An Unexpected Workplace Trend: The Rise of Men’s Groups in the Workplace

Hey HR Pros!

Traditionally, employee resource groups (ERGs) have centered around women, LGBTQ+ employees, veterans, and racial equity—but a shift is happening.

In some companies, men are forming their own support groups to talk about stress, fatherhood, identity, and mental health—often in ways that challenge outdated ideas of masculinity.

Far from being “boys clubs,” these groups aim to foster vulnerability, prevent burnout, and promote inclusion—raising an important question for HR: Is your culture creating space for all employees to be human at work?

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🤝 An Unexpected Workplace Trend: The Quiet Rise of Men’s Groups in the Workplace

• 🤖 New Data | AI Is in the Job Description…But What Does It Actually Mean?

• 🧑‍💼 Who Gets to Decide How AI Shows Up at Work?

• 🎙️ Featured HR Podcast | Culture of Fear with HR Besties

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🤝 An Unexpected Workplace Trend: The Quiet Rise of Men’s Groups in the Workplace

On a quiet Thursday afternoon at Channel 4, over 50 employees log in not to talk shop—but to talk stress, masculinity, and fatherhood. They’re part of a growing trend in corporate culture: internal men’s groups focused on emotional resilience, health, and vulnerability.

From Estée Lauder to BAE Systems, a small but growing number of organizations are creating sanctioned space for men to open up about everything from prostate checks to parenting challenges.

HR professionals may want to pay attention—this trend could mark the next evolution in inclusive workforce support.

Key Insights for HR Leaders:

• 🧠 Vulnerability has business value
  Men’s groups report healthier, more open employees—often leading to earlier medical intervention and reduced long-term absences.

• 👥 Inclusion means everyone
  Despite criticism, these aren’t exclusivity zones—many are co-founded by women and explicitly open to all genders.

• 📉 Isolation is rising fast
  Young American men now spend 6.6 hours alone daily (excluding sleep)—an hour more than women, highlighting a major social gap.

• 🫥 Silence is strategic
  Due to political backlash against DEI, many companies keep these groups under wraps—despite strong internal engagement and positive impact.

read the full 705-word article here

🤖 New Data | AI Is in the Job Description…But What Does It Actually Mean?

I’ve noticed that while AI is being touted everywhere, few job postings explain whether you’ll be building the tech, using it to hire, or simply sitting next to a chatbot.

This growing ambiguity matters for HR, especially as AI literacy becomes a differentiator in both candidate and company appeal.

And while some companies are using AI strategically, about 25% of job postings still can’t articulate what AI has to do with the role.

Key Insights:

• 🔍 Context is still missing in 1 in 4 postings
  About 25% of AI job mentions lack clear use cases—raising questions about whether it's marketing or actual tech integration.

• 📈 Core AI roles dominate—but recruiting uses are rising
  52% of AI-tagged jobs focus on building models, but 14% specifically mention using AI for recruitment, especially in services.

• 🎨 Non-tech roles are surprisingly AI-heavy
  Management, marketing, and arts roles had over 60% of AI mentions linked to core usage—hinting at widespread GenAI adoption.

• 📊 HR is already deep in the AI mix
  More than 40% of HR job postings mentioning AI include specifics about using AI tools for hiring and platform optimization.

read the full 1,412-word article here

HR LOLs

🧑‍💼 Who Gets to Decide How AI Shows Up at Work?

The question for HR right now isn’t just what it can automate, it’s who’s deciding how it gets used. But in the absence of clear laws, it's workers—through unions and collective bargaining—who are starting to build the most effective guardrails.

Across industries, labor groups are negotiating contracts that limit algorithmic management, demand transparency, and even deploy AI to strengthen organizing itself.

This is a fight about jobs—it’s a fight about power, governance, and whether technology serves workers or replaces them.

Key Insights:

• 🛑 25% of AI tools lack clear legal protections
  AI is already making hiring and firing decisions—but most worker safeguards come from fragmented local laws or union contracts.

• 🧠 Collective bargaining is building real AI guardrails
  From Hollywood to UPS, unions are winning contract clauses that limit surveillance, demand consent, and ensure job security.

• 🤖 GenAI is becoming a union organizing tool
  Unions now use chatbots, AI translators, and message simulators to expand outreach, train reps, and mobilize under-resourced campaigns.

• 📣 Workers are shaping AI policy—not just contracts
  Unions are backing legislation like the “No Robot Bosses Act” and influencing policy frameworks at both state and federal levels.

read the full 2,337-word article here

🎙️ Featured HR Podcast | Culture of Fear with HR Besties