AI’s promise of increased productivity might be a double-edged sword…

Many workers are experiencing “AI brain fry,” or mental fatigue from using and overseeing AI tools. And it’s no wonder why: Organizational change can take a toll on workers, and right now, there’s no greater organizational change than that caused by AI.

Based on the numbers, AI has been negatively impacting employees’ mental health: 55% of workers surveyed by mental health platform Headspace reported sacrificing sleep to meet performance goals, while 51% said they’d emotionally checked out and 45% resented senior leaders during these times of change. Seventy percent of the more than 700 workers surveyed said their companies have adopted new AI tools in recent months.

“[AI] is a significant fuel that is stoking that fire of chronic [mental] strain in a way that we haven’t seen a new technology or a new innovation in the workforce really put that strain on people before,” Jenna Glover, organizational psychologist and Headspace’s chief clinical officer, told HR Brew.

For more on the effect of AI on employee mental health, and how HR can help, keep reading here.—MC

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sent a proposal to cease EEO-1 reporting to the White House last Thursday, the latest in a series of moves aimed at rolling back DEI progress.

The commission, led by Chair Andrea Lucas, also wants to cease some requirements related to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, though it did not specify which ones.

EEO-1 reporting tracks race, sex, and national origin data at companies with more than 100 employees, and federal contractors with more than 50 workers. Employers are usually required to file their EEO-1 reports annually.

The decision could have serious consequences, according to Jenny Yang, partner at Outten & Golden and former EEOC chair.

For more on the consequences of the decision, keep reading here.—KP

We know, we know—you don’t want to read another word about AI.

But trust us, you need to check out this conversation with Sarah Tilley, SVP of global talent management and acquisition at ServiceNow.

She sat down with Kate Noel, SVP and head of people operations at Morning Brew, for a recent episode of HR Brew’s People Person podcast to talk about her experience leveraging AI in TA, and the lessons she’s learned along the way, chief among them the importance of approaching the tech with a human touch.

“You can’t do this well without having the things like relationship building, the emotions…the creativity, the judgment,” she said, later adding, “It is still using the human judgment and the experience, but it’s refining it and it’s making the vision sort of more actionable in a lot of ways.”

For more from our conversation with Tilley, keep reading here.—VV

What does diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) look like in your
organization? Learn what HR professionals have to say about the recent changes within corporate’s DEI programs.