🧠 Would your organization consider offering in house therapy services?

Hey HR Pros!

With employee burnout climbing to 66%, HR leaders are reexamining how mental health support shows up at work.

The idea of in house therapists is gaining traction as organizations look for faster access to care, stronger retention and a culture that signals real commitment to well being. At the same time, concerns around confidentiality, trust and equitable access make this a strategic decision, not just a benefits upgrade.

As expectations around well being continue to rise, decisions about how therapy is delivered could shape culture, retention and employer brand for years to come.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 📊 Only 17% of workers trust AI without oversight in the workplace

• 🌍 86% of companies lack talent velocity as global hiring accelerates

• 🧠 66% of employees report burnout as companies consider in house therapy benefits

• 🤖 Only 5% of workers are AI fluent as Walmart trains 1.6 million employees instead of cutting jobs

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 📰 Latest in HR News

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• Amazon and Walmart compete for top revenue spot with diverging workforce AI strategies

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📊 Only 17% of workers trust AI without oversight in the workplace

AI is embedded in daily workflows, but reliability still hinges on human review, especially in higher stakes HR and people operations contexts. Survey data from 1,000 U.S. workers who use AI at work shows that only 17% believe AI can run independently without oversight.

For HR leaders, this reframes AI from a productivity shortcut to a governance responsibility that touches compliance, employee communications, and candidate experience.

Key insights

• 🧠 Reliability means human oversight 70% define trustworthy AI as AI plus review, not full autonomy, reinforcing structured HR governance models.

• ⏱ Fixing output erodes efficiency gains 57% say correcting AI takes equal or more time than manual work, challenging assumed HR productivity ROI.

• 📄 Editing is the built in second step 42% report routine editing after AI drafts, signaling permanent QA layers in HR communications workflows.

• ⚠️ Context gaps create real business risk 42% cite missing details, 19% say AI worsened customer situations, and 11% report revenue impact firsthand.

Read the full article here

🌍 86% of companies lack talent velocity as global hiring accelerates

Organizations are investing in integrated global pipelines in markets where critical skills already exist, particularly in AI and engineering, rather than waiting for domestic systems to catch up.

For HR professionals, this moment is less about geography and more about whether talent strategy is reactive or structurally future ready.

Key insights

• 🛂 Visa sponsorship has become a financial gamble H 1B reforms and fees reaching $100,000 per filing are pushing companies to hire abroad instead.

• 📉 Relocations are slowing despite skill shortages International relocations dropped 9% while 29% cite lack of qualified local talent.

• 🏢 Return to office complicates global strategy 60% enforce full on site policies even as distributed international hiring expands.

• 🚀 Talent velocity is the real differentiator Only 14% have systems to mobilize skills effectively, driving reactive international hiring decisions.

Read the full article here

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🧠 66% of employees report burnout as companies consider in house therapy benefits

Workplace therapy promises faster access to care, reduced absenteeism and stronger retention, particularly in environments where external providers come with long wait times and rising costs.

For HR teams balancing well being strategy with compliance and culture, the question is whether embedding therapy on site strengthens psychological safety or introduces new perception risks.

Key insights

• 🔥 Burnout is at historic highs 66% of employees report burnout, intensifying pressure on HR to expand mental health infrastructure.

• ⏳ Access barriers delay care Therapist shortages and long wait times make on site support more attractive for timely intervention.

• 🔐 Confidentiality concerns remain central Employees may hesitate to engage if trust in privacy protections is unclear or poorly communicated.

• 📈 Culture and retention are directly linked Visible mental health investment can improve empathy, reduce absenteeism and strengthen long term loyalty.

Read the full article here

🤖 Only 5% of workers are AI fluent as Walmart trains 1.6 million employees instead of cutting jobs

As many organizations reduce headcount in response to AI adoption, Walmart is scaling talent instead, committing to train 1.6 million U.S. and Canadian employees in AI skills.

The initiative comes at a time when only 40% of U.S. workers use AI at work and just 5% qualify as AI fluent, a gap that directly correlates with wage growth and advancement.

How Walmart Is Implementing AI Training:

• 🎓 Scaling AI certification enterprise wide Partnering with a recognized provider to offer free AI training to 1.6 million U.S. and Canadian employees.

• 📣 Framing AI as augmentation, not elimination Publicly stating AI is intended to enhance roles while maintaining similar overall headcount levels.

• 📊 Linking skills to economic mobility Investing in AI fluency where research shows workers are 4.5 times more likely to earn higher wages.

• 🧩 Embedding AI across job types Extending training beyond corporate teams to frontline associates, signaling a whole workforce transformation model.

Read the full article here