THE HOT STORY

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.

Los Angeles Times

WORKFORCE

Health care costs expected to rise by over 8% next year

Employer health care costs are forecast to rise by 8.2% per employee next year - the highest increase since 2003 and the fifth year in a row health benefit costs will go up - according to benefits consultancy Mercer, which calculated the increase based on its annual National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans. Among the reasons behind these increases, “Two other recent developments are also driving the current spike in health benefit cost,” Mercer observed. “One is the rapid adoption of AI-enabled software that assets physicians with claims submission and has resulted in more claims, and higher-level claims, being submitted for payment than before the system was in place . . . Another is an unintended consequence of ‘The No Surprises Act,' which was designed to protect patients from big bills when they go to the hospital and see a provider they didn't choose or who is out-of-network.”

Al.com

NJ.com

U.S. air traffic controllers to get 2.8% pay increase

U.S. air traffic controllers are to ‌get a 2.8% pay increase retroactive to January 1 under a deal announced by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). The union had previously been handed a 1% raise; the remainder was contingent on workforce reforms, including the tracking of controllers' time, aligning staffing with demand, ‌and ⁠improving controller reassignments.

FAA

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

LEGAL

Chicago delivery robot companies accused of collecting biometric data

Two Chicago customers have filed proposed class-action lawsuits against Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics, alleging that the companies collected their biometric data without consent. The lawsuits, filed on October 9 in Cook County, claim violations of Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act, which mandates written notice and consent for biometric data collection. The plaintiffs, Mitchell Breidinger and Barry Schain, assert that their facial and hand data was captured by the robots while retrieving food orders. Coco's head of government relations, Carl Hansen, said: “This lawsuit fundamentally misunderstands our technology . . . We have not collected biometric data in Chicago, and thus have never shared it with any third-parties, and are confident that this frivolous lawsuit will go away.”

Chicago Sun Times

Trump lawsuit over New York City ‘sanctuary' laws is tossed

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from the Trump administration aimed at blocking New York City laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. U.S. District Judge Ramon Reyes said the federal government lacked a valid basis to sue, and local governments cannot be compelled to assist in immigration enforcement. “The federal government came to court seeking to force New York City to turn its public servants into deportation agents and divert our resources toward carrying out ICE's cruel agenda,” said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Today, they lost.”

The Hill

STRATEGY

Nike bets big on India expansion

Nike has announced plans to establish a new global campus in Bengaluru, India, as part of chief executive Elliott Hill’s long-term turnaround strategy aimed at strengthening the company’s international presence and tapping into India's growing consumer market. Expected to open within the next few years, the campus will support corporate operations across Nike, Jordan Brand, and Converse. The investment comes amid continued financial pressures, including a 26% decline in Greater China revenue during the fiscal first quarter. Nike is also restructuring its operations, cutting jobs, and implementing supply chain changes intended to generate approximately $2.5bn in savings through fiscal 2031.

CNBC

TECHNOLOGY

Anthropic turns to lawyers to help AI agents strike deals

Anthropic is engaging with legal firms to understand negotiation practices as it develops AI agents capable of independent negotiation. These agents could negotiate prices, resolve disputes, and secure better salaries.

Financial Times

INTERNATIONAL

Saudi Arabia-based employees to work from home after Houthi strikes

Reuters reports that JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank are among global finance firms that are allowing their Saudi Arabia-based employees to work remotely following escalating Houthi strikes in the kingdom. Citi last week said that it was allowing staff to work from home. "The safety of our employees and the families of our employees have always been our top priority," Citi finance chief Gonzalo Luchetti explained. Reuters has previously reported that Saudi Arabia plans to shift its flagship ⁠Future Investment Initiative conference later this month to a hybrid event.

Reuters

Rioting during cost-of-living protests in Italy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned rioting during cost-of-living demonstrations. "Demonstrating is a right, but setting our cities on fire is not," Meloni said. The violence which broke out during the protests left at least four police officers and 20 demonstrators injured in Milan. The unrest comes amid anger over high prices, stagnant real wages and a shortage of affordable housing. The Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) has announced a general strike for November 20.

Deutsche Welle (EN)

Irish public sector unions suspend second day of strike action

Public sector trade unions in Ireland have called off strikes scheduled for Wednesday to begin mediated discussions with government ministers on terms for new pay talks. On Friday, the government said it it would enter a “focused and intensive exercise” with unions representing much of Ireland's ⁠public sector including teachers, health workers and civil servants, assisted by Workplace Relations Commission chair Kevin Foley, in a bid to agree a basis for formal negotiations on a new public sector wage deal. "I believe that there is now a prospect ⁠of progress in the process that has been established. Obviously we will need to see ⁠the government's words backed up in practice," said Kevin Callinan, chair of the ⁠Irish Congress of Trade Unions public services committee.

Irish Times

Reuters

Brazil shortens working week to 40 hours

Brazil's congress has approved a constitutional amendment to limit the working week to a maximum of 40 hours, impacting around 30m workers. The decision marks a political win for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of the presidential runoff. The change will eliminate six-day workweeks and is expected to primarily benefit low-paid workers in sectors including retail and hospitality. Lula celebrated the amendment, underscoring its importance for family time and personal well-being.

The Guardian

The Human Times is designed to help you stay ahead, spark ideas and support innovation, learning and development in your organisation.

The links under articles indicate original news sources. Some links lead directly to the source material. Others lead to paywalls where you may need a subscription. A third category are restricted by copyright rules.

For reaction and insights on any stories covered in the Human Times, join the discussion by becoming a member of our LinkedIn Group or Business Page, or follow us on X.