The loss of more than 2,000 jobs at the World Health Organization (WHO) “will leave the world less healthy and less safe”, experts have warned.
The global health body said it expected to lose 2,371 posts – nearly a quarter of its workforce – by June 2026 as it deals with budget cuts after the US withdrawal from the organisation in January. At that point the WHO had 9,401 staff members.
Analysts and campaigners said the cuts, made under financial pressure, would probably leave the WHO less able to help countries facing disease outbreaks.
Pete Baker, the deputy director of global health policy and a fellow at the Center for Global Development, said: “WHO staffing cuts are a regrettable but inevitable outcome of US withdrawal and lower-than-hoped-for contributions by other countries. The loss of expertise will leave the world less healthy and less safe.
“Now, more than ever, WHO needs a clear, strategic vision to navigate its new fiscal reality. Instead, these cuts are aimed at global and Africa-based staff, at a time when WHO should be doubling down on its global work – such as coordinating responses to pandemics and other health threats – and providing limited country support to the poorest nations, most of which are in Africa.”
The highest number of cuts – 805 posts – will be in the WHO’s Geneva-based headquarters. Its African regional office will be the next worst affected, losing 638 of 2,541 posts according to documents posted online.
Dr Githinji Gitahi, chief executive of Amref Health Africa, said although the cuts were expected, “it is rapid in nature, and with little transition planning”.
“With these cuts, certain functions, especially disease surveillance, supply chain management and emergency response will inevitably be impacted. African governments are going to have to lift more weight than before,” he said.
Faith, three, had doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine in a pilot programme led by the World Health Organization in Ghana, Malawi and Kenya. Photograph: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty
Eloise Todd, the executive director and founder of Resilience Action Network International, said: “At a time when we face increasing health threats worldwide, reduced capacity will severely impact the WHO’s ability to play the role member states ask of them.”
About half of the reduction in headcount would be achieved through natural attrition such as retirements or the end of temporary contracts, the WHO said, and the rest through “position abolition”.
The cuts process has been turbulent inside the WHO, with junior staff sending an anonymous open letter in August claiming that senior staff were being shielded from the cuts and many high-cost positions kept.
In a lengthy email sent from the WHO chief, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to staff, seen by the Guardian, he said the year had been “one of the most difficult in WHO’s history”. He said the process of cutting positions had involved “painful conversations” with staff, who had expressed “their pain, anxiety and, in some cases, their anger”.
WHO documents presented to member states at a briefing on Wednesday show that the number of senior directors will reduce from 65 to 38, a 42% cut that returns their numbers to around 2017 levels. Entry-level professionals will see numbers cut by 37%, from 291 to 183.
Michel Kazatchkine, a senior fellow at the Global Health Center, Geneva Graduate Institute, described the WHO’s presentation as “a politically correct document showing how the balance between grade, regions, gender [etc] has been kept in the 2,000-plus cuts that were announced”.
He added: “It does not say much about the choices made at senior level, and how much the specific added value of people versus other criteria has been guiding decisions.”
Kazatchkine said what was needed was a clear agreement from the WHO’s governing body, the World Health Assembly, on its core mandate, and what it should leave to other bodies such as Unicef or the Global Fund.
“And then,” he said, “assess the needed budget, the needed human resources and fundraise strategically rather than adjusting manpower and activities to financial pressure.”
The cuts were “not necessarily irreversible” in a rapidly moving landscape, he said, adding that adequate financing and adequate manpower were vital to keep the WHO “independent in a heavily politically charged environment”.
Ghebreyesus told staff the WHO had faced a difficult financial situation even before the US announced its intention to withdraw in January, and had sought to change its funding mechanisms to provide greater stability. However, the US decision, “combined with funding cuts from other countries, left us facing a salary gap of about $500m [£382m],” he said.
In a speech to member states, he said there was still a funding gap of $1bn for 2026 and 2027, and asked for support to close it.
Uber has been hit with legal demands to stop using its artificial intelligence driven pay systems, which have been blamed for significantly reducing the incomes of the ride hailing app’s drivers.
A letter before action – sent to the US company by the non-profit foundation, Worker Info Exchange (WIE), on Wednesday – is understood to allege that the ride hailing app has breached European data protection law by varying driver pay rates through its controversial algorithm.
James Farrar, the director of WIE, said: “Uber has leveraged artificial intelligence and machine learning to implement deeply intrusive and exploitative pay-setting systems that have damaged the livelihoods of thousands of drivers.
