Gary Rooney, who worked at Twitter's Dublin office, won a $600,000 unfair dismissal claim after the company assumed he resigned for not responding to Elon Musk's email demanding long hours and high intensity. The case offers lessons about how to handle employee dismissals, including clear policies and communication about employment changes.

Restaurants and bars accounted for 29,900 of the 142,000 new US jobs created in August, or one in five, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This steady hiring has brought the sector's employment back to prepandemic levels of 12.4 million, fueled by growth in limited-service sectors—including snack and non-alcoholic beverage concepts as well as quickservice and fast-casual chains—according to data from the National Restaurant Association.

A growing body of global research indicates that burnout--characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and a decline in personal accomplishment--is widespread and that traditional fixes are inadequate. Managers can combat burnout by fostering authentic connections, empowering employees with autonomy and helping them find purpose in their work, improving employee well-being and enhancing productivity and performance.

A Reward Gateway report found 49% of employees feel appreciated at work regularly, with 57% of those who feel unappreciated preferring benefits they care about and 45% preferring to be recognized for accomplishments. The report found 84% of employees feel appreciated when they receive gift certificates or other personalized recognition.

HR leaders will be using AI "agents" to carry out tasks such as building and managing leadership and development training and searching for job candidates, says Josh Bersin, who adds AI agents won't simply answer questions, but also take action. "These agents are coming soon, and they will look and feel like 'employees' to many of us," Bersin writes.