Latest news with #workplace
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Employers without paid caregiving leave risk losing talent, Prudential says
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. As more workers of all generations take on caregiving responsibilities, employers could risk losing their top talent if they don't offer paid caregiving benefits, according to a June 23 report from Prudential Financial. In a survey, employees pointed to paid caregiving leave as a top benefit, yet only 52% of employers offer this type of paid time off. 'Caregiving isn't a niche issue — it's a workplace reality,' said Michael Estep, president of Prudential Group Insurance. 'Employees across every demographic are asking for paid leave, and employers who don't respond risk losing talent.' In surveys of nearly 3,000 full-time employees and 750 employers in the U.S., employers most often offered paid leave programs for parental (89%), military (55%), caregiving (52%) and pregnancy loss (51%) reasons. Although 63% of employers said they offer employer-paid leave programs, a third of employees said they needed to take a family or medical leave for at least four days but didn't. They cited barriers such as affordability, stigma, career advancement concerns and worries about passing on the workload to their co-workers. Employers noted hesitations, too. While 69% said they recognize the positive impact of paid leave on business outcomes, they expressed concerns about policy abuse and said unpaid leave or short-term disability should meet employees' needs. In the report, employees said they wanted to better understand their paid leave programs, and employers said they wanted better guidance on how to navigate state leave laws. Companies can address these concerns by listening to employee needs, explaining benefits with consistent and clear communication and consulting with brokers to address employee needs with state laws in mind, Prudential found. 'Embracing paid leave as an essential benefit that supports the well-being of caregivers in the workplace can be a powerful strategy to attract and retain talented workers, while also supporting them in ways that can boost satisfaction, loyalty and performance,' Estep said. Half of moms in the 'sandwich generation,' who support both children and adult dependents, say they've left a job due to their caregiving responsibilities, according to a report from Motherly and the University of Phoenix Career Institute. Two-thirds also said their employer's benefits don't meet the needs of their adult caregiving responsibilities, and 68% said the same about child care. As parental leave becomes more commonplace, more companies may look to improve their overall caregiving leave options, an absence and leave expert told HR Dive. Flexible work arrangements, in particular, could meet the needs of the sandwich generation, he said. Recommended Reading With ambition changing, only 3 in 10 workers aspire to C-suite roles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Generation Z employees say they rely on AI for emotional intelligence
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. Generation Z employees are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools for emotional intelligence concerns in the workplace, such as understanding a manager's tone in an email and drafting an appropriate reply, according to a June report from In a survey, 76% of Gen Z workers said they use AI chatbots. Among those, 94% said they've used AI to navigate workplace issues. Nearly 3 in 10 said they do so 'all the time,' while 40% do it often. 'Gen Z workers often feel more validated and confident after consulting AI because these tools offer immediate, judgment-free feedback in a format that feels safe and familiar to this generation raised in a digital world,' said Kara Dennison, head of career advising at In the survey of more than 1,000 full-time U.S. Gen Z workers, nearly half said they change how they communicate with others after using AI; a third respond more assertively than usual, and 26% apologize or take responsibility. Gen Z workers said they most commonly use AI chatbots to interpret tone, with 75% saying they've asked a chatbot to analyze an email, Slack message or other digital communication. They've also used AI for emotionally charged, sensitive situations that involve miscommunication or direct conflicts with managers or co-workers. Although many Gen Z workers say AI chatbots help them process workplace conflicts, it isn't always positive. Forty-three percent said AI reinforced their biased reaction or beliefs, and 17% said AI has made them less likely to take personal responsibility. 'One of the biggest risks is the elimination of personal responsibility,' Dennison explains. 'If an AI tool consistently validates a user's perspective without challenging it, it can reinforce a fixed mindset, enabling blame-shifting rather than self-reflection.' Dennison noted the potential upsides of AI use but emphasized that chatbots can't address the nuances or empathy needed in sensitive situations. For instance, AI can't interpret body language, understand power imbalances or navigate organizational context, she said, adding that AI users may miss out on professional development or real-world feedback from workplace conflicts. 'Healthy workplace communication depends on empathy, active listening and accountability,' Dennison said. 'AI can complement that process, but it cannot replace it.' More than half of Gen Z workers see AI tools as a co-worker or even a friend, and nearly half said they'd rather ask a chatbot a question than consult their boss, according to another report from Workers said they use AI to complete tasks, make tough decisions, seek advice and find mental health support. In the midst of AI use and workplace conflicts, HR pros can help create an emotionally healthy culture, according to a report from McLean & Co. Instead of avoiding emotions at work, employers can be 'proactive about how emotions and work can coexist to enable workplaces where everyone can thrive,' McLean advised. Recommended Reading AI job postings are on the rise, notably in software development, Indeed says
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Your 9-to-5 Feels More Like 24/7, Report Says
