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- the friday 5 - october 10th 2025
the friday 5 - october 10th 2025
what's happened this week in HR?
Howdy HR friends!👋
Hope you’re all having a relaxed Friday!
On Tuesday, we looked at career dysmorphia, a phenomenon that is creating a perfect storm for talent retention nightmares.
As the weekend hurtles towards us, it’s time for a quick rundown of this week’s HR news. That’s right: the Friday 5!
Five articles, five takeaways. Five minutes away from the chaos to grab a coffee and get caught up on everything that’s been happening in HR this week!
Let’s jump in shall we?
🚦Coming up
In today’s edition
🏢 Google's work-from-anywhere policy gets stricter
🤖 Duolingo CEO clarifies rumor around AI layoffs
📜 California leads the charge on AI hiring transparency rules
🤔 Workers still confused about how to enroll in their own benefits
📝 White House proposes tighter H-1B visa restrictions
Today’s edition is presented by
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💭The Friday Five
Workplace flexibility meets AI anxiety meets visa complexity—just another week of HR trying to keep up with policy whiplash
🏠 Google counts one remote day as a full week now. The tech giant's updated Work from Anywhere policy means even logging a single WFA day will deduct an entire week from your annual balance.
🔗 Read more [HR Grapevine]
🦉 Duolingo's CEO says AI didn't cost anyone their job. After April's "AI-first" announcement led to layoff fears, Luis von Ahn clarified the company hasn't cut a single full-time employee, they're just making each person "four or five times" more productive with AI assistance.
🔗 Read more [HRD America]
🤖 California rewrites the AI hiring rulebook. Starting January 1, 2026, employers using automated decision systems must ensure transparency, allow opt-outs, audit their tools, and avoid collecting medical data, or face hefty fines for discriminatory practices.
🔗 Read more [The HR Digest]
🤷 Less than half of workers know how to enroll in benefits. Only 43% say they understand the enrollment process, with even fewer feeling knowledgeable about which benefits they need.
🔗 Read more [HR Dive]
🛂 Trump administration tightens H-1B visa requirements. Stricter occupation definitions, more scrutiny on placements, and a $100,000 fee are leading to more debates about protecting American workers versus keeping tech competitive.
🔗 Read more [Newsweek]
For easy reading
That’s it for today.
Thanks for reading to the end and we hope today’s edition helped saved you a few hours in scouring the web for the latest news! 🧠
We know you’re super busy and as ever, we really appreciate you saving some room for us in your inbox 😀
Have a great weekend!
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