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AI is being used to justify restructures, expand monitoring, and compress entry-level pathways. This week’s Paper Cut covers the efficiency trap (Jevons Paradox at work), agents moving into HR and finance, the pipeline risk when entry work disappears, the rising control stack, and The Cut List of major job cuts. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links The Efficiency Trap * https://employerbranding.news/the-efficiency-trap-ai-the-jevons-paradox-and-the-future-of-the-human-workforce/ * https://employerbranding.news/the-ai-bill-is-coming-its-big-hr-and-ta-will-pay-it/ * https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2026/05/24/why-ai-likely-means-more-work-for-humans/ * https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/99-percent-ceos-workers-ai-survey * https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/features/story/microsoft-and-others-rethink-ai-use-cost-rising-fast-and-no-productivity-gains-2917319-2026-05-26 * https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/hsbc-ceo-georges-elhedery-says-do-not-fight-ai-banks-cut-jobs-6131921 Agents in HR and finance * https://www.ciodive.com/news/Google-Cloud-Workday-agentic-HR-finance/821405/ * https://newsroom.workday.com/2026-05-28-Workday-and-Google-Cloud-Expand-Strategic-Partnership-to-Bring-AI-Agents-for-HR-and-Finance-Into-Employees-Daily-Workflows * https://www.hrdive.com/news/when-technology-becomes-a-headache-instead-of-a-solution/821380/ * https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/the-old-hr-is-dead-heres-whats-replacing-it/576490 * https://www.ibanet.org/IBA-global-employment-report-highlights-AI-skills-shortages-and-employee-wellbeing-as-defining-workplace-challenges Pipeline and skills * https://fortune.com/2026/05/21/kenneth-arrow-learning-by-doing-entry-level-work-automation/ * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/27/these-5-ai-proof-skills-are-likely-to-increase-in-value-over-next-5-years-career-expert.html * https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-jensen-huang-what-kids-should-study-ai-education-advice-2026-5 * https://fortune.com/2026/05/26/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-embrace-criticism-leadership-strategy-learned-from-taiwanese-parents-five-trillion-dollar-tech-firm/ * https://fortune.com/2026/05/22/indeed-chief-economist-svenja-gudell-entering-era-great-mismatch-generational-imbalance-workers/ * https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/global-employment-forecast-downgraded-7-million-jobs-2025-amid-rising * https://globalnews.ca/news/11864745/youth-living-at-home/ Control stack and governance * https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/work-from-home-warning-after-private-investigator-reveals-wild-surveillance-request-from-aussie-boss-watching-you-190000189.html * https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-proposes-non-disclosure-agreements-us-federal-workers-2026-05-26/ * https://www.wired.com/story/department-of-labor-tells-employees-to-report-anyone-prioritizing-dei/ * https://hrsea.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace/the-hidden-psychological-cost-of-workplace-recognition/131245019 * https://www.ft.com/content/e126f744-3db9-4305-8871-31f83ebc4ed7?syn-25a6b1a6=1 The Cut List * https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/25/what-clickups-mass-layoff-tells-us-about-the-future-of-work/ * https://www.hcamag.com/ca/news/general/wix-axes-20-of-its-workforce-as-ai-layoffs-reshape-global-tech/576995 * https://anz.peoplemattersglobal.com/amp/news/strategic-hr/after-saying-no-more-layoffs-in-2026-meta-plans-1400-more-job-cuts-in-washington-49942 * https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/may/22/wisetech-redundancies-australia-omits-ai-from-emails-to-chinese-employees * https://www.businessinsider.com/read-meta-layoff-email-employees-2026-5 * https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/intuit-cut-17-global-jobs-streamline-operations-memo-shows-2026-05-20/ * https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/h1anwq4lme * https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy026x9jpd0o * https://www.wsj.com/opinion/how-i-choose-which-cloudflare-employees-to-replace-with-ai-40a197e5 * https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/transformation/this-ceo-announced-huge-job-cuts-because-of-ai-threats-to-his-family-followed/576406 * https://www.ft.com/content/d82d2a5c-74ab-4eb9-a658-fd5467e71670?syn-25a6b1a6=1 * https://www.ft.com/content/1b7625e7-e9ab-4660-aff5-c1e333c31a5c?