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HR STRATEGY

We’re just girls

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Women excel at a lot of things that men don’t…like having higher rates of burnout and engagement…

Women report higher rates of burnout, despite being more engaged at work than men, according to a recent report from Gallup. While 34% of women said they’re engaged at work, compared to 28% of men, 31% of women reported being “very often or always” burned out, versus 23% of men.

“Traditionally, we see higher levels of engagement are associated with lower levels of burnout…but there’s an interesting scenario going on here for women,” Kristin Barry, Gallup’s director of hiring analytics, told HR Brew.

For more on this paradox, and what it means for HR, keep reading here.—MC

Presented By Mitratech

AI + HR = ?

With the growing use of AI in HR—and the growing questions surrounding it—HR leaders are navigating rising compliance risk and regulatory complexity.

The State of HR Compliance 2026 is a report by Mitratech covering new benchmark research based on a survey of 500 US professionals across HR and adjacent functions. It examines how organizations are navigating rising compliance complexity and AI adoption, and we’ve got a sneak peek just for you:

75% of respondents say their compliance needs have changed.
54% say those needs have increased over the past two years, reflecting growing regulatory pressure and governance expectations.
51% rank AI and automated decision-making compliance as the top emerging compliance trend over the next 12–18 months.

Compliance isn’t fundamentally broken, but it is under increasing structural pressure as regulatory change, AI adoption, and workforce expectations accelerate.

Download the free report to learn more.

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

World of HR

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Morning Brew

McDonald’s is in the headlines again, but this time for reasons that have nothing to do with how its CEO eats its ~~“products”~~ burgers.

Where in the world? McDonald’s in the UK and Ireland recently launched a campaign highlighting the young workers behind its restaurants. The fast-food chain has more than 100,000 employees under 25 across the region; one-third of its managers belong to this youth cohort too, according to the Drum.

The campaign, which runs through April, aims to dispel common stereotypes about young workers, who are often mischaracterized as lazy or lacking social skills. Four ads follow real employees navigating work life at McDonald’s, showing the skills employees build during their time in the restaurants, the Grocer reported.

Satellite view. Gen Z workers in the US have faced similar criticisms, HR Brew reported previously. They can struggle with responsibility, communication, and collaboration, and some employers admit they don’t believe Gen Z is ready for the workforce.

For more on how Gen Z workers are perceived around the world, keep reading here.—KP

TECH

Tech friction

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Brittany Holloway-Brown

Failed login attempts, constantly crashing apps, glacial loading times: These are just some of the small but—when multiplied across years and organizations—consequential friction points that too often define digital workers’ professional lives.

The results? Lower productivity; frustrated workers; greater attrition; security issues; headaches for IT, HR, and the C-suite—and ultimately, a less satisfying consumer experience.

“There’s immense productivity loss. You have frustrated users,” Michael Lovewell, a solution consulting team lead at digital employee experience company Nexthink, told us. “Your applications aren’t being leveraged that you’re spending significant amounts of money on. That leads to a lot of these problems.”

Instead of responding to tech friction fallout after the fact, our sources emphasized the importance of reevaluating outdated protocols, gathering feedback on existing problems, implementing processes to identify issues before tickets start trickling in, and creating tighter feedback loops.

For more on managing tech friction, keep reading on IT Brew.—JG

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WORK PERKS

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Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Nearly half (49%) of US workers say they’re struggling in life, the highest rate in more than three years. (Gallup)

Quote: “Roles that used to be true early-career opportunities now ask for several years of experience because managers want someone who requires less ramp up time.”—Den Mendejar, director of DEI enterprise and talent solutions at Aquent, on the dearth of job opportunities for early-career workers (Business Insider)

Read: Family caregivers in the US provide roughly 49.5 billion hours of care per year, often while working. (CNBC)

Is AI compliant? The State of HR Compliance 2026 examines how organizations are navigating rising compliance complexity and AI adoption. It’s based on a survey by Mitratech of 500 US professionals across HR and adjacent functions.*

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Written by Mikaela Cohen, Kristen Parisi, and Jordyn Grzelewski

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☕ Why women workers are burning out, despite being engaged