employees

A Wall Street Journal report reveals internal discussions among OpenAI staff about using pirated books to train AI models, with employees themselves describing the practice as 'sketchy AF'. The report adds to ongoing lawsuits and criticism over how AI companies obtain copyrighted material without permission from authors and publishers.

China has introduced new travel restrictions that are causing concern among major technology companies and skilled workers, particularly in fields like artificial intelligence. The rules may complicate international travel for tech employees and executives, raising questions about talent mobility and business operations in China's technology sector, with observers weighing the impact on innovation and foreign investment.

Maria Ivzhenko, a former employee of Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications, was killed in a Russian strike that hit a business center in Kyiv. Her death adds to the civilian toll from Russia's ongoing attacks on the Ukrainian capital, and is drawing condolences and renewed criticism of Russia's bombing campaign.

The Trump administration has spent more than $1 million in public funds on advertising promoting the president on the airwaves. Experts, including a former Bush White House ethics lawyer, say the campaign likely violates federal laws banning propaganda and political activity by government employees. Some Republicans have also voiced concern about the ads, adding pressure from within the president's own party.

A new report finds employees' confidence in their own employers has fallen to its lowest level in a decade. Analysts link the drop to anxiety over AI-driven job changes and ongoing layoff fears, with workers increasingly uncertain about their companies' stability and their own futures. Workplace commentators say the figures point to growing distrust between staff and management heading into 2026.

The New York Times reports that the CDC has lost nearly a third of its staff over the past year, with entire teams effectively shut down. Interviews with current and former employees describe an agency now tightly controlled by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his team, raising concerns about the future of US public health leadership.

Reports and public discussion point to a significant number of Amazon employees in the United States relying on government assistance programs such as SNAP food benefits and Medicaid to make ends meet, despite working for one of the world's most valuable companies. Critics say the situation highlights low wages and unstable scheduling in parts of the retail and logistics sector, and raises questions about taxpayers effectively subsidising large employers through public benefit programs.

A nor'easter stalled over the New Jersey Shore has left one person dead and thousands without power. A New York City Housing Authority employee died after being struck by a falling tree as high winds and heavy rain battered the region. Utilities are working to restore outages while forecasters warn the slow-moving storm could prolong coastal flooding and dangerous conditions along the shore.

Big tech workers who lost their jobs describe struggling to find even entry-level retail work, with one saying Target denied her application for a cashier position. Their accounts highlight how tough the job market has become for former tech employees, as layoffs continue across the industry and competition for everyday jobs grows.

HR startup Deel has suffered new legal setbacks in its ongoing dispute with rival Rippling, which accuses Deel of corporate espionage. Rippling sued Deel earlier this year alleging an employee was paid to spy and steal trade secrets. The latest adverse court rulings add pressure on Deel as the case moves forward, drawing attention across the tech and startup world.

Tesla factory workers are pushing back against being asked to train the company's Optimus humanoid robots, tasks they fear will help eliminate their own jobs. The tension highlights a growing workplace conflict as automation advances: employees are expected to teach machines the very skills that make them employable, raising concerns about job security and the ethics of training one's replacement.

Small businesses are facing a 31% surge in health insurance premiums and are largely choosing to absorb the higher costs rather than drop or reduce employee health coverage. The increase adds significant financial pressure on smaller firms, which typically have less bargaining power than large employers and fewer options for spreading healthcare expenses across their workforce.

Teachers working for Multiverse, the apprenticeships company founded by Euan Blair, son of former UK prime minister Tony Blair, say they are suffering 'horrendous stress' after artificial intelligence was used to assess and rate their work. The allegations raise concerns about workplace monitoring and the fairness of algorithmic performance evaluations. The company, which trains apprentices as an alternative to university, is facing scrutiny over how the system was introduced and what support staff were given.

An NHS trust has suspended 10 employees following a data breach involving a patient named Noah Woods. The suspensions suggest a possible internal breach of confidentiality, with staff suspected of improperly accessing records. The incident is likely to raise fresh concerns about patient data security within the health service.

Law firm Seyfarth Shaw is facing a lawsuit over a data breach that reportedly exposed the personal information of about 56,000 people. The legal action adds to a string of cyberattack-related litigation against professional services firms, as companies face growing scrutiny over how they protect sensitive client and employee data and how quickly they disclose breaches.

Discount fashion retailer Cato Fashions is closing 120 stores, a move the company ties to pressure on consumers' discretionary spending. The closures come as value-focused retailers face strained household budgets, with inflation and higher costs squeezing shoppers. The company has not detailed which locations will shut or the timeline, leaving employees and local shoppers awaiting specifics.

A report by Michelle Pitcher finds that since 2020, at least 220 Texas Department of Criminal Justice employees have been arrested on contraband-related charges. The alleged offences include drug possession, bringing prohibited substances into correctional facilities, organized criminal activity, and bribery. The findings highlight persistent corruption and smuggling problems inside the Texas prison system and are drawing attention to oversight of correctional staff.

New York Magazine argues that the treatment of former congresswoman Mary Peltola is part of a wider pattern in how Congress handles its employees, describing lawmakers' treatment of staff as that of 'serfs'. The piece contends that poor pay, weak protections and casual disregard for junior workers are systemic on Capitol Hill, not isolated to one politician.

A woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after fatally shooting an employee at a Church's Chicken restaurant. The sentencing closes out the case, which has drawn widespread local attention in Memphis, where the news was reported. Details about the victim, the motive, or the court proceedings were not immediately provided, but the lengthy sentence reflects the severity of the crime.