Workplace classification & pay equity: A U.K.-style “casual vs permanent” test is landing in Australia after a commission ordered a university to treat a teaching-only worker as part-time under employee-choice rules, saying enterprise agreements can’t block NES rights. HR risk & discrimination: The EEOC sued Washington University in St. Louis over alleged race-segregated DEI training via Zoom breakouts and claimed retaliation after complaints. Leadership & culture scrutiny: Jacksonville’s JEA board publicly addressed mixed employee survey findings tied to CEO Vickie Cavey’s leadership and a toxic-workplace/ racial-bias dispute while she’s on health leave. Hiring & staffing processes: Billings, Montana, is filling police, fire, and public works leadership roles using a new internal HR-led recruitment workflow. Local education HR: Metro Nashville teachers allege administrators pressured them to change failing grades; separate school-board debate in Pennsylvania centers on STEM hiring without a teaching certificate. Training & workforce development: Malaysia’s LHDN opened registration for a Budget 2027 taxation seminar, with HRD Corp-registered employers able to claim training costs. Talent pipeline: North Carolina A&T named Katreshia Louis-Verrett athletics director, returning to a role that previously included compliance and HR. AI & HR operations: A report highlights how AI hiring filters and agentic tools can stall when prototypes lack real-world production discipline.