The year 2025 has seen significant developments in employment law in Hong Kong. This article provides a quick glance at the major changes introduced during the year and offers insights into anticipated changes as we transition further into 2026. To read more about all the key updates, please click here for the full version of this article. January: Six visa categories move to online-only applications. Click here to read more.…
Quick Hits The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reiterated that a low bar exists for asserting a religious discrimination claim at the pleading stage of a Title VII case. The court held it was not a violation of the ADA for an employer to ask about an employee’s vaccination status. An employee’s vaccination status does not support a “regarded as” disabled claim under the ADA in the…
Around the world, millions of families have suffered forcible separation, through war, trafficking, natural disasters, or socioeconomic crises. In China, family separation is a particularly large-scale and far-reaching problem. Following the enactment of country’s One Child Policy in 1979, many children were abandoned or trafficked and then adopted either domestically or internationally.Reuniting children taken from their parents is a logistical challenge. China has established a DNA biobank dedicated to facilitating…
But American control over Europe growing stronger is a good thing too—it drives up the value of Europe as a territorial base for America to deploy its military in Eurasia. And this means, from a tactical perspective, that the Americans are more likely to force Europe into granting Russia concessions than to throw the continent under the bus of direct military confrontation. Especially since America’s obviously decreasing ability to act…
Quick Hits Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has moved to amend excavation, trenching, and shoring rules, with a focus on general protection requirements. The proposal would require employers to complete a written work plan for any trench excavation that requires a protective system and require a “competent person” to remain onsite any time trenching and evacuation work is being performed. Washington Department of Labor & Industries is holding…
The problem is that such a strategy requires courage and at least a modicum of wisdom. Alas, there is no certainty that all global elites possess these qualities. The difficulty is that as elements of the new world system develop, the rules of the old one are being erased, disappearing, melting away. Yet here we are talking about a historical process, not a volcanic eruption. All of history is moulded…
Quick Hits Germany’s Federal Labor Court (BAG) ruled that third-division soccer referees are not employees, reversing the Cologne Regional Labor Court’s decision and determining that the legal dispute should be heard in civil courts. The BAG found that the framework agreement and actual constraints on referees did not establish an employer’s right to issue instructions typical of an employment contract, emphasizing the freelance nature of the referees’ work. The decision…
Quick Hits In FY 2025, union election petitions filed by employees decreased to 2,100, marking the lowest number since 2022, yet still surpassing the first two years of the Biden administration. Unions achieved a high win percentage of 81.9 percent in representation elections, though the percentage reflected a slight decline from the previous year. Employer petitions dropped to 237, but employer petitions have been significantly higher since the NLRB’s 2023…
Earlier this month, we analyzed House Bill 2191, the proposed legislation that would significantly expand wage and benefit liability in Washington’s construction industry. On January 28, 2026, lawmakers released a substitute version of the bill (HB 2191‑S) that makes several important changes. Although the substitute preserves the bill’s core objective—expanded accountability for unpaid wages and benefits—it narrows and clarifies key provisions that raised concerns for general contractors and project owners.…
Quick Hits The Maine Department of Labor recently confirmed that benefit distributions will begin on May 1, 2026, for the PFML program. Both employers and employees contribute to the paid family and medical leave fund. Covered workers will be entitled to take twelve weeks of paid time off for family leave, medical leave, leave to deal with the transition of a family member’s military deployment, or leave to stay safe…
Recent media investigations into the practices of medispas, beauty clinics, and other health and wellness services in Ontario underscore the need for healthcare providers and business owners to have robust quality and safety controls in place to ensure the wellbeing of their clients and to minimize regulatory and other legal repercussions. As the health and wellness space becomes increasingly popular, resulting in increased demand for services and new opportunities for…
A byelection has been set for February 26 in the Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton. This will be a big test for Keir Starmer’s Labour party and a temperature check on the state of multi-party politics in the North. Although Labour won the seat comfortably in 2024, some early polls are already suggesting Reform could win.Byelections are awkward beasts and don’t necessarily follow the usual rules. What makes things…
Introduction: the return of an old logic The capture of Nicolás Maduro by United States forces is not merely another episode in Venezuela’s prolonged crisis. It is a geopolitical event with continental and global implications. It marks the explicit return of military intervention as a legitimate instrument of hemispheric order, the reactivation of the Monroe Doctrine as operational practice, and a visible fracture in the post–Cold War international system. What…
Dr Héloïse Stevance. Credit: Elise Manahan. Recently one of the most prestigious artificial intelligence (AI) conferences (NeurIPS) was caught accepting submissions with hallucinated citations. Not a handful either - over 100 instances. The response form the NeurIPS board is pretty telling of the times we live in: ‘Even if 1.1% of the papers have one or more incorrect references due to the use of LLMs, the content of the papers themselves are…
