Issue #12 • Sep 29, 2025
Welcome Back, Future of Work By HR Stacks!
We cut through the noise to bring you the most important updates in HR Tech, AI, and the changing world of work. From new AI colleagues clocking in to shifts in workforce strategy, here’s what you need to know this week.
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In Today’s Edition:
HR Reclaims the Conversation: PROPEL Delhi Centers Human Choice in an AI-First World
Employment Rights Bill: Spurs Union Uptick Fears, HR on Alert
Career Survival Guide Goes Viral: Money, Health & Boundaries Win
Starbucks Rally in Buffalo: Workers Press for Fair Contract
Top Workplaces 2025 names: 115 standout employers across Oregon & SW Washington.
Empowering People: Safran's Tribute to HR Leaders on Professional Day
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Human First: PROPEL Delhi Sets HR’s Ethical AI Agenda
HROne’s PROPEL Delhi convened 500+ HR leaders, CHROs, HRBPs, and people practitioners, for an evening that blended ideas, humour, and practical playbooks.
Anand Neelakantan’s keynote, “Dharma in the Age of Algorithms,” urged HR to treat values as the decision engine, while comedian Atul Khatri lightened the mood. SHRM India joined as Knowledge Partner, anchoring sessions on fairness, governance, and trust as AI scales in the enterprise.
Why It Matters?
PROPEL framed HR as the steward of culture and ethical AI: equipping people leaders to govern models, protect employee experience, and translate algorithmic outputs into fair business choices, even as HROne pushes AI-first HCM tooling across its user base.
Key Takeaways:
HR as Custodian: HR’s remit now includes governance over AI-driven decisions, not just processes.
Values First: Storytelling and ethics sessions emphasized human judgment over blind automation.
Scale & Reach: PROPEL now spans multiple cities with thousands of attendees, amplifying HR’s strategic voice nationally.
HR Gears Up: New Bill May Redefine Trade Union Power
New research from WorkNest finds 53% of businesses expect more trade-union activity if the Employment Rights Bill lowers recognition thresholds; 28% already report regular union engagement in the past year.
The Bill would simplify statutory recognition, potentially lowering the current 10% membership trigger to between 2% and 10% and easing majority-support requirements, making it easier for unions to win recognition.
Derick MacLean (WorkNest) warns HR teams to build legal knowledge, negotiation skills and proactive engagement plans now to manage likely operational and strategic disruption. Employers may face more formal bargaining requests, access demands and a shift in workplace dynamics.
Key Takeaways:
Higher Union Activity Likely: Over half of firms expect more union engagement if thresholds fall.
Prepare Operationally: HR should upskill in negotiation, legal compliance and employee relations.
Policy Change Is Real: The Bill’s rules on recognition and ballots are central to the shift.
Quit Okay, Stay Strong: Deep Lessons From 20 Years Of Workplace Battle
A 44-year-old Redditor with 20 years in the workforce shared blunt, hard-won rules for surviving corporate life, and the post quickly resonated with younger professionals online.
He urges deliberate FIRE-style financial planning, non-negotiable physical health routines after years of unhealthy coping, continuous upskilling, and zero tolerance for toxic bosses; advising resilience, boundaries and strategic cushions over impulse quitting.
Key Takeaways:
Plan Money, Not Just Paychecks: Treat financial independence as insurance against bad workplaces; invest and set clear goals rather than only chasing raises.
Health Is Foundational: Physical activity and mental-health habits replace destructive coping mechanisms, long-term wellbeing underpins career longevity.
Upskill Continuously: Keep learning so career restarts are possible and confidence stays high; reskilling is now an institutional need.
Don’t Normalize Abuse: Call out toxic seniors, protect juniors, and build an exit cushion before making big moves.
Why It Resonates?
In an era of burnout and job uncertainty, pragmatic advice that links finances, health and skills offers a clear survival blueprint for early-career workers navigating modern workplaces.
OTHER TRENDING NEWS
1. Starbucks Baristas Rally in Buffalo Over Workplace Concerns
Starbucks baristas rally in Buffalo as part of a 35-city push for fair contracts, protesting staffing, hours, pay and workplace protections while company plans store closures and layoffs. Organizers called the picket a rehearsal should bargaining falter. Read More
What for HR leaders: Prioritize union talks, secure staffing and predictable schedules, close pay/benefit gaps, resolve labor claims, and prepare contingency plans.
2. Top Workplaces 2025: Where Employees Thrive in Oregon and SW Washington
The Oregonian, working with Energage’s employee surveys, published lists across large, midsize and small employers, praising firms for benefits, work-life balance, inspiring leadership and team culture. Read More. Read More
What for HR leaders: Don’t rely on PR, run confidential employee surveys and act on gaps; spotlight real benefits and career pathways in recruiting; use awards to boost retention and employer branding.
3. Stanford Study Finds AI Is Beginning To Eliminate Jobs For Younger Workers.
Safran marks Human Resource Professional Day by spotlighting U.S. HR leaders who stress trust, improved onboarding, continuous learning and HR innovation, from integration surveys and a unified onboarding platform to HR4HR development and an upcoming ATS transition. Read More.
What for HR leaders: Focus on fostering trust, enhancing onboarding processes, and promoting continuous learning to drive HR excellence.
USEFUL TOOLS
IMPORTANT STATS
1. LinkedIn’s 2025 analysis shows that switching from job titles to skills could increase the share of women in AI talent pools by up to 24% globally
2. Roughly 65% of companies report integrating AI into sourcing or screening, using it both to scale outreach and to help spot potentially AI-generated application materials at high volume.
