The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: Managers not platforms drive day-to-day learning while ‘AI washing’ muddies layoff stories. UK staff stay silent on bullying. Employers prioritise mental health. Rising lunch costs sap energy. LT2026 offers a tech reality check.
L&D redundancies double in 2025
The annual Work and Salary Report is out this week and points to difficult times for many working in learning and development, with tighter budgets, slower hiring and growing uncertainty around job security.
In 2025 redundancies have risen again, fewer people are choosing to move roles and yet, almost half of L&D professionals say they’re considering a job change in the next year.
40% of professionals struggle with accountability when reputational risk rises, new research finds
Interactive EQ released findings from its 2026 Behavioral Intelligence Index™, a first-of-its-kind simulation-based assessment platform designed to measure how employees think, decide, and act under real workplace pressure. Based on more than 5,000 immersive, role-based workplace scenarios conducted across 1,700+ professionals at 46 organizations, 40% of professionals struggle to demonstrate learning or ownership when asked to reflect on a past failure.
As perceived reputational or personal risk increases in the workplace, accountability drops sharply, limiting opportunities for reflection and learning. Rather than demonstrating ownership, participants were more likely to reframe events, externalise blame, or avoid ownership when feedback felt personally threatening.
Accenture tells staffers: If you want a promotion, use AI at work
A memo sent to senior staff this week, and reported in the FT, informed them that promotions to top roles at the corporation would necessitate “regular adoption” of AI tooling, and it is tracking usage.
In a statement to The Register, Accenture said: “Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work. That requires the adoption of the latest tools and technologies to serve our clients most effectively.”
Most employers unprepared for menopause compliance deadline, as three in four say the law does not go far enough
A poll of 276 HR, health and safety and compliance professionals has found that just under a third (29%) of organisations have committed to publishing a menopause action plan in 2026 or 2027, while most remain uncertain or unprepared. At the same time, almost three-quarters (74%) of those surveyed believe menopause needs stronger legal protection at work – a striking verdict from an audience whose job it is to manage legal risk.
The research, carried out by DEI and compliance eLearning provider VinciWorks, points to a significant disconnect between where menopause legislation is heading and how prepared most organisations are to meet it.
New research shows employees turn to managers for support — yet most learning systems aren’t designed for real-time growth
Go1’s new research report, “The Weight of Development,” highlights a growing disconnect in how development happens at work. Nearly half of employees (47%) say they needed advice or guidance multiple times in the past month just to succeed in their role. But when they needed help, only 7% turned to a learning platform first. Instead, most turned to a colleague or their manager.
The findings reveal a critical insight for HR leaders: Employees rely on managers for growth and support, yet most development systems are built for assignment, tracking and compliance, not real-time, manager-driven action.
Sam Altman says some companies are ‘AI washing’ by blaming unrelated layoffs on the technology
As debate continues over AI’s true impact on the labour force, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said some companies are engaging in “AI washing” when it comes to layoffs, or falsely attributing workforce reductions to the technology’s impact.
Employees are scared to speak up about bad behaviour in the workplace
Bullying and harassment are rife in workplaces, but many employees aren’t speaking up about their experiences. A survey of over 1,000 UK employees – across all levels and businesses sizes – at the beginning of 2026 about their experiences of workplace bullying and harassment and found a pervasive fear of speaking up.
While over a quarter (28%) of people have experienced bullying or harassment at work over the past 12 months, almost 60% of those chose not to report it.
Employee mental health tops the concerns and priorities of employers for 5th year running
New research from employee benefits experts, Everywhen, reveals that mental health tops the list of employers’ concerns and priorities for 2026. A significant 59% of employers are concerned about the mental health of their employees. Reflecting this level of concern, 49% of employers will be prioritising support for mental health over the next 12 months. With this priority, it is vital that the support put in place is effective.
Employees are spending more on workday meals than ever before — yet many remain under-fuelled during working hours
Lifesum, a leading global healthy eating app, is warning that rising lunch costs combined with poor nutritional quality are quietly eroding workplace focus, energy and performance. In the US, workers now spend an average of $108.68 per week on work lunches, up from $88 the previous year, according to a 2025 ezCater survey.
In the UK, employees spend approximately £1,092 annually on lunch, according to research. The impact is measurable. A recent EGYM report found that 49% of employees say their performance has declined due to health issues. Nutrition is a foundational — and often overlooked — contributor to that decline.
Emerging technologies at LT2026: reality check
At Learning Technologies 2026 new research and practitioner insight cut through the noise to show how learning teams are actually using technology today. The learning technology conversation is often dominated by trends, tools, and bold claims, but what’s actually changing in day-to-day practice is more nuanced.
This Emerging Technologies session cuts through the noise, using research and real-world experience to examine how learning teams are truly applying technology today, where progress is genuine, and where expectations may need to be reset.
Dani Johnson presents the latest findings from her newly updated learning technology research, offering a clear, evidence-based view of how learning teams are actually using technology today. Drawing on fresh data, the session explores what’s changing fastest, which approaches are gaining traction, and where expectations may need to be recalibrated.
Do you want to make sure you stay in-the-know about the L&D industry?
Then the TJ newsletter is where it’s at.
It’s free, it comes every Thursday to your inbox, and it comes with exclusive subscriber-only content!
