Signal file: This week’s signals highlight where work still falls short
From stealth layoffs to weekend overwork, unsustainable pensions and the AI Boss Effect, this week’s signals show where workplaces still fall short on trust, balance and equity
Staying ahead in the evolving world of work means tuning into the signals shaping where and how business happens. While innovation races ahead, this week’s stories highlight what we still need to work on: corporate policies that erode trust, overwork disguised as ambition, ageing systems that burden the young, and a growing reliance on AI where human leadership is missing. Clearly, the biggest challenges in work today are not about speed or scale, but about how we build trust and sustainability into the systems around us.
RTO mandates turn into stealth layoffs
NBCUniversal will require staff to be in the office four days a week from January 2026, offering a fixed exit package for those who refuse: eight weeks’ pay, three months’ healthcare, and full bonuses for VP-level and below. Framed as collaboration, the policy coincides with an upcoming spin-off of its cable networks.
In action: Using mandates as a headcount tool undermines trust. Balance workforce strategy with openness and choice to protect engagement.
996 culture creeps into San Francisco
Recent data from Ramp shows a surge in restaurant and delivery spending on Saturdays, suggesting San Francisco employees are increasingly working weekends. The 996 culture – 9am to 9pm, six days a week – long associated with Chinese tech firms, appears to be embedding itself in the US as AI competition intensifies.
In action: Employers risk burnout and attrition if overwork becomes the norm. Sustainable performance depends on designing guardrails for rest as well as productivity.
France’s pensions outpace its workforce
France is locked into costly commitments to older citizens, with pensioners now out-earning workers. Attempts at reform have sparked political collapse and nationwide protest, leaving younger generations carrying the burden through rising debt and shrinking public investment. The outcome is an intergenerational squeeze with long-term consequences for growth, equity and work.
In action: Employers in France face a dual challenge – adapting benefits and retirement pathways for ageing staff while supporting younger workers squeezed by economic and social pressures.
AI steps in where managers fall short
A new Resume Now study finds that 97% of employees have turned to ChatGPT for workplace advice instead of their manager, and 63% do so regularly. Fear of retaliation, lack of trust, and convenience are key drivers: 72% say ChatGPT gives better advice than their boss, and nearly half report it has been more emotionally supportive.
In action: Rather than compete with AI, managers should view it as a mirror on their gaps – rebuilding trust, offering empathetic support, and focusing on human judgement that algorithms cannot replace.
