CTRL+WORK
The weekly standup
Everything you need to know before you have to microwave your coffee (for the first time).
- 🤖 The AI talent war is heating up.
- 💸 What if the first $100K was tax-free?
- ⚽ HR may need a game plan for both the World Cup and GTA VI.
The office chatter ☕
What everyone’s pretending not to read during meetings.
🤖 AI talent is the new corner office
While most companies are still figuring out how to use AI, the biggest players are fighting over the people building it. This week, one of Google’s top AI researchers reportedly left for a rival lab, the latest move in an increasingly competitive race for AI talent.
Source: Yahoo Finance
⚽ The World Cup is becoming a workforce planning issue.
A new study estimates the tournament could cost employers $17 billion in lost productivity as workers take time off, adjust schedules and sneak in a few midday matches. Somewhere, an HR manager is suddenly becoming very interested in soccer.
Source: HR Executive
The breakroom bulletin 📌
What’s hot, what’s not and what’s all for show.
Getting Promoted
🤒 Absenteeism planning
Grand Theft Auto VI hits stores this November. Companies are asking employees to book the day off, rather than deal with an outbreak of “GTA flu.”
Source: Games Radar
🔀 Don’t just hire talent. Reposition it.
The Blue Jays are exploring a role change for Vladdy. Before posting a new job, ask whether the talent you’re after is already on the roster.
Source: Yahoo Sports
On a PIP
😞 Canadian SMB confidence
Small business optimism remains below the 50-point index mark for a second consecutive month. Nobody’s panicking, but nobody’s popping champagne either.
Source: Retail Insider
💸 Cash rebates aren’t fixing the problem.
The Alberta government is sending electricity rebates to businesses. Turns out what SMBs really want is lower costs: not coupons.
Source: CFIB
Corporate Theatre
⚽ HR saves soccer fan’s job
A manager wanted to fire an employee for watching a World Cup match during work. HR had other plans.
Source: Economic Times
👾 Your next candidate might not exist.
Employment scams are on the rise, with fraudsters using fake AI-generated profiles to trick employers. Deepfake candidates have now entered the chat.
Source: HR Reporter
Ideas worth stealing
🤑 AI is getting cheaper. That’s your cue.
A price war is brewing between OpenAI and its rivals. The cost of experimenting with AI tools just got less exclusive and more accessible.
Source: Entrepreneur
🧑💻 Hire for skills, not keywords.
As skills-based hiring climbs, the best candidate won’t always be the one with the most impressive résumé.
Source: Lever
The Thing I Can’t Stop Thinking About 🧠
What if Canada made the first $100,000 tax-free?
📖 The story
Build Canada published a proposal this week that would exempt the first $100,000 of income from federal tax. The goal is to make work, entrepreneurship and investment more rewarding by allowing Canadians to keep more of what they earn. Whether the proposal gains traction remains to be seen.
📶 The signal
The reaction has been more interesting than the policy itself. The proposal touched a nerve because it taps into a sentiment that’s becoming increasingly common across the country: people are working hard, but many feel like they’re standing still.
🛫 The takeaway
The proposal may never become a reality. But it has succeeded in putting a bigger question on the table: Does Canada do enough to reward ambition, effort and growth? The answer matters a lot more than any individual tax policy.
Smart people saying smart things 💬
One post, tweet or take that’s making people in the world of work stop scrolling.
@alliekmiller
My music at work 🎵
One song helping us survive another week of impromptu Slack huddles.
The last thing before we jump 🦘
This week, we learned that companies are fighting over AI talent, planning around soccer matches and preparing for GTA VI absenteeism. Maybe the future of work isn’t getting weirder. Maybe we’re finally paying attention.
