Human Resource Community

Sanitary workers employed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), and gram panchayats and municipalities around Telangana would benefit from a monthly pay raise of Rs 1,000. More than one lakh sanitation workers around the State are expected to benefit from the action and receive a hike in their salary beginning in May 2023. The hike will be implemented right away, as per the declaration made by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in the new Secretariat. Rao also declared that the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) staff will soon receive raises in salary. The Finance Department has been given the go-ahead to put the same into effect. A year ago, hundreds of GHMC sanitation workers organised a protest to demand the payment of their unpaid wages. At least 300 employees of the GHMC participated in the protest, which was held outside the commissioner’s office. They carried signs that criticized the chief minister and shouted protest slogans. At the time, the president of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employees Union (GHMEU) had demanded that the GHMC replace the biometric machines it had been renting with new ones it had purchased, in order to ensure that attendance is recorded accurately and that employees are not wrongfully denied pay because of malfunctioning equipment. At a time when the CM had been discussing making outsourced workers permanent, about 700 existing staff members had been fired without being paid, which caused a great deal of resentment.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Infosys and Aramco was inked to advance the HR technologies of the latter. Through this partnership, the two parties will work together to better understand and use HR data and analytics, accelerate automation and the usage of related tools, and enhance the employee experience through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Infosys takes pride in its “globally benchmarked” learning and development initiatives. “Through this collaboration, we intend to bring our digital expertise and tools to Aramco’s HR practice to deliver a world-class employee experience,” said Ashiss Kumar Dash, EVP & global head of services, utilities, resources, and energy at Infosys. “By aiming to incorporate high-level AI and automation into their employee-management model, we will attempt to help Aramco scale and enhance their talent model,” he added. Aramco’s HR platform will integrate digital transformation practices and solutions from Infosys in order to improve employee digital experiences, which will boost engagement and productivity. Additionally, Infosys will use AI to close skill gaps in Aramco’s workforce, address challenges with employee learning and development, and ensure that talent is appropriate for the opportunities offered. In order to improve learning and training efficiency and decrease time and costs, this partnership will also attempt to assess how automation may replace boring and repetitive HR tasks. The algorithmic decision-making capability that will assist Aramco in keeping up with trends and locating appropriate recruitment channels would be beneficial to the company as well. SVP of human resources at Aramco, Faisal A. Al-Hajji, stated that “This collaboration will allow us to explore ways to further upgrade our focus on customer-centricity and transform our digital HR offerings.”  

HCLTech, one of the few large IT firms that onboarded all of the freshers it hired in FY23, wants to keep the campus recruitment trend going in FY24 to lessen reliance on laterals. “Our aim is to see how best we can train freshers and utilise them on projects. Our supply side planning metrics show that they can be absorbed,” CEO C Vijayakumar said. In FY23, the company hired nearly 27,000 freshers. Some of them are still getting training, according to Vijayakumar. HCLTech, the only major IT services company to provide figures for the year, has stated that 15,000 new employees will be hired in FY24. According to Vijayakumar, there are some long-term projects in industries such as manufacturing and hi-tech where clients are cutting back on tech spending, forcing some personnel on these projects to sit on the side-lines. Source: TOI

Apple formally launched two of its India stores this week in Delhi and Mumbai after a long wait, but that’s not all. There are indications that the company may double the number of people working at its contract manufacturing facilities in the nation, to over 200,000. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has asked the government for assistance so that Apple can increase the number of Indian component suppliers it works with. Cook has also urged the Indian government for help in preparing the workforce there to meet Apple’s needs. Apple’s primary focus in India is on contract manufacturers’ iPhone assembly lines. The company, though, wants to expand its offerings to include iPads and AirPods as well. Currently, Apple’s three Indian suppliers—Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron—are in charge of assembling its iPhones. According to a report cited by PTI, Apple has created 100,000 employment in India. It’s interesting to note that women in blue-collar jobs account for the majority of roles, roughly 72%. The report also emphasizes that many of the women workers are first-time job seekers and that the majority of these employment have only been available for 20 months. According to reports, there is a lot of room for expansion, investments, job creation, and export opportunities in the relationship between Apple and India. As part of its efforts to lessen its dependence on China, Apple has been seeking to increase the size of its production facilities in India. Currently, Foxconn and Wistron Corp., two Taiwanese electronics manufacturers, are in charge of assembling Apple products like iPhones in India.

