The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: ‘Workcations’ blur holiday boundaries, risking burnout and disconnection. As the line between rest and work vanishes, are we trading true downtime for faux flexibility? Discover how this trend could be undermining your wellbeing.
What’s in and what’s out for L&D leaders in 2025
Degreed’s new analysis spotlights the trends reshaping workplace learning priorities this year. Here’s what’s gaining momentum and what’s falling out of favour. AI is on fire. Learning leaders are embracing generative AI to scale up upskilling, curate content and deliver personalised coaching at speed and scale.
Skills-first development wins. Organisations are shifting from credential accumulation to agile, skills-based learning aligned with real business goals. Human‑centred approaches rise. Communities of practice, social learning and coaching are increasingly valued.
New research reveals over 1/3 of employees are using AI in secret
Half of the employees surveyed said they use AI at work, giving their organisation a distinct advantage over those who don’t. Half of the employees surveyed said they use AI at work, giving their organisation a distinct advantage over those who don’t.
The never-ending 9 to 5: The true price of our perpetual work schedules
- Some 60% of workers say they spend their free time recovering from work rather than enjoying it, with 25% feeling guilty for spending time on hobbies.
- Feeling bad about work, 65% of workers admit they daydream about quitting their jobs to focus on themselves.
- With a lack of free time, 34% say they have given up on self-improvement, while many have stopped exercising (36%), socializing (32%), traveling (27%), and pursuing hobbies (25%).
- Worryingly, a quarter of workers (25%) say they no longer feel like they have a personality outside of work.
Staying closeted: What holds back LGBTQ+ Gen Zers from coming out
- LGBTQ+ statistics show that 65% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers identify as bisexual or pansexual, while 23% identify as gay or lesbian.
- 25% have felt pressured to tone down their queerness at work, while 9% have been fired for reporting discrimination.
- 46% avoid mentioning their partner’s gender at work, fearing discrimination. Yet, 37% say the workplace has become more accepting in the last five years.
Out of Office? Not Really. The hidden costs of the workcation boom
- 13% say their boss actually expects them to work on their vacation, and 15% fear losing their job if they don’t.
- While away, distractions pile up: 59% get emails, 22% get texts, and 12% are bothered by phone calls from work, pulling them out of relaxation.
- The personal toll is real — 35% have argued with their partner over vacation working, and more than half (52%) report mental health struggles like burnout or depression. Plus, roughly two-thirds have dealt with physical issues such as headaches or chronic pain.
AI hiring tools outperform humans on fairness metrics, study shows
Artificial intelligence is delivering fairer hiring decisions than humans in a majority of cases, according to new research which found that 85% of AI models met industry fairness thresholds – with women and racial minority candidates receiving significantly more equitable treatment when compared with outcomes from human-led processes.
The findings, by auditing platform Warden AI, form part of Warden AI’s newly published report, The State of AI Bias in Talent Acquisition 2025. The report analysed a range of AI tools used in recruitment and talent intelligence as adoption of AI in HR continues to grow, with three in four HR teams now using some form of AI or automation.
Falling confidence among workers threatens business growth
More than one in three UK senior managers (34%) fear they could lose their jobs within the next six months, according to new data from ManpowerGroup’s Global Talent Barometer, a striking figure that shows how global uncertainty isn’t just a concern for business leaders.
The Global Talent Barometer, which surveyed nearly 14,000 workers across 19 countries (over 1,000 in the UK), reveals a workforce gripped by anxiety over economic instability, automation and rapidly shifting skill demands. As confidence collapses, the risks to business performance, productivity and wider economic momentum are becoming further heightened.
Britain’s SMEs forced to wear more ‘hats’ as workforce shrinks, says latest Virgin Media O2 Business data
New research from Virgin Media O2 Business reveals small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) directors are spending an average of 10 hours per working week on tasks outside of their core expertise, as recent ONS data shows falling UK employment levels.
The added workload is taking a significant toll on SME leaders’ mental health with 76% saying it negatively impacts their wellbeing, and 51% saying they are more stressed now compared to when they started their business. For the one in two (54%) SME leaders having to spend more time on unfamiliar tasks than those they’re trained for, the pressure to wear multiple hats is clearly taking its toll.
