AGP Executive Report

Workplace AI & HR transformation: KPMG’s HR leader says workforce transformation is accelerating, with AI moving routine requests to agents and AI embedded across HR and audit work—while SHRM reports most CHROs expect deeper AI integration this year. Compliance & ethics pressure: KPMG’s 2026 CCO survey finds operational resilience is now central, with cybersecurity, privacy, and data analytics driving new investment. Hiring and job security backlash: Research shows “AI boomerang” layoffs are being reversed—55% of employers who cut jobs for AI now regret it and are restaffing at higher cost. Immigration policy risk for employers: The Trump administration proposes ending the 60-day H-1B grace period after job loss, potentially forcing faster departures and disrupting staffing plans. Payroll and HR operations: Dayton Public Schools says payroll issues are resolved after switching pay schedules, but hourly staff frustration remains a board concern. Workplace culture wins: Sunway Group earns Great Place To Work certification again, citing improved “welcome” experiences for staff. Career access: Wayne County and United Way plan a Career and Community Engagement Fair to connect residents to jobs and volunteer roles.

AI & Jobs: New analysis finds AI’s impact is uneven across occupations, with early-career demand more supported by “augmentation” than reduced by “automation,” even as unions push for protections and a stronger worker voice in how AI is deployed. HR Tech & M&A: HR Path is buying tts digital HR experts to expand SAP SuccessFactors consulting, while Cegid and Silae plan a €10bn merger to combine payroll and HR tech with broader finance software. Workplace Policy: Victoria’s landmark two-day-a-week WFH right is being watered down and delayed, and RTO mandates are criticized for backfiring—Pinterest is cited for using flexible hybrid attendance data instead of forcing desks. Hiring & Skills: Maharashtra urges continuous upskilling as tech reshapes work, and the UK’s “Opening Shift” retail placement scheme targets youth unemployment with paid work experience. Leadership Moves: Sony Pictures Networks India appoints Amit Mehta as CHRO, and Workday’s CFO sells shares tied to vesting. Compliance & Risk: EU AI rules are expanding responsibility beyond tech teams into procurement, HR, and operations, while Michigan warns of unemployment scam calls demanding fees. People & Care: Singapore details childcare leave enhancements timing for early 2027 and studies show loss-to-follow-up remains a major issue in outpatient care.

Equal Pay Fight: UK retailer Next won an appeal to keep paying warehouse workers a higher basic rate than store staff in its long-running equal pay case, though night-time, overtime and rest-break issues weren’t overturned. Employee Experience: A new take on HR’s “connected journey” argues onboarding, performance and recognition should feel like one continuous experience, not separate systems. Budget & Staffing Pressure: Houston County commissioners reviewed 2027 budgets and flagged a staffing bottleneck at the License Center that affects public service hours. Hiring & Compliance: Georgia prosecutors indicted two women over alleged Medicaid fraud after caregivers with criminal backgrounds were hired/approved for patient-access roles. Workplace Rights: A proposed nationwide class action accuses Amazon of discriminating against pregnant warehouse workers after accommodation requests and pregnancy leave. Talent & Training: BENEFIT wrapped its Masar fintech internship program, while a caregiver-support pilot links employers with resources for working caregivers. AI in HR: Adobe added AI features to Acrobat to turn documents into interactive reports and summaries for teams. Emerging Jobs: China recognized 11 new occupations, including embodied-intelligence robot technician, signaling new workforce needs.

AI & Work Redesign: IBM’s Nisha Gopinath says the real test of AI adoption is whether leaders and teams redesign work—not just use tools—and only a minority of employees have the AI literacy enterprises need. HR Measurement & Engagement: A new Interact/Ragan study finds 62% of communicators link engagement to employee action, but only 8% connect internal comms data to what employees actually do, widening the “action-to-decision” gap. Workplace Wellbeing That’s Real: Commentary argues benefits often miss the mark when support isn’t tied to everyday work design, manager capability, and ongoing human check-ins. Higher Ed Hiring: A report highlights the rise of in-house executive search in universities to cut high retained-search fees and protect internal talent pipelines. Talent & Skills Systems: Singapore and South Korea exchange ideas on performance management, digital personnel systems, and AI in public administration. EV & Skills Partnerships: Anurag University and KETO Motors sign an MoU to build EV tech collaboration and skill development. People Leadership Moves: KFC Thailand appoints Michael Sirikul as Head of People & Culture; L’Oréal Indonesia names Fathimah Zahra Achmad as Chief Human Relations Officer. Labor Market Signals: Gartner notes modest job-market movement as employee confidence improves, with manager quality and work-life balance driving attrition.