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Pay is louder. Measurement is heavier. Cuts keep arriving. This week’s Paper Cut is about the bargain underneath it all: what employers are taking away, what they’re demanding in return, and why “efficiency” keeps landing as monitoring plus headcount reduction. We cover burnout and compensation pressure, AI turning into policy and proof culture, flexibility being renegotiated, HR’s expanding remit, and The Cut List. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links Burnout, confidence, and pay * https://www.hrdive.com/news/burnout-increasing-employee-confidence-at-a-record-low/820801/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all * https://www.hrdive.com/news/7-stories-on-the-state-of-pay-in-the-workplace/820169/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/21/samsung-electronics-union-strike-suspended-wage-deal-bonuses.html * https://www.ft.com/content/4837bb92-8db3-4fe6-ada5-7f83c6486a14 AI as policy and proof culture * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/18/ai-workforce-college-jobs.html * https://fortune.com/2026/05/20/accenture-exec-future-proofing-org-chart-indeed-university-michigan-ai/ * https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/article/billionaire-block-founder-jack-dorsey-suggests-radically-reshaping-manager-roles-in-the-age-of-ai-131219450.html * https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/linkedin-is-fighting-back-against-ai-slop-and-ai-comments * https://www.ft.com/content/d022680e-f769-47c6-ae90-b1ff8a802dce?syn-25a6b1a6=1 * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-who-said-that-we-will-not-hire-any-more-engineers-in-2025-sees-the-company-spending-millions-on-/articleshow/131161788.cms * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/linkedin-co-founder-reid-hoffman-has-a-reminder-for-everyone-on-ai-layoffs-its-important-not-to-ignore-/articleshow/130896300.cms * https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/circle-ceo-says-ai-fueled-layoffs-are-only-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-174500668.html Flexibility, four-day week, and time politics * https://theconversation.com/15-australian-companies-switched-to-a-four-day-work-week-it-went-surprisingly-well-283361 * https://apnews.com/article/remote-work-virtual-office-a90bba3ecff9548a92efa10e3d061c38 * https://www.businessinsider.com/remote-work-driving-us-productivity-boom-stanford-professor-nicholas-bloom-2026-5 * https://theconversation.com/why-keeping-collaborative-remote-work-environment-options-open-is-key-for-business-innovation-281543 * https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026/05/14/remote-workers-are-happier-but-most-forced-back-to-office-feel-employer-was-justified/ * https://fortune.com/article/zillow-ceo-remote-work-model-talent-everywhere/ * https://www.economist.com/business/2026/05/07/the-pros-and-cons-of-commuting * https://www.ft.com/content/ef46bd8f-51ee-4c06-b5ab-1de23114f81a?syn-25a6b1a6=1 HR, culture, and operating systems * https://www.peoplematters.in/article/leadership/international-hr-day-2026-how-hr-became-the-fastest-rising-power-function-in-corporate-leadership-49824 * https://www.fastcompany.com/91544230/your-company-lives-inside-its-culture * https://www.inc.com/netta-jenkins/why-data-is-becoming-the-language-of-leadership-in-hr/91337316 * https://www.inc.com/netta-jenkins/hr-isnt-just-support-anymore-its-running-the-show-behind-the-scenes/91337284 * https://fortune.com/2026/05/19/bolt-ceo-ryan-breslow-cut-hr-department-causing-problems-fintech-startup-turn-around/ * https://www.inc.com/sarah-lynch/inside-lucy-guos-workplace-strategy-for-building-retention/91339389 The Cut List * https://www.reuters.com/world/meta-lays-out-plans-may-20-layoffs-restructuring-internal-document-says-2026-05-18/ * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/20/meta-layoffs-zuckerberg-says-success-isnt-a-given-in-memo.html * https://www.ndtv.com/business-news/meta-layoff-job-cuts-final-email-fired-employees-tech-ai-disruption-mark-zuckerberg-h1b-visa-workers-11526151 * https://vulcanpost.com/911395/meta-layoff-singapore-2026/ * https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/technology/meta-reassigns-7000-employees-ai.html * https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/intuit-cut-17-global-jobs-streamline-operations-memo-shows-2026-05-20/ * https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/intuit-cut-17-global-jobs-streamline-operations-memo-shows-2026-05-20/ * https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/standard-chartered-reduce-7000-roles-2030-6129761?cid=internal_sharetool_androidphone_19052026_cna * https://nypost.com/2026/05/19/business/panic-in-california-as-linkedin-announces-hundreds-of-layoffs/ * <a hre...

