Human Times

North American Edition

5th January 2026

THE HOT STORY

Toyota tells Venezuela staff to work from home

Japanese carmaker Toyota has told its employees in Venezuela to work from home following the Trump administration’s removal of President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend. Bloomberg notes that the company’s manufacturing site in Cumana has faced repeated disruptions due to the South American country’s protracted economic crisis. The remote working directive is not affecting sales and production, Toyota said.

Bloomberg

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

EEOC must meet high legal bar to prove DEI policies discriminate

Interviews with more than a dozen corporate legal and compliance experts suggest that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has a high bar to clear to prove companies' diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies violate discrimination law, Reuters reports. New EEOC chair Andrea Lucas told Reuters last month that the agency plans to launch inquiries into corporate DEI practices to find out whether employers made race or sex-based decisions - but former EEOC chair Jenny Yang says it still has to build a case and convince the courts that a company's programs run afoul of the law.

Reuters

WORKFORCE

Holiday returns fuel gig economy boom

A surge in post-holiday returns is creating demand for gig workers and services such as Taskrabbit and ReturnQueen which handle unwanted purchases. Taskrabbit saw a 62% rise in return-related bookings, while ReturnQueen expects a 15%–20% spike in January and February. "I save people time," said ReturnQueen driver Paul Caldeira, who hauls goods from doorsteps to stores. With 17% of holiday purchases expected to be returned - totaling $850bn - companies including College Hunks are eyeing expansion.

Wall Street Journal

LEGAL

Chief justice says Constitution remains ‘firm and unshaken’

In his annual end-of-year message, Chief Justice John Roberts emphasized the U.S. Constitution's enduring strength following a challenging year for the judicial system. His remarks came as the nation awaits significant Supreme Court decisions in 2026, including challenges to President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship and his use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs. Roberts did not directly address concerns about the independence of the judiciary but praised the Constitution for “granting life tenure and salary protection to safeguard the independence of federal judges and ensure their ability to serve as a counter-majoritarian check on the political branches . . . This arrangement, now in place for 236 years, has served the country well.”

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

ACCA scraps remote exams to combat cheating

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants will require candidates to sit exams in person from March to thwart a rise in students cheating when sitting tests remotely. "We’re seeing the sophistication of [cheating] systems outpacing what can be put in, [in] terms of safeguards," Helen Brand, the chief executive of the ACCA, told the Financial Times. The U.K.'s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) warned in 2022 that cheating in professional exams was rife, with an investigation by the accounting regulator finding instances of cheating at Big Four firms – KPMG, PwC, Deloitte and EY – along with Mazars, Grant Thornton and BDO.

PwC's AI training revolutionizes onboarding

PwC has launched a new training program aimed at early-career associates, focusing on integrating artificial intelligence tools into their daily tasks. The program, which began piloting in October, will be fully rolled out by July. Margaret Burke, PwC's firmwide talent acquisition and development leader, said: “We truly believe that the role of the new associate will be changing with AI and that their role will become somewhat elevated.” The training sessions emphasize hands-on experience, collaboration, and critical thinking, preparing associates to adapt to the evolving landscape of their roles. Burke and Krishnan Chandrasekhar, PwC's U.S. tax leader, highlighted the importance of blending technical skills with human judgment and creativity. As AI continues to transform the workplace, PwC said it aims to equip its new hires with the necessary skills to thrive in this changing environment.

Bloomberg Tax

CORPORATE

Few industries immune from bankruptcies

Bankruptcies are rising sharply across the U.S., affecting large corporations, small businesses and households, highlighting mounting financial strain across the economy. Large corporate filings have reached their highest level in 15 years, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, with 717 cases logged through November, surpassing 2024’s total. Unlike past downturns concentrated in specific sectors, insolvencies are now spread widely, an unusual pattern lawyers attribute to higher costs, tighter credit and economic uncertainty. Data from American Bankruptcy Institute shows small-business filings under Subchapter V rose nearly 10% year on year, while individual bankruptcies increased 8% in November. Analysts say bankruptcy is increasingly being used as a necessary tool for businesses and families seeking to manage debt and regain financial stability.

Business Insider

HEALTH & WELLBEING

New York mandates mental health warnings for social media platforms

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a law requiring social media platforms with addictive features, such as infinite scrolling and auto-play, to display mental health warning labels aimed at protecting young users. Hochul said: "Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority . . . from the potential harms of social media features that encourage excessive use." The legislation allows the attorney general to impose civil penalties of up to $5,000 for violations and is indicative of growing concern over social media's impact on children's mental wellbeing.

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

U.K. is the hybrid work capital of Europe

Data from LinkedIn shows four in ten jobs advertised in the U.K. are for hybrid roles, up 2.4% year-on-year. U.K. employers were about 10% to 13% more likely to advertise hybrid roles than companies in other European countries. Janine Chamberlin, the U.K.’s country manager at LinkedIn, said: "The U.K. is leading Europe on hybrid work, more than a third of job adverts now offer hybrid roles, and nearly half of all applications go to them. What our data shows is that this isn’t just about flexibility as a perk. Professionals increasingly see hybrid work as critical to career progression, particularly women and younger workers pursuing leadership roles."

The Times

Increased relocation requests in Israel's tech sector

Israeli technology professionals are increasingly seeking to relocate abroad due to the ongoing conflict with Hamas. The Israel Advanced Technology Industries Association (IATI) warned that the trend could jeopardize the country's innovation capabilities, although many firms still maintain stable operations. IATI CEO Karin Mayer Rubinstein remarked: "Even during the difficult war, the Israeli high-tech industry . . . proved its resilience and its ability to lead in innovation and creativity."

Reuters

Dutch employees embrace office life again

Dutch employees returned to offices in 2025, with an average of 65% of work time spent in the office, up 6.2 percentage points from 2024. Data from mobility platforms Shuttel and Reisbalans show that full-time employees now work 1.2 days more in the office than in 2024. Despite the trend, Fridays remain the least popular commuting day. Reisbalans noted a rise in a “three-day office week” and a significant increase in cycling to work, influenced by government reimbursements. "Cycling rose across all seasons," observed Reisbalans.

NL Times

OTHER

Trump slashes Italian pasta tariffs

Italian pasta has been largely spared from the steep US tariffs that the Trump administration had threatened against 13 producers, averting potential price hikes for American consumers. The Commerce Department had previously accused the companies of "dumping" products at below-market prices and proposed tariffs of up to 91.7%, which would have exceeded the pasta's value. Following cooperation from the Italian firms, the US drastically reduced the rates, with some brands facing as little as 2.3% and others up to 14%.

CNN

Reuters

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