AGP Executive Report

Workplace Conduct Fallout: A Texas school administrator was fired after a viral graduation video showed xenophobic texts urging ICE to “raid” the event, reigniting pressure on boards to tighten staff conduct rules. AI Upskilling Push: EY and Microsoft launched a $1B, five-year effort to help clients deploy agentic AI across HR and other core operations, with EY acting as “Client Zero.” HR Tech Recognition: HiBob won ISG’s 2026 HRMS Vendor of Excellence and was named Best HR Management Software in the UK by London Loves Tech. Hiring & Skills: Ingalls Shipbuilding will hold an on-site skilled trades hiring event June 6, while MiCareerQuest brought 1,200 students to try 130 careers hands-on. Labor Market Signals: Jacksonville’s metro unemployment ticked up to 4.8% in April as jobs fell year-over-year, with financial activities hit hardest. Global HR Context: Vietnam approved an atomic-energy HR development plan to train state and R&D staff by 2030.

Workforce Turnover: Stockton’s HR director Rosemary Rivas is leaving for Elk Grove, continuing a run of top-city departures; Deputy HR Alecia Figueroa will lead the department in the meantime. Employee Experience Watch: A UK survey finds only 60% of employees rate their overall experience “good” or “excellent,” lagging peers and raising questions for HR leaders. AI and Jobs: A China court ordered compensation after a worker was sacked and replaced with AI, adding fuel to the debate over legal protections for AI-driven displacement. Pay and Compliance: India’s Labour Code changes are pushing take-home-pay concerns to the front, with companies running scenario planning around the new “wage” definition and PF calculations. HR Under Pressure: UK commentary and cases like Bolt’s firing of its entire HR team keep spotlighting whether HR is helping employees—or just adding cost and friction. Health Sector Context: Nepal’s health priorities are being reframed amid funding strain and shifting political and digital forces.

Philippines Impeachment Watch: House prosecutors for VP Sara Duterte say they’re holding off naming private lawyers until the final list is set, while a prosecution spokesperson insists the trial will focus on evidence—not “political theater”—as the Senate impeachment court reportedly targets an early-July start. Senate Reorg: After May 11 leadership changes, 22 of 41 Senate committees still sit vacant, with new chairs taking over roles across accountability, education, energy, and more. U.S. School Board Shake-up: Peoria Unified School District ousted board president Heather Rooks in a 3-2 vote, replacing her with Jeff Tobey amid controversy over the Centennial High misconduct case. Workplace & HR Signals: A U.S. study finds most firms publicly back inclusion, but employees report gaps between messaging and real changes; meanwhile, Dayforce warns frontline operations are nearing a breaking point as manual workarounds and last-minute fixes rise. Global Talent Pipeline: India’s tech layoffs may hit later than the West, with GCCs expected to add about 4.5 lakh jobs this year.

AI Layoffs Backlash: Meta’s latest layoff email is unusually blunt, tying a 10% headcount cut directly to funding priorities for AI investments—an approach that HR leaders say reflects a tougher labor market for workers. Banking Restructuring: Standard Chartered’s CEO is now walking back comments that AI will replace “lower-value human capital,” insisting the cuts reflect changing work, not the value of staff. Public-Sector Job Cuts: New analysis of New Zealand’s public service cull says nearly one in four workers in affected agencies could lose jobs, shifting the focus from headline numbers to human impact. Governance & HR Power Shifts: Philippines Senate committee leadership is still in flux after the May 11 presidency change, with many committees left vacant as chairs are reorganized. R&D Talent Pressure: India’s R&D spend remains low versus peers, and a Niti Aayog panel warns grant competition and process bottlenecks are undermining effective talent and funding use.

AI-driven layoffs hit Meta: Meta has started notifying thousands of employees as it cuts about 8,000 roles (around 10% of staff) to fund its AI push, with HR telling workers to work from home during the transition. Workplace safety gap: A new harassment report finds a stubborn mismatch between company promises and what employees feel day-to-day—especially among younger staff—raising the risk of underreporting and turnover. Public sector cost pressure: Governments are being urged to “work smarter” with integrated cost management and AI/automation, not just short-term budget cuts. Hybrid work planning: Traverse Connect is hosting an economic strategy session focused on remote, hybrid and in-person work. HR hiring spotlight: Tennessee’s Bureau of Investigation is advertising a Data Analytics Specialist role tied to Medicaid fraud detection. People ops in the spotlight: Bolt’s CEO says he fired the entire HR team as part of layoffs, replacing it with a smaller people-operations function.