Low unemployment can hide a labour crisis. Underemployment is rising, AI is reshaping wages and expectations, monitoring is becoming normal, and engagement is sliding as the employee bargain tightens. Plus The Cut List of major layoffs. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links Underemployment and insecurity * https://employerbranding.news/the-rise-of-the-underemployed-the-labour-crisis-hidden-behind-low-unemployment-rates/ * https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/why-underemployment-deserves-attention-even-if-it-voluntary * https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/modern-worker-trouble * https://theconversation.com/worried-about-your-job-youre-not-alone-but-there-are-proven-ways-to-ease-job-insecurity-281128 * https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/jobs-men-employment-data-ec4d6d68 * https://www.businessinsider.com/college-grad-landed-full-time-job-unemployment-guilty-2026-5 AI reshaping work, wages, and monitoring * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/anthropic-cfo-krishna-rao-says-while-ai-now-writes-90-of-the-companys-code-we-have-hired-a-lot-more-people-because-/articleshow/131092558.cms * https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/08/cloudflare-says-ai-made-1100-jobs-obsolete-even-as-revenue-hit-a-record-high/ * https://www.indiatoday.in/jobs/story/cloudflare-fires-1100-employees-due-to-ai-use-read-full-memo-here-tchc-2908463-2026-05-08 * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/07/cloudflare-net-q1-2026-stock-earnings-layoffs.html * https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-layoffs-job-cuts-challenger-report-april-2026/ * https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/10/tech/ai-taking-jobs * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/08/this-company-made-headlines-for-its-aggressive-ai-driven-layoffs-citi-says-its-paying-off.html * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/05/ai-use-work-employee-monitoring-tech-surveillance.html * https://news.mit.edu/2026/study-firms-often-use-automation-control-certain-workers-wages-0507 Remote work and productivity * https://apnews.com/article/remote-work-virtual-office-a90bba3ecff9548a92efa10e3d061c38 * https://www.businessinsider.com/remote-work-driving-us-productivity-boom-stanford-professor-nicholas-bloom-2026-5 * https://theconversation.com/why-keeping-collaborative-remote-work-environment-options-open-is-key-for-business-innovation-281543 * https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/05/11/america-is-experiencing-a-productivity-miracle * https://www.ft.com/content/8ee0d3ef-9548-422d-8ff1-ebd48ad4b2ca?syn-25a6b1a6=1 Engagement, success, and quitting * https://www.forbes.com/sites/aparnarae/2026/05/13/employee-engagement-hit-a-10-year-low-the-problem-isnt-people—its-organizational-systems/ * https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/employees-quitting-trends-work-institute-research-center/91340127 * https://www.forbes.com/sites/deloitte/2026/05/13/how-gen-zs-and-millennials-are-redefining-success-at-work/ * https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/why-gen-z-is-happier-running-small-businesses-than-working-traditional-jobs/91341108 * https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/fractional-future-work * https://fortune.com/2026/05/09/companies-abandoning-peanut-butter-raises-future-of-work-american-workers/ * https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/this-ai-startup-is-giving-every-employee-a-10-raise-every-year-without-any-performance-review-2908710-2026-05-08 * https://www.fastcompany.com/91522203/the-end-of-the-always-available-professional-workplace-burnout-boundaries * https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/dont-get-too-comfortable-your-quality-of-life-depends-on-it-a4440a85 The Cut List * https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/cisco-to-cut-about-4000-jobs-in-ai-focused-restructuring-as-orders-surge * https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cisco-to-cut-about-4000-jobs-in-ai-focused-restructuring-as-orders-surge-200934836.html * https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/08/cloudflare-says-ai-made-1100-jobs-obsolete-even-as-revenue-hit-a-record-high/ * https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-linkedin-planning-lay-off-140835735.html * https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/linkedin-is-planning-lay-off-5-staff-latest-tech-sector-cuts-source-says-2026-05-13/ * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/paypal-to-lay-off-thousands-as-company-ceo-wants-to-spend-more-on-technology-tells-investors-first-we-will-remove-/articleshow/130885435.cms * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/11/gm-layoffs.html * https://www.wired.com/story/meta-layoffs-bad-vibes-mark-zuckerberg-ai/ * https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/art...