OFCCP Disability Rules: The agency finalized changes to federal contractor obligations for people with disabilities, including ending the voluntary disability self-identification requirement, with most updates taking effect Sept. 21, 2026—HR teams should adjust compliance steps now. AI + HR Work Design: A new session urges HR leaders to move from using AI for tasks to redesigning recurring workflows, using a “Maker/Checker/Verifier/Connector” approach for safer onboarding and decision-making. Workplace Pay & Timekeeping: An HR perspective warns that pay-market reviews often start too late—after resignations—while another legal explainer notes employees may still pursue unpaid wage claims even when time records undercount hours. Hiring, Training & Career Growth: Kuwait requires written exams for promotion in specialized cooperative oversight roles; SUNY JCC expands fall professional development with HR fundamentals and supervisor training; Optimism Place launches manager-focused training on intimate partner violence at work. Corporate HR Moves: Concentrix buys CastleHill to expand governance, risk and compliance (including AI governance) capabilities. Health Workforce: India highlights medical education and workforce expansion to improve equitable access to specialized care.

Saudi Labor Rules: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources says employers must notify job applicants of interview results (accepted or rejected) within 30 days, or face violations and reporting through its app. Workplace Pay Planning: Florida’s minimum wage for non-tipped workers rises to $15/hour on Sept. 30, 2026, with tipped cash wages also increasing—forcing HR and payroll teams to update schedules fast. Hiring Outlook: Taiwan’s Q4 hiring outlook improved to a 26% net index (seasonally adjusted), led by the information sector during the AI boom. HR Compliance Tools: India’s HRMS Software launched a free compliance toolkit with state-wise calculators for payroll, PF, ESI, gratuity, professional tax, and minimum wage. People Ops in Action: Changzhou Xingyu in China disciplined HR leadership and managers after errors in job transfers and layoffs, while local authorities organized recruitment fairs for affected graduates. Career Stories: A Toronto senior manager details how a layoff reshaped her salary and career pivot, underscoring how HR decisions can change workers’ financial outlook.

Workplace Compliance: Saudi Arabia’s HR rules now require employers to notify job applicants of interview results within 30 days, and the Ministry of Human Resources says failure to do so is a violation. Public-Sector Hiring: Kuwait is terminating 7,019 teachers to cut about KD 42 million in costs, using seniority-based selection while continuing recruitment in shortage subjects. HR Ethics & Accountability: Namibia’s PM urged public-service HR teams to professionalize hiring with transparency and merit, warning against favoritism and “applications stuck in corridors.” Labor & Benefits Pressure: U.S. small businesses are dropping health coverage as costs rise, while a West Virginia childcare bill is showing early impact but still needs more employer and provider support. AI in Hiring: Reports say the U.S. government plans to use AI virtual agents in parts of interviewing and hiring, raising new HR governance questions. Workforce Planning: Sharjah approved part-time work for 1,000 senior citizens and salary/social-support increases for thousands of government employees and retirees. Labor Action Risk: Boeing engineers voted to reject contract offers and authorize a strike that could disrupt 737 MAX production. Education Leadership: A Cambridge professor won an employment tribunal after alleging misogynistic bullying of female staff.

Recruitment & Hiring: Samsung Group kicks off 2nd-half 2026 open recruitment across 19 affiliates, using GSAT (or role-specific tests) and interviews, with applications via Samsung Careers through Sept. 15. Workplace Compliance & Pay: The EU Pay Transparency Directive is exposing payroll “fragility” for multinationals still scrambling to meet transposition and reporting demands. HR Tech & Consistency: Connecticut employment lawyers launch COMP, an AI app to help restaurant managers document incidents and apply policies more consistently. Labor Market Pressure: A commentary on China’s Gen Z highlights how abrupt rescinded offers can trigger global scrutiny of labor practices through major client supply chains. Absenteeism Costs: A MICE industry report finds work absenteeism up sharply since 2022, with longer average absences driving a €2.339B 2025 bill. Employee Voice & Ownership: A Labor Day story spotlights an ESOP model where workers build retirement wealth through ownership. UAE Job Access: The UAE introduces a jobseeker visit visa plus seven official government portals to search for work without a sponsor. Leadership & Trust: A piece argues strategy fails in execution when employees don’t trust leaders enough to commit. Workforce Wellbeing: A film trailer puts toxic corporate culture and HR wellbeing under the spotlight, mirroring real workplace risks.