A new pay structure for its pilots and cabin crew, effective from April 1st, was recently announced by Air India, a Tata group-owned airline. Depending on the category of pilot and the number of flying hours, the new salary structure gives a minimum salary of Rs. 50,000 per month for a pilot and a maximum salary of Rs. 8.5 lakh per month. Meanwhile, the minimum wage for cabin crew is Rs. 25,000 per month, with a maximum salary of Rs. 78,000 per month based on the employee’s level. In terms of pilot levels, a junior first officer in training who is a trainee pilot will be paid Rs. 50,000 per month. After line release and up to one year of experience, junior first officers will receive a monthly salary of Rs. 2.35 lakh. A first officer of Air India earns Rs. 3.45 lakh per month, whereas an ATPL captain (SFO) earns Rs. 4.75 lakh per month. A commander with a P1 rating on the company’s aircraft type who has been internally promoted from a captain or SFO will be paid Rs. 7.50 lakh per month. Senior commanders would make Rs. 8.50 lakh per month if they have more than four years of P1 rating on a company aircraft type. Depending on their level of expertise and the number of hours they have flown, pilots are also eligible for a variety of allowances, including flying allowances, wide body allowances, domestic layover allowances, and international layover allowances.  The level of the employee and the amount of flying hours also affect the salary structure for cabin crews. A senior cabin crew member can make up to Rs. 64,000 per month, while an executive cabin crew member can make up to Rs. 78,000 per month. A trainee cabin crew member would receive Rs. 25,000 per month. Flight allowances, airport standby allowances, check crew allowances, and international and domestic layover allowances are also available to cabin crews. It’s vital to remember that the pay structure assumes that both pilots and cabin crews fly 70 hours per month. Movements between levels will also be subject to the company’s safety and disciplinary policies. According to Air India, the goal of this new pay structure is to attract and retain talent in the aviation industry.

PwC India announced on Monday that, through the use of its new “People Experience Framework,” it is committed to investing more than Rs 600 crore over the following three years in the overall growth, development, and welfare of its workforce. The framework gives workers access to individualised opportunities that let them live their lives as they see fit, including taking care of their families’ needs and finding work that aligns with their values and purpose. This fosters an environment in which they can develop the skills they’ll need in the future. According to Sanjeev Krishan, Chairperson of PwC in India, “Our new People Experience Framework will bring in increased emphasis on growth and development, customised rewards, benefits and well-being that are stitched into our daily experiences, and where we have the flexibility to support our people as their lives and needs shift over time.” For regular full-time employees up to the Director level, PwC India has announced a non-residential executive MBA programme. The company would cover 75% of the employees’ course fees (up to Rs 10 lakh per person). Also, the sponsorship of self-initiated learning certifications has increased from the previous Rs 30,000 to up to Rs 1 lakh. The company has increased medical coverage for each employee, their spouse, and their two children to (Rs. 20 lakh) (up from an average of Rs 5 lakh). In addition, a “Recharge and Rejuvenate” policy has been implemented, giving each employee a minimum of 10 days of annual downtime. The company added that paternity leaves had been increased to 30 days. “Just as we are relentlessly client focused, we will continue to invest in our people. The most meaningful workplace experiences are those that are created with people’s interests top of mind,” said Padmaja Alaganandan, Chief People Officer, PwC India.

According to a Google announcement, the company will no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations for all of its employees worldwide. When the policy was first put into place in December 2021, it was met with opposition from employees who did not want to get vaccinated. Google has withdrawn the policy after US President Joe Biden signed legislation ending the national emergency response to the pandemic, noting that the majority of people currently have some kind of immunity against COVID-19. Nonetheless, the company still urges employees to stay at home if they have COVID-19-like symptoms and to maintain their COVID-19 vaccination records. They are also advised to get vaccinated against the flu every year. Google has also made the decision to reduce several staff perks, such as complimentary massages, laundry services, and meals, in order to cut costs. It is now only giving engineers MacBooks, and giving non-engineering employees Chromebooks. The company claims that using Chromebooks will provide employees a practical understanding of their own products. In light of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in India, Google has declined to comment on whether these changes will be made here.

