📌 5 HR Priorities in 2026, Men-Only RTO? Master Course Creation - Jan 14, 2026

Hello, People Champions! 🌟 As calendars flip and strategies sharpen, 2026 priorities are becoming more crystal clear: AI-ready teams, smarter benefits, and hybrid setups that actually work. Let’s unpack what HR leaders are betting on this year.

On today’s agenda:

📌 2026 HR priorities

👩‍💻 Men-only RTO? 

🔥 Master scrollable course creation

🤖 AI errors in labor filings

THE HR SPOTLIGHT

📌 A Roundup of Top HR Priorities from Leading HR Insights (2026)

As we dive deeper into 2026, HR teams are navigating a workplace that’s part high-tech, part human-centered, and very strategic. Forget doing more with less — smart HR leaders are doing better with what they’ve got. 

Across recent reports from AIHR, SHRM, & Gartner, including our recent poll, five critical areas stand out, and HR leaders must move from talk to action this year.

🤖 1. AI Strategy & Responsible Use

AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s reshaping work, recruitment, performance, and more. HR leaders should map out where AI creates real value, establish policies, and train teams so automation helps not hijacks workflow.

🧠 2. Leadership & Manager Enablement

Strong leaders still make the difference: nearly half of HR pros cite leadership development as a top priority in 2026. Equip managers with coaching, change-leadership skills, and tools to inspire teams through rapid change.

📈 3. Employee Skill Growth & Upskilling

Rapid tech change means skills gaps are widening—HR must build programs that help people learn, adapt, and advance. Structure clear development paths with measurable outcomes and rewards for new competencies.

❤️ 4. Culture, Experience & Trust

Employee experience and psychological safety fuel engagement and retention. HR should strengthen culture through trust-building, recognition, and open communication, not just perks.

Work is being redesigned around people and technology together. Shift toward skills-based hiring, internal mobility pipelines, and hybrid work models that balance efficiency with flexibility.

2026 is the year where impact beats intention.

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🖌️ Creative Belonging at Work — Mid-Day

• What’s unfolding: When employees feel truly seen — beyond just fitting in — they report higher engagement and less burnout, and creative expression is emerging as a key driver of belonging.

• Why it matters: HR should help people bring their whole selves to work by offering creative outlets and inclusive culture design, because belonging boosts performance and retention.

• What’s unfolding: A police department’s AI report tool hilariously misreported an officer as a frog after mishearing background audio, underscoring real limitations in generative AI tools.

• Why it matters: HR leaders adopting AI must plan for strong review practices and governance, because automation without oversight can lead to credibility and compliance problems in workforce systems.

• What’s unfolding: New findings show men are returning to offices at higher rates than women, risking new forms of workplace inequality and slower advancement for women if remote flexibility is devalued.

• Why it matters: HR teams should actively measure and manage location bias in promotions and performance reviews, ensuring flexible work policies advance — rather than hinder — equity for all employees.

COMPLIANCE CORNER

• What’s unfolding:  The U.S. will raise premium processing fees for H-1B and other visas starting March 2026. Employers will pay more for expedited immigration filings.

• HR implications: HR should review global hiring budgets now and fast-track time-sensitive filings before the increase hits.

• What’s unfolding: An IT worker is suing the NHL, alleging retaliation and blacklisting after raising concerns internally. The case puts HR conduct and response practices under scrutiny.

• HR implications: HR leaders should reinforce fair investigations and anti-retaliation safeguards to reduce legal and reputational risk.

• What’s unfolding: California labor officials report a rise in AI-generated “hallucinations” appearing in formal filings. Increased AI access is creating accuracy and credibility issues.

• HR implications: HR teams need clear AI-use rules and human review steps for legal or employee documentation to avoid compliance trouble.

BREAKROOM

📬 Missed Monday’s issue ‘HR’s Aha! Moments’? Read it »