The workplace bargain is shifting. Benefits tighten, measurement grows, and AI becomes a benchmark for hiring and expectations. This week covers culture as an operating system, AI framing and job design, burnout boundaries returning, hidden risk from shadow IT and workplace comms, plus The Cut List. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links Culture as operating system * https://employerbranding.news/employer-brand-culture-operating-system/ * https://employerbranding.news/what-i-learned-doing-recruitment-marketing-for-a-brand-nobody-wants-to-work-for/ * https://employerbranding.news/employer-branding-2026-new-bargain/ * https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-executives-jane-fraser-culture-transformation-investor-day-2026-5 * https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-investment-banking-vis-raghwavan-talent-hiring-2026-5 * https://www.ft.com/content/83d514d0-5553-4341-a225-02d8dd28ade3?syn-25a6b1a6=1 AI expectations and job design * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/linkedin-co-founder-reid-hoffman-has-a-reminder-for-everyone-on-ai-layoffs-its-important-not-to-ignore-/articleshow/130896300.cms * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-admits-that-company-is-slowing-hiring-and-the-reason-is-ai-says-if-every-person-at-this-company-can-increase-their-productivity-by-/articleshow/130901246.cms * https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/tesla-former-hr-chief-ai-133000481.html * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/as-accenture-announces-rolling-out-microsoft-copilot-to-743000-employees-ceo-julie-sweet-says-our-teams-are-/articleshow/130729934.cms * https://hbr.org/2026/05/research-why-you-shouldnt-treat-ai-agents-like-employees * https://www.cio.com/article/4165040/you-cant-train-your-way-out-of-the-ai-skills-gap.html * https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/06/five-architects-of-the-ai-economy-explain-where-the-wheels-are-coming-off/ * https://fortune.com/2026/05/07/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-two-people-wont-survive-ai-era-pure-people-managers-workers-resist-change/ * https://fortune.com/2026/05/04/google-employee-backlash-pentagon-ai-contract-power-waned-since-project-maven/ * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/google-uk-employees-in-letter-to-the-company-you-have-10-working-days-to-voluntarily-recognise-/articleshow/130868256.cms * https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/may/07/no-one-has-done-this-in-the-wild-study-observes-ai-replicate-itself Boundaries and pressure * https://www.fastcompany.com/91522203/the-end-of-the-always-available-professional-workplace-burnout-boundaries * https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianehamilton/2026/05/08/why-getting-more-done-at-work-is-creating-more-workplace-pressure/ * https://fortune.com/europe/article/what-gen-z-workers-say-is-on-time-vs-baby-boomers/ * https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/never-fall-in-love-with-your-work-gen-z-employee-shares-post-after-working-till-1-am-on-notice-period-13905318.html * https://www.economist.com/business/2026/05/07/the-pros-and-cons-of-commuting * https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/05/07/deepseek-and-alibaba-rescue-chinas-office-landlords * https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/dont-get-too-comfortable-your-quality-of-life-depends-on-it-a4440a85 Quiet risks * https://venturebeat.com/technology/hidden-it-problems-are-quietly-creating-risk-shadow-it-and-lost-productivity * https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-trial-exposes-truth-about-workplace-texts-2026-5 * https://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/2026/05/07/use-of-artificial-intelligence-among-senior-civil-servants-increasingly-common/ * https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/fractional-future-work * https://theconversation.com/why-keeping-collaborative-remote-work-environment-options-open-is-key-for-business-innovation-281543 The Cut List * https://fortune.com/2026/05/05/coinbase-layoffs-14-of-employees-ai-tech-ai-job-anxiety-crypto/ * https://www.businessinsider.com/verizon-cuts-hundreds-of-jobs-in-latest-round-of-layoffs-2026-5 * https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-internal-document-shows-buyout-offers-to-us-employees-2026-5 * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/meta-hr-head-on-will-there-be-more-layoffs-after-8000-job-cuts-on-may-20-we-will-continue-to-/articleshow/130671338.cms

Benefits are being trimmed, AI adoption is being measured, and HR is stuck managing the fallout. This week: the perks rollback, scorecards and monitoring, the widening career divide for graduates, and The Cut List. