2025 marked a turning point for the workplace. Economic uncertainty, social pressure and rapid technological adoption reshaped how people work and what they expect from employers.
The effects are now carrying straight into 2026.
A few signals worth paying attention to:
– AI is becoming part of everyday work, raising questions around judgement, quality and accountability
– Trust and psychological safety are weakening in many workplaces, especially where fairness and wellbeing feel deprioritised
– Employees are increasingly shaping culture themselves, not waiting for leadership direction
– Values alignment now influences where people work and what brands they support
2026 will reward organisations that treat culture, trust and people systems as strategic priorities, not side conversations.