Quick Hits Maine recently enacted a law requiring employers to notify employees and job applicants about employee surveillance. The law does not apply to cameras used in the workplace for safety and security purposes. The law took effect immediately without the governor’s signature. In recent years, more employers have begun using technology to track employee movements and actions. This may include cameras in the workplace, GPS tracking on phones and…
Professor Philippa Browning, The University of Manchester’s first female physics academic, is retiring this week after more than 40 years of research, teaching and service at the University. Her achievement have also recently been marked by the award of the 2026 Hannes Alfven Medal by the European Physical Society, a prestigious international distinction recognising her “outstanding and innovative work bridging astrophysical and laboratory plasmas using analytical insights and modelling.”Professor Browning joined…
Seyfarth’s Trademark practice earned widespread recognition in the 2026 edition of the World Trademark Review 1000, a guide that spotlights “leading professionals and firms that are deemed outstanding at obtaining, protecting, managing, enforcing and monetising trademarks." "With trademark capabilities spanning over 190 countries, Seyfarth Shaw delivers consistently high-impact results through a collaborative, tech-enabled infrastructure," WTR wrote of the firm. The firm earned high rankings nationally as well as in the…
Quick Hits A jury in federal court recently awarded a former employee $5.5 million in her sexual harassment and retaliation case. A female security guard alleged that her boss sexually harassed and assaulted her, and that the company ended her employment after she complained to the company’s owner. Anti-harassment provisions in federal, state, and local laws may vary in scope and application. Background A former security guard sued C&M Defense…
On Jan.7, 2026, the Ministry of Energy and Mines released a proposal (ERO 026-0019) to bring forward an order in council and Minister’s directive pursuant to Section 25.32 of the Electricity Act, 1998 that would direct the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) to undertake a competitive procurement process and enter into a procurement contract with a transmitter to develop and construct the Toronto Third Line project with an in-service date…
Four researchers from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) have been appointed as inaugural Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, a new national body established to bring together the UK’s strongest mathematicians to help solve some of the UK’s biggest challenges. The appointments place Manchester researchers among a cohort of around 100 Fellows drawn from academia, business, industry and government. The Academy’s Fellowship will work collectively to address major national challenges including pandemic preparedness, economic transformation, national security, climate change and the safe…
Howie and Harlan are joined by Mary-Ann Etiebet of the public health organization Vital Strategies to discuss how policy, prevention, and stronger public-health systems can reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other preventable conditions. Harlan reports on the federal push toward fully autonomous clinical care for heart failure; Howie looks at proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage payments and what they mean for beneficiaries, plans, and taxpayers. Show…
This is the Club’s third annual Russian-Indian conference. Since its inception, it has become a platform for in-depth intellectual exchange, allowing experts to discuss the development of bilateral relations between Russia and India, as well as the broader geopolitical situation. Programme of the Russia-India Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Vivekananda International Foundation “India–Russia in a Changing Global Order: Strategic Autonomy, Security, and Partnership in the 21st…
Quick Hits The NLRB has implemented new case intake procedures requiring charging parties to submit evidence before their unfair labor practice cases are docketed. Under the new procedure, a failure to provide documentation and information supporting a charge within two weeks may lead to the dismissal of the charge. Designed to enhance efficiency in case handling and reduce the existing case backlog, the updated process may result in quicker resolutions…
Watching the developments in the South Caucasus, we see a picture that seems paradoxical by all previous standards of our understanding of the nature of international relations: rather than overcoming political barriers, numerous economic partnerships have adapted to them, entrenching existing fault lines. Since powerful external forces are involved in these partnerships, the regional conflict is projected onto the global level, becoming an element of a larger geopolitical competition. In…
Where does accountability sit for attracting and retaining high-value audiences? Editorial, Marketing, Product, or … somewhere else? Reading time: 2 minutes As search declines, high-value audiences are no longer “acquired”, they are built. This report explores how fragmented accountability across editorial, product and commercial teams slows progress, and why clear leadership, shared priorities and common metrics are now critical to driving habitual, high-value audience growth. Download the full report here.…
Quick Hits Identifying Impacted Contracts: Review contract terms and engage your contracting officer to determine if contracts are affected by the shutdown. Responding to Stop-Work Orders: Stop-work orders typically require immediate compliance. When complying, be sure to document all related communications and actions. Proactive Communication: If no stop-work order is issued, seek written confirmation from your contracting officer on whether to continue work. Mitigation Strategies: Manage financial exposure, communicate with…