AI Hiring Integrity: Employers are racing to spot AI-driven candidate fraud, from resume edits to fake identities and interview assistants, while recruiters say job seekers are getting better at gaming the system. Hiring Speed vs Start Dates: Companies are moving faster to make offers, but notice periods still delay starts by about a month, creating a bottleneck between “yes” and day one. Workplace Conduct & HR: A viral case claims a woman contacted a company HR director after overhearing men mock her as “emotional,” spotlighting how workplace bias can follow people into careers. Labor Negotiations: Imperial city management talks hit a stalemate over a proposed city manager compensation package, with Teamsters pushing for stability and fairness. Layoffs & Restructuring: Amentum plans layoffs after losing an Intel contract; Essendant will cut jobs and close a Phoenix facility; SMBC Manubank will shut JeniusBank and lay off remote staff. Leadership Hiring Trends: India’s GCCs are turning to fractional CXOs and slowing full-time senior hiring as talent for specialized roles stays scarce.

Workplace Reshaping: Uber plans to cut about 10% of jobs (around 3,300 roles) to flatten management layers, shifting resources toward robotaxis—another reminder that HR teams should expect more restructuring and role redesign. HR Risk & Compliance: HumanEdge, Inc. is facing a data-breach investigation after Social Security numbers may have been exposed, raising fresh concerns for staffing firms and HR tech vendors about security and notification practices. Labor Relations: Bank unions in India are moving ahead with a Sept. 11 strike after talks failed, with disputes tied to five-day banking and changes to performance-linked incentives. Career & Hiring Signals: A Singapore jobseeker says a short three-month stint keeps getting questioned in interviews—highlighting how probation-era exits can follow candidates. Performance Management: A practical guide on performance reviews stresses goal alignment, continuous feedback, and specific, actionable coaching. Education & Talent Pipelines: The World Bank approved $3.5M for Jordan’s digital transformation of public schools, including readiness assessments and device/connectivity pilots.

Education Funding & HR Talent Pipeline: Malaysia’s Sungai Buloh MP R. Ramanan says RM500,000+ was allocated for local education support, including early higher-education aid for 308 students, aiming to remove financial barriers to study. Workplace Wellbeing: New research links childcare stress to burnout, with working parents reporting major mental-health strain and employers facing absenteeism, reduced hours, and turnover costs. Digital HR & Compliance: Qatar’s experts are pushing for a unified electronic sick-leave platform to cut fraud risk and streamline HR administration, noting some systems already send certificates directly into HR tools. Hiring & Global Expansion: A report on India’s hiring shows 77% of firms plan to increase global hiring and are willing to pay more for specialized talent, using global access as a growth strategy. HR Tech Reality Check: A piece warns that AI in HR is shifting from adoption to trust—if HR systems can’t produce reliable workforce data, AI outputs can look confident but be wrong. Skills Development Programs: Indonesia opened registration for the fifth batch of national vocational training, targeting job seekers, laid-off workers, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Workplace Automation Debate: Coverage highlights how AI-driven HR processes can create new friction for employees and job seekers, raising questions about keeping humans in charge.

AI & Jobs Policy: Bill Gates warns AI could permanently erase jobs and urges governments to prepare for major labor disruption. Workplace Tech Regulation: California’s SB 947 would require human review and limit sole reliance on automated systems for discipline and termination decisions. HR Leadership Shift: Global CHROs say the people function has changed forever, with HR expected to connect people, process, and technology. Severance Compliance: New York lawmakers advance the No Severance Ultimatums Act, adding OWBPA-like protections for severance claim waivers. Pay & Bargaining: A four-year wage settlement boosts NCPA employees’ pay and bonuses after a BJP-backed union secured certified status. Labor Rights & Risk: Historic England faces an employment tribunal ruling tied to training/support and a breakdown in team working relationships. Workforce Wellbeing: Spain’s Ceuta response includes psychological support and added staffing for healthcare professionals after the migration crisis. Skills & Productivity: Cambodia’s Skills Development Fund links SEZ employers with training partners to build job-ready skills. Education & Staffing: Vietnam’s new school year pushes management and teaching reforms, including multi-level boarding schools.

