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- ⏳ The In-Between Week, Less Lonely HR, Retirement Anxiety - Dec 29, 2025
⏳ The In-Between Week, Less Lonely HR, Retirement Anxiety - Dec 29, 2025
Easing your teams back into work, making HR less lonely, workplace woes over retirement, and more workforce news...
Hello, Culture Caretakers 👋 Welcome to the —that blurry stretch when calendars wake up before brains do. As teams “soft launch” back to work, here’s how HR can balance grace, goals, and reality.
On today’s agenda:
😬 Retirement anxiety [trend]
💌 Making HR less lonely
TODAY’S CULTURE CUE
🔁 The soft-start swap - Ask each team member to share one task they’ll delay and one easy win they’ll start with. It normalizes pacing—and builds momentum without burnout.
THE HR SPOTLIGHT
⏳ The In-Between Week: Managing the “Soft Launch” Back to Work
As calendars flip but minds lag, this in-between week is that awkward stretch where employees “show up” before productivity fully does. HR teams know all too well: productivity doesn’t (and shouldn’t) snap back overnight after a long break.
😬 The reality check: A slow restart isn’t a bug, it’s a feature — People’s energy and focus don’t instantly reboot after holidays or time off — research shows workforce patterns are changing, not resetting. Productivity behavior trends reveal that workdays are actually shorter yet slightly more efficient — meaning people are not powering up extra hours just because it’s January.
World at Work says workers are cautious and engaged in managing work–life boundaries, with many feeling disconnected or worried about job stability — perfect conditions for a slow restart. The problem? Unrealistic expectations of an instant productivity spike can backfire — lowering morale, impairing performance, and undermining trust.
✅ What HR can do: Lead the gentle return
1. Set realistic benchmarks — Reframe early January as a recovery + ramp period, not a productivity contest. Share insights and set phased goals rather than “crush it day 1” targets.
2. Promote psychological safety — Encourage managers to acknowledge that productivity growth is gradual. Tools and training from vendors like Gartner stress that manager support and ongoing dialogue strongly influence sustained productivity during transitions.
3. Encourage mindful structure — Provide guidelines for balanced workload planning, asynchronous collaboration, and check-ins instead of “presence pressure.” Lean into flexibility as it remains a key driver of sustained effort.
4. Infuse some HR humor — Remind teams: “Your inbox doesn’t need to be zeroed out before coffee.”
Productivity isn’t a light switch — it’s a dimmer. HR’s role? Adjust expectations, champion people-centered pacing, and turn the in-between week into a strategic advantage.
TOGETHER WITH I HATE IT HERE
The best HR advice comes from those in the trenches. That’s what this is: real-world HR insights delivered in a newsletter from Hebba Youssef, a Chief People Officer who’s been there. Practical, real strategies with a dash of humor. Because HR shouldn’t be thankless and you shouldn’t be alone in it.
THE HR PULSE
🧱 Job Freeze Ahead? — The Independent
What’s unfolding: Forecasts from Indeed and company leadership surveys suggest minimal hiring growth in 2026 as many large employers plan to hold staffing steady rather than expand.
Why it matters: HR leaders should be alert that tight labor markets and hiring slowdowns may strain talent pipelines and retention, so proactive workforce planning, internal mobility, and engagement strategies will be crucial to maintain productivity and morale.
🤖 AI at Work, but Who’s Guiding It? — HR Dive
What’s unfolding: A recent Gallup-based report finds that while AI use at work is increasing, many employees aren’t clear on their employers’ AI strategy or guidance around its use.
Why it matters: Uncertain or inconsistent AI direction from leadership can undermine trust, productivity, and ethical use; HR should clarify AI policies, offer training, and ensure responsible adoption to support workforce confidence and efficiency.
🧑💼 Critic Takes the Helm at OPM — Federal News Network
What’s unfolding: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is hiring a former critic of its HR consolidation plan to help oversee modernization efforts.
Why it matters: Bringing in a skeptical voice signals a shift toward more critical evaluation of HRIT and consolidation initiatives, and HR professionals should prepare to engage with evolving federal HR systems.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP
 | TeamSense |
 | HR Kenjo |
COMPLIANCE CORNER
🧾 W-4 Gets a Glow-Up – HRMorning
What’s unfolding: The IRS finalized updates to Form W-4, adding more worksheets and clearer sections for tips, overtime, and dependent credits.
HR implications: Review payroll systems and prep employee guidance ahead of year-end to avoid withholding confusion in 2026.
🛡️ NY Tightens Workplace Safety Rules – Mondaq
What’s unfolding: New York now requires hospitals and nursing homes to implement formal workplace violence prevention programs.
HR implications: Healthcare HR teams should update policies, training, and reporting now to stay compliant and reduce liability.
🐕 Job Offer Revoked, Lawsuit Filed – HR Grapevine
What’s unfolding: SHRM faces another lawsuit after allegedly rescinding a job offer tied to a request for a service animal accommodation.
HR implications: A timely reminder to handle ADA accommodations carefully, document decisions, and train hiring managers to reduce legal risk.
TREND WATCH
😬 Workplace Woes: Worker Anxiety Over Retirement
Digesting the data: New survey data shows nearly 48% of U.S. workers say they’ll need at least $1 million to retire, yet only about 28% feel confident they’ll reach that mark — a gap fueling financial stress and anxiety at record levels. This unease isn’t just a number: rising expectations, inflation pressures, and gaps between savings and reality are leaving employees juggling day-to-day costs and long-term goals, with many considering delaying retirement entirely.
Outlook for HR: Financial wellbeing has emerged as a critical employer concern — HR teams must rethink retirement education, benefits design, and communication strategies to help employees bridge the confidence–reality divide.
Consider expanding access to financial planning tools, workshops, and employer-sponsored savings support to ease anxiety and strengthen retention. With retirement readiness on many minds, there’s no time like now to talk money before your people start counting stress instead of dollars.
👉 Curious how deep the retirement gap really is? Check out the full report »
UPCOMING EVENTS
 | Jan 13, Virtual - Fisher Phillips |
 | Jan 27, In-Person (Atlanta, GA) - From Day One |
HR TECH WATCH
🔐 A Review of Harmony HR: Secure HRIS That Does It All
Why we selected it: It’s a full-featured HRIS with on-premise or cloud deployment, real-time analytics, and automation that’s winning praise from G2 reviewers in regulated and global teams alike.
Key features:
On-premise or SaaS deployment – run HR where your data belongs with total control.
Smart global calendar – manage leave, shifts, and holidays across time zones.
Real-time analytics & dashboards – instant insights on headcount, turnover, costs, and more.
Granular access & permissions – role-based security and audit trails for compliance.
Pros:
| Cons:
|
HRAddict rating: ★★★★☆ 4.5
A security-first, all-in-one HRIS that centralizes people ops without hefty costs or complexity.
This is an independent review using aggregated insights and publicly available data.
BREAKROOM
SMART READS
👀 Building Trust in the Age of Employee Monitoring
🧠 Microlearning Trends That Can Transform Employee Skills
🧐 How to Fix Your Remote Team’s Focus
📬 Missed the last issue on ‘Pausing on Christmas Eve?’ Read it.
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