Asger Risom
As America becomes the testing ground for a tougher global workplace, it’s worth asking ourselves where we want to end up.
The shift now reshaping offices and careers is not confined to the United States. But experts say what is happening inside American companies may be an early warning of changes likely to spread far beyond its borders.
A global signal
Workplaces around the world are under pressure from slower hiring, rising costs and rapid advances in artificial intelligence. In the US, those forces are colliding more visibly and more quickly than elsewhere.
Business Insider reports that American employers are already resetting expectations, with fewer perks, tougher performance demands and less tolerance for underperformance. Analysts say the scale of the US economy makes it a frontline case for how global work culture may evolve.
Perks pulled back
T. Tara Turk-Haynes, a Los Angeles-based HR consultant, said the atmosphere has changed dramatically since the pandemic years.
“Wellness perks are no longer ‘a thing’,” she said, adding that companies no longer see attracting and retaining talent as a pressing challenge.
Similar pullbacks are being discussed in Europe and parts of Asia, but US firms have moved fastest to dismantle the softer benefits that defined the post-Covid labour market.
Power swings
Workplace consultants say the balance has tilted back toward employers after the “Great Resignation” briefly gave workers leverage.
“When COVID happened, there was a shift in power from employers to employees,” said Jessica Kriegel of Culture Partners. “The pendulum swung really far. Now it’s swinging back.”
In the US, that swing is being reinforced by shareholder pressure and a business culture that prioritises output over tenure or loyalty.
Performance first
Several large US companies have formalised the shift. Business Insider reported that Meta has rolled out performance systems tied tightly to measurable impact, while Citi CEO Jane Fraser told staff she expects old habits to disappear.
AT&T has also moved away from a tenure-based employment model, focusing instead on “capability, contribution, and commitment”. Experts say similar language is beginning to appear in corporate strategies overseas.
AI as accelerant
Artificial intelligence is intensifying the reset. Some employers now expect staff to justify why tasks cannot be automated before asking for more resources.
Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke wrote last year: “Before asking for more headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI.”
Researchers say US firms, with greater access to capital and technology, are deploying AI faster, amplifying the impact on jobs.
Unease spreads
Despite a relatively healthy US economy, hiring has slowed and pay rises are struggling to keep up with inflation. Business Insider reports that many workers are staying put, fearing fewer opportunities elsewhere.
Professor Peter Cappelli of the University of Pennsylvania said the contrast is striking. “The stock market’s doing well, record-setting, and yet companies are squeezing their employees,” he said.
Similar anxieties are emerging in other advanced economies, though often less starkly.
What comes next
Economists argue the current standoff will not last forever. Hiring remains strong in sectors such as healthcare, and demand is rising for workers with AI skills.
Laura Ullrich of Indeed said: “This low-hire, low-fire environment cannot last forever.”
For now, however, the US appears to be the clearest example of a tougher employment era taking shape — one that may soon confront workers well beyond American offices.
Sources: Business Insider
