondary school pupils in order to identify students most at risk of worklessness. An interim report by Milburn says low-stakes checks could eliminate a five-year blind spot between primary school exams and GCSEs and provide opportunities for early intervention. Data shows over 51,000 children do not meet expected standards in English and maths by the end of primary school. "It is extraordinary that we can know at 11 that a child is struggling, then wait five years to find out whether they have caught up. By then, for some young people, it is too late," Milburn says.

The Daily Telegraph

Powell: New vocational GCSEs aim to empower youth

Education secretary Lucy Powell writes in the Sunday Mirror about how Labour's new vocational GCSEs will elevate technical education alongside academic subjects. She points to the importance of equipping young people with skills for the future, saying: "For too long, technical and vocational education has been neglected." During a visit to Broughton High, she said she witnessed students engaged in hands-on learning, preparing for careers in fields such as aerospace. "I'm bringing this in nationwide so children everywhere can pursue practical and technical subjects alongside academic study which give them a clearer line of sight into work and the great jobs of the future," Powell writes.

Sunday Mirror

Labour to pay wages of 90,000 disabled 18-24-year-olds

The Labour government plans to offer taxpayer-funded jobs to thousands of disabled 18-24 year old Neets. The initiative will cover minimum wage costs for 90,000 young people in six-month placements at Boots and John Lewis. The scheme is part of a £2.5bn package to enhance youth employment.

The Sunday Telegraph

WORKFORCE

Students advised to apply for benefits after university

British universities are encouraging students to claim benefits as soon as their courses finish, according to the Telegraph. One leading institution advises graduates to apply for Universal Credit even if they live with parents or expect to start work within weeks. Another suggests students without paid employment begin the process before graduation to avoid delays. The paper notes that just 8,383 roles for university leavers were advertised in July, a 45% drop on a year ago and the lowest since the figures were first compiled in 2016.

The Daily Telegraph

STRATEGY

Jonathan Reynolds rejects pleas to rejoin customs union

In an interview with the Telegraph, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has warned Labour against reopening the debate about EU membership, arguing that it would see the return of paralysing political uncertainty at the expense of the country. Reynolds said he agreed with business leaders who had urged him to focus on improving the relationship with the EU, "as we should do with any of our major trading partners, and at the same time, make the best of opportunities around the rest of the world." Prime minister Andy Burnham is under pressure from unions and some senior Labour figures to abandon the party's red lines on rejoining the single market and customs union.

The Sunday Telegraph

LEGAL

NHS clamps down on snooping staff

Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of NHS England, has announced a crackdown on staff snooping into patient records. Under a new "zero tolerance" policy, any staff member found accessing records improperly will face immediate suspension and loss of system access. The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has removed 10 employees for accessing the medical records of three-year-old Noah Woods, who was found dead after disappearing from a play-park in Suffolk. Dr Martin Mansfield, the trust’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said: "We have reported the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office and will take disciplinary action where needed."

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Schroders votes against female chair again

Schroders has voted against the re-election of Dame Ruth Cairnie as chair of Babcock International, citing "concerns around diversity on the board." Despite the board meeting diversity targets, Schroders claims insufficient female representation in senior management, which stands at 32%. The asset manager holds the chair accountable for promoting diversity throughout the organisation. Babcock reported that 98.5% of shareholders supported Cairnie's re-election, underscoring a disconnect between shareholder sentiment and Schroders' voting stance. Schroders said: "UK companies are expected to make progress against established market standards, including FCA disclosure requirements and the FTSE Women Leaders Review targets . . . When progress is limited over a number of years, we may use our voting rights to hold those responsible for succession planning and leadership development accountable. "

The Times

ECONOMY

PM launches new Help to Buy scheme

Prime minister Andy Burnham has launched a new Help to Buy scheme designed to support first-time buyers and stimulate housebuilding. Low-income households will be able to purchase a new build home with a 2.5% deposit and receive a 20% equity loan, initially interest-free. The scheme will impose household-income and property-price caps while developers will contribute to the costs of the scheme by paying a fee “related to property values,” the government said. The announcement comes as new figures show the number of planning approvals for new homes have plunged to a 13-year low.

INTERNATIONAL

'The Profiler' takes aim at the growing scourge of fake job ads

Jay Jones, an unemployed copywriter from the Chicago area who calls himself “The Profiler,” has made it his mission to expose fraudulent job advertisements and recruiter profiles targeting increasingly desperate job seekers. After encountering a fake résumé writer during his own job search following a 2023 layoff, Jones began investigating recruitment scams and says he has since helped remove nearly 60,000 fake jobs and flagged around 7,000 scam profiles, primarily on LinkedIn. The scams range from mass-produced recruiter profiles and AI-tailored job offers to hijacked, verified accounts that impersonate recruiters at legitimate businesses. LinkedIn says its automated systems prevent nearly all scams from reaching users, including blocking close to 90 million fake accounts before they went live in the second half of 2025. However, the company acknowledges that scammers continually adapt to its defences.

Wall Street Journal

Korea reopens military service alternative for AI talent

South Korea will allow AI researchers to fulfil their military service at large corporate labs starting in 2027, reviving a programme that ended in 2013. Four companies – LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Medison and HD Hyundai Robotics – have been recommended to participate in the programme, according to Ministry of Science and ICT data obtained by Rep. Hwang Jung-a of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The initiative aims to retain top talent and strengthen the domestic AI industry. However, strict eligibility rules have left companies seeking fewer places, raising questions about the initiative's reach.

Straits Times

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