Mass Layoffs, HR Shockwaves: Meta has started sending layoff emails to about 10% of its workforce, in waves at 4 a.m. May 20, targeting roughly 8,000 roles; the company says severance includes 16 weeks base pay plus 2 weeks per year of tenure, and 18 months of healthcare for affected employees and families. Workplace Governance Under Pressure: In Florida, CAIR’s fight against DeSantis’ “terrorist” designation heads into the courts, while in the Philippines the impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte continues even if her camp skips—prosecutor Luistro warns the senator-judges may lean on unrebutted prosecution material. Talent & Compliance Trends: YouGov research for HireRight finds UK HR leaders are far more cautious about AI in hiring than faster-moving markets. Local Workforce Reality: Baldwin Wallace University is cutting 10 faculty positions and sunsetting dozens of programs as it pursues “financial sustainability.” HR in Action Elsewhere: Nepal Police unveiled a 2026–28 strategy focused on innovation, integrity, and citizen-centered service.

AI & Benefits Accuracy: New Nayya research says 90% of employees already use general AI for health and benefits questions—and when it gets it wrong, workers pay: more than 1 in 4 of those who followed incorrect advice faced unexpected out-of-pocket costs, with some losses topping $2,500. Workforce Restructuring: Standard Chartered says it will cut about 7,800 support and back-office roles by 2030 as it accelerates AI and automation, framing it as replacing “lower-value human capital.” HR Tech Funding & Frontline Ops: Blink raised $17m and teamed up with Shake Shack to build a hospitality “super-app” for shift swaps, payslips, and AI-driven feedback signals. Policy Pressure on Hiring: Hungary’s planned guest-worker ban is drawing pushback from HR and business groups warning it could disrupt production and jobs. Leadership & Talent Pipelines: Rocksteady Promotions launched a Philadelphia-focused Summer Leadership Acceleration Program, while Computacenter highlights a new-grads sales launchpad model.

Public Sector Reshuffle: New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis says nearly 9,000 public service roles will be cut over three years, with the core service shrinking toward about 55,000 staff via agency mergers, budget caps, and more AI use—framing it as $2.4bn in savings to fund health, schools, infrastructure, and policing. Workplace Tech & AI Anxiety: A UK study finds widespread fear that AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates, while Canada’s security teams are already using AI to speed investigations—so HR’s challenge is balancing efficiency with privacy, ethics, and human oversight. Performance Management Pressure: Reports say TCS managers were told to “critically review” staff to hit a 5% lowest rating band, reviving layoff concerns after prior cuts. Talent Pipeline Moves: Singapore launches a S$2.6m early-career mentorship programme for aviation workers and a new AI-in-finance undergrad programme with 1,000+ internships/traineeships. Governance & Compliance: Michigan’s new tax system sent incorrect notices to ~27,000 people, a reminder that HR and compliance teams still get judged on operational accuracy.

UAE Wage Crackdown: From June 1, the UAE ends a 15-day grace period for private-sector salary payments, making the due date and deadline effectively the same day and raising penalties for late pay. HR Compliance Watch: The rule also tightens Wage Protection System oversight, requiring firms to submit proof of payment and meet a compliance threshold (paying at least 85% of wages due by the deadline). Succession Pressure: New reporting highlights how succession planning is still too narrow—only a fifth of organizations have formal plans—while retirements and faster role change expose weak bench strength. AI at Work: Coverage continues to frame AI as a workforce disruptor, with domain-specific AI emerging as the differentiator for HR and workforce management systems. Legal & Governance: Shareholder-rights law firms are probing whether boards breached duties in high-profile deal processes, keeping corporate governance and HR-adjacent leadership accountability in focus.

STI Funding Push: South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation announced a R10.4bn budget for 2026/27, aiming to expand research, skills and innovation capacity over the next three years. AI and Work: Recruit Holdings’ shares surged after it forecast stronger growth, betting that AI can improve job matching even as hiring stays soft; meanwhile, Redefine warned AI could automate more than a third of South Africa’s BPO work in under five years. Hiring Caution in the UK: New UK surveys show employers leaning hard into cost control, with inflation expected to erode pay and recruitment slowing as the Iran war and political uncertainty bite. Talent Leadership Moves: Tata Motors PV named Sitaram Kandi as CHRO, with Anjali Byce stepping down. Health and HR Adjacent: A study suggests AI retinal scans could flag osteoporosis risk earlier, potentially shifting how prevention and screening are planned. Workplace Conversations: A piece on “tough career conversations” argues feedback isn’t enough without deeper talks about direction, readiness and ambition.

AI Hiring Push: HeroHire launched an autonomous AI recruiter aimed at “the messy middle,” promising voice-led intake, screening across 800M+ profiles, and a shortlist of about five pre-qualified candidates in days—positioning itself as an alternative to job boards and ATS workflows. Corporate Restructuring: Starbucks confirmed it will cut about 300 corporate jobs and close multiple U.S. regional offices, with impacts focused on support functions like marketing, HR, and supply chain. Workforce Health & Skills: Malaysia’s Socso reported high health risk among screened workers (59.2% overweight/obese; 19% diabetes), while Malaysia also unveiled PACE with RM100m for capability and employability. Policy & Inclusion: Kenya’s Gachagua proposed formal diaspora seats across national and county governance, arguing for a meritocracy reset. HR Risk Watch: NPR co-creator Ramtin Arablouei quietly departed after a workplace conduct probe, underscoring ongoing scrutiny of workplace behavior and internal investigations.

