News

New Research Questions Whether Competitive Markets Deliver Efficient CEO Pay

A new Journal of Finance study offers a fresh perspective on executive compensation that may interest practitioners navigating an increasingly complex landscape.

By Ani Huang

EU Pay Transparency the Real Cost of Getting It Wrong 1

The financial penalties for non-compliance with the EU Pay Transparency Directive are potentially significant, ranging from hundreds to millions of euros. However, the bigger risk for global companies lies in the combination of uncapped employee compensation claims and litigation, expanded access for worker representatives, reputational consequences, talent impacts, and operational disruptions.

By Wenchao Dong

EEOC Rescinds Gender Identity Harassment and Discrimination Guidance

By Gregory C. Hoff

The AI Efficiency Puzzle

While companies continue to rapidly integrate AI based on its promise of increased productivity and efficiency, a pair of recent studies highlight early roadblocks for fulfilling that potential.

By Gregory C. Hoff

PSUs on Trial: Are Performance Shares Losing Their Edge?

For more than a decade, performance share units (PSUs) have been the gold standard of long-term incentive (LTI) design. Investors liked them, proxy advisors championed them, and compensation committees embraced them. But in 2025, PSUs found themselves in the spotlight.

By Megan Wolf

What Chros Need to Know About the House Passed Government Funding Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives  advanced a government funding package—the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026—totaling roughly $1.2 trillion, which will fund federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor, through the end of fiscal year 2026. The bipartisan vote was 341-88. 

By Chatrane Birbal

EU Pay Transparency the Real Cost of Getting It Wrong

The financial penalties for non-compliance with the EU Pay Transparency Directive are potentially significant, ranging from hundreds to millions of euros. However, the bigger risk for global companies lies in the combination of uncapped employee compensation claims and litigations, expanded access for worker representatives, reputational consequences, talent impacts, and operational disruptions.

By Wenchao Dong

Global Companies Need to Plan for Their EWCS and the Time Is Now

For global HR leaders with responsibility for Europe, the revised European Works Council (EWC) rules require a clear, time-bound strategy, as transposition across EU/EEA states will take place on 31 December 2027.  

By Alan Wild

AI at Work Five Global Realities Every CHRO Need to Navigate

It’s hard to read, watch, or listen to anything on HR today without being overwhelmed by podcasts and advertisements on AI. At the CHRO Association we offer some of the very best advice, led by my old colleague Nickle Lamoreux at IBM. AI is “the big thing” for good reason: it will shape how and where work is done everywhere in the world.

By Alan Wild

EWCS Expert Group to Be Established

By Tom Hayes

GDPR Meeting with EU Commissioner Mcgrath

By Tom Hayes

Due Diligence: Do you know about the win you are drinking?

By Tom Hayes

Data Protection UK Ico to Probe Lloyds

By Tom Hayes

Auto Industry Europe Job Losses Top 100 000 over Two Years

By Tom Hayes

2026 Proxy Advisor Policies Yes You Still Need to Pay Attention

Amid the maelstrom of the White House executive order, JP Morgan ditching proxy advisors, and the SEC suggesting AI could replace proxy advisors, policy changes were surprisingly hefty.

By Megan Wolf

CHRO Pay as a Strategic Signal

A new study by Stanford’s David Larcker purports to show that the CHRO pay ratio—what the top HR executive earns relative to the CEO—reveals how seriously companies take their people strategy. 

By Ani Huang

ESG Proxy Disclosures Without the Script

If 2024 was the year ESG became unmistakably polarized, 2025 shaped up as the year companies decided how—or whether—to talk about it at all.  Labrador’s review of 115 proxy statements reveals a proxy season defined less by uniformity and more by divergence and nuance. Companies took highly tailored approaches to ESG disclosure, marked by their individual business models, risk profiles, and their shareholder bases. 

By Megan Wolf

Trump Order Gives Pentagon Veto Power Over Defense Contractor Executive Pay

President Trump issued an executive order last week granting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unprecedented authority to dictate executive compensation structures at military contractors, raising questions about government overreach into private sector pay decisions.

By Ani Huang

Regulatory Roundup White House Presses for AI Law EEOC Gears up for Big Year DOL Readies Independent Contractor Changes

A quick look at some recent federal regulatory developments and their implications for large companies.

By Gregory C. Hoff

Preparing for an Interview Here S How to Stand Out

Professional recruiters and assessors wield enormous power over C-suite appointments, so when faced with a new opportunity, consider these advisers carefully. A new Harvard Business Review piece by Chief Executive Alliance chairman Mark Thompson and Nasdaq head of board advisory Byron Loflin distills their recent book on the subject to five strategies for success.

By Ani Huang

Brazil Employment Benefits 8 Issues on Employer S Radar

Brazil’s employment landscape continued to tighten in 2025, with increased regulatory enforcement, active judicial review, and expanding employer obligations. As highlighted in a recent analysis by Mayer Brown, these trends point to a more compliance-intensive operating environment in 2026.

By Wenchao Dong

10 Key Labor and Employment Developments in 2026 in Canada

For employers with operations in Canada, 2025 brought a wide range of legal changes that will shape HR practice in 2026 and beyond. A recent Baker McKenzie overview highlights ten developments that should be on HR’s radar.

By Wenchao Dong

Geopolitics to Business Reality 5 Things U.S. Employers Need to Know Right Now About Venezuela

Recent geopolitical developments in Venezuela have shifted from headlines to real operational risk for employers in the region. Following U.S. actions against the Maduro government, Venezuela’s oil industry and broader market access have entered a period of intense uncertainty and potential transition.  

By Wenchao Dong

4 New Changes in Mexico Reshape Employer Risk in 2026

Mexico’s labor agenda in 2026 continues to move in a clear direction: stronger enforcement of workers’ rights, increased scrutiny of union compliance, and more benefits. For HR leaders, these developments raise both compliance and employe relations considerations, particularly for unionized operations. 

By Wenchao Dong