🏢 Can gen z bring back remote work?

Hey HR Pros!

As baby boomer and Gen X executives move closer to retirement, the future of workplace flexibility may look very different.

New research suggests that younger CEOs are significantly more likely to embrace remote and hybrid models, signaling that today’s return to office mandates could be temporary.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🏢 Gen Z leadership could double down on remote work as CEO demographics shift

• 📊 93% of IT leaders say skills must evolve within five years as training models fall behind

• 💼 60% of millennials and Gen Z would quit without wellness support at work

• 🎙️ Featured Podcast: How the best CEOs are meeting the AI moment

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🏢 Gen Z leadership could double down on remote work as CEO demographics shift

A new study tracking 8,000 U.S. workers suggests that today’s return to office mandates may be a generational blip, not a permanent reset, with younger CEOs far more likely to support remote work and digital first operating models.

The research shows that remote work prevalence is closely tied to both company age and CEO age, reinforcing that workforce strategy is increasingly shaped at the top.

Key insights

• Younger CEOs mean more remote days 🗓️ Firms led by twenty something CEOs report the highest work from home frequency across surveyed organizations.

• Company age matters as much as leader age 🏢 Employees at firms founded after 2015 work remotely nearly twice as often as pre 1990 companies.

• Flexibility and AI adoption move together 🤖 Companies embracing remote work are also more likely to deploy AI tools and software driven management systems.

• Global talent strategy favors remote models 🌍 Remote first firms gain access to worldwide talent pools and 24 hour productivity across time zones.

Read the full article here: https://fortune.com/2026/02/17/as-boomer-and-gen-x-bosses-retire-working-from-home-will-make-a-major-comeback-new-research-predicts/

📊 93% of IT leaders say skills must evolve within five years as training models fall behind

Research outlines a three phase framework designed to embed continuous learning into operational rhythms, aligning development directly with business execution rather than separating it as a standalone initiative.

For organizations under pressure to innovate while managing AI adoption and digital transformation, the structure of learning may matter more than the size of the training budget.

Key insights

• Episodic training limits real impact 📉 Learning delivered outside daily workflows reduces retention and weakens practical application in active IT projects.

• Core IT responsibilities shift every 18 months 🔄 Static skills frameworks struggle to keep pace with evolving technology and transformation priorities.

• Delayed feedback slows capability growth ⏱️ Infrequent performance cycles extend the gap between identifying and closing critical skill gaps.

• A three phase model embeds learning into operations 🧩 Skill backlogs, workflow integration, and recurring reassessment create sustained, business aligned capability development.

Read the full article here: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/learning-programs-fail-in-it-when-treated-as-perks-instead-of-strategy-reveals-info-tech-research-group-302687735.html

HR LOLs

💼 60% of millennials and Gen Z would quit without wellness support at work

New research examining four generations in today’s workplace finds that while younger employees are prepared to walk away over weak wellness support, Gen X may be the most underleveraged asset in building stability and connection across teams.

The study highlights stark generational differences in expectations around employer backed social wellness, participation in programs, and long term loyalty, with Gen X emerging as both more committed and less engaged in current offerings.

Key insights

• Gen X is a retention anchor 🔒 38% plan to stay with their employer more than 10 years, outpacing other generations.

• Wellness drives turnover for younger talent 📊 61% of millennials and 59% of Gen Z would change jobs without workplace wellness support.

• Expectations gap around social wellness 🤝 Younger employees expect stronger employer involvement in social wellbeing than Gen X peers.

• Cross generational learning is widely valued 🌎 More than 70% across all generations enjoy learning from colleagues of different ages.

Read the full article here: https://www.mather.com/archives/124026

🎙️ Featured Podcast: How the best CEOs are meeting the AI moment