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links Benefits rollback and work design * https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/28/parental-benefits-slashed-deloitte-zoom-impact * https://www.inc.com/kaylawebster/the-great-rollback-has-begun-deloitte-and-zoom-take-the-lead-in-slashing-the-most-coveted-benefits/91333534 * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/starting-january-1-deloitte-is-cutting-parental-leave-annual-pto-pension-plan-and-ivf-funding-for-some-employees-in-the-us-company-says-that-it-is-tailoring-benefits-to-better-align-/articleshow/130500258.cms * https://www.businessinsider.com/readers-weigh-in-story-parental-leave-pto-reduction-2026-4 * https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/26/four-day-workweek-employment * https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5839816-hybrid-work-endures-2026/ * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/28/office-demand-real-estate.html AI measurement, monitoring, and leadership load * https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-tracks-ai-use-engineers-internal-friction-2026-4 * https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/metas-ai-experiment-shows-why-monitoring-employees-backfires-especially-with-gen-z/91337051 * https://hbr.org/2026/04/when-creating-an-ai-strategy-dont-overlook-employee-perception * https://fortune.com/2026/04/26/how-ai-causes-brain-drain-cognitive-load-neuroleadership/ * https://fortune.com/2026/04/28/nvidia-executive-cost-of-ai-is-greater-than-cost-of-employees/ * https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/why-replacing-workers-with-ai-may-be-the-biggest-mistake-leaders-can-make/91333175 Careers and the widening divide * https://www.hrdive.com/news/1-in-5-recent-grads-say-theyre-overqualified/818244/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all * https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2026/04/27/the-new-ai-career-divide-is-already-starting-to-show/ * https://www.inc.com/netta-jenkins/why-skilled-trades-are-becoming-more-secure-careers-in-the-age-of-ai/91329211 * https://www.businessinsider.com/cs-professor-explains-changes-software-engineering-ai-2026-4 * https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-04-28/uk-graduates-turn-to-emergency-degrees-to-ride-out-jobs-crisis * https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/04/27/most-degrees-obsolete-upon-graduation-singapore-academic-says * https://fortune.com/2026/04/26/meta-salesforce-exec-ai-agents-gen-z-jobs-nonprofit/ * https://www.businessinsider.com/how-aging-ai-reshaping-job-market-2026-4 HR accountability and governance * https://www.hrdive.com/news/4-lawsuits-alleging-next-level-hr-misbehavior/818578/ * https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/ceos-downplay-staff-discontent-leaving-hr-to-manage-the-fallout/572574 * https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/are-companies-quiet-quitting-dei-2026-04-28/ * https://fortune.com/2026/04/27/hr-leaders-are-going-quiet-on-the-topics-that-matter-most-this-author-has-a-fix/ * https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace-4-0/workplace-ikigai/how-are-kpis-scorecards-for-chros-evolving/130567659 * https://www.fastcompany.com/91529962/no-you-cant-upskill-your-culture-but-you-can-upskill-your-leaders * https://www.businessinsider.com/brene-brown-interview-silicon-valley-bad-bosses-2026-4 * https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/i-am-a-human-not-a-robot-employees-simple-reply-to-extra-work-hours-leaves-boss-speechless/articleshow/130496297.cms * https://www.smartbrief.com/original/why-managers-feel-stuck-between-process-and-people The Cut List * https://www.wsj.com/cfo-journal/kpmg-to-lay-off-4-of-u-s-advisory-workforce-ed166153 * https://fortune.com/2026/04/26/why-did-microsoft-do-buyouts-layoffs-tech-workers/ * https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/startups-tech/technology/ai-exposed-firms-cut-4-jobs-car-sector-hardest-hit-morgan-stanley-report * https://www.businessinsider.com/us-job-market-disturbing-pattern-corporate-profits-jim-paulsen-2026-4 * https://www.fastcompany.com/91532920/jpmorgan-chase-data-center-gets-tax-breaks-creates-1-full-time-job

Workplace AI is turning into a rework tax. Employees opt out, gains vanish into error-fixing, and leaders respond with dashboards, monitoring, and performance rules. Plus the early-career squeeze, remote work resistance, and this week’s Cut List. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links AI adoption, trust, and rework * https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/as-ai-use-increases-at-work-many-employees-still-choose-not-to-use-it-gallup-poll-10633705/ * https://hbr.org/2026/04/when-creating-an-ai-strategy-dont-overlook-employee-perception * https://www.cio.com/article/4157471/40-of-ai-productivity-gains-lost-to-rework-for-errors.html * https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/14/ai-productivity-workplace-errors * https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianehamilton/2026/04/12/why-ai-at-work-often-creates-more-work-instead-of-saving-time/ * https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-problem-is-not-ais-capability-what-wont-improve-on-its-own-is-the-human-side-major-study-claims-white-collar-workers-are-fighting-back-against-ai-in-the-workplace * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/amazon-internal-document-reportedly-points-to-an-ai-mess-says-ai-is-making-our/articleshow/130366600.cms AI in the employee lifecycle * https://www.businessinsider.com/ey-talent-chief-ai-changing-employee-recruitment-evaluations-promotions-careers-2026-4 * https://fortune.com/2026/04/13/duolingo-ceo-luis-von-ahn-ai-usage-requirement-employee-performance-evaluations/ * https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-ai-adoption-dashboard-tokens-tokenmaxxing-claude-cursor-josh-damaro-2026-4 * https://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-enters-ai-training-market-challenges-startups-2026-4 Monitoring and governance * https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/meta-start-capturing-employee-mouse-movements-keystrokes-ai-training-data-2026-04-21/ * https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-to-all-employees-in-america-we-are-installing-tracking-software-in-your-machines-as-we-need-your-help-to-/articleshow/130424722.cms * https://fortune.com/2026/04/13/ai-agents-governance-identity-risk-okta/ Early career and hiring * https://www.hrdive.com/news/1-in-5-recent-grads-say-theyre-overqualified/818244/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all * https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/college-graduates-job-market-ai * https://www.cbsnews.com/news/artificial-intelligence-entry-level-role-linkedin-study/ * https://theconversation.com/employment-data-shows-the-early-signs-of-ai-job-disruption-are-already-here-280273 * https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/recruitment/ghosting-become-illegal-ontario/ Work design and leadership * https://theconversation.com/as-the-world-faces-yet-another-crisis-why-are-leaders-still-resisting-remote-work-280870 * https://theconversation.com/the-old-adage-that-people-leave-managers-not-companies-is-true-but-only-up-to-a-point-280879 * https://www.inc.com/kaylawebster/the-great-rollback-has-begun-deloitte-and-zoom-take-the-lead-in-slashing-the-most-coveted-benefits/91333534 * https://fortune.com/2026/04/22/work-life-balance-bupa-fortune-500-ceo-barack-obama-work-weekend/ The Cut List * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/disney-layoffs-ceo-josh-damaro.html * https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-layoffs-memo-marketing-team-chief-brand-officer-asad-ayaz-2026-4 * https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-layoffs-severance-employees-marketing-team-josh-damaro-2026-4 * https://www.reuters.com/world/meta-targets-may-20-first-wave-layoffs-additional-cuts-later-2026-2026-04-17/ * https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/microsoft-plans-first-voluntary-retirement-program-for-us-employees.html * https://www.businessinsider.com/snap-layoffs-ai-read-memo-snapchat-2026-4 * https://www.wsj.com/business/has-the-era-of-the-mega-layoff-arrived-928f061d * https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/if-ai-isnt-ready-to-replace-workers-why-are-companies-cutting-jobs-anyway/91320511

AI at work is turning into a trust problem. Employees are opting out, productivity gains are being lost to rework, and leaders are tying AI to pay and performance. Plus EU pay transparency rules, identity governance risks, and this week’s Cut List. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links Adoption, perception, and rework • https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/as-ai-use-increases-at-work-many-employees-still-choose-not-to-use-it-gallup-poll-10633705/ • https://hbr.org/2026/04/when-creating-an-ai-strategy-dont-overlook-employee-perception • https://www.cio.com/article/4157471/40-of-ai-productivity-gains-lost-to-rework-for-errors.html • https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/14/ai-productivity-workplace-errors • https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-problem-is-not-ais-capability-what-wont-improve-on-its-own-is-the-human-side-major-study-claims-white-collar-workers-are-fighting-back-against-ai-in-the-workplace AI in the employee lifecycle • https://www.businessinsider.com/ey-talent-chief-ai-changing-employee-recruitment-evaluations-promotions-careers-2026-4 • https://fortune.com/2026/04/13/duolingo-ceo-luis-von-ahn-ai-usage-requirement-employee-performance-evaluations/ • https://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-enters-ai-training-market-challenges-startups-2026-4 • https://www.businessinsider.com/deloitte-cuts-down-benefits-for-some-workers-big-four-ai-2026-4 • https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/how-this-company-is-using-mariah-carey-to-filter-out-excessive-job-applications/571948?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://www.inc.com/rebecca-hoeft/your-employees-experience-the-brand-before-customers-do/91328206 Transparency and work design • https://www.iamexpat.de/career/employment-news/new-eu-law-means-employers-must-disclose-salary-hiring-process • https://hbr.org/2026/04/whats-stopping-the-4-day-workweek • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-instincts/202604/3-ways-remote-work-exposes-people-pleasing-habits Identity and integrity risk • https://fortune.com/2026/04/13/ai-agents-governance-identity-risk-okta/ • https://www.okta.com/blog/ai/ai-agent-identity-governance/ • https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/mercor-training-ai-human-jobs-hack • https://theconversation.com/industries-most-exposed-to-ai-are-not-only-seeing-productivity-gains-but-jobs-and-wage-growth-too-224487 • https://futurism.com/future-society/economist-ai-job-forecast • https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-automation-replacement The Cut List • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/disney-layoffs-ceo-josh-damaro.html • https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-layoffs-memo-marketing-team-chief-brand-officer-asad-ayaz-2026-4 • https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-layoffs-severance-employees-marketing-team-josh-damaro-2026-4 • https://www.businessinsider.com/snap-layoffs-ai-read-memo-snapchat-2026-4 • https://www.wsj.com/business/has-the-era-of-the-mega-layoff-arrived-928f061d • https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/if-ai-isnt-ready-to-replace-workers-why-are-companies-cutting-jobs-anyway/91320511 • https://www.peoplematters.in/news/strategic-hr/oracle-layoffs-targeted-employees-with-pending-stock-payouts-claims-former-worker-49216 • https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/10/business/ibm-settlement-dei-lawsuit • https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/ibm-agrees-pay-us-17m-164541919.html

