Sony Pictures Networks India Reduces Workforce by Over 100 Employees Amid Restructuring
Sony Pictures Networks India has reduced its employee headcount by more than 100 as part of an ongoing restructuring exercise, reflecting mounting cost pressures within India’s broadcasting sector amid a subdued advertising market. Industry sources indicate that the workforce reduction spans multiple functions and teams and forms part of a broader...
Draft Income-Tax Rules 2026 Propose Higher Tax-Free Meal Benefits, Revised Valuation for Company Car Perks
The Indian government’s draft Income-Tax Rules, 2026 propose changes that could impact salaried employees by increasing tax-free allowances on meal benefits while raising the taxable value of certain company-provided perks. Higher Tax-Free Limit on Meal Vouchers Under the draft proposal, the tax-exempt limit for meal vouchers and subsidised office meals may increase...
India’s Unemployment Rate Climbs to 5% in January 2026, Driven by Rural Slowdown: PLFS Data
India’s unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 years and above increased to 5 per cent in January 2026, up from 4.8 per cent in December 2025, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the National Statistics Office (NSO). The rise in unemployment was observed in both...
Spotify to Reduce Global Workforce by 17% Amid Organisational Restructuring
Spotify is preparing to cut approximately 17 per cent of its global workforce, a move expected to affect at least 1,500 employees. The decision represents one of the company’s largest rounds of job reductions and comes amid a broader wave of restructuring across the technology sector. In an internal communication to...
Infosys Announces Average 85% Performance Bonus for Q3 FY2025-26, Revises Work Model
Infosys has announced an average performance bonus payout of 85 per cent for the quarter ending December (Q3 FY2025-26), marking one of its strongest bonus distributions in recent quarters. The company confirmed that the payout will be credited along with employees’ February salaries. According to company sources, eligible employees have received...
Saudi Arabia Arrests 21,000 in One Week in Crackdown on Residency and Labour Violations
Saudi authorities have intensified enforcement of residency and labour regulations, arresting more than 21,000 people in a single week as part of a nationwide inspection drive. The campaign, carried out across multiple regions, targeted construction sites, residential areas and transportation hubs to identify violations related to work permits and sponsorship...
Google Employees Petition Leadership Over Government Contracts and AI Use
More than 1,000 employees at Google have signed an internal petition urging the company to reconsider its work with U.S. immigration enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The petition raises concerns about how the company’s cloud and artificial intelligence technologies may be...
Apple Expands India Retail Plans as Hiring Signals New Store in Hyderabad
Apple appears to be preparing for another phase of retail expansion in India, with Hyderabad emerging as the likely location for its next physical store. Recent job postings on the company’s careers portal list Hyderabad-based openings for roles such as Store Leader, Senior Manager, and Genius—positions typically associated with the...
Thales Plans 9,000 Global Hires in 2026, Including 450 Roles in India
Thales, a multinational operating across defence, aerospace, and digital security technologies, has announced plans to expand its global workforce by 9,000 employees in 2026. Of these new positions, approximately 450 roles will be based in India, reflecting the country’s growing importance within the company’s engineering and innovation network. The planned recruitment...
Target to let go 500 employees across offices in the US
Target has announced plans to eliminate about 500 positions across its regional offices and distribution facilities in the United States, part of a broader restructuring aimed at strengthening store operations and improving customer experience. Company executives said the move would allow resources to be redirected toward frontline staffing, additional labour...
Barclays Reportedly Cuts London Advertising Roles, Shifts Copywriting Work to India
Barclays is reportedly reducing the size of its advertising team in London, with around 50 roles expected to be eliminated as part of a broader effort to manage costs. According to reports, the bank plans to replace these positions with copywriters based in India, where operational expenses are comparatively lower. The...
Telstra Cuts 209 Roles in Data and AI Venture, Shifts Work to India
Telstra is set to eliminate 209 positions from its data and artificial intelligence joint venture valued at about $700 million, with part of the affected work expected to be transferred to India. The restructuring forms part of a broader strategy to accelerate AI adoption, reduce operational costs, and draw on...
Dell Revamps Sales Compensation Model, Increasing Performance Pressure and Rewards
Dell Technologies has introduced a significant overhaul of its sales compensation structure, shifting toward a more performance-linked framework that raises both earning potential and financial risk for employees. The revised plan, outlined to staff during an internal town hall earlier this month, changes how commissions are calculated and how frequently...
