HR Brew // Morning Brew // Update

December 04, 2025

Hi there! It’s Santa Claus’s busy season, and recent research indicates the professionals that sign up to play the role of Saint Nick see it as a calling. Some even train for the role at a specialized Santa Claus school, or join professional associations like the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas.

Whatever your workday holds, we hope it’s as fulfilling as donning that red suit before the real deal arrives on Dec. 24.

In today’s edition:

Storytime

One step back

Legislative lowdown

—Mikaela Cohen, Adam DeRose, Courtney Vinopal

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Read this story

Credit: Brittany Holloway-Brown

When Michael Stopps joined Justworks as the VP of people in January, he did what he always does when starting a new job: He started writing a story. The story, Stopps told HR Brew, outlined the ins-and-outs and the who’s-who of the company, as well as the new-to-him world of HR tech.

“There was an absence of it [a company story], and selfishly, I was new to the organization as well. I wanted to know, ‘What is the story?’” he said. “If I was hearing different stories as I was going through my personal onboarding journey at Justworks, I would then hold a mirror up to the organization and say, ‘Hey, I don’t think it’s very clear.’”

He eventually shared it with his 60-person people ops team to help the recruiters and candidate experience coordinators in their roles.

“Whenever we’re scaling, it means that we’re hiring new folks, and they are becoming interviewers too, and so the necessity to have a singular source of truth that the right people have weighed into” was there, Stopps said.

For more on how McKinsey is adapting to the consulting industry’s AI upheaval, keep reading here.—MC

Presented By QuickBooks

It’s payday, HR pros

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TECH

Whiplash

J Studios/Getty Images

AI has an uncanny ability to insert itself into countless HR and workplace news stories, executive and corporate memos, and strategic plans. But the shine of new AI tools drastically improving productivity might be fading as organizations continue grappling with implementations.

While corporate leaders and executives are looking to AI investment as a boon for productivity (ultimately cheaper than a bulky headcount), most companies haven’t found the right formula to actually deliver on AI’s promise, according to a new report from CompTIA. It’s a moment that’s proven challenging for HR leaders caught in the fray.

According to CompTIA’s “AI’s Impact on Productivity and the Workforce,” 82% of executives expect AI to deliver major business value, but at the exact same time, 79% companies report that they’ve already had to backtrack on AI initiatives because they didn’t live up to the hype.

For HR leaders, the whiplash is revealing a more familiar challenge: How do you manage people through transformation as plans, impacts, and expectations rapidly change in real time?

For more on the workplace transformation challenge AI creates, keep reading here.—AD

COMPLIANCE

Legislative lowdown

Francis Scialabba

Starbucks recently agreed to settle a case with New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) over violations of the Fair Workweek Law.

The law requires fast-food employers to give workers regular schedules that stay the same each week, and offer them the ability to work more regular hours before hiring new employees. Employers are also prohibited from reducing workers’ hours by more than 15% without giving a just cause or fair business reason.

The DCWP found that Starbucks violated these aspects of the law.

Starbucks agreed to pay nearly $39 million to settle the case, according to a consent decree published on Dec. 1. Officials say the settlement, which will affect some 15,000 Starbucks retail employees, is the largest worker protection settlement in New York City’s history.

For more on the Fair Workweek Law, keep reading here.—CV

Together With QuickBooks

From complexity to clarity. Forget the scramble of switching between tools or spreadsheets to get payroll out the door. QuickBooks Payroll is designed to unite your data and decisions in one powerful platform, giving you complete visibility and control in one centralized business hub.

WORK PERKS

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Nearly 30 million square feet of office space in New York City has been converted into residential living over the past two decades. The conversions were driven by tax incentives and rising office vacancy rates during the Covid-19 pandemic. (the Wall Street Journal)

Quote: “I believe that we are more creative and collaborative when we are together in-person.”—Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, on why the social media company expects US employees to come into the office five days a week starting Feb. 2 (Business Insider)

Read: OpenAI employees are under pressure to improve ChatGPT after CEO Sam Altman declared a “code red” operation in a bid to keep up with rivals like Google. Daily calls and temporary team transfers are on the table to help get the job done. (the Verge)

Payday perfected: QuickBooks Payroll brings payroll, HR, and time tracking together to help you wrap payday in minutes. Get back to managing people, not paperwork. See how.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}

JOBS

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