📰 The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook.
🆕 This week: Workplace flexibility, leadership styles, AI-driven sales growth and employee wellbeing, research highlights key trends shaping the future of work—including talent retention, tech inefficiencies, mental health concerns, and the evolving role of HR
ClickOut Media survey reveals third of workers would consider rejecting job if three or more office days required
A survey commissioned by iGaming marketing firm ClickOut Media has reinforced the company’s fully remote working policy as over 30% of UK workers said they would consider turning down a job if it required more than three days in the office per week.
The survey of 2,000 UK workers also revealed that a third of those asked were worried that their employer would increase the number of mandatory office days.
Over 30% said they would prefer four or even five days of working from home per week, with the main reasons being avoiding a commute, less money spent on travelling and food, the ability to manage personal tasks, and fewer interruptions.
Headspace 2025 Workforce State of Mind report highlights rising employee mental health needs and the power of workplace connection
Headspace’s new research indicates that employees need mental health support now more than ever before: 58% of employees have considered quitting their job as a result of their mental health, and 40% of workers report having taken a mental health leave of absence. At the same time, however, healthcare costs continue to rise in an economically tenuous time, and many companies have been forced to reduce health and wellness costs.
Poor parental support may drive away talent
Fertility Family have published their Beyond the Birth Rate report revealing that workplace policies, financial support, and flexibility are all key factors in family planning, with many employees feeling their current workplace and government support systems are falling short.
Findings from the report show that the UK birth rate has declined by over a quarter (26.9%) over the last 15 years and the research highlights the growing link between employment conditions and people’s ability to start or expand their families.
Latest research on why training videos fail—and how to fix them
A survey of 3,820 employees around the world—including decision-makers and L&D pros—including interviews with top experts, and insights about training content, is available from Veed in a new report.
Nearly everybody is cheating L&D. Corporate training is “boring” and employees demand better. “We all have a responsibility to learn how to learn better and to design better learning content.” – Lauren Waldman
Decline in UK tech job adverts threatens young talent pipeline
The report, conducted by NFER and funded by The Hg Foundation, finds there has been around a 50 per cent decline in tech job adverts between 2019/20 and 2024/25.
This rate of decline is significantly faster than the wider economy, where there has been a 31 per cent decline in adverts over the same period. The report links these trends to more tech roles being relocated overseas and the anticipated impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Micro-feminism acts you should start doing at work today
New research shows that amid current political and societal changes, 65% of women fear they will lose their hard-won rights in the next 10 years according to a new survey by the dating app Flirtini. This could mean decades of progress for gender equality being erased — an outcome already witnessed in countries like Iraq.
And while we can’t impact the political landscape, we can make subtle changes in the workplace that disrupt the workplace status quo. With Women’s History Month here and Google searches for “how to support women in the workplace” up 88%, I have an HR expert, Avery Morgan, sharing 4 micro-feminism acts to start practicing in the workplace.
Survey reveals the most effective leadership styles
With over two-fifths (41%) of Brits wanting to start their own business one day, a new survey has revealed the most effective leadership styles for UK employees.
To help small and medium sized enterprises drive growth, the business finance experts at money.co.uk business loans have launched a nationwide survey to uncover the most effective types of leadership and how this varies by worker demographics.
Recruitment payroll teams lose 1.5 working days each week due to technology inefficiencies, research reveals
A new survey of UK temporary recruitment businesses has revealed that inefficient technology and processes are significantly impacting workforce productivity. Three-quarters (74%) of payroll professionals say at least 11 hours per week are wasted due to outdated technology and inefficient workflows.
Commissioned by Finity, a leading back-office ecosystem for recruitment businesses, the survey underscores the urgent need for businesses to invest in modern payroll technology, with nearly half (46%) of respondents claiming to waste between 16 and 30 hours per week using outdated systems – equivalent to nearly four full workdays lost every month.
Panasonic connect research reveals gen ai is expected to drive 38% sales growth in 2025
91% of sales professionals are using Generative AI (GenAI) to gain a competitive advantage. According to the research, survey respondents believe that implementing GenAI into their processes will drive an average increase of 38% in sales over the next 12 months, thanks to the benefits it provides such as enhanced accuracy for data analytics, more personalised customer interaction and faster response times.
A standout issue that came to light through the research was the question of who will support the rollout of GenAI, with 90% of survey participants stating that they will need help incorporating it into their processes and 68% believing this support will come from their organisation’s IT department. While the IT department has expertise in the functional elements of technology, organisations should consider a broader range of support options as they implement GenAI powered sales processes.
UK workforce crisis looms as mass retirement threatens £28 billion productivity loss
The UK is on the brink of another workforce crisis, with more than three quarters (78%) of managers lacking confidence in their company’s ability to prepare for future skills gaps. As over half (57%) of the UK’s most experienced frontline workers near retirement in the next five years, 68% of managers fear that vital expertise will be lost when they exit, creating a generational skills vacuum —one that could cost the UK retail sector alone £28 billion in lost productivity.
New research from Flip, the frontline employee super-app, in partnership with Workplace Intelligence, warns that a wave of retirements is set to drain businesses of their most experienced and capable employees—particularly in retail and manufacturing, two industries critical to the nation’s economy.
Lifesum and FIIT launch wellness solution to combat employee burnout and $47.6 billion in lost productivity
Lifesum, a leading global healthy eating app, and FIIT, the UK’s number one rated fitness app, have partnered to launch a combined corporate wellness solution aimed at helping organizations combat employee burnout and address the US’s $47.6 billion annual productivity loss. This innovative solution offers employees AI powered personalized nutrition plans and expert-led workouts, all seamlessly delivered through a corporate subscription.
In the US, 62% of employees report burnout with mental health being a major contributor to workplace illness. Healthcare costs for burnout range from $125 billion to $190 billion annually, while lost productivity from missed work costs the US economy an estimated $47.6 billion per year. These figures highlight the urgent need for organizations to prioritize employee wellbeing to improve performance, reduce stress and enhance retention.
Supporting employees is what HR professionals most like about their jobs
According to new research by HR, payroll and benefits software provider Ciphr, supporting employees has been named as the top reason for why people like working in HR.
Half (50%) of the 300 HR decision makers polled agreed that supporting employees was a key element in enjoying their jobs, while a further 47% cited hiring new employees and growing the business as their favourite aspect.
10,000 UK civil service jobs to go in admin cost-cutting drive
Plans to slash government administrative costs will see the civil service headcount drop by around 10,000, the chancellor has said. Rachel Reeves confirmed this weekend that she is asking departments to cut running costs by 15% by the end of this decade.
There are now around current headcount 513,000 civil servants, 90,000 more than at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The increase came on top of considerable growth as the government took on more responsibilities as a result of Brexit.
Read more on our sister publication Civil Service World.
