WorkLife

As Gen Z overtakes boomers as the largest segment of the workforce, a startling new report reveals that ageism on the job isn’t just widespread — it’s virtually universal. Nearly all workers aged 40 and older believe ageism exists on the job, with 9 in 10 feeling pressured to hide their age or downplay their experience to fit in, according to MyPerfectResume’s Generational Attitudes in the Workplace Report, based on a survey of 1,000 workers. “Ageism is like a slow leak — it often goes unnoticed until the damage is done,” said Rebecca Samarasinghe Perrault, global vp of culture, diversity and sustainability at workplace tech firm Magnit. The impact of this bias runs deep: 95% of surveyed workers report that age-related stereotypes have affected their sense of belonging at work, while 86% believe older employees are targets of workplace bullying.

Ever-rising childcare costs and shortages of options put a major strain on today’s working parents — especially as they’re being asked to work from the office more days a week. HR professionals know this, but other executives aren’t as acutely aware, according to a new report. Nearly 80% of CHROs have struggled to convince the C-Suite to expand employer-sponsored childcare benefits and the potential return on investment, according to a small survey from Kindercare conducted by the Harris Poll, including responses from 152 CHROs, CPOs and vps.

One effective way to get a message across is to force everyone to listen to it. Employers have traditionally done so with what’s commonly known as mandatory captive-audience meetings. But for employers, holding all-hands meetings to discuss certain topics and penalizing staff who do not attend is now illegal. In California, a law went into effect Jan. 1 making it illegal to force employees to attend meetings where employers discuss political or religious topics. If an employee declines to attend, they cannot be penalized under the law. Similar laws have been passed in states including Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. In this piece by Hailey Mensik, we speak to Deena Merlen of Reavis Page Jump LLP, Mark F. Kluger Employment Lawyer of Kluger Healey LLC, and Rick Fanning of Clark Hill Law.

The unique challenge of managing HR in startups has never been more apparent than in the current business environment, where employee well-being ranks high on just about every employer’s stated list of priorities. That said, some 4 in 10 startup owners in the U.K. consider it necessary or acceptable for employees to work beyond their contracted hours, with the figure rising to 45% among those businesses that are less than a year old, according to a survey of more than 500 entrepreneurs by Startups.co.uk. In this piece by Tony Case, we speak to Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack of Health Assured, Chris Coussons, and Barbara Palmer of Broad Perspectives.

With the wave of recent layoffs and the rate of finding a new job at its lowest point since the pandemic, it’s little wonder employees are starting the new year feeling shaky about work life. In fact, 4 in 5 workers fear losing their jobs this year, according to a survey of 1,115 employees in the U.S. by MyPerfectResume. The survey revealed that 76% anticipate more layoffs this year, while 63% expect more business closures vs. 2024 and 90% fear a recession could be on the way. The impact extends beyond job concerns. More than half the workforce believes burnout will worsen in 2025, driven by job insecurity (43%), increased workloads (29%) and deteriorating work-life balance (23%). It all makes for a stubborn cycle in which fear of becoming jobless leads to overwork, which, in turn, exacerbates burnout and stress. In this piece by Tony Case, we speak to Tim Glowa (IBDC.D, GCB.D), Brad Smith, Ph.D. of meQuilibrium, Amy Mosher of isolved, Ben Eubanks of Lighthouse Research & Advisory, and Justin Marcus of Big 4 Talent.

It turns out, return-to-office is a messy business. Last week, President Trump’s order to have all federal workers back in the office full-time, sparked further debate around the real motivations of rigid RTO orders. While the prospect of high attrition doesn’t seem to be a deterrent, given the executive order was given alongside a hiring freeze (with departments reportedly asked to draw up lists of people they could fire), some workplace experts have said that the short-term talent cull could make it harder for the government to compete for skilled workers in the future. Ultimately, a whole array of questions around actual implementation and the impact such a large-scale RTO mandate could have on individual agencies’ cultures remains. In short, RTO is fast becoming the proverbial can of worms. In this piece by Hailey Mensik, we speak to Deborah E. McGee, CPA of PZI Group, Danaya Wilson of BetterCertify (CHC Training), Ellen Ernst Kossek of Purdue University, and Rick Hermanns of HireQuest Inc.

Workforces may be having an issue with AI overkill. About half of business leaders report declining company-wide enthusiasm for AI integration and adoption, according to a recent EY pulse survey, including responses from 500 senior business executives. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eeE_6KsJ

Issuing an RTO mandate is one thing, executing it well is another. And it’s only too easy to fumble it. HR leaders are often stuck in the middle between the wishes of the boardroom, and the ire of their employees, particularly when it comes to divisive topics like RTO. But that’s why experts say their role in RTO transitions is crucial. “There are lots of decisions that impact employees that HR advised against,” said Kristen Leverone, global managing director of Leadership Development at global recruitment firm LHH. “But they [HR leaders] really can help, both in terms of keeping the workforce engaged, and retaining top talent. They need to keep leaning in and making sure that their strategic voice is heard,” she said. In this piece by Jessica Davies, we also speak to Oliver Shaw of Orgvue, and Caroline Walsh of Gartner.

The workplace is facing a worrisome trend: a dramatic surge in employees using substances to cope with job pressures. Among the biggest triggers, money tops the list, with nearly half of workers citing financial worries as their primary stressor. Others point to workplace environment (23%), uncertainty about the future (20%) and difficulty finding a job (10%). In this piece by Tony Case, we speak to Joseph Volpicelli of Institute of Addiction Medicine, and Melissa Legere. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/exDEknGs

Would you rather hire a robot or a recent college graduate? For an alarming number of HR leaders, the machine wins. A recent survey from Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Mass., reveals a troubling reality: Nearly 8 in 10 recent graduates say they learned more in their first six months on the job than in their entire four years of college. What’s more, employers are so wary of unprepared graduates that they’re taking drastic measures to keep from hiring them.