AI Hiring in Government: The federal government is set to use AI in interviews for some Tech Force roles, with CodeSignal used for screening and OPM urging human oversight for key decisions. Workplace Health Costs: Employers are bracing for steep 2027 benefit hikes—about 8.2% on average—while a new high-priced pancreatic cancer drug could add pressure on HR budgets. Labor Market Signal: August job gains beat expectations (162,000 added) and labor force participation rose, offering cautious optimism for hiring. Retention Analytics: A new HR guide argues predictive analytics can improve retention, but only if leaders explain data use, manage bias risk, and treat predictions as estimates. Union Pressure in Healthcare: Logan Health primary care providers voted no confidence in leadership after months of bargaining, citing transparency, scheduling decisions, and morale impacts. Public-Sector HR Fallout: Echo Glen juvenile detention laid off about 11% of staff amid high turnover and prior safety issues, spotlighting staffing models and retention risk. Compliance & AI Transparency: Anthropic says it added watermarks to Claude output to meet the EU AI Act deadline, a reminder for HR and marketing teams about new AI rules.

WFH Backlash and Office Culture: A UK CIPD survey finds only 10% of workers want zero remote work, even as managers push for “visible” presence—highlighting how return-to-office pressure can stall training and early-career growth. HR Performance Systems: Qatar’s civil service ran a virtual workshop to prep 2026 “Performance” cycle forms, focusing on data accuracy, evaluation rules, and fixing missing or incomplete forms. Workplace Change Readiness: A global People/HR study reports 87% of organizations aren’t ready for major change, with productivity drops more common when preparation is thin. Job Cuts and Restructuring: Volkswagen’s “Future Plan 2030” targets ~50,000 workforce reductions (including management) alongside major portfolio streamlining; Uber also plans large cuts to flatten layers. AI in HR and Payroll: Southeast Asia leaders stress AI should augment human judgment, not replace it, while identity/credential governance for AI agents is becoming a new HR and security priority. Employee Rewards Shift: SureGifts in Nigeria is pitching more personalized, tech-driven rewards beyond one-size vouchers. Talent and Mobility: Hyundai Capital expands global staff exchanges to build local risk and product know-how. Legal/HR Risk: UNC football GM Michael Lombardi resigned amid an ongoing investigation tied to HR-related complaints; a separate case alleges a school board failed to protect a student after repeated misconduct complaints. Nepal Rescue (HR angle): Rescuers pulled workers alive from a hydropower tunnel after flash floods, with ongoing efforts to track and support families of missing workers.

Workplace Law & Risk: A New York-focused explainer draws a clear line between retaliation and legitimate performance management, warning HR teams to tie discipline to documented, job-related issues. AI in Hiring: A new webinar roundup says AI governance can’t be a one-time compliance task—employers need human oversight, documentation, monitoring, and reassessment as tools move from admin tasks into decisions about people. HR Tech Costs: A Rippling alternatives guide targets mid-market buyers frustrated by bundled HR/IT/finance pricing that charges for modules they don’t use. Labor & Unions: Malaysia’s trade union regulator wins in court, with the ruling affirming the DG’s statutory powers to decide eligibility for union office. Public-Sector HR: Sri Lanka’s Police Day remarks point to a promotion scheme, risk allowances, infrastructure upgrades, and recruiting more human resources. Hiring & Pay: Uber plans major layoffs to flatten management layers, while Norristown advances a new police contract framework with pay raises and scheduling changes. Benefits & Wellbeing: A Sarnia-Lambton survey seeks real data on burnout in healthcare and social services, aiming to publish mitigation strategies. Global Work Permits: Saudi Arabia sets a 90-day employer deadline to issue work permits after a worker’s arrival.

Workplace AI & hiring design: A new study of 4,192 U.S. job postings found only 4.2% of roles in the most AI-exposed occupations ask for AI skills, suggesting employers are talking AI more than hiring for it. HR tech expectations: Research from HireRight and others shows many candidates still want human-led support after applying and before interviews, with onboarding also leaning human. Big Tech layoffs & management layers: Uber says it’s cutting about 3,300 jobs (10%) to flatten hierarchy and speed decisions, with cuts focused on management and coordination roles. Public-sector AI training: Turkey will require basic AI literacy training for all civil servants, with HR tracking completion and performance. Youth jobs push: South Korea’s top employers and the labor ministry agreed to expand youth hiring and internships, aiming to boost corporate recruitment capacity. Compliance & foreign-worker rules: Vietnam’s Decree 283/2026 updates penalties for foreign-worker violations, tightening rules around notifications and assignment mismatches. Health workforce strain: New Zealand’s Health New Zealand leadership is facing criticism from its workforce over alignment, raising concerns about how care delivery and staffing are being managed.