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Job Hugging Driven by Fear

February 17, 2026

Workers are increasingly staying in their current jobs not out of loyalty but due to concern about the job market and economic uncertainty. Surveys report a majority of employees are reluctant to change roles, citing fear of layoffs, AI job impact, and lack of opportunities outside their current workplace. This behaviour has become more widespread in 2025 and is expected to continue through 2026. It reflects a shift from career mobility to job stability in HR planning and workforce strategy. Read more.

HR Insights: Workday confirms data access by hackers but core systems not breached

Human resources software provider Workday reported that hackers accessed contact information and other client data through social engineering tactics targeting a third-party platform. The company states there is no indication that customer tenant data or secure HR records were accessed. Workday has implemented additional security measures to prevent similar incidents, reminding customers that official contacts will only come through trusted support channels. Read more.

HR Tips and Tricks

Tip: Encourage employees to create “career checkpoints” every 90 days. These are short self-reviews where staff reflect on skills gained, goals for the next quarter, and areas for development. This practice helps reduce job hugging by reinforcing growth and showing employees their progress over time.

Trick: Set up a monthly “role rotation hour.” Invite volunteers to shadow a colleague in a different function for one hour. This exposes employees to new parts of the organisation, builds cross-team empathy, and can spark interest in internal mobility without changing core job duties.

A federal lawsuit alleges that a long-term Home Depot employee was terminated after requesting Family and Medical Leave for epilepsy. The complaint says managers scrutinised his performance once he sought leave and later terminated him after referencing his medical condition during a store investigation. The case includes claims of FMLA retaliation and race discrimination as the lawsuit proceeds in U.S. federal court. Read more.

Key Takeaways:

  • Employee sought intermittent FMLA leave for epilepsy, later faced intensified discipline.

  • Termination occurred during claim of involvement in theft investigation.

  • Suit includes interference with FMLA protections and alleged race discrimination.

HR Toolkit

Resources

Oman’s first agentic AI platform for recruitment was introduced to support HR leaders with smart sourcing and candidate evaluation. The tool aims to improve efficiency in finding and matching talent while offering real-time insights that help reduce manual workload and accelerate hiring decisions. This development shows growing adoption of AI-driven functions in workforce management across the Middle East. Know more.

Events

The 2026 CHRO Summit by The Conference Board will take place on June 3 in Chicago, Illinois for Chief Human Resource Officers and equivalent titles. Sessions will cover strategic partnership with the C-Suite, AI adaptation, talent marketplace trends, leadership development, and wellbeing initiatives. The invitation-only event emphasizes deep peer discussions and will produce a consolidated insights report for participants.

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*Advertiser Disclaimer: This communication is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship