• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
NewslettersFortune CHRO

How HR leaders can help employees affected by the Los Angeles wildfires

Brit Morse
By
Brit Morse
Brit Morse
Leadership Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Brit Morse
By
Brit Morse
Brit Morse
Leadership Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 10, 2025, 8:27 AM ET
Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025.
Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025.DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Good morning!

Recommended Video

California wildfires are causing massive destruction in the Los Angeles area this week, as several different fires scorch the city. With high winds at one point reaching 100 miles per hour, more than 100,000 acres have burned, thousands of structures have been damaged or destroyed, multiple people have been killed, and nearly 180,000 residents have been told to evacuate.

The disaster has left many people in the area either temporarily displaced or without a home entirely, and many victims who lost homes may find themselves in financial distress after large insurance companies recently dropped coverage for homes. 

Fortune reporter Sara Braun spoke with HR leaders about the best ways that employers can support workers affected by the fires. While specific advice varied, it all boiled down to one idea: Treat your employees like family. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) companies are required to protect workers from the hazards associated with wildfires, but there are many other ways organizations can go above and beyond to ensure the safety of their employees.

Setting up clear lines of communication, allowing worker flexibility, and helping affected employees access life-saving benefits are some of the basic actions that leaders can take right now, experts say. People will likely be overwhelmed with both the physical and emotional toll of these losses, so it’s especially important that bosses and people managers step in to explain what their benefits are, and how they can access them. 

“This is not the time to start thinking about, ‘Well, this is the requirement by law, therefore, I should do the minimum required.’ No, that’s the wrong answer,” says John Staines, managing partner of the global human resources practice at DHR Global. “The right answer is: What would you do for yourself and your family? And treat everybody else the same way.”

As the shock and devastation continues to affect thousands of workers, it’s also especially important for leaders to show their empathetic side, Emily Rose McRae, senior director analyst in the Gartner HR practice, tells Fortune. 

“This is a wonderful time for being understanding and not saying after this week: ‘Okay, can we get back to normal now.’”

Read more about how HR leaders can assist employees during the California wildfires here.

Sara Braun
sara.braun@fortune.com 

Brit Morse
brit.morse@fortune.com 

Around the Table

A round-up of the most important HR headlines.

The longshoreman’s union reached a tentative deal that averts a port strike that would have shut down major East and Gulf Coast ports next week. Washington Post

Global banks plan to cut as many as 200,000 jobs in the next three to five years as artificial intelligence takes on more tasks traditionally carried out by humans. Bloomberg

The Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association ratified a contract with Vail Resorts, raising the starting pay of mountain safety workers $2 an hour, and ending a strike that hindered resorts during their busiest time. New York Times

Watercooler

Everything you need to know from Fortune

“Career catfishing.” Fed up with being ghosted, Gen-Z applicants are no longer replying to messages from hiring managers and sometimes won’t even turn up on the first day of work. —Chloe Berger

Complete disaster. The deadly inferno sweeping across Los Angeles, consuming thousands of homes, and costing over $50 billion in damages, will likely be one of the most expensive natural disasters on record. —Christiaan Hetzner

Unequal mandates. Amazon’s widely discussed RTO policy may end up being more strict in the U.S. than in Europe as employees overseas may see more flexible work schedules. —Prarthana Prakash

This is the web version of Fortune CHRO, a newsletter focusing on helping HR executives navigate the needs of the workplace. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.
About the Author
Brit Morse
By Brit MorseLeadership Reporter
LinkedIn icon

Brit Morse is a former Leadership reporter at Fortune, covering workplace trends and the C-suite. She also writes CHRO Daily, Fortune’s flagship newsletter for HR professionals and corporate leaders.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Newsletters

A woman observes stock trends on her smartphone while a computer screen displays financial graphs.
NewslettersCFO Daily
Beyond SpaceX: Why great IPOs depend on more than first-day demand
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 22, 2026
6 hours ago
Photo: Sam Altman
NewslettersMarkets
AI world stunned by OpenAI model that secretly escaped secure environment and hacked into a rival company
By Jim EdwardsJuly 22, 2026
8 hours ago
Samsung’s North America CEO says the smartphone is just an entry point to ambient AI of the home
NewslettersCEO Daily
Samsung’s North America CEO says the smartphone is just an entry point to ambient AI of the home
By Diane BradyJuly 22, 2026
9 hours ago
Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue (center) on Capitol Hill on September 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
OpenAI: Our models accidentally compromised Hugging Face
By Andrew NuscaJuly 22, 2026
10 hours ago
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis
AIEye on AI
A FINRA for AI? The idea from Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis is gaining momentum. But is it any good?
By Jeremy KahnJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Exclusive: Twin sisters built GlossGenius into the latest female-founded unicorn. Now they’re debuting AI for small businesses far beyond beauty
NewslettersMPW Daily
Exclusive: Twin sisters built GlossGenius into the latest female-founded unicorn. Now they’re debuting AI for small businesses far beyond beauty
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
23 hours ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.