By the end of April, Tata Group plans to complete the acquisition of Wistron’s iPhone manufacturing facility. India’s first domestic production line for Apple products will be provided via the deal. According to the Business Line, many employees would lose their jobs as a result of the acquisition as well. According to reports, the Tata Group has started making organisational changes at the factory, and it is anticipated that over 2,000 workers will be let go as part of the acquisition process. Also, there is a strong likelihood that 400 midlevel employees in the Bangalore plant will be let go. Furthermore, four to five senior-level executives are leaving right now or have been instructed to go. Notwithstanding the impending layoffs, Tata has taken a number of steps to expand its business with Apple, which will also lead to the hiring of more staff at its Tamil Nadu facility that manufactures iPhone components. Also, there are rumours that Pegatron’s iPhone production facilities may be acquired by Tata. Also, after the acquisition, the Indian conglomerate might start producing the iPhone 15. Eight production lines are now being used in Wistron’s Indian plant to produce the iPhone 12 and iPhone 14. Wistron will no longer have a presence in the Indian market if Tata acquires the Bengaluru plant since this was their only location making Apple products in India. Wistron, Pegatron, and Foxconn are the major Taiwanese companies that assemble Apple products in India. While Foxconn and Pegatron have increased the size of their manufacturing facilities in India, Wistron is departing the country.

Dunzo, an Indian startup that offers last-minute grocery and vital delivery services, reportedly fired 30% of its staff in a new round of downsizing. The company’s engineering positions are reportedly most affected by the layoffs. The announcement was made during a town hall with a Q&A session that followed an organization-wide call. The decision was later explained to the impacted workers during individual meetings with their managers. Dunzo has downsized before in an effort to improve efficiency and lower expenses. The company fired 3% of its employees in January of this year. According to regulatory filings, the company’s FY22 losses grew to Rs 464 crore from Rs 229 crore in FY21, which led to the most recent round of layoffs. The firm spent Rs 531.7 crore in total in FY22, compared to Rs 54.3 crore in operating revenue. The advertisement for the company was one of the major expenses. Not just Dunzo is attempting to reduce expenses. Competitors like Zepto and Swiggy have implemented similar policies. Google and Reliance are the company’s investors. Google and Reliance hold a 20 per cent and 25.8 per cent stake in the company respectively.

Since taking over as CEO of Twitter in October of last year, Elon Musk has frequently made news for implementing new regulations and adjustments to the microblogging platform. The 51-year-old billionaire continued this by updating Twitter once more, replacing the iconic “blue bird” logo with the “doge” meme from the Dogecoin cryptocurrency. The Shiba Inu dog’s face can be seen on the “doge” meme. On the web version, the “blue bird” logo has prominently been used as the home button. The “doge” meme, which is a part of the Dogecoin blockchain and cryptocurrency logo and was created as a joke in 2013. Additionally, Musk posted a hilarious image on his account of the “doge” meme telling a police officer—who appears to be looking at his driver’s license—that his picture has been changed. pic.twitter.com/wmN5WxUhfQ — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 3, 2023 The Twitter mobile app, in particular, remained unchanged. It is important to note that the Shiba Inu-based doge image is well-known as the logo of the Dogecoin blockchain and cryptocurrency, which was developed in 2013 as a joke to mock other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, according to ANI quoting Variety. Moreover, the CEO of Twitter released a screenshot of a chat he had with the user who wanted to modify the bird logo to “doge.” Musk tweeted about this post and added, “As promised.” The discussion in question happened on March 26, 2022. As promised pic.twitter.com/Jc1TnAqxAV — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 3, 2023 Variety reports that Musk is a well-known superfan of the “Doge meme” and that he pushed Dogecoin on Twitter and while presenting “Saturday Night Live” last year. The value of Dogecoin surged by more than 20% following the modification to Twitter’s web logo. Earlier, on February 15, Musk tweeted a picture of the Dogecoin blockchain and cryptocurrency logo on his account while posing as the CEO and wrote, “The new CEO of Twitter is amazing,” showing his affinity for the “doge” cryptocurrency. It’s worth noting here that Musk took over Twitter’s control in October 2022. After months of uncertainty and a protracted legal dispute, the $44 billion deal was finally agreed upon. Musk spent months attempting to back out of the agreement after initially agreeing to acquire the company in April, initially expressing worries about the number of bots on the platform and then allegations made by a company whistle-blower. Musk reportedly sold Tesla shares worth about $8.5 billion to help pay for the purchase of Twitter.