A few decades ago, the role of an HR manager was fairly mundane. They were responsible for tasks such as managing payroll, ensuring compliance with labor laws, and organizing the office holiday party.Today, the role of chief human resources officer (CHRO) at large firms has become much more critical. These leaders have moved into the C-suite, often have the ear of the CEO, and are involved in major decisions about…
Quick Hits When an employee is required to be on duty for more than twenty-four hours, the FLSA allows employers to exclude up to eight hours of sleep time from compensable hours. This exclusion applies where: (1) there is an implied or express agreement to the exclusion; (2) the employer provides adequate sleeping facilities; and (3) the employee gets at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep. Nonexempt employees who are…
Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence imaging works by scanning a sample in front of the intense X-ray beam generated by the synchrotron particle accelerator. The X-rays cause atoms in the sample to emit their own X-rays (X-ray fluorescence), which the scanning system detects. The properties of the fluoresced X-rays are specific to the chemical element they originated from. As such, this technique can be used to identify and map tiny differences in…
Quick Hits To avoid a partial government shutdown, a funding package for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Treasury, State, and other agencies must pass the U.S. Senate before January 30, 2026. A government shutdown of these departments would suspend critical immigration functions, including PERM processing, prevailing wage determinations, and Labor Condition Applications. E-Verify would also likely be unavailable, and…
The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences (AcadMathSci), founded in September 2023, brings together academia, education, business, industry, and government from across the UK to provide an authoritative, persuasive, and influential voice for the whole of the mathematical sciences. The Academy’s new Fellowship will bring together the UK’s ‘hidden problem solvers’, whose breadth of experience and depth of expertise will make the Fellowship much greater than the sum of its parts.Working…
Given the direction of world politics and recent events, institutions like the EU and NATO are increasingly losing influence, and if the US were to truly disengage from Europe, the future awaiting European countries could be brighter than imagined, writes Christian Baldi. The author is a participant of the Valdai – New Generation project. As the months pass, the deepening divisions within the Western bloc are becoming increasingly pronounced: American claims on Greenland, tensions between…
Quick Hits OFCCP issued an Information Collection Request on January 2, 2026, seeking to revise questions on its complaint and pre-complaint inquiry forms to align with Executive Order 14173. OFCCP issued a renewed Information Collection Request on January 7, 2026, seeking to extend existing recordkeeping requirements under VEVRAA. On January 20, 2026, an appropriation bill was introduced that proposed to fund OFCCP at $100,976,000 for fiscal year 2026. This appropriation…
The study, published in the American Heart Association's Journal Hypertension, examined how much salt people in the UK currently consume from packaged and takeaway foods, and estimated what would happen if all food categories covered by the government’s 2024 salt targets met those goals.The 2024 salt targets set maximum and average salt limits for 108 categories of everyday packaged and out-of-home foods - from bread and ready meals to takeaway…
Quick Hits Effective January 21, 2026, the State Department will pause issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from seventy-five designated countries. Nonimmigrant visas (e.g., H-1B, L-1, TN, and B-1/B-2) will continue to be processed and are not impacted by this directive. Scope and Designated Countries The seventy-five countries impacted by the announcement include: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma,…
What do you think is missing from the debate about AI and job loss?The macroeconomists who are thinking about this question are focused on comparing two rates. Let’s say that eventually goods essentially get to be free, because AI makes more energy and makes more robots and goods become very cheap to make in terms of the actual cost of the resources used. Meanwhile, since the machines are making everything,…
Most of the impacts will be felt early on as the world passes the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement, the authors warn. In 2010, 23% of the world's population lived with extreme heat, and this is set to grow to 41% over the next decades.Published in Nature Sustainability, the findings have grave implications for humanity. The Central African Republic, Nigeria, South Sudan, Laos, and Brazil are predicted to see…
Working class creatives are struggling to break into and are leaving the arts, a new inquiry has warned. Class Ceiling, led by Chancellor of The University of Manchester Nazir Afzal OBE and Avis Gilmore, former Deputy General Secretary of one of Europe’s biggest trade unions, found that barriers preventing working class talent from succeeding included class-based discrimination, low pay, a lack of connections and exploitative practices. Less than half of creatives surveyed…
26 January 2026By Paola Di Casola, Caterina Mendicino, Giulio Nicoletti and Ana SkoblarAn effective transmission of monetary policy to credit is key for supporting investment and growth. This blog post examines the recent credit recovery, highlighting that it has been more gradual than in past episodes and explores the factors behind this sluggish recovery.Since the ECB began cutting rates in June 2024, credit to the private non-financial sector has seen…
Amidst a breakdown in the global trading system, more dispute resolution bodies and arrangements are coming into being as viable alternatives to the established institutions of old. Yet even in the newly emerging trading landscape the United States maintains an advantage, writes Ekaterina Knyazkina, Junior Research Fellow, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO University The opening stages of the Trump presidency brought the world to the brink of a large-scale trade…