This edition of HR News Roundup features items on hiring in the AI era, HR megatrends, terminations, 4-day work week, mental health, marijuana testing, culture wars, and more. Plus, don’t miss our items from the lighter side.
Hiring with Confidence in the AI Era: 3 Trends to Spot and 7 Ways to Safeguard Your Process
Lisa Nagale-Piazza, David J. Walton – Fisher Phillips
Rapid advancements in AI technology are reshaping nearly every stage of the hiring process, from how employers source talent to how candidates present themselves. Artificial intelligence can streamline staffing activities and help job seekers polish their resumes and prepare for interviews. But an emerging concern for employers is whether applicants are using AI to game the system rather than genuinely showcase their skills. How can employers embrace these new tools while still ensuring authenticity in the hiring process? Here are three deceptive practices that could lead to bad hires and seven ways to protect your business.
Related: The 10 Things All Employers Must Include in Any Workplace AI Policy
5 Megatrends HR Leaders Need to Prepare for Today
Jen Coletta, HR Executive
HR leaders are standing at a pivotal juncture; it’s like seeing a giant dust storm in the distance that is getting ready to collapse and fill the air, analogized RedThread Research’s Stacia Garr at HR Tech in Las Vegas.
What’s spewing in that air? AI, skills gaps, employee turnover—a general sense of uncertainty, she said.
Now, the question is, what can HR do to ensure it doesn’t have to “pull over” to get through that storm—but rather can drive right through it?
Explanation and Empathy: What Employees Value Most During Job Terminations
Dexter Tilo, HRD
Managers and HR professionals are often placed in the position of having to terminate employees for a variety of reasons and mishandling these conversations can result in significant legal risks and damage to an organisation’s reputation.
A new survey from Preply, a language tutor platform, has asked those on both sides of the table – managers and employees – what they could do better and what would help most during these difficult conversations.
It revealed that 92% of Americans believe managers would benefit from more language training on how to terminate someone and employees and managers think providing better explanations for terminations could help improve the process.
Related: Economic Headwinds: Navigating Layoffs with Care and Compliance
Mental Health Emerges As Workers’ Top Safety Concern
Editorial Team, Risk & Insurance
Mental health concerns now dominate the safety landscape, cited by 32% of workers as their top safety issue—significantly outpacing physical injury risks at 20%, environmental hazards at 9%, and equipment safety at just 4%.
This shift carries real consequences beyond the workplace, according to Pie Insurance. More than one-third of employees report that workplace stress impacts their personal lives, with 63% experiencing reduced motivation or burnout, 62% dealing with increased anxiety or depression, and 51% suffering from sleep disruption.
As Burnout Reaches a New High, Will it Drive 4-Day Workweek Momentum?
Tom Starner, HR Executive
Workplace burnout among U.S. employees has escalated to a six-year high, according a new report. At the same time, employee expectations about how an organization can reduce their stress are evolving, with a renewed focus on the four-day workweek.
The 15th annual WorkForces Report found that 72% of U.S. employees say they face “moderate to very high stress at work.” Gen Z has surpassed millennials as the most burned-out generation, with 74% experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout, compared to 66% of millennials in 2025.
Among the potential stress-relief efforts, employees report spiking interest in a four-day workweek. Forty percent of employees say shortening the workweek would be an effective way to address burnout, up from 28% last year.
What Employers Need to Know About Marijuana Drug Testing in the Age of Legalization
Holly Williamson, Susan Wiltsie, Michael Reed – HR Daily Advisor
Employers have long relied upon drug testing as the most objective way to determine whether an employee is using drugs in a manner that impacts work. With the ongoing trend towards legalization of marijuana across the county, the legal environment around drug testing for marijuana has never been more complex.
Employers’ Role in Culture War Conflicts
Jeremy L. Thompson, Britney N.D. Torres – Littler
Escalating culture war conflicts and heightened tensions can spill into the workplace when employee conduct relates to national and global political controversies. Whether in the office, through the virtual workplace, or via social media, employee political and ideological speech may require employers to navigate various legal considerations and take action. The tensions are continuing to escalate with government agencies’ inviting complaints and political figures’ urging citizens to report employees to their employers.
Although these conflicts have become more commonplace in recent years, they are layered, nuanced, and continually evolving. Before taking action, employers can help minimize the influence of politicized and polarized opinions by focusing on the following key considerations, which provide a foundation for addressing conflict, responding to complaints, and navigating the potential for litigation.
HR News Roundup: Quick Takes
- 10 Scary HR Violations You Want to Avoid Next Year
- “No Hire, No Fire” Job Market May No Longer Be a Thing as Big Companies Announce Mass Layoffs
- How Daylight Saving Time Affects Your Health
- Hiring Remotely? 6 Red Flags to Help HR Spot Fake Candidates
- Ways to Avoid First Responder Burnout
- Understanding the $58 Billion Problem: How the Top 10 Workplace Injuries Impact American Business
- Court Upholds Colorado Healthcare Employers’ Vaccine Mandate Terminations
- Obesity Rate Declining in U.S.
- No, That AI Chatbot Is Not Your Friend
- 10 Ways Employers Negate Their FMLA Rights
- SSA Bumps Up Social Security Taxable Wage Base For 2026
- What to Think About When Hiring Internationally
- Don’t Let Corporate Jargon Hold Your Team Back
From the Lighter Side …
- The world recently lost a real treasure in Jane Goodall, someone with a wonderful workplace that she was gracious enough to share with us all. Check out John Charles Simon’s tribute to her in Psychology Today: Jane Goodall and Our Understanding of Laughter’s Origins.
- Another notable that we lost recently (in 2023) was Pee Wee Herman, who loved Halloween. His blog is still up with a variety of fun posts. His post on spooky & kooky Halloween pizzas a few year back might offers some inspiration for Halloween weekend snacks.
- And since it is the spooky season, you may find this article of interest: From pagan spirits to Wonder Woman: A brief history of the Halloween costume.
- Japan has been celebrating “Mundane Halloween”, which entails wearing costumes from everyday life, or “costumes so mundane they have to be explained.” Here’s a selection of mundane costumes from Spoon & Tamago for 2024 and for 2023.
- We’ve found a selection of fun, noteworthy costumes on the social media site Reddit, but depending on your workplace social media policies, you may need to check these out at home: An adorable porcupine, a terrifying dog, a very elaborate Vincent Van Gogh costume and a cool jellyfish
- It’s too late for this year, but if you like do-it-yourself costumes, here’s some terrifying inspiration in this gallery of crocheted Halloween costumes,
HR News – Blog posts you may have missed