Employees' confidence that leaders genuinely prioritise their wellbeing is continuing to decline, new data suggests. Meanwhile, the treatment of LGBTIQ+ employees at work is getting worse, not better.
It might take another 68 years to eliminate Australia's pay gap, and gender equality reporting is still "inconsistent and fragmented", new analysis shows.
In the space of a year, "holdouts" expecting full-time office returns have become the minority, but a workplace futurist is warning employers to prepare for much greater narrowing of their discretion around flexibility.
The consequences of dismissing or mismanaging employees' emotions can be "catastrophic" for organisations, but when leaders recognise and properly handle them, "teams achieve remarkable things", an executive coach says.
Obstacles that hold employees back from reporting workplace s-xual harassment include psychological factors that should receive more attention in HR strategies, researchers say.
The best ways to motivate employees in 2026 are much the same as they were 50 years ago, but many employers continue to rely on tactics that have "zero" long-term impact, according to a performance specialist.
In a time of fatigue, fear, and retreat, diversity advocates are calling on executives and HR practitioners to sustain progress, emphasise the strategic value of DEI, and counter polarisation with the Australian ethos of a "fair go for all".
Many post-pandemic policies have broken the psychological contracts that exist between workplaces and employees, but they can be repaired, according to a global leadership expert.
Capability, rather than "courage", is what drives employees to act when they witness workplace misconduct or inappropriate behaviour, according to a people and culture expert.
