In this issue:

Execs want cuts. Employees want security. The Fed wants “retraining.” And you’re graded on AI rollouts when 95% fail. The old playbook? Useless. The only move left? Dance in the storm. Read on.

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The HR Blotter

When Earning Extra Means Losing More - Wisconsin lawmakers are reviving an old penalty that trims disability benefits if a worker also earns income on the side. For disabled employees trying to supplement their check, it feels like getting punished twice—once by circumstance, and again by the system. In the workplace context, it’s another reminder that policy often dictates who gets to climb back into the labor force and who stays trapped on the margins.

Bossware Turns Trust Into Collateral Damage - A third of UK companies now admit to using bossware, tracking everything from log-in times to keystrokes, and it’s quietly poisoning the relationship between managers and staff. Workers already suspect their screens are watching them back, and studies show surveillance doesn’t improve performance—it corrodes trust and morale until people start looking for the exit. In the world of work, this isn’t about productivity, it’s about control, and the bill for that control is paid in loyalty lost.

“Date Them Till You Hate Them” Hits the Workplace - Gen Z is carrying a TikTok dating trend straight into the office: “date them till you hate them.” Translated for work, it’s taking the job, riding the paycheck, and walking away once the red flags pile up. For employers, it’s a warning shot—when job security and engagement disappear, so does loyalty, leaving the workplace stuck in a cycle of short-term flings instead of lasting partnerships.

Robots Rise While Workers Fade - China’s factories are swapping out human muscle for robotic precision, pushing automation deeper into the shop floor than ever before. For workers, it’s a double-edged reality—robots mean faster output and global competitiveness, but also shrinking opportunities for steady industrial jobs. The bigger picture for the workplace is clear: survival will hinge on whether displaced workers can reskill fast enough to avoid being left behind by machines that never tire.

Starbucks Dress Code on Trial - Starbucks baristas are suing, saying the company’s dress code is less about appearance and more about power. Tattoos, piercings, and union pins aren’t just style—they’re statements—and workers argue the rules are a muzzle. In the workplace, this fight isn’t really about clothes, it’s about who gets to show up as themselves and who gets silenced by corporate polish.

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The Jim Stroud Podcast

Not subscribed to The Jim Stroud Podcast? Then you’ve been flying blind. Here’s a taste of what they’ve been hearing—while you’ve been missing it.

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The Impossible Mandate: HR’s New Role in the Age of AI

Being a worker in the AI era is brutal. But being the one who manages them? That’s a different kind of hell.

HR leaders are caught in crossfire:

• Execs demanding cost cuts to fund “AI transformation.”

• Employees terrified of robots stealing their jobs.

• And the New York Fed insisting companies are retraining, not firing—at least for now.

The kicker? HR is judged on AI rollouts even though MIT found that 95% of AI pilots are failing. That’s like being graded on how fast you can make unicorns appear in the breakroom.

Meanwhile, PwC says AI-skilled workers demand a 56% pay premium, juniors are losing their entry-level ladders, and Stanford data shows a 13% decline in 22–25 year-olds in AI-heavy jobs.

Performance Metrics Are Broken 📉

Traditional KPIs—retention, productivity, engagement—don’t mean much in the AI hurricane. The Brookings Institution found AI investment often leads to job growth, but the old ways of measuring success don’t apply.

Reminds me of something I read recently…

HR’s scoreboard has to shift to things like Collaboration Quotient (CQ), Creative Problem-Solving Index (CPSI), Leaning Agility Score (LAS), Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Quotient and Innovation Impact Index (III)—because the ground keeps moving.

Dancing in the Storm 💃🌪️

The smartest HR leaders have stopped pretending they can control the chaos. They’re ditching crystal-ball predictions and building for adaptability itself:

• Flexible roles instead of rigid job descriptions.

• Continuous feedback instead of annual reviews.

• Career lattices instead of ladders.

• Human skills—critical thinking, empathy, creative problem-solving—as the hedge against technical churn.

The Fed’s findings give one short-term anchor: retrain instead of replace. But the long game is clear—only those who learn to dance in the storm will keep their people standing.

💡 Question: If every job is up for renegotiation in the age of AI, what skills do you bet on when the ground keeps shifting? Hit reply and sound off. Best responses get mentioned in the next issue.

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One more thing before I go…

In part 4 of the series, I look into the lessons of history and research what the Industrial Revolution and Internet Age can teach us about AI Adaptation. To hold you over until then, check out my latest interview podcast on my YouTube channel. Actually, its a series of 7 clips from my chat with Mike Peditto, author of “Yes, You are Being Judged.” One of them is below. Enjoy!

And as always, hit reply and let me know how I’m doing. Or slide into my DMs as the kids say. All good.

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