In May, we reported on data breaches; HR and AI; and share scheme gender inequality.
Breaches of employee data increased by 41% in 2023, analysis by the law firm Nockolds found.
Ransomware attacks targeting employee data also jumped by 57% in the past year, from 352 to 554, the analysis of Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) data found.
“HR departments are responsible for ensuring employees' compliance with data protection regulations,” Joanna Sutton, Nockolds' principle associate, explained.
HR falls behind employees in embracing AI
More than two thirds (68%) of HR professionals had not embraced the full potential for AI in May 2024, a report by HR insights provider Brightmine showed.
A quarter (24%) of HR departments were not at all involved in conversations about adopting AI technology with senior leaders.
The number of employees using AI at work, however, increased by 66% in the last year, from 4 million in 2023 to 7 million in 2024, a report from Deloitte (30 May) revealed.
HR “should be managing the organisation through the pressures and demands of evolving workplace technologies”, Scott Walker, CEO at Brightmine, commented.
Share scheme gender inequality doubles
In 2023, men were twice as likely than women to have access to a company share scheme, analysis by share scheme and equity management platform Vestd found.
This doubled over the past 12 months: men are now four times as likely to receive access to a company share scheme benefit than women.
This was due to the gender pay gap, according to Duncan Brown, independent reward adviser and researcher.
He said: “Even in all-employee share plans, as women earn less on average and are more likely to be low-paid and in part-time work, they are not able to save as much in these plans, if at all, or buy as many shares or receive as many of any gifted shares than men.”
Best of HR magazine from May 2024:
How to manage political debate at work