Workforce & HR Restructuring: Starbucks says it will lay off 300 corporate employees and close underused U.S. offices (including Atlanta, Dallas and Chicago), with the cuts hitting support functions like HR and supply chain; the company expects $400M in restructuring charges, including $120M in separation benefits. Public Sector Leadership: Uvalde’s school board split over officers, electing Jesse Rizo as president while Jaclyn Gonzales takes vice president—another reminder that governance churn can quickly reshape education priorities. Skills & Employability Push: Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources will launch PACE, a RM100M initiative aimed at capability building and employability through HRD Corp. Talent & Hiring Fraud Alert: A New Yorker reports losing about $20,000 after a fake recruiter text lured her into “funding” ads with her own money. Health Policy & Care Demand: New Medicaid spending snapshots across U.S. cities show rising claims in areas like alcohol and drug abuse treatment, underscoring growing service pressure on local systems.

Workplace & HR policy: A UK survey finds 1 in 6 workers signed an NDA/waiver after a workplace injury (rising to 34% for ages 18–24), reigniting calls to stop “gagging” clauses from blocking serious reporting. Corporate restructuring: Starbucks plans to lay off 300 U.S. corporate workers and close regional offices, with no impact to baristas, as it pushes a simpler structure. Immigration & employment rights: DACA renewals are reportedly delayed sharply, putting work permits at risk for hundreds of thousands and threatening medical training timelines. Healthcare workforce pressure: Eastern Sierra providers warn rural access is strained by HR1 funding cuts, workforce shortages, and Medicaid uncertainty. Public health spending signals: Medicaid alcohol/drug treatment claims rose in Reno and El Paso, while other local Medicaid categories also climbed—showing where taxpayer health dollars are shifting. AI & HR-adjacent: India’s AI push keeps circling back to data sovereignty, while NVIDIA’s new single-GPU world model raises the bar for AI capability.

Workplace & HR Risk: A former Penn employee has sued the University, alleging a pattern of discrimination and retaliation tied to race and disability—raising fresh questions about how research leadership handles complaints. Corporate Restructuring: Starbucks plans to cut 300 US corporate roles and close some regional offices, with HR and support functions among those affected. Regulatory & Compliance: The EEOC moves to axe EEO-1 and EEO-5 reporting, a major shift for employers’ workforce data obligations. Talent Leadership: Ascendion appoints Saraswathi Chandrasekharan as Global Chief People Officer, signaling a renewed focus on compensation and benefits expertise. People Data & AI: Singapore highlights AI confidence-building for workers, while federal agencies debate how to operationalize AI beyond strategy talk. Health & Benefits Impact: FDA approvals expand HER2 early breast cancer options, adding more treatment choices that HR and benefits teams may need to track for coverage planning.

Workforce Restructuring: Starbucks will lay off 300 corporate employees and close underused U.S. offices, hitting support functions like HR, marketing and supply chain as part of a broader turnaround that could bring $400M in restructuring charges. HR Tech & Talent Ops: ISG is studying HR outsourcing providers, launching two research tracks on transformational HR outsourcing and U.S. benefits administration, with reports due September 2026. AI in the Enterprise: OpenAI is rolling out an enterprise “Deployment Company” backed by $4B+ to embed engineers inside client organizations and redesign workflows around AI—squarely into HR change-management territory. Compliance Watch: Colorado lawmakers have voted to replace the state’s AI law before it takes effect, shifting employer focus toward how automated decision tools are used in people decisions. Quality & Credibility: Sri Lanka’s 360 Skin Clinic and 360 Aesthetics earned ISO 9001:2015 certification, signaling tighter quality management in client-facing healthcare services.

AI Oversight vs ROI: PwC is expanding its Anthropic alliance, rolling out Claude Code/Cowork and training 30,000 staff—while a new report warns leaders are losing confidence in AI accuracy and are turning workers into human “reviewers” to manage risk. Tech Layoffs Counting Gets Hard: 2026 tech job cuts are accelerating fast, with 135,700+ roles already hit or announced, and May on track to outpace April. Workforce Restructuring Pressure: New York’s The New School is preparing mass layoffs up to 20% to close a $48M deficit, with HR, IT, finance and faculty all in scope. HR Leadership Moves: Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles appoints Sitaram Kandi as CHRO after Anjali Byce resigns effective June 30. Local Governance & Safety: Clarion County approves an AI acceptable-use policy to keep confidential data out of public chatbots. Weather Disruption: Delhi issues an orange dust-storm alert with gusts up to 100 kmph, adding operational strain for employers and commuters.