Gen Z backlash is colliding with flatter orgs and wider spans. Manager engagement is slipping, entry-level routes are tightening, and HR is experimenting with AI in pay decisions while fairness scrutiny rises. The trust gap is the story. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links Engagement, managers, and motivation • https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx • https://www.hrdive.com/news/engagement-among-managers-is-slipping-affecting-ai-use-gallup/817069/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://www.hrdive.com/news/us-workers-quitting-at-lowest-level-in-a-decade/817114/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://www.predictiveindex.com/learn/talent-optimization/resources/ebooks/motivation-at-work-report/ • https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/employees-start-motivated-but-meaning-trust-and-job-fit-are-quickly-eroding-that-spark/571290?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all Backlash, flattening, and AI trust • https://fortune.com/2026/04/08/gen-z-workers-sabotage-ai-rollout-backlash/ • https://fortune.com/2026/04/07/megamanager-era-how-many-direct-reports-ai-middle-management/ • https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-block-managers-player-coaches-org-leads-2026-4 • https://www.businessinsider.com/mckinsey-ai-agents-mangement-leadership-great-flattening-2026-4 • https://www.businessinsider.com/anthropic-open-culture-employees-argue-ceo-dario-amodei-slack-2026-4 • https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-says-copilot-is-for-entertainment-purposes-only-not-serious-use-firm-pushing-ai-hard-to-consumers-tells-users-not-to-rely-on-it-for-important-advice Entry-level and education shifts • https://rankings.newsweek.com/americas-greatest-workplaces-for-entry-level-2026?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://www.businessinsider.com/college-students-changing-majors-because-of-ai-2026-4 • https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-college-students-homogenized • https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/07/economy/ai-job-losses-long-term-effects • https://fortune.com/article/yoshua-bengio-ai-replace-every-job-trade-jobs-plumbing-warning/ Pay, fairness, and HR systems • https://www.hrdive.com/news/hr-teams-cautiously-experiment-ai-setting-worker-pay/817015/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/diversity-inclusion/class-action-accuses-amazon-of-using-hr-systems-to-shortchange-women/571273?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/market-news/effect-of-job-market-on-the-economy.html?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all The Cut List • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/disney-layoffs-ceo-josh-damaro.html • https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/tech-industry-lays-off-nearly-80-000-employees-in-the-first-quarter-of-2026-almost-50-percent-of-affected-positions-cut-due-to-ai • https://www.peoplematters.in/news/strategic-hr/amazon-to-cut-14000-jobs-across-aws-retail-and-hr-in-may-2026-report-49149 • https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/07/economy/ai-job-losses-long-term-effects ⸻ #EmployerBranding #HR #AI #GenZ #Leadership #Compensation #TalentStrategy #Layoffs

Oracle’s “significant” job cuts have turned AI infrastructure into a global workforce story. This week: what the Oracle layoffs reveal about modern comms and control, why AI skills earn premiums while engagement slips, ILO “white-collar bypass” risk, and why identity may be the real AI threat at work. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links Oracle layoffs and AI spending • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm296jzzl9yo • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/31/oracle-layoffs-ai-spending.html • https://thenextweb.com/news/oracle-layoffs-march-2026 • https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/oracle-layoffs-ai-22175253.php • https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/2026/partners-oracle-layoffs-are-huge-channel-opportunity?itc=refresh • https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-03-31-2026/card/shares-in-oracle-jump-6-as-layoffs-begin-aSydyLjgHiUqenNig4UA • https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/oracle-layoffs-employees-receive-email-from-oracle-leadership-at-6am-saying-we-have-made-the-decision-to-eliminate-your-role-as/articleshow/129922918.cms • https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/oracle-layoffs-email-to-employees-has-a-reminder-you-are-prohibited-from-/articleshow/129954409.cms AI skills premiums and “best employers” narratives • https://www.hrdive.com/news/nearly-half-firms-willing-pay-premium-ai-skills-kpmg/816217/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://fortune.com/2026/04/01/best-companies-to-work-for-ai-revolution-perks/?