GoKawiil
Tech News
Years of remote work loosened office dress norms, and as companies enforce return-to-office policies, employees at all levels—including executives—report uncertainty about appropriate workplace attire. Many organizations pushed workers back to physical offices without updating or clarifying dress expectations.
A TikTok-popularized tradition called Dips-Giving, modeled on Friendsgiving but centered around dips instead of a full meal, is spreading into workplace holiday celebrations. Employees are reportedly choosing this casual format over traditional office potlucks featuring finger foods, sweets, and pizza.
A workforce analysis highlights that while U.S. veterans have a lower unemployment rate than nonveterans—3.5% versus 4.2% in 2025—many employers still lack systems to fully recognize veterans' skills. The piece argues that beyond symbolic recognition during November, companies should actively consult veterans to improve hiring, retention, and job quality practices.
A new commentary argues that while AI adoption inside companies is accelerating, individual employees experimenting with AI tools has not translated into broader workplace transformation. It calls on organizations to identify what works for individuals and scale those successes across teams rather than leaving gains isolated.
A workplace guidance piece outlines a strategy for employees to ensure managers remember approved paid time off, recommending that requests be repeated across multiple communication channels rather than mentioned once. It suggests submitting PTO requests four to six weeks ahead for typical cases, and up to six months ahead for costly, non-movable events like weddings, while always logging the request in a company time-off system.
A workplace analytics firm, ActivTrak, examined anonymized activity data from over 9,100 white-collar employees across 450-plus companies between April and September. It found non-AI users averaged 7.6-hour active workdays, while heavy AI users logged between 8.4 and 9.1 hours, alongside more frequent work interruptions.
The Washington Post reports that some employers now require staff to use a set number of AI tokens or log time on AI platforms. Stanford's Arvind Karunakaran says such mandates can boost productivity briefly but lead employees to feel devalued and disengaged over time, often resulting in token usage without real value creation.
After pushing employees to adopt AI tools, several executives are now reporting problems with low-quality, AI-generated 'workslop' flooding internal communications. One tech recruiting CEO banned AI-written Slack messages, and another executive reportedly threatened to fire staff who sent unedited ChatGPT output. Separately, a study published in The Leadership Quarterly found employees who used AI tools were trusted less by supervisors, even at companies that encourage AI adoption.
A company leader recounts abandoning years of resistance to remote work, deciding to adopt a remote-first model for their organization. The decision followed observations, including Silicon Valley traffic patterns, that convinced the leader that traditional office-centric work no longer matches how work actually happens today.
A contributor column on Entrepreneur argues that as AI tools become widely available to all companies, the competitive advantage of simply 'using AI' is disappearing. The author contends that physical workplace design—how spaces support human focus, conversation and collaboration—will become the next differentiator for businesses pairing AI with human teams.
A New York Fed survey of 1,835 college-educated workers found that 48.8% had no in-person meetings with colleagues on their most recent day in the office, despite return-to-office mandates. Researchers Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington say many employees commute in only to spend the day on Zoom calls and Slack messages rather than collaborating face-to-face.
An Entrepreneur contributor argues that sending a sincere thank-you message within 24 hours of receiving a gift, favor or career opportunity can meaningfully impact one's professional reputation. The piece, drawn from the author's experience as a business owner, cites examples such as employees sending personalized follow-ups after attending gifted events like concerts or sports games. It recommends including specific details about the experience to convey genuine appreciation and strong communication skills.