“Through this collective action, we intend to get a fairer deal for drivers and ensure Uber is held financially accountable for the harm caused by this unlawful use of AI.
“This case is … about securing transparent, fair and safe working conditions for all platform workers.”
The proposed legal case is expected to be filed in Amsterdam, where Uber is based in Europe. The moves come after the WIE partnered with Oxford University during the summer to publish research on Uber driver pay.
The academic paper found that many Uber drivers were earning “substantially less” an hour – while the company was taking a significantly higher share of fares – since the ride hailing app introduced a “dynamic pricing” algorithm in 2023. Dynamic pricing variably sets pay for drivers and fares for passengers and is a later iteration of Uber’s “surge pricing”, which increased fares during periods of peak demand.
The Oxford University research said: “Our findings suggest that post-dynamic pricing, many aspects of Uber drivers’ jobs have gotten worse. Average pay per hour on the app is stagnant, and is lower in real terms in the year following the introduction of dynamic pricing.”
The WIE argued that Uber had trained its algorithms “by using the drivers’ own historic personal data by observing their working practices.
“Under the GDPR, drivers are entitled to demand that Uber stop using this technology, revert to the previous method of transparent pay-setting with a human in the loop, and compensate the drivers for their losses.”
An Uber spokesperson said:“Drivers choose Uber because we offer flexibility over where and when they work, and transparency over every trip they take – including the fare, destination, and their own earnings, before they decide whether to accept. The study WIE collaborated on is not accurate and relies on incomplete and selective data.
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“The researchers themselves admit that their analysis ‘does not enable [them] to isolate the causal effect of dynamic pricing on pay’, making any conclusions about driver earnings misleading. We are proud that thousands of drivers continue to make the positive choice to work on Uber as passenger demand and trips continue to grow.”
The WIE alleges that, while Uber announced dynamic pricing in 2023, the “legal harm” commenced in 2020 with “upfront pricing” – where a passenger would be quoted a set fare for a trip.
The workers’ foundation added that if Uber failed to comply with its “demands to cease these practices and compensate affected drivers”, it intended to “bring collective proceedings before the Amsterdam district court under the Netherlands’ collective redress law”.
Recruiters speak to job seekers at the Appalachian State University internship and job fair in Boone, North Carolina, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025.
Allison Joyce | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday it will not release a full U.S. jobs report for the month of October, following the longest government shutdown in the history of the country.
Instead, the agency said October payroll data will be released along with a full report for November. An unemployment rate for October will not be included in those figures because the data “could not be collected,” the BLS said, citing the shutdown.
The BLS also pushed back its November jobs data release to Dec. 16 from Dec. 5. The new date is six days after the Federal Reserve concludes its final policy meeting of the year — leaving the Fed with less intel on the state of the economy.
Without the full October data — and following recent hawkish commentary from some Fed officials — traders may be pricing in a lower chance of another rate reduction.
The CME Group’s FedWatch tool on midday Wednesday showed there’s a 63.8% chance that the central bank keeps its overnight benchmark rate steady in the 3.75%-4% range. That’s up from around 50% earlier in the day.
In Belém at COP30 on November 11 and 14, UNEP FI welcomed two new banking members–Banpará and Banco do Noreste—as signatories to the UN Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB). This moment represented the expansion of PRB’s growing responsible banking community in Latin America and is a testament to the regional leadership of Brazil’s banking sector in advancing climate and nature goals.
Pictured above: PRB signing ceremony for newest signatories Banpará and Banco do Noreste
PRB members took part in great numbers in Belém to emphasize progress on decarbonization in real estate and agriculture, transition planning, and resilience. ING, Itaú, Bradesco, FAB, Standard Chartered, Caixabank, Credit Agricole, BBVA, MUFG, and many other banks showcased their approaches and demonstrated leadership on the global stage. In support of the Brazil Presidency’s focus on adaptation at this COP, UNEP FI highlighted the PRB Practical Guidance on Implementing Adaptation and Resilience for other interested financial institutions.
These engagements followed PRI In Person and the Climate Action summits the week prior in São Paulo, which convened the finance sector around COP30 goals. On November 3, Itaú and UNEP FI hosted a roundtable -including asset owners, commercial banks, banking associations, policymakers and companies- to discuss the critical role of finance in advancing sustainable food systems.
At PRI In Person, UNEP FI and MSCI Institute joined leaders from Harvard, Amundi, and Itaú to explore how banks embedding sustainability outperform peers—paying less for capital, gaining resilience, and attracting investor confidence. For more, access UNEP FI’s Principles for Responsible Banking Third Biennial Progress Report and/or review panel session highlights in the short article “How are banks translating sustainability commitments into measurable financial and operational advantages.” Additional events on this topic to come in Q1 2026.
On 11 November, UNEP FI, ING and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) hosted a session on how financial institutions and policymakers can drive buildings decarbonisation, including ING and FAB as panellists. The discussion highlighted real-world collaborations across government, finance, industry and homeowners and identified key success factors for scaling up finance for green buildings.
Pictured above (L-R): Roundtable on “Finance Leadership for the Future of Agriculture and Food,” hosted by UNEP FI and Itaú , UNEP FI’ panel event on “ESG Leadership and Financial Performance: What Investors Can Learn from Responsible Banking.” Panel event on “Decarbonising Buildings: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach for Financing the Transition.”
On 18 November, Crédit Agricole and Rabobank will participate in FAO’s high-level COP30 event: “Unlocking Climate Finance for Agrifood Transformation and Climate Action.” The session will explore practical solutions and innovative financing approaches to advance sustainable agrifood system transformation.
Progress Report – Responsible Banking: A Six Year Journey of Systemic Change
Launched on 15 October, the PRB’s third biennial report showcases a sector-wide shift in banking practices. The report provides bespoke data and analysis demonstrating how PRB signatories are increasingly moving from commitment to action, embedding sustainability into core business strategies, governance, and client relationships to manage risk, meet stakeholder expectations and remain competitive in an evolving economy.
Highlights include:
Banks representing circa 50% of global banking assets embedding sustainability into strategy, governance and client relationships
MSCI analysis shows PRB banks paid one percentage point less, on average, for equity and debt capital
Growing regulatory momentum for market practices pioneered by UNEP FI
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Saudi Arabia is backing a $900mn funding round in US video start-up Luma AI, as the Gulf state steps up efforts to become a global force in the development of artificial intelligence.
The deal, led by Humain, the AI-focused venture backed by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, values Luma at more than $4bn, according to people close to the negotiations.
The deal will be announced in Washington at this week’s US-Saudi Investment Forum, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of a number of new deals with US companies. Those follow a wave of tie-ups announced during Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh in May.
Saudi Arabia wants to use the financial muscle of its near-$1tn Public Investment Fund to become an international leader in AI. Prince Mohammed said during his meeting with the US president in the Oval Office on Tuesday that his country planned to spend about $50bn on AI “in the short term”.
Luma, which is based in Burbank, California, creates generative video models that can respond to prompts to create movies or simulate reality. The new funding will accelerate Luma’s efforts to train large-scale “world models” that learn from videos and robotic data rather than just language.
Big Tech groups such as Google DeepMind and Meta, as well as start-ups such as Fei Fei Li’s World Labs, are spending billions of dollars in the race to build these new “spatial intelligence” systems.
Amit Jain, co-founder of Luma, said: “To create AI that can help humanity in the physical world and expand our understanding of the universe, we need to build systems that can learn from a quadrillion tokens of information — roughly the collective digital memory of humanity — contained in video, image, audio and language.”
Meanwhile, Humain is building Project Halo, one of the world’s largest data centre clusters that will provide some computational power for Luma. The deal includes an initiative to build AI models trained on Arabic and regional data to create “culturally aligned” AI.
Existing investors, such as Andreessen Horowitz, Amplify Partners and Matrix Partners have also participated in Luma’s new funding round, alongside new investors including AMD Ventures.
Saudi Arabia and PIF have recalibrated their spending and priorities as lower oil prices put pressure on the kingdom’s budget in recent years. But AI remains one of the main areas where it is willing to spend as part of wider plans to diversify the economy away from its dependence on oil revenues.
Humain chief executive Tareq Amin told the Financial Times earlier this year that the company had allocated $10bn for AI investments through a venture capital fund, while it continued talks with Nvidia and other semiconductor companies to secure the chips needed to build data centres in the kingdom.
Belém, Brazil (November 19, 2025) — At COP30, the governments of Brazil and the UK announced the Belém Declaration on Fertilisers, a ministerial call to action to improve the production and optimize the use of fertilizers in all their forms for food security, nature, and the climate. Japan also endorsed the call to action, along with a group of civil society organizations.
Following is a statement from Richard Waite, Director, Agriculture Initiatives, World Resources Institute:
“Synthetic and organic fertilizers are essential for achieving high crop and pasture yields and for feeding a growing global population. Yet, they are also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to air and water pollution. This call to action to improve fertilizer production and use is an important step forward for people, nature and climate.
“Globally, more than half of the nitrogen applied to crop fields is lost to the environment rather than absorbed by crops—a significant inefficiency. Fertilizer use is also unevenly distributed, with overapplication in some regions causing pollution and underapplication in others leading to low yields and food insecurity.
“More efficient nitrogen use is a multiple-win solution — it can cut emissions, increase profits for farmers, sustain high yields and food security, improve air and water quality, and strengthen soil health and resilience. Our research shows that raising global nitrogen use efficiency from less than 50 percent today to 70 percent in the future could reduce GHG emissions by 0.6 gigatons of CO2 equivalent per year. Producing lower-carbon fertilizers offers further potential to slash emissions.
“Achieving these wins requires smarter nutrient management, wider adoption of enhanced efficiency fertilizers such as nitrification inhibitors, and breeding crops that use nitrogen more effectively. More R&D is also needed for promising pathways such as biological nitrification inhibition and biofertilizers. Governments should develop policies and redirect subsidies toward strategies that improve nitrogen use efficiency, reduce nitrogen losses, and lower emissions from fertilizer production.”
Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., Nov. 19, 2025.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
The S&P 500 rose on Wednesday, spurred by a jump in Alphabet shares, following a four-day slide centered around technology as investors moved back into the artificial intelligence trade and bet that Nvidia’s upcoming earnings would calm fears that AI stocks are overvalued and overhyped.
The broad market index climbed 0.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered around the flatline.
The S&P 500’s move higher was supported by a 4% jump in Alphabet, which hit a new all-time high. Shares were rallying around optimism about its new generation of AI, Gemini 3, which it rolled out Tuesday.
Nvidia also saw gains, rising 2% ahead of its third-quarter results scheduled for after the bell. Analysts largely expect that the company — the largest in the broad-market index — will meaningfully beat Wall Street’s expectations and forecast strong sales growth driven by demand for its AI chips and other infrastructure.
“They’re going to come in great, I suspect, but if they don’t, then there’s going to be a problem,” Scott Welch, chief investment officer at Certuity, told CNBC. “Within the AI space, it’s not that people disbelieve the trade or don’t think these are quality companies. It’s just that they’re really super hyper-expensive right now from a valuation perspective.”
The AI chip darling has a high bar to beat. Investors have taken profits from their tech holdings in recent days, reflecting heightened concerns that the AI boom has run up the valuations of Nvidia and other hyperscalers at an unsustainable pace.
“People are just starting to ask the question, as they should, ‘You guys are committing to spending trillions of dollars into your data centers and your AI capabilities and everything else, when are we going to see the results of that?’” Welch said. “It’s not a question that they’re doubting them. It’s just that it’s a question of timing.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the AI trade, but it may not go to the moon tomorrow,” he continued. “There’s never, ever in history been an experience where markets have gotten this elevated and not corrected.”
Tuesday’s session saw the Dow and S&P 500 notch their fourth consecutive losing days, with the S&P 500 logging its longest slide since August. The tech-heavy Nasdaq recorded its fifth negative day in six sessions. Bitcoin briefly dropped below $90,000 on Tuesday before recovering, while gold prices rose from a one-week low.
Zimmer Biomet employees Rickie Witte, left, and Orsa Britton, right, visited with IU researchers Amrou Awaysheh, Jill Fehrenbacher and Melissa Kacena, center from left, at the Zimmer Biomet facility in Warsaw, Indiana. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana UniversityAn interdisciplinary partnership between Indiana University researchers and orthopedic industry titans is further cementing Indiana’s position as the epicenter of musculoskeletal health innovation.
Increasing Hoosiers’ mobility so they can live more fulfilling lives is at the center of the Indiana Musculoskeletal Health Partnership for the Advancement of Care & Treatment mission. The statewide consortium, known as IMPACT, aims to restore the health of patients with osteoporosis, arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders or injuries. The musculoskeletal system refers to the body’s structure and strength network, encapsulating bones, muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and cartilage.
A child breaks a bone on the playground. An athlete tears a knee ligament. A senior adult can no longer live independently due to a broken hip. Musculoskeletal injuries and disorders affect all walks of life.
Through research and development, and workforce and educational training, IMPACT is advancing Indiana’s thriving orthopedic industry. The consortium collaborates with more than 100 research, industry and clinical partners statewide, including Eli Lilly, Zimmer Biomet, OrthoIndy, University of Notre Dame and Purdue University. It is expected to bring more than 2,000 jobs and $583 million in economic activity to the state.
The U.S. National Science Foundation named the consortium as a Regional Innovation Engine finalist. The competition will fund programs that build and scale regional ecosystems around critical industries that drive economic growth.
“In order for Hoosiers to have the life they want, they need to be able to move well,” said Melissa Kacena, the consortium’s principal investigator. “Whether it’s picking up your grandkids, running a marathon or being able to work, if we can’t move the way we want to, we aren’t living our best lives.”
Leading the consortium is a cross-collaborative team of IU researchers who combine expertise in clinical studies, pharmacology and supply chain management.
Kacena is the director of the IU School of Medicine’s Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health and a leading bone researcher. Her research focuses on developing drug technologies to accelerate bone recovery, a breakthrough that has attracted attention from NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. Both organizations see the treatment’s potential to help astronauts preserve bone mass in space and heal soldiers recovering from explosives injuries.
Jill Fehrenbacher, a neuroscientist at the IU School of Medicine, is IMPACT’s chief learning officer. Amrou Awaysheh, a faculty member at the IU Kelley School of Business, serves as chief technology and innovation officer. Jim Lancaster, an orthopedic innovation executive, is the interim CEO.
An aging nation
Osteoporosis, arthritis, sprains, strains and fractures are common musculoskeletal disorders. Photo by Chris Meyer, Indiana University The aging U.S population is driven by the large baby boomer generation and increased life expectancy. In 2020, over 15% of people in the U.S. were 65 and older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. One hundred years ago, less than 5% of people were 65 or older. As people live longer, the demand for orthopedic innovations increases.
A common health concern is bone fractures. According to Kacena, 50% of women and 25% of men over the age of 50 will suffer from a bone fracture in their lifetime due to low bone density.
Suffering any kind of musculoskeletal injury can have devastating effects. It’s estimated that 300,000 hip fractures occur in the U.S. each year. Studies show that 20% to 30% of elderly people who fracture a hip die within a year.
Musculoskeletal conditions are a leading cause of absenteeism in the workplace and account for nearly 20% of primary-care physician visits. In 2018, these conditions cost the U.S health care system $420 billion.
Warsaw, Indiana: The world’s orthopedic capital
IMPACT is building on the already competitive orthopedic industry in Warsaw, Indiana.
Stretching 50 miles along U.S. 30 from Warsaw to Fort Wayne, Indiana, a cluster of more than 25 medical device companies and manufacturers earned the region its fitting nickname: “MedTech Corridor.” Known as the orthopedic capital of the world, Warsaw is home to notable orthopedic manufacturers such as DePuy Synthes and Zimmer Biomet.
Warsaw’s reputation for orthopedic innovation dates to 1895, when Revra DePuy created fiber and then wire splints, a safer alternative to the barrel stave splint physicians were using. Fast forward more than a century later, and Warsaw claims almost two-thirds of the world’s market share for orthopedic devices.
“Warsaw is more than just the orthopedic capital of the world; it’s a hub for innovation, where world-class manufacturers and researchers work to advance technologies that improve mobility and quality of life for Hoosiers,” Lancaster said. “Through IMPACT, we’ll foster a thriving life sciences ecosystem and strengthen Indiana’s economy.”
Connecting IU’s expertise in musculoskeletal health with the orthopedic community in Warsaw will move musculoskeletal innovations to the marketplace quicker. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University
Research that moves
IU researchers are working with manufacturers to ensure they can keep pace with swift technology advancements.
Through the IU Business Sustainability and Innovation Lab at the Kelley School, which Awaysheh directs, he and over 110 master’s students helped a Warsaw orthopedic manufacturer examine opportunities to leverage AI to create more responsive supply chains. This allows data collection and adaptation in real time, making processes more cost efficient, more responsive and smarter and provides physicians with more accurate implants quicker.
“Our work also extends beyond the supply chain into digitizing manufacturing,” Awaysheh said. “Think of your house. Older homes have light switches and dial thermostats. Now you see smart switches that sense when someone enters the room, and we can control the temperature remotely to only be on when the space is being used.
“These same principles are going to advance manufacturing. We can use similar concepts to digitize legacy manufacturing lines.”
Kacena is launching a mobile testing unit to make preventive care more accessible to aging and rural communities.
MSKMobile is a fully equipped mobile healthcare screening and research tool. It will travel across Indiana to test volunteers’ gait speed, grip strength, bone mineral density and other important markers of musculoskeletal health. It is an expansion of the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health’s Function, Imaging and Testing Core.
Training this generation and the next
Fehrenbacher, who will develop educational and workforce training programs, said that sparking students’ STEM interest early is key.
MSKTrain, the consortium’s STEM education program, will reach students across Indiana. Warsaw has led the way with early STEM exposure, using a mobile STEM bus to bring hands-on learning to elementary schools. MSKTrain will expand that model to rural areas, aligning curriculum with state standards so teachers can integrate lessons easily into the classroom.
To ensure a skilled workforce, Fehrenbacher is exploring innovative solutions like augmented reality with haptic feedback to provide immersive, hands-on training. MSKTrain’s goal is to partner with upskilling programs at Ivy Tech Community College and OrthoWorx to provide relevant training and credentials.
“To grow Indiana’s STEM workforce, we need to spark interest early and support students through high school with tools to guide their paths,” Fehrenbacher said. “We’re also prioritizing flexible upskilling programs, like the AR training, to meet people where they are and prepare them for real jobs, faster.”
New mandates have been introduced by UK offshore trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), which caps the seasonally clothed weight of staff flying out to offshore platforms at 124.7kg (which includes a 0.7kg safety margin) in order to ensure they can be winched to safety by a helicopter if necessary.
The move comes after research by OEUK found the average weight of offshore workers had risen by nearly 10kg since 2008, with as many as 2,200 workers, around 5% of the offshore workforce, currently thought to be over the new limit
But it could leave hundreds of workers facing a race to get their weight down in time for the 1 November 2026 deadline, and those unable to do so would be banned from being able to do their jobs offshore, leaving their employment at risk.
Natalie Walker, a regulatory expert with Pinsent Masons in Aberdeen, said the new restrictions mean that offshore companies will need to give greater focus to their staff’s wellbeing.
“Companies will need to carefully adhere to the new policy given the strict limit on medical certification,” she said. “Failing to comply puts them at risk of not being able to deploy their staff offshore, so supporting staff and ensuring they are under the cut-off will benefit everyone involved and save unnecessary losses.”
The policy has been put in place after consultation and research with helicopter and offshore providers and the coastguard, and began on 1 November 2025, with an introductory phase designed to raise awareness of the problem running until 31 January 2026.
After that a transition phase will run from 1 February 2026 until the end of October, during which time workers over the limit will have six months to cut weight to a level where, including their clothing for the helicopter flight out, they are under 124kg.
After 1 November 2026 anyone who fails weight tests at their medical or mobilisation will not be able to travel offshore and will not get an OEUK medical certificate. Those who are marginally under will have their offshore certification reduced, with those between 120.1kg and 124kg at medical examination being certified for up to three months, and those between 115kg and 120kg getting a reduced-duration medical certificate for up to six months.
OEUK said this was to encourage weight loss among workers at the top end of the limits. Energy industry workers body Step Change in Safety will be providing healthy living information to members over the rest of 2025, with offshore industry businesses encouraged to provide weight loss support for staff.
Gillian Harrington, an employment law expert with Pinsent Masons in Aberdeen, said getting the introductory phase of the new weight limits regime right was critical to minimising both legal and operational risks.
“The worst-case scenario is that workers who do not meet the new limits may be unable to work offshore,” she warned. “This could lead to claims of unfair dismissal, disability discrimination, and even indirect sex discrimination, as men are statistically more likely to be affected. Employers can reduce these risks by offering practical support, engaging with employees about their individual circumstances, and clearly explaining the health and safety rationale behind the policy. Demonstrating that fair and objectively justifiable processes have been followed will be key.”
“Beyond legal considerations, the bigger challenge is retaining skilled workers who are hard to replace. Helping as many employees as possible to meet safe weight limits will be a significant priority for offshore employers in 2026,” she said.