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://www.breeze.pm/articles/workplace-productivity-statistics ILO exposure and uneven impact • https://www.bwpeople.in/article/genai-to-reshape-global-jobs-but-impact-will-be-uneven-ilo-600087 • https://sea.peoplemattersglobal.com/news/economy-policy/30percent-of-global-jobs-exposed-to-genai-developing-countries-face-white-collar-bypass-risk-says-ilo-49009 Hiring pauses, career ROI, and work design • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/31/unilever-global-hiring-pause-us-iran-war-challenges-.html • https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/03/31/graduate-degree-earnings-study/ • https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesfinancecouncil/2026/03/27/why-a-retirement-system-built-for-stable-careers-doesnt-work-for-todays-workforce/ • https://hbr.org/podcast/2026/03/strategy-summit-2026-inventive-strategy-and-the-unbossed-organization • https://fortune.com/2026/03/28/employee-benefits-hold-workers-hostage-naval-war-game-designer/ • https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/remote-work-isnt-the-problem-poor-management-is-new-study-finds/91323926 • https://www.ktalnews.com/entertainment-news/soft-quitting-trend-workplace/ Employer brand and HR leadership • https://www.hcamag.com/ca/specialization/transformation/leading-hr-in-an-era-of-relentless-change/570401 • https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/chief-people-officer-appointments-globally/ • https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/the-4-shifts-in-global-talent-mobility-every-hr-leader-needs-to-track-as-shared-by-ocbc-s-joel-leong?utm_source=ebn&utm_medium=news-feed&utm_content=story&utm_campaign=all • https://employerbranding.news/the-real-ai-threat-at-work-may-be-identity-not-redundancy/ ⸻ #EmployerBranding #HR #AI #Oracle #Layoffs #FutureOfWork #TalentStrategy

Work is getting more managed: skills gates, cautious hiring, monitoring, and tighter rules. This week: HR rebuilding foundations as engagement drops, workers using ChatGPT for wage guidance, the return of tougher RTO and monitoring, and the latest moves in layoffs, freezes, and restructuring. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ Sources & Links HR foundations and engagement • https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/ai-analytics-and-uncertainty-how-hr-is-rebuilding-its-foundations/569852 • https://www.hrdive.com/news/worker-engagement-lowest-level-in-a-decade/815821/ • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/22/companies-ai-work-job-skills.html • https://www.inc.com/andrea-olson/how-ai-automation-is-quietly-deskilling-white-collar-workers/91316067 • https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/microsoft-hr-head-makes-it-clear-to-employees-that-its-time-to-change-says-get-rid-of-old-/articleshow/129814434.cms • https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliekratz/2026/03/18/5-signs-your-leadership-is-fueling-the-great-pile-on/ Wages, leverage, and AI as a worker tool • https://www.hrdive.com/news/workers-send-messages-to-chatgpt-about-wages-openai/815689/ • https://openai.com/index/equipping-workers-with-insights-about-compensation/ • https://www.businessinsider.com/employees-taking-pay-cuts-huge-numbers-2026-3 • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/25/iran-war-low-hire-low-fire-job-market.html • https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-weekly-jobless-claims-increase-slightly-2026-03-26/ • https://finance.yahoo.com/news/75-resumes-never-reach-human-123000358.html Monitoring, RTO, and time design • https://fortune.com/2026/03/24/jpmorgan-monitoring-keystrokes-video-calls-meetings-junior-investment-bankers-its-for-employee-wellbeing/ • https://www.businessinsider.com/paramount-skydance-return-to-office-rto-mandate-remote-employees-relocate-2026-3 • https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/19/business/employees-microshifting-work-life-balance/ • https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_MRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Fproperty%2Fcommercial%2Fproperty-boss-warns-staff-working-from-home-could-be-replaced-by-ai%2Fnews-story%2F512e53a796dab1810f3acc0c7dec54f4&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE Talent wars and AI layoffs narratives • https://www.techtimes.com/articles/315475/20260326/apple-offers-massive-bonuses-iphone-design-team-stop-talent-poaching-openai-rivals.htm • https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/accenture-ceo-julie-sweet-to-companys-employees-if-you-want-a-promotion-you-need-to-learn-this-skill/articleshow/129560758.cms • https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/perplexity-ceo-aravind-srinivas-wants-everyone-to-believe-that-ai-layoffs-are-not-so-so-bad-because-they-will-allow-people-to-/articleshow/129791486.cms • https://rte.ie/brainstorm/2026/0326/1565150-ai-investments-jobs-tech-sector-financialisation-economy/ • https://fortune.com/2026/03/22/gen-z-roleplay-chatgpt-difficult-conversations-work/ The Cut List • https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/microsoft-freezes-hiring-major-cloud-sales-groups-information-reports-2026-03-26/ • https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/meta-layoffs-hundreds-employees-five-divisions-vr-ai-who-rcna265127 • https://www.businessinsider.com/metas-reality-labs-shifts-to-ai-native-pods-efficiency-2026-3 • https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/many-employees-ibm-2026-layoffs-234003251.html • https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/epic-ceo-tim-sweeney-says-employers-will-see-a-stream-of-resumes-of-once-in-a-lifetime-quality-after-the-company-laid-off-more-than-1-000-people/ • https://defensescoop.com/2026/03/26/army-rebalancing-civilian-workforce-reassignments-separations/ • https://www.wsj.com/cfo-journal/block-cfo-says-deep-job-cuts-from-ai-are-an-inevitability-for-companies-672a7dc3 ⸻ #EmployerBranding #HR #AI #Hiring #RTO #Engagement #WorkplaceCulture #Layoffs