Issue #11 • Sep 26, 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:
Thailand’s Labour Overhaul: 40-Hour Week, Menstrual Leave & Workplace Equality
HR’s Seat at the AI Table: Still Waiting
AI & Paychecks: Workers Want Humans in the Loop
The AI infrastructure boom may be stronger than it looks.
AI Modernizes Cement: Nuvoco’s CHRO on People-First Transformation
Businesses Brace for Increased Union Activity Amid Employment Rights Bill
Work-Life Rebalanced: Thailand Moves to New Labour Standards
Thailand’s House approved two major bills that would cap the regular workweek at 40 hours (35 for hazardous jobs), mandate two weekly rest days, and outlaw discrimination by sex, gender identity, religion, belief, or political opinion.
The measures include family-care leave, dedicated breastfeeding facilities, and separate menstrual leave and form part of the wider 2025 labour reforms, which aim to raise wages and improve leave protections. Both bills now go to committee review before final passage.
Key Takeaways:
• Work-life balance: 40-hour cap and mandatory rest days aim to curb long hours and protect health.
• Equality boost: New anti-discrimination rules broaden protected categories at work.
• Gender supports: Family care, breastfeeding spaces, and menstrual leave separate from sick leave.
• Next steps: Bills clear the House in principle and face committee scrutiny before becoming law.
AI In The Boardroom: Where Is HR?
AI already drives risk models, forecasts, and customer strategy, but HR is often absent from decisions that shape people and culture, arriving only after tools are deployed.
Organizations report fast employee-led experimentation with AI, yet few have clear plans or HR-led governance, a gap that risks bias, broken trust, and shallow judgment in hiring, reviews, and talent decisions.
Key Takeaways:
Employee adoption is surging: U.S. workers using AI at work rose from 21% to 40% in two years.
HR is behind: Forbes cites McKinsey, noting only ~3% of organizations use generative AI in HR, a leadership gap.
Bias & trust risk: Early rollout examples (resume screening, AI-crafted reviews) can replicate bias and hollow judgment without HR guardrails.
Upskilling is urgent: Many employees lack formal AI training; covert use and weak governance increase operational and reputational risk.
HR’s mandate: Humanize AI; define fairness, own governance, turn signals into strategic action, and design the crucible experiences machines can’t replicate.
AI And Paychecks: Workers Demand Humans In The Loop
A PayrollOrg survey of more than 25,000 Americans finds widespread reluctance to let AI touch pay: 34% are uncomfortable with AI calculating wages and 45% oppose AI handling payroll inquiries.
Experts warn payroll is a trust-critical function, errors or delays directly harm employees’ financial wellbeing, so PayrollOrg urges human oversight, transparency and clear communication as firms automate pay processes.
Key Takeaways:
Survey snapshot: 25,000+ respondents; one-third uneasy about AI-run payroll, nearly half reject AI for payroll support.
Keep humans involved: PayrollOrg recommends retaining human oversight to preserve accuracy and trust.
Hiring automation rises: 1 in 3 companies expect AI to run hiring by 2026, signalling broader HR automation trends.
Managers using AI: Many managers already use AI for promotions/layoffs, yet formal ethical training is scarce, a governance gap employers must fix.
TRENDING NEWS
1. The AI infrastructure boom may be stronger than it looks.
Goldman Sachs estimates AI added $160 billion to U.S. “true GDP” since 2022, but only $45 billion shows up in official stats.
Meanwhile, 1.9 million Americans have been unemployed for 27+ weeks, making up 25.7% of all jobless workers. Also, Colossal Biosciences has raised $120 million to resurrect the extinct dodo bird in coming years. Read More
What for HR leaders: Don’t overhype AI gains, build metrics that capture hidden value, support long-term unemployed talent with inclusive hiring, and communicate bold yet credible ESG or biotech ventures in alignment with employee values.
2. AI Modernizes Cement: Nuvoco’s CHRO on People-First Transformation
Manisha Kelkar says AI is streamlining kilns, quality control, logistics and high-volume hiring, platforms like SpeechX speed screening, cut bias and shorten cycles, while digital learning democratises upskilling across plants.
She stresses a hybrid approach: use AI for scale but keep human warmth in onboarding and leadership development. Read More.
What for HR leaders: Start with clarity, not tools, define the problem, pilot small, measure ROI and employee experience, safeguard trust/privacy, and keep human touchpoints in candidate and onboarding journeys.
3. Businesses Brace for Increased Union Activity Amid Employment Rights Bill
Businesses brace for more union activity if the Employment Rights Bill eases recognition thresholds, a WorkNest survey finds 53% of firms expect increased union engagement, and 28% have dealt with unions in the past year. Read More.
What for HR leaders: What for HR leaders: Refresh legal & negotiation playbooks; run a quick employee-relations audit and boost day-to-day engagement; set clear union-recognition protocols and align training to the Bill’s timetable
USEFUL TOOLS
IMPORTANT STATS
