The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: Leadership mindsets, Fosway research, ADHD curiosity, workplace harassment, digital detox days and dire digital skill gaps reveal the complex, very human side of modern work. Plus a UK-wide burnout crisis you can’t ignore.
Daily AI users report more access to L&D resources than infrequent users
Workers who used generative artificial intelligence daily in the past year reported greater productivity (92% versus 58%), more job security (58% versus 36%) and higher salaries (52% versus 32%) compared to infrequent users, according to PwC’s 2025 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, released Wednesday.
Notably, 75% of daily AI users said they have access to the resources they need for L&D, while only 59% of infrequent users do. However, of the nearly 50,000 workers surveyed globally, only 14% said they use generative AI daily, up from the 12% who said so in 2024. Likewise, only 6% said they use agentic AI on a daily basis.
Compliance slides further down the list as skills stay top strategic priority for learning, latest Fosway Group research reveals
AI is transforming L&D teams and the future of L&D lays in the balance, as economic pressures and the transformation of both work and the workforce go through a major shift. L&D teams are not immune. The impact of AI on learning has reached new and significant highs. Half (51%) of L&D professionals think the claims for AI are living up to the hype, with only 25% remaining sceptical.
New LumApps report rinds 79% of leaders see tech as disruptive as politics and the economy
LumApps, the leading connected employee hub, released its inaugural Future of Work Index, a benchmark study exploring how organizations are transforming through technology, leadership, culture, and AI. The study, conducted with Mike Klein, founder of #WeLeadComms and Editor-in-Chief of Strategic HQ, and Censuswide, an ESOMAR-certified research firm, surveyed over 250 business leaders across the U.S. and Europe to understand how work is changing, and what’s next.
The study shows that organisations are aggressively pursuing AI adoption, with 64% actively scaling or in early deployment. Yet leaders cite unclear ownership of employee experience initiatives and differing generational preferences as obstacles to effective tech integration.
US Front-line workers are more difficult to find, train and retain, study says
Front-line workers make up 70% of the US workforce, but they are increasingly difficult to find, train and retain, according to an analysis by HR advisory firm The Josh Bersin Co. in collaboration with UKG. Three-quarters of front-line workers feel burned out, and 51% say they “feel like a number, not a person,” fuelling their sense of feeling overworked, underappreciated and disconnected, the report found.
GP Strategies’ new report reveals the mindsets behind high-impact leadership
GP Strategies has unveiled its latest research report titled “Great Leaders Think Differently: The Four Mindsets Shaping the Future of Work.” This report reveals that leaders who embrace a combination of growth, inclusive, agile, and enterprise mindsets are best equipped to navigate today’s complex and fast-changing business environment.
The study highlights how leadership mindsets are the key differentiators in driving innovation, resilience, and organizational success. The report explores how these mindsets have evolved in response to global disruptions, technological advancements like AI, and shifting workforce expectations.
People with ADHD may have an underappreciated advantage: Hypercuriosity
People within the ADHD community have long recognized that the condition can be both harmful and helpful. Researchers, though, have largely focused on the harms. And those studying treatments tend to define success as a reduction in ADHD symptoms, with little regard to possible benefits.
If correct, the hypercuriosity hypothesis of ADHD could have implications for the estimated 130 million children and 220 million adults worldwide who have been diagnosed with the condition, especially in terms of education, researchers say.
Half of UK professionals lack confidence in employers’ ability to prevent sexual harassment
Nearly half of UK professionals (49%) say they are not fully confident their employer can prevent workplace sexual harassment, and one in five workers report that their company provides no training on the issue. These findings come from a new survey by compliance eLearning provider, VinciWorks, which warns that many businesses are underprepared for stricter legal duties to curb harassment under the upcoming Employment Rights Act.
One of the most striking findings is the widespread lack of training to prevent harassment. More than one in five professionals (21%) said their organisation provides no sexual harassment training whatsoever.
Techtimeout Tuesday urges UK workplaces to take hourly screen break
Organisations representing more than two million people across the UK have signed up for Techtimeout Tuesday, the annual workplace initiative highlighting the impact of digital overload on wellbeing, productivity and focus. Established in 2020 by Steph Henson, Techtimeout Tuesday encourages employers and individuals to take a break from screens and technology for at least one hour. The day takes place in early December, coinciding with a period of heightened internet use following Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
UK industrial midmarket struggling to bridge digital skills gap, Forterro research finds
New research from European software provider Forterro has found that skills shortages and sluggish digital transformation are putting the UK’s industrial midmarket at risk of falling behind its European peers. The findings, from a new Forterro report – The Digital Future of the European Industrial Midmarket – reveal that almost half (49%) of UK manufacturers and wholesalers say the digital skills gap has directly impacted business growth or projects. More than one-third (34%) admit they lack confidence in finding recruits with the right digital expertise.
The most significant gaps are in AI literacy (42%), cybersecurity (41%), and data analysis (40%) – precisely the capabilities needed to deliver on the industry’s digital transformation goals.
UK faces a ‘stress epidemic’ with almost 12M workers experiencing burnout
New research from Avilio has found that 36% of respondents experienced burnout in the last year which – when applied to the UK working population – means that 11.9 million UK workers would fall into this category.
Avilio commissioned an independent, nationally representative survey of 1,261 UK workers to understand current levels of stress and burnout, 506 of whom are in management positions. In the survey, burnout was defined as an extreme and persistent form of stress that causes physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.
