The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: Fresh data spotlights employee experience drivers, widening trust gaps, Gen Z flight risks, loneliness-linked absence, and updated Learning at Work Week 2026 dates, offering timely insight for anyone shaping people, culture and capability.
Learning Hack opens new season with bold 2026 agenda
A new season of the Learning Hack podcast is launched on Monday 12th January with an episode featuring Josh Bersin. This popular and influential podcast, among the top 5% of podcasts globally for listens (Listen Notes), has been running since 2019 and has followers in more than 150 countries around the world.
In the opening episode, The Changing Shape of Work, Josh Bersin sets the agenda for workplace learning in 2026.
What does a learning leader look like in 2026?
The portrait of the L&D professional will be ripe for evolution in 2026, thanks to artificial intelligence. In a survey conducted by Go1, the majority of L&D professionals seemed bullish regarding AI’s role in upskilling: 69% of respondents agreed “this is where AI can deliver the most value.”
Transforming workplace learning in the world of AI, with Capita
AI is the great industrial shift of our time and, as a workforce development professional, it’s hard to know where to start. From identifying the skills your organisation needs to reimagining learning content creation and delivery, there are so many avenues you can explore.
The silent stress epidemic
The results of the Workplace Silent Stress Survey 2025 give much food for thought, with 43.6% of employees discussing their anxieties with their partner, and 12.8% opening up about stress to their friends.
When it comes to employees addressing stress within the workplace environment, the results are revealing:
- 20.3% confide in a colleague on the same team
- Only 4.7% speak to their manager
- Just 1.3% engage with leadership
Sogolytics releases 2026 employee experience (EX) index, revealing significant trends shaping the future of work
Sogolytics announced The Sogolytics Experience Index: Employee Edition (EX) 2026, a comprehensive, enterprise-grade analytics report built on one of the most statistically robust employee experience studies of the year. Drawing insights from 1,027 full-time U.S. employees across 12 industries, the report uncovers the evolving expectations, pressures, and priorities that are redefining the modern workplace.
Key validated insights include:
- 71% of U.S. employees report being satisfied at work, though nearly one in five remain neutral — highlighting opportunities to deepen engagement
- Pay (43%), work-life balance (38%), and feeling valued (34%) are the most powerful predictors of satisfaction
- Only 1 in 10 employees say their feedback always leads to change — revealing a critical trust gap
The new workplace fault lines
What TriNet’s 2025 data reveals about AI, benefits, upskilling and why Gen Z is on the move: Perhaps the most urgent warning in the 2025 data is generational. One-third of Gen Z employees plan to switch jobs within six months, up from 25% the year prior. Meanwhile, their confidence in being able to succeed at work collapsed 20 points year over year, falling to just 39%.
Lonely workers say they miss more work
35% of lonely workers who say they miss at least one day of work per month, per a report from The Cigna Group.
Learning at Work Week 2026 dates
Learning at Work Week 2026 will take place from Monday 18 – Sunday 24 May. These dates have been updated as the original dates fell on a bank holiday week.
