Charley EM

Whether you’re leading or part of these conversations or not, your workforce is having them. The challenge is that when organisations stay silent, employees fill the gaps – and increasingly, they’re doing that loudly and publicly.

If you want to know what your workforce is talking about, you need to lean in.

1. The transaction of work

Over the last few years, the topic of balancing productivity with pay has surfaced in different ways. Remember Quiet Quitting? This conversation will not only continue to rumble into 2026 – it’s likely to get louder and bolder. But not all communication uses words. Actions and behaviours communicate just as clearly.

This is about the increasingly blurry lines of the work transaction – what an employer “gets” from an employee in return for the pay they offer. In theory, this should be simple. Employment contracts, policies and working hours exist to make it clear. In reality, it’s becoming harder to pin down.

Pre-pandemic, in most organisations, being on the premises implied you were working (rest breaks aside). Leaders could see who was “working harder” – the first-in, last-out brigade. Presenteeism aside, hybrid working has blurred those lines. Some leaders felt productivity took a hit with working from home and mandated a return to the office to re-establish clearer boundaries. Others recognised they were “up on the deal” – removing long commutes and enabling flexibility led to more discretionary effort, not less.

Raised in an uncertain world of permanent crisis, Gen Z are strong boundary protectors. Look at social media conversations around #ActYourWage and #BareMinimumMonday and you’ll see their clarity on the work transaction. Over-delivering today for the promise of career progression tomorrow isn’t their priority. Being paid fairly for the work they do is.

Organisations may feel backed into a corner, with limited scope for pay increases or bonuses. But this conversation isn’t going away. In fact, if organisations don’t lead it, they will lose control of it.

This is no longer just about productivity or pay. It’s about clearly defining the modern work transaction: what’s expected, what’s optional, where flexibility ends and additional responsibility begins, and when “going the extra mile” quietly becomes a role change that should be recognised and paid for. At its heart, this is culture.

Managers sit at the sharp end of this, yet they’re often left to interpret the rules themselves. That creates inconsistency, resentment and risk. Coaching managers on what’s acceptable, what’s sustainable and how to have honest conversations about boundaries and workload isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s critical to maintaining a healthy, happy workforce.

The killer takeaway: If you don’t define the deal, your workforce will.

2. Workforce whiplash

The second conversation likely to dominate workplaces is change. Change itself isn’t new, it’s always been part of working life. The arrival of computers in the late 1970s wasn’t just about new technology; it dismantled entire typing pools, reshaped administrative work and fundamentally shifted workplace communication. It took years to retrain people, redefine roles and rebalance expectations.

Today, we’re facing a similar scale of disruption – and we won’t win overnight. Yet the race is on. Many organisations feel intense pressure to adopt and embed AI faster than competitors simply to survive. That urgency is leading to billions being poured into technology projects before they’re ready. Success or failure still hinges largely on the people leading, driving and delivering them.

“Gartner has warned that a large share of AI projects will be scrapped post proof-of-concept, estimating that around 40% of agentic AI initiatives could be cancelled before delivering results. Meanwhile, an MIT study found that up to 95% of generative AI pilots are failing to deliver measurable business value. Forbes reports that despite $30–$40bn invested in generative AI in 2025, most corporate AI efforts aren’t moving the needle.”

While change isn’t new, its volume, complexity and speed are – and that’s what the workforce is reacting to. Exhausted by relentless initiatives and transformation programmes, change fatigue has set in. What leaders sometimes label as resistance is often saturation.

From pandemics to cyber-attacks to the rapid arrival of AI, disruptions feel constant and unpredictable. There’s little time to recover before the next shock hits, creating real whiplash.

The answer isn’t to try to slow change, but to acknowledge its human impact. Organisations can mandate change, but they can’t mandate adoption or commitment. Making change stick requires clear, consistent narratives and compelling stories that build trust and rhythm.

The killer takeaway: Change moves at human speed.

3. The commercial imperative of DEI

Another conversation quietly gathering momentum into 2026 is the quiet return of DEI. After years of growing traction, progress stalled for many organisations in 2025. High-profile roll-back rhetoric – from Trump’s calls to dismantle DEI to Musk’s “DEI must DIE” comments – created confusion about its role.

But as headlines moved on, a more grounded recognition emerged. What needed to be rolled back wasn’t inclusion itself, but performative tokenism. Bias, exclusion and discrimination are bad for business – damaging culture and constraining growth.

The beauty industry faced backlash for foundation ranges that failed to reflect real skin tones. Tech platforms like LinkedIn were challenged for amplifying male voices over female ones, driving some creators towards competitors like Substack. Meanwhile, organisations such as the Diversity Standards Collective have helped major consumer brands ensure advertising lands authentically – after missteps from brands like Heinz, Nivea and Dove showed the cost of getting it wrong.

What was always true is becoming more explicit: inclusive cultures think and innovate more broadly. That leads to better products, stronger brands, improved customer experiences and more sustainable growth.

As we head into 2026, acronyms matter less. What does matter is intent, consistent investment and meaningful action.

The killer takeaway: Inclusion is an often untapped growth strategy.

4. The cost of futility

At a time of constant disruption, one of the quietest workplace crises isn’t about pay or AI – it’s futility.

When work feels endless, transactional and disconnected, it drains energy, motivation and engagement. This came through clearly in engagement data throughout the year.

One statistic in particular should give organisations pause: just 18% of workers say their role aligns with a purpose they personally believe in. That’s the cost of futility. By contrast, employees who believe their work contributes to something meaningful are 5.6 times more likely to be engaged (Gallup).

