⏰ Back to Routine, LMS Buyer's Guide, Gen Z's Lily Pad Careers - Sep 3, 2025

On today’s agenda:

⏰ Back to routine tips

🛍️ iSpring’s LMS buying guide

💊 Alarming fentanyl use in the workplace

🪷 Gen Z’s lily-pad approach

THE HR SPOTLIGHT

 ⏰ Back to Routine: 5 Simple Shifts to Regain Team Momentum

Summer fun may be winding down, but inboxes aren’t! As employees shift back to routines—working parents juggling school runs, hybrid teams syncing calendars—it’s the perfect moment for HR to spark momentum and show how flexibility fuels productivity.

🥱 The situation: Post-summer slump

• Routine reset: Employees are shifting from flexible summer schedules to structured work routines.

• Family juggle: Parents are balancing school drop-offs, childcare, and work commitments.

• Hybrid hurdles: Companies are navigating the complexities of hybrid work models.

💡 What HR can do: 5 simple shifts

1. Offer flexible scheduling: Implement staggered work hours to accommodate school runs and personal commitments.

2. Enhance hybrid support: Provide resources and training for effective remote team collaboration.

3. Promote family-friendly policies: Introduce or reinforce policies like paid family leave and childcare assistance.

4. Encourage mental health breaks: Advocate for regular breaks and mental health days to prevent burnout.

5. Recognize achievements: Celebrate small wins to boost morale and reinforce positive behaviors.

🤖 AI Notetaking: Legal Risks for HR — People Management

• What’s unfolding: Experts warn that transcribing disciplinary or grievance meetings using AI could compromise employee privacy and expose organizations to legal risks, as these tools may not comply with data protection regulations.

• Why it matters: Exercise caution when adopting AI notetaking tools. Ensure that any technology used complies with data protection laws and maintains confidentiality. Also consider alternative methods for documenting sensitive meetings to mitigate potential legal liabilities.

• What’s unfolding: A recent study reveals a significant increase in fentanyl use among U.S. workers. Fentanyl-positive results in random drug tests were more than 7x higher than in initial hiring screenings, highlighting the persistent challenges of the opioid epidemic affecting the workforce.

• Why it matters: HR professionals must address this issue with robust drug testing policies, employee education, and support programs for affected individuals. A safe and supportive work environment is crucial for maintaining productivity and employee well-being.

• What’s unfolding: According to the WEF's CPO Outlook, 100％ of CPOs listed business acumen among their top three success factors, with nearly 90％ placing it as their highest priority. This shift reflects the increasing need for HR leaders to align workforce strategies with organizational goals, especially amidst AI integration and organizational restructuring.

• Why it matters: For HR professionals, this emphasizes the importance of understanding financial literacy, market dynamics, and cross-functional collaboration. By enhancing business acumen, HR can transition from a support role to a strategic partner, influencing decisions and driving organizational success.

COMPLIANCE CORNER

• What’s unfolding: France has raised the minimum gross salary required for its “Talent Passport” and EU Blue Card to €39,582 as of August 29, 2025, tightening eligibility across both mainland and overseas territories.

• HR implications: HR teams recruiting in France need to ensure compensation offers meet the higher bar to qualify talent for residence permits; adjust offer letters and budget forecasts accordingly.

• What’s unfolding: EO 14319 bars federal governments from procuring AI systems that prioritize DEI or ideological messaging, instead demanding tools be “truthful” and “neutral,” which could influence AI products used more broadly in HR settings.

• HR implications: In anticipation of federal contractors aligning products to these standards, HR must monitor vendor tools used in hiring or evaluation—review usage policies and prepare to update AI governance to avoid reliance on now non-compliant systems.

• What’s unfolding: The 11th Circuit held that forcing employees to submit FMLA medical certification counts as a statutory medical inquiry, and that unauthorized disclosure of that info may give employees a direct cause of action under ADA confidentiality protections.

• HR implications: HR pros must treat FMLA forms—and any related medical details—with utmost confidentiality, ensuring documentation protocols and training are airtight to avoid legal liability over protected health information.

BREAKROOM

📬 Missed Monday’s issue ‘A Labor Day Reminder’? Read it »