Uncertain, confused, unstable—just a couple of adjectives that describe how workers likely feel right now.

This is especially true for young workers—namely Gen Z and Gen Alpha—who’ve only ever known this whirlwind of a workplace and will, along with millennials, make up 80% of the labor market in advanced economies by 2034, according to the World Economic Forum.

The future of work will be the reality for these generations—but it doesn’t look too shiny, experts shared with HR Brew.

“There’s widespread anxiety,” Jon Carson, co-founder of the College Guidance Network that works with high school students and parents on college admissions, told HR Brew. “I heard about a parent whose kid, out of the blue, texted them, and said, ‘I’m really stressed. I don’t know how I’m going to live the kind of life that you’re living.’”

For more on how AI is affecting young workers, keep reading here.—MC

Most companies these days are like caterpillars, wanting to metamorphose into new phases—whether shifting toward AI, undergoing a merger, or restructuring to stay afloat in an uncertain economy.

While some companies are embarking on substantial changes, the majority aren’t likely to achieve all of their original goals. Consulting giant McKinsey estimated that only 31% of corporations reported successful transformation in 2021, and Bain more recently suggested that 88% of organizations don’t hit the mark on their ambitions.) The reason why, recent research from Bain suggested, could be one critical disconnect between a company’s leadership and workforce.

Most (88%) senior leaders believe their restructuring will achieve its aims, but only 36% of workers agree, according to a Bain survey of around 1,000 global executives and employees who recently underwent such changes.

The issue isn’t poor communication about the transformation, but rather leadership’s inability to tie goals to workers’ day-to-day jobs.

For more on how HR can help bridge the gap between leaders and workers, keep reading here.—PM

A growing number of state and local laws are spurring employers to expand their paid leave programs, but these policies also pose additional compliance challenges.

Nearly three-quarters of US employers plan to expand their leave programs over the next two years, according to a recent survey from advisory firm WTW. Paid caregiver leave will likely see the most significant expansion over the next two years, with up to 39% of employers offering it, from 22% currently.

Offering paid time off to bond with a new child has become a “cultural norm” among more employers, “because there’s obviously an absence of a federal program that would provide a similar paid benefit,” Alex Henry, WTW’s group benefits leader, told HR Brew.

Efforts to pass a paid family and medical leave policy at the federal level have been unsuccessful, spurring both private companies and state legislatures to take action. Thirteen states and Washington, DC currently have paid family and medical leave laws on the books; Minnesota’s is the latest to take effect.

For more on the compliance challenges associated with paid leave programs, keep reading here.—CV

More focus, less fluff. CollabWORK filters out the noise and delivers jobs that actually match what HR Brew readers are looking for. Click here to see the full board of curated roles.