When people feel they’re working harder simply to grow company profit, motivation suffers. But when they can connect daily work to genuine impact they believe in, pride and commitment grow.

Organisations need to invest more effort in bringing purpose to life – connecting the big picture to everyday tasks and telling better stories about the impact they’re making. Purpose isn’t reserved for businesses like B Corps. Every organisation needs to be clear why it exists and the difference it makes.

The killer takeaway: Just like pay, purpose is a critical motivator.

5. Closing the culture atrophy

Culture hasn’t disappeared over the last few years, but in many organisations it has quietly atrophied – it has wasted away, losing its vigour.

Gartner used this exact term when urging CHROs to prioritise closing culture gaps. Whether deliberate or not, many organisations shifted focus from people to technology. Yet success with technology still depends on human leadership, judgement and adoption. Running a human workforce with a machine mindset has real limitations.

What worked for creating lean manufacturing processes doesn’t translate to today’s skills landscape, where innovation, creativity and independent thinking are critical.

Progress-driven cultures must feel safe – allowing people to speak up, experiment and fail without fear of career-limiting consequences. Workforces are human systems, and cultures need to reflect that.

Closing the gap starts with being honest about culture reality – how they shape up against the theory of culture written in employee handbooks and EVPs. That requires genuinely listening to employees, and sometimes bringing in external perspective, before doubling down on change.

The killer takeaway: When everyone has access to technology, humans are the advantage.

6. Multi-generational: power and conflict

No, it’s not a bestselling novel, though it could be. This conversation centres on five generations working side by side.

From Gen Z entering the workforce to Baby Boomers staying on longer, today’s organisations carry an unprecedented mix of expectations, communication styles and values. In theory, a strength. In practice, often a source of friction.

Different generations hold different assumptions about commitment, professionalism, boundaries, pace and authority. Layered on top are unhelpful stereotypes that deepen divides.

Left unchecked, this creates misunderstanding, friction and miscommunication. On the other hand, when we lead proactive and positive conversations, it becomes a powerful source of learning. Experience and deep expertise meets fresh perspectives, improving decision-making, digital fluency and workplace dynamics.

The killer takeaway: Generational diversity is a powerful engine for growth.

7. From feedback to dialogue

Employee voice isn’t a new idea, but expectations around it have changed. For years, organisations relied on annual surveys, pulse checks and suggestion schemes. Implicitly, the message was: you can speak up, but we’ll listen and act on our terms.

That approach no longer works. Employees expect to feel safe speaking up consistently, and to be heard by leaders in real time. This is driven both by younger generations and by wider societal expectations around transparency and the chance to influence in others parts of our lives.

Recent survey results have been uncomfortable for many organisations: declining trust in leadership, demands for clearer direction and expectations for stronger stances on big topics like climate, wellbeing and social issues. This isn’t the same feedback as a few years ago.

Leaders now need to invest not just in listening, but in responding – acting where possible and openly acknowledging where they can’t. But most importantly, having honest conversations.

The killer takeaway: Listening to employees is a trust-building strategy.

8. Reimagining flexibility

The return-to-office debate has become exhausting for everyone. As we look ahead, it’s time to accept that the new norm is more flexible than pre-pandemic, with working patterns designed around human needs.

Organisations that want to make flexibility work must lead the conversation – creating a cadence that supports motivation and productivity while ensuring inclusion and fairness.

From an employee perspective, the direction is clear. Groups such as Pregnant Then Screwed, Flex Appeal and Workstyle are gaining momentum in pushing for stronger flexible working rights because it’s what employees are demanding.

The opportunity here lies in collaboration. From creating shift-swap options to altering shift timings and empowering manager-led flexibility within clear guardrails, this goes beyond policies and into trust-building. The critical success factor is dialogue – co-creating solutions rather than imposing them in isolation.

The killer takeaway: Flexibility rewards organisations that dial down control and dial up trust.

9. Reframing performance

Wellbeing has often been treated as a standalone conversation – awareness days, workshops and specific issues like stress or menopause. All are important. But the bigger question is often avoided: how does the organisation enable people to perform at their best? In the year ahead, organisations need to look beyond webinars and workshops and instead at how they are genuinely improving workplace performance.

High performance and wellbeing aren’t in tension, they’re connected. People do their best work when they have energy, clarity and psychological safety. When they feel trusted, not monitored. Enabled, not undermined. Stretched, not overloaded. Valued, not forgotten.

Wellbeing is a culture conversation with a performance outcome. Organisations need to rethink how they’re talking about wellbeing – recognising their responsibility to create environments where people can deliver their best work, while employees focus on bringing their best selves to work.

The killer takeaway: Wellbeing isn’t a benefit. It’s a performance driver.

10. The emotional elephant in the room

Leadership is being reshaped, and it’s time to talk seriously about human leadership.

We’ve heard the language: leaders need to be more empathetic, authentic, vulnerable. But the reality is harder. Since the pandemic, uncertainty has become the default. Topics like AI and climate are too complex for any leader to have all the answers.

Every initiative and transformation hides an emotional iceberg that leaders can’t ignore – fear, anxiety, fatigue, cynicism and frustration. These emotions don’t stay outside work. They come to work with employees.

The real conversation is how we give leaders permission to handle this complexity without pretending they have all the answers.

The killer takeaway: Human leadership is about guidance, not answers.

You don’t choose the conversations – but you can choose to lead them

The question for organisations isn’t which of these conversations to have. They’re all happening, everywhere.

The real question is this: which ones are you brave enough to lead?

If you want to start having these conversations or lead them with confidence rather than react to them, we’re here to support you.

Because these conversations are happening anyway. The only choice is whether you’re part of them.