This is a weekly roundup of the latest in HR News.
Some interesting developments have occurred in HR news in the last week. To start, the head of AT&T's Human Resources announced her departure amid massive layoffs. In addition, job growth slowed in July but the economy still seems resilient in the face of inflation and rising rates from the Fed. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is facing hundreds of layoffs and represents a greater problem with colleges and universities in the United States. Finally, Hollywood writers and studios are ready to meet again as the strike continues.
Discover the details:
AT&T HR Chief Leaves
After AT&T announced that it would be eliminating thousands of jobs as part of an $8 billion cost-cutting measure, HR Chief Angela Santone announced she will be leaving the company by the end of September. She is one of only three women in top executive leadership, according to Yahoo! Finance.
Beginning her tenure in late 2019, Santone quickly faced challenges as she led the team's talent management during the pandemic, which included keeping employees engaged during tumultuous times, transitioning people to remote work, etc. In addition, she is credited with making employees see themselves as brand ambassadors, setting up sessions to get feedback from workers, and creating a rewards system that resulted in employees winning immediate cash prizes for achievements.
READ: HR News - More Layoffs at Ford, Qualms at AT&T about RTO Mandates, and More
Fewer Jobs Out There
For a long while, people seemed to think there would always be an endless number of jobs available to them. However, the tide may be turning. The latest Jobs Report showed that the United States added 187,000 jobs in July, the smallest payroll gain since December 2020, according to CNBC. In addition, the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%. Although these results are contrary to the desire to stem inflation, they still point to a resilient economy, say experts.
UW-Oshkosh Layoffs
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that University of Wisconsin Oshkosh plans to cut about 200 non-faculty staff and administrators in response to an $18 million budget shortfall. In the last few years, fewer high school graduates have opted to enroll in college because of the high cost and doubts about return on investment (ROI). At the same time, states have been providing less funding to state school systems like University of Wisconsin. This has caused a storm for many schools. Education experts are warning colleges and universities to adapt their teaching and offerings to respond to skills-based hiring and other workplace trends.
Midwest Winning at RTO
Bloomberg reports that the Midwest is experiencing more people committing to return to office (RTO) mandates. The region's companies reported 60% weekly average peak occupancy, according to Basking.io, a workplace analytics firm, as reported by a number of outlets. This means that twice as many people in the Midwest are returning to the office than in the Northeast.
And by week's end word hit the street that the Hollywood writers and the studios are ready to meet again amid the ongoing strike. Writers are asking for more money and regulations around the use of artificial intelligence in writing and entertainment. Maybe, more about that next week!
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