This issue of HR News Roundup features 10 leaders offering tips for lowering stress, what it’s like to hire and work with Gen Z, the top 10 labor, employment, and OSHA legal trends for 2025, and the importance of happiness at work. Plus, links to many other news stories w found noteworthy, as well as a few items from the lighter side.
10 Leaders. 10 Ideas for Lowering Stress
Amber Johnson, Smart Brief
Not long ago, I sat around the table with 10 leaders from across the country. They represented different industries and stages of their careers, but they had one thing in common: stress.
This group had the normal day-to-day stressors of big jobs with high expectations and not enough resources. Some were in organizations going through layoffs. Many were also experiencing personal challenges with their health, with their children or caregiving for parents. But what had really brought the conversation to the forefront of our day was the uncertainty created in stock markets and marketplaces because of tariffs and cuts to research funding.
Managers Are Speaking Out About What It’s Really Like to Work With Gen Z
Alison Green, Slate
It’s not that generational differences don’t exist—they do. But most of the complaints about young workers, of any generation, are simply about young people. The concerns arise from young people’s inexperience, not their particular generation.
But Gen Z might actually be different, at least in some ways. Because of COVID-19’s impact on this cohort’s high school and college years, many in the group missed out on experiences like internships and summer jobs, so they’re starting their professional careers without already having learned the “How work works” lessons that generations before them often got before graduating.
Related:
–The Gen Z Conundrum: How HR Can Welcome This Very Different Generation
–Is Gen Z Ready for the Workforce? 3 Strategies to Help Onboard Young Talent
How Social Media Is Redefining Job Hunting for Gen Z Professionals
Nick Ferrara, SHRM
HR professionals should re-evaluate their organization’s social media presence and consider methods of outreach to Generation Z through social media to better recruit from this growing talent pool.
Social media has become an indispensable tool in the employment landscape, especially for Gen Z — people born between 1997 and 2012. According to a new research report from Zety, platforms such as Instagram are reshaping how job seekers connect with employers, find opportunities, and consume career advice. For recruiters and HR professionals, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities in reaching and retaining this tech-savvy demographic.
Top 10 Labor, Employment, and OSHA Trends for 2025
ArentFox Schiff, JD Supra
As we approach midyear, the ArentFox Schiff Labor, Employment & OSHA team highlights some of the most pressing legal issues facing employers this year, including artificial intelligence (AI) regulation at the state level, reshaping of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), continuing expansion of state paid family and medical leave laws, challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, and changes to US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance and enforcement.
The World Is Uncertain (Again). Happiness at Work Must Be Part of the Answer.
Alexander Kjerulf, Chief Happiness Officer Blog
Which raises the question: How does a company best weather a storm?
And it’s clear what companies normally do: Slash costs and lay off staff. Until the crisis is over and the numbers look more reassuring, all talk of being a good workplace is put on hold and no jobs are safe.
The economic downturn we may be entering is setting off alarm bells and panicked responses in many leaders. If you can keep your head on straight, you have a unique chance to steer clear of three classic blunders that many of your competitors are planning to commit.
HR News Roundup: Quick Takes
- The 8 New Benefits Attracting Top Talent in 2025
- Why Vanity Job Titles Could Be Hurting Your Hiring
- Foreign Job Seeker Interest in the US Wanes
- Company Culture Is What You Tolerate: Why Consistency Matters More Than Slogans
- 1 in 4 Employers Say They’ll Eliminate Degree Requirements by Year’s End
- Is Your Remote Employee Eligible for FMLA Leave When Working from Home?
- The New Pope Is a Great Reminder of the Value of Moral Leadership
- 7 Reasons Why Email Remains the Top-Performing Channel for Internal Communications
- Out-of-Pocket Drug Spending Hit $98B in 2024: Report
- Incivility at Work Is a Culture Problem
- Layoffs Are Happening: Tips for HR Before, During, and After Them
- Hybrid Work and Employee Health: Fewer Sick Days, Less Stress
- 5 Ways Great Leaders Give Feedback That Improves Performance
From the Lighter Side …
- Ever wonder what kind of jobs you might have held in days gone by? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work. See: 40 Jobs in the Middle Ages.
- And here’s a tough job related to a medieval masterpiece. The spire in the Salisbury Cathedral rises 404 feet above the ground. In its early days, that didn’t pose many problems, but today the spire houses aircraft warning lights. This video shows the challenges workers face when changing light bulbs in a 600 foot tower. (Link to YouTube)
- Joseph Herscher is a kinetic artist and YouTube personality, best known for his quirky Rube Goldberg-esque contraptions designed to solve problems you didn’t even know you had. Check out some of his videos to see why they’ve amassed more than 3 billion views – they are a fun way to lighten your mood as you head into the weekend – and maybe they will spark your creativity, too,
- Finally, with Father’s Day upcoming, enjoy these vintage photos to celebrate Dads.
HR News – Blog posts you may have missed