UBS Plans Swiss Job Cuts While Expanding Technology Hiring in India
UBS is preparing for a significant workforce reorganisation as it continues integrating Credit Suisse following the government-backed rescue completed in 2023. The bank is expected to reduce around 3,000 roles in Switzerland later this year while creating a similar number of new positions in India, signalling a strategic shift in...
Wipro to Resume Salary Increments from March 2026 After Year Long Pause
Wipro is preparing to reinstate employee salary increments beginning 1 March 2026, ending a delay that has lasted for more than a year. The company last implemented pay revisions in September 2024 before placing further increases on hold amid a difficult business environment for the global technology sector. The decision to...
Google Offers Voluntary Exit Packages to Select Teams Amid AI-Led Restructuring
Google has introduced voluntary exit packages for employees in certain parts of its global business organisation, signalling another workforce adjustment as the technology sector continues to recalibrate amid shifting priorities and ongoing job reductions. The initiative enables eligible staff to leave with severance benefits rather than face the possibility of...
Amazon Layoffs in India Reportedly Affect Hundreds as Company Restructures for Long-Term Priorities
Recent global workforce reductions at Amazon have drawn renewed attention to the company’s operations in India, where media reports indicate that at least 500 employees may have been affected, with the number potentially rising to around 700. The reductions are said to be concentrated in technology and human resources functions,...
Oracle Reportedly Weighs Major Job Cuts as It Funds Large-Scale AI Infrastructure Expansion
Oracle is reportedly considering what could become the largest workforce reduction in its history, with media reports suggesting that between 20,000 and 30,000 jobs worldwide may be at risk. The potential layoffs come as the company accelerates investment in artificial-intelligence data-centre infrastructure tied to major cloud and AI partnerships, including...
OpenAI Refocuses on ChatGPT Development as Competition Intensifies, Senior Researchers Depart
OpenAI is undergoing a significant strategic realignment as competition in the artificial intelligence sector accelerates. The company—reported to be valued at around $500 billion—is shifting resources away from long-term experimental research toward the development and enhancement of the large language models that power its flagship product, ChatGPT, according to media...
Washington Post Announces Major Layoffs Affecting More Than 300 Employees
The Washington Post has announced plans to reduce its workforce significantly, a move that is expected to affect more than 300 employees and substantially scale back coverage across several editorial areas, including sports, local reporting and international news. The decision, disclosed on 4 February 2026, is part of a broader...
Cognizant Plans Up to 25,000 Fresher Hires in 2026 as AI Boosts Productivity and Delivery Capacity
Cognizant Technology Solutions is reportedly preparing to hire between 24,000 and 25,000 fresh graduates in 2026, representing an increase of about 20 percent compared with the roughly 20,000 campus recruits brought on board in 2025. The planned expansion signals a continued focus on entry-level talent as the company integrates artificial...
Union Budget 2026–27: Key Implications for HR, Employers and Employees
On 1 February 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2026–27, describing it as a “Yuva Shakti” budget with a strong focus on employment, skilling and workforce development. The government allocated ₹32,666 crore to the Labour Ministry, ₹9,886 crore for skill development—marking a 62 percent increase—and ₹20,083...
Maersk Announces 1,000 Corporate Job Cuts Amid Falling Freight Rates and Trade Uncertainty
Global shipping major Maersk has announced plans to reduce its corporate workforce by around 1,000 roles worldwide, citing continued pressure from declining freight rates and persistent instability in global trade conditions. The move represents roughly 15% of the company’s corporate positions but accounts for less than 1% of Maersk’s overall...
Karnataka Education Department Formalises Menstrual Leave for Women Employees
The Karnataka Education Department has issued a circular formalising menstrual leave for women government employees, reinforcing the state’s broader workplace well-being initiatives. The directive was released on Thursday, 29 January, and signed by the Commissioner of the School Education Department. The move follows a government order issued in November 2025, which...
Mastercard to Reduce 4% of Global Workforce Following Strategic Review
Payments company Mastercard has announced plans to reduce its global workforce as part of a strategic review of its operations, marking another round of restructuring in the financial services sector. The company expects to cut roughly 4 per cent of its full-time employees worldwide, according to statements made during its...
