🧑‍💼 Gen Z Isn’t Lazy—They’re Rewriting the Rules of Work-Life Balance

Hey HR Pros!

For Gen Z, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is non-negotiable, even in the face of layoffs and economic pressure. They’re pushing back on outdated expectations, opting for flexibility, mental health support, and boundaries that protect their personal lives.

And they’re not waiting for permission to do it, they’re quietly reshaping the rules of work from within.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🚨 Behind the Ping: How Teams Was Used to Deceive Employees

• 🧑‍💼 Gen Z Isn’t Lazy—They’re Rewriting the Rules of Work-Life Balance

• 🧭 Why Performance Reviews Still Miss the Mark for Most Organizations

• 🎙️ Featured HR Podcast | Bringing the Human back to Human Resources feat. Cigna’s Wendy Sherry

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🚨 Behind the Ping: How Teams Was Used to Deceive Employees

In today’s hybrid work world, where a ping from Microsoft Teams can change the course of a project or authorize a major expense, trust is everything. So what happens when that trust can be hijacked—when a message that looks like it’s from your CFO... isn’t?

This article reveals a suite of newly discovered vulnerabilities in Microsoft Teams that allow attackers—both outsiders and insiders—to forge identities, manipulate notifications, and even impersonate executives during live calls.

While Microsoft has since patched the vulnerabilities, the implications for HR leaders are clear: communication platforms can’t be blindly trusted, and verification protocols need to become second nature.

Risks HR Leaders Need to Look Out For:

• 🧑‍💼 Executive Impersonation Can Trigger Costly Mistakes
  Attackers can convincingly pose as executives on Teams, leading to payroll fraud, fake approvals, or urgent phishing requests.

• 🔄 Internal Trust Channels Can Be Exploited by Insiders
  Even legitimate employees or compromised accounts can edit or spoof messages, bypassing basic detection and misleading colleagues.

• 📱 Manipulated Notifications Increase Risk of Compliance Breaches
  Fake notifications that appear to come from HR or legal can prompt employees to share sensitive data or click malicious links.

• 🎥 Video Calls Can Be Used to Deceive During Critical Conversations
  Attackers can forge caller identities in real time—risking misinformation during layoffs, negotiations, or sensitive policy briefings.

read the full 1,770-word article here

🧭 Gen Z Isn’t Lazy—They’re Rewriting the Rules of Work-Life Balance

I’ve seen a rising pattern in how

Gen Z navigates the workplace: they’re not chasing titles, they’re protecting time and opting out of outdated frameworks. And for HR, this means new expectations around flexibility, communication, and trust are non-negotiable if we want to engage and retain them.

They’ll show up, yes—but not at the expense of their personal lives.

Key Insights for HR Leaders

• 📉 Only 6% of Gen Z Want Leadership Roles
  Title-driven promotions aren’t a motivator; well-being and learning opportunities carry far more influence than traditional career ladders.

• 🕒 54% of Gen Z Prioritize Work-Life Balance Over Pay
  Over half would choose balance instead of a bigger paycheck—forcing HR to rethink reward structures and engagement strategies.

• 🧳 Quiet Vacationing & Coffee Badging Reflect Lack of Trust
  Without formal flexibility, Gen Z workers create their own—signaling a gap between what companies say and what employees feel.

• 🔁 Microshifting Is In, Burnout Is Out
  Breaking the 9-to-5 block into multiple, smaller work sprints is growing—employers should consider redefining productivity accordingly.

read the full 776-word article here

🧭 Why Performance Reviews Still Miss the Mark for Most Organizations

In recent conversations with HR peers, I’ve noticed a recurring challenge: we ask managers to coach, give feedback, and align goals—without giving them the tools or training to do it well.

A recent study underscores this disconnect, revealing that most performance processes fall short in clarity, consistency, and impact.

Key Insights for HR Leaders

• 🎯 Only 20% of Managers Give Effective Feedback
  Most managers aren’t equipped to set meaningful goals or deliver honest feedback—training gaps remain a major blocker to performance success.

• 🤖 AI Is Gaining Ground in Performance Systems
  44% of companies now use AI for goal setting, and others apply it to reviews, coaching, and development tracking—streamlining manager workloads.

• 📊 Performance Ratings Still Lack Consistency
  Half of organizations use 5-point scales, the rest use 3- or 4-point—many are reevaluating how to make ratings fairer and more meaningful.

• 🚺 Bias Creeps into Feedback—Especially for Women
  Fears of appearing biased lead some managers to soften critiques for women—highlighting the urgent need for transparency and mentoring frameworks.

read the full 538-word article here

🎙️ Featured HR Podcast | Bringing the Human back to Human Resources feat. Cigna’s Wendy Sherry