Workforce Planning & Compliance: South Carolina leaders met to tackle a nurse aide certification testing backlog that’s blocking 4,000 trained workers from starting jobs, with one statewide testing vendor blamed for delays. AI, Jobs & Layoffs: Groupon says it will cut up to 400 roles (about a quarter of staff) as it rebuilds as an “AI-native” company, while a Gartner-linked analysis warns many firms deploying AI are already reducing headcount without improving returns. HR Leadership Appointments: Bharat Petroleum named Pushp Kumar Nayar as Director—Human Resources, and Jensten appointed Fran Caldwell as Group Chief People Officer to drive people strategy and transformation. HR Tech & Data Risks: Research cited by Paycom estimates payroll inaccuracies can cost firms with 1,000 employees up to ~$922,000 a year, pointing to fragmented HR/payroll systems. Employee Wellbeing & Money Stress: A PwC survey highlights financial stress as a major workplace mental health driver, with HR urged to treat money worries as more than a benefits issue. Enterprise Systems for HR: Tāmaki Health moved HR processes to the cloud to improve workforce planning across a multi-site network, aiming to integrate digital tools and better employee experience. Cybersecurity: A briefing warns 2026 ransomware gangs are blending phishing with deeper intrusions, targeting law firms and healthcare facilities where downtime is costly. Global Employment Policy: Belgium approved wage index reform limiting automatic pay/benefit increases above set thresholds, a change that will affect labor cost growth and worker protections.