It’s that time of year when we start thinking about what else we can accomplish in 2024 and what to expect for 2025. 

These days I’ve been thinking about four workplace changes we should anticipate in the coming months.

AI investments will continue.

The investment in AI is no longer just on the employer side of the equation. Last year, Goldman Sachs predicted up to 300 million job losses across the US and Europe due to advancing AI technology. While some of this may just be hype from technology companies rolling out new products, the US Department of Labor has given us their own predictions about AI and workers:

“…the introduction of AI-augmented work will create demand for workers to gain new skills and training to learn how to use AI in their day-to-day work. AI will also continue creating new jobs, including those focused on the development, deployment, and human oversight of AI.”

Action item: Regardless of your profession, always be scanning your work environment and your industry at large to keep your skills current. Subscribe to a magazine relevant to your career, read the news, stay on top of the latest tech of platforms used in your industry. Sometimes new training on emerging skills may have to be at your own expense. However, you should ask your boss if your company will reimburse you for training and make the case for the value it presents for your organization. If that doesn’t work, apply for scholarships for conferences and be open to investing in yourself. 

Tariffs could change workplaces in 2025.

Tariffs might sound like a good idea on the surface. However, companies are going to have to make changes if the tariffs touted by the new US government create unanticipated higher costs. Bloomberg illustrates just one example of how tariffs can impact not just a single company, but create a domino effect across an industry or a business sector leading to big fiscal losses. These losses can translate to layoffs. 

Action Item: Keep scanning your work environment for how tariffs could impact your company and have an impact on your specific job. Be curious about supply chains that feed your industry and where in those supply chains, tariffs, if applied, could impact your company’s bottom line.

More companies will squash remote work.

Amazon, Disney, X, JP Morgan and Starbucks, are just a few of the mega corporations that have recently announced deadlines by which employees need to return to offices and stop or reduce remote working. Of course, most of the reasons cited are related to productivity, collaboration or team member support. Some companies could also see it as a way to do some “quiet layoffs” knowing that some workers will be looking for remote options elsewhere, if they are mandated to return to offices. In some cases, it may not mean returning to full time in the office but instead taking on a hybrid schedule. For example, Zoom is requesting staff be in office but on a hybrid schedule. In the 2023 KPMG Global CEO Outlook report, 63% of CEOs predicted a full return to in-office by the end of 2026. Some companies are rolling out carrots to entice employees back to the office including adding higher performance ratings for those workers in office. 

Action Item: Watch your workplace for remote work changes in 2025. Always be ready to negotiate what you want or to launch a job search if you see changes in your current environment that won’t work for you.

Inclusion efforts will not go away completely. They can’t.

The business case for diversity and inclusion at work, is not a myth. Creating environments for all workers to do well and be themselves remains a good business strategy for smart organizations. A Gallup report shows that 51% of employees in the United States are not engaged and 16% are actively disengaged with their work. Although the reasons for disengagement vary widely, employees feeling less than included is a factor. Smart organizations and leaders get that and will not close that door on incorporating inclusion efforts. The cost of hiring, the cost of losing good employees and the competition for new clients and new ideas, will keep smart employers working on inclusion efforts.

Action item: Remember to seek environments that offer alignment between your personal Values, Interests, Skills and Abilities. Look for managers whose team members are productive and appear to enjoy working together. Ask questions in interviews and during feedback sessions and be clear about environments that make you do your best work.

Mental wellbeing among workers will take priority. 

Some of us are glad to put this year behind us. The proverbial die has been cast and we know there is a new lay of the land. The changes will impact our workplaces in known and unknown ways. Known micro aggressors may feel emboldened. Psychological fear in workplaces may spike. New regulations may become burdensome and others may go away. All this to say, some of us in the workforce development business are anticipating some worker anxiety. Well Hub already says that work stress has surpassed inflation and AI anxiety as major factors impacting worker wellness in 2024. 

Action Item: Please remember that your most important role in life is not that of a “worker” and that our value as humans goes beyond the workplace. Make self care a priority in the upcoming year. Self care helps us to build resilience and adapt to change. Seek helpful resources and know there is no shame in prioritizing what you need to be well with work.

Dr. Marcia F. Robinson, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is the CEO of The HBCU Career Center. She’s an award-winning HR and leadership expert with 25 years of experience in HR and Career Development Education. Known as Dr. R, she’s on a mission to make workplaces more inclusive and to help professionals find welcoming spaces that align with their V.I.S.A. (Values, Interests, Skills and Abilities).