One in three employees feels that the pace of work in today's world has become impossible to keep up with, new research by Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) found. In its 2025 Work Trend Index Annual Report, Microsoft charts the emergence of what it calls a "Frontier Firm," or a company that's "redesigning business processes around AI and agents to scale rapidly, operate with agility, and generate value faster than traditional companies." These new, ultraproductive companies will be hindered by one major roadblock: the seemingly infinite workday. Don't Miss: GoSun's breakthrough rooftop EV charger already has 2,000+ units reserved — become an investor in this $41.3M clean energy brand today. Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. This infinite workday "starts early, mostly in email, and quickly swells to a focus-sapping flood of messages, meetings, and interruptions," the report says. An average employee is online by six am, reviewing a fraction of the 117 emails they'll receive that day. By the time they're entering peak productivity hours, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and again between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., they're knee-deep in meetings and receiving workflow interruptions every two minutes. Things aren't winding down in the evening, either. Microsoft's data shows that there has been a 16% increase in meetings after 8 p.m. year-over-year. Additionally, the average employee receives 50+ teams messages outside of core work hours. Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100. All of this leads to a sense of exhaustion and an increased mental load. Just under half of all employees, 48%, and a full 52% of leaders say their "work feels chaotic and fragmented," thanks to the frenetic pace and constant digital noise. Microsoft says that while the trend of the 24/7 workday is concerning, it doesn't have to be that way. "AI can give us the leverage to redesign the rhythm of work, refocus our teams on new and differentiating work, and fix what has become a seemingly infinite workday. The question isn't whether work will change. It's whether we will," the report reads. Outsourcing mundane tasks is a good place to start. "By deploying AI and agents to streamline low-value tasks—status meetings, routine reports, admin churn—leaders can reclaim time for what moves the business: deep work, fast decisions, and focused execution," the report says. But it's "agent bosses" or "human agent teams" that are the real future of work, the report says. This new generation of professionals will work smarter, not harder, by deploying AI agents to do the most routine aspects of their work so that they can focus on what matters most, "fast, high-quality insights that benefit the entire team." See Next: $100k in assets? Maximize your retirement and cut down on taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $100. Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? MICROSOFT (MSFT): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Why Your 9-to-5 Feels More Like 24/7, Report Says originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Quiet crisis' playing out across Australian workplaces right now
A 'quiet crisis' is emerging across Australia as the world enters a new workforce era, with leaders warned that being unwilling to adapt could have serious consequences in the near future. The way we work has transformed dramatically in recent years, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing people to adapt to new ways of working. Even though we are no longer in the thick of lockdowns and social distancing, the changes that occurred to workplaces during that period don't look like they are going away any time soon. For a lot of office-based employees, hybrid or remote work has become the norm and, despite a recent rise in company's issuing return to office mandates, Aussie workers won't give up their new-found flexibility easily. A new report from payroll and HR company, Deel, explores how workers are responding to shifting workplace conditions, including AI disruption, cost of living pressures, how they are being paid and the benefits they are receiving. More than 1000 full-time Australian office workers were surveyed as part of the 2025 Deel Australia Payday Expectations Report, revealing a widening gap between what employees want and what their employers are willing to give. Shannon Karaka, Deel's Country Leader for Australia, said one of the big things that was made clear in the report is that Aussie workers want more control, particularly when it comes to their pay. 'This report reveals a quiet crisis unfolding in workplaces, and the urgency for businesses to evolve – from modernising payroll to supporting financial resilience,' he said. 'Today's employees expect the same level of customisation and speed from their workplace benefits as they do from their favourite apps. 'We're seeing a growing demand for payroll to be a financial service, one that empowers employees with real-time access, flexibility, and greater control over their earnings.' Of those surveyed, 38 per cent said they want to be paid sooner than they currently are, this rises to 50 per cent among those struggling financially and 55 per cent for households earning under $50,000 a year. But it isn't just when they are being paid that they want more say on, it is also how they are being paid. Three in five said they would considered receiving part of their salary in non-traditional forms, such as stocks, shares or equity. Gen Z were most likely to consider alternative forms of payment, along with being the most likely age group to consider receiving cryptocurrency as part of their salary. The vast majority of those surveyed said they would want the option of customising their pay and benefits package, with 64 per cent saying they would trade paid leave benefits for a higher salary. Despite this, it is clear work-life balance is also a high priority, with two thirds of respondents ranking either flexible working hours or remote work options among their most important benefits in a job. One in four revealed they would also take lower pay in exchange for more flexibility. A whopping 78 per cent said they were willing to give up perks like gym access, free meals or company events for more flexible working conditions. Gen Z are also leading the charge in this area, with 90 per cent of respondents in this age group saying they would trade traditional benefits for more flexibility, compared to just 51 per cent of Baby Boomers. The results make it clear there is a growing disconnect between what is being offered and what workers actually want. Speaking to Mr Karaka that if this gap around compensation, benefits and flexibility continues to widen, we are going to see 'serious consequences across Australian workplaces'. He said companies that don't adapt to these changes will be 'left behind'. 'Retention will drop, engagement will suffer, and top talent – especially among younger generations – will walk away in favour of more progressive, flexible employers,' Mr Karaka said. 'The best thing employers can do right now is listen, and then act. The data is clear: employees want more flexibility, transparency, and control over how and when they're paid.' For those businesses that are willing to listen to employees and adapt accordingly, Mr Karaka suggested the first step is to modernise payroll systems. This could look like offering features such a s real-time pay, customisable benefits and financial wellness tools. However, he noted that none of these changes can happen without 'rebuilding trust', but ensuring there is always available to resolve issues and being transparent about how salaries and bonuses are calculated. 'This is about meeting employees where they are. Gen Z and Millennials, in particular, expect their workplace experience to match the speed and personalisation of the apps they use every day,' he said. 'Employers who embrace this shift won't just keep up, they'll lead.'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Analyst reboots Facebook parent stock price target on AI investments
Analyst reboots Facebook parent stock price target on AI investments originally appeared on TheStreet. Afraid about losing your job to artificial intelligence? You're not alone. More than half of the people responding to a Pew Research Center survey said they were worried about the future impact of AI use in the workplace, and 32% think it will lead to fewer job opportunities for them in the long run. 💵💰Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 💰 Only 6% of workers queried in the survey of 5,273 employed U.S. adults said workplace AI use will lead to more job opportunities for them in the long run. About a third said it will lead to fewer opportunities for them, and 31% say it will not make much difference. It's not surprising that people are concerned about their careers. A McKinsey report projects that by 2030, 30% of current U.S. jobs could be automated, with 60% significantly altered by AI tools. Mark Zuckerberg has a different point of view. "I tend to think that for at least the foreseeable future, this is going to lead towards more demand for people doing work not less now,' the chairman and CEO of Facebook parent Meta Platforms () said in recent interview. "The common belief is that all the jobs are going to go away and actually that has not really been how the history of technology has worked," he added. "You can create things that take away 90% of the work and that leads you to want more people, not less." Meta has certainly been busying expanding its AI capabilities. More Tech Stocks: Amazon tries to make AI great again (or maybe for the first time) Veteran portfolio manager raises eyebrows with latest Meta Platforms move Google plans major AI shift after Meta's surprising $14 billion move The social media giant is reportedly in talks to acquire voice AI platform PlayAI, according to Bloomberg, which could help Meta bring more voice features to its AI assistant and its smartglasses. PlayAI creates AI-powered voice features with the goal of being as 'responsive as a conversation between two people,' according to a company blog post Meta's artificial intelligence assistant has one billion monthly active users across the company's family of apps, Zuckerberg said at the company's May 28 annual shareholder meeting. He noted that the 'focus for this year is deepening the experience and making Meta AI the leading personal AI with an emphasis on personalization, voice conversations and entertainment,' In April, the company said it was launching a stand-alone artificial intelligence app and going head-to-head with ChatGPT maker OpenAI. And during Meta's first quarter earnings call, Zuckerberg said that "the major theme right now of course is how AI is transforming everything we do." "The first opportunity is improved advertising," he told analysts. "Our goal is to make it so that any business can basically tell us what objective they're trying to achieve -- like selling something or getting a new customer -- and how much they're willing to pay for each result, and then we just do the rest." Zuckerberg said businesses used to have to generate their own ad creative and define what audiences they wanted to reach, but "AI has already made us better at targeting and finding the audiences that will be interested in their product than many businesses are themselves, and that keeps improving." "And now AI is generating better creative options for many businesses as well. I think that this is really redefining what advertising is into an AI agent that delivers measurable business results at scale," he said."And if we deliver on this vision, then over the coming years I think that the increased productivity from AI will make advertising a meaningfully larger share of global GDP than it is today," The total number of ad impressions served across Meta's services increased 5% and the average price per ad increased 10%. Susan Li, Meta's Chief Financial Officer, said during the call that Meta has invested for many years and continues to invest in driving ad performance improvements, adding that "year-over-year conversion growth remains strong." "For us, we really believe, first and foremost, that advertising is a relative performance game," Li said. "That's especially important for us because the vast majority of our business is direct response advertising." Piper Sandler cited Meta's advertising efforts in a June 27 research note. The firm boosted its price target on the company to $808 from $650 and kept an overweight rating on the shares, according to The Fly. Meta's investments in AI are transforming its advertising technology, driving higher ad performance, conversion rates, and return on ad spend, Piper said. New tools like AI models GEM, Andromeda, and Lattice, which are responsible for selecting and recommending ads displayed on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, can drive revenue growth in the mid-teens for multiple years, the firm said. Piper Sandler, which says Meta is a new Top Large Cap Pick, adds that higher ad pricing is being driven by better conversion, and not lower reboots Facebook parent stock price target on AI investments first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared. 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