More companies move away from work-life balance; Walmart offers new grocery perk for workers
Plus: Employees report that money stress impacts them at work.
It’s been another crazy week — let’s talk about some of the biggest stories and their implications for internal communicators.
- ‘We don’t believe in work-life balance,’ tech company tells workers
After a brief pivot toward greater work-life balance during the aftermath of the pandemic and the Great Resignation, we’re now seeing more companies take a hardline toward workers putting in long hours. The latest example is Cognition AI.
Scott Wu, the startup’s 29-year-old founder, recently told employees to work harder or leave.
“We don’t believe in work-life balance — building the future of software engineering is a mission we all care so deeply about that we couldn’t possibly separate the two,” Wu wrote in an email to employees, which was reviewed by The Information.
The email was sent three weeks after Cognition acquired coding company Windsurf. Thirty employees were laid off, and the rest were told to buckle in for six-day, 80-hour weeks. Those who aren’t up for it can get nine months’ severance pay.
“Cognition has an extreme performance culture, and we’re upfront about this in hiring so there are no surprises later,” Wu wrote in a post on X. “We routinely are at the office through the weekend and do some of our best work late into the night. Many of us literally live where we work. We know that people who joined Windsurf didn’t expect to join Cognition and while we’re proud of how we work, we understand it’s not for everyone.”
Wu said that employees of the acquired company were invited to join Cognition with their eyes open about their work culture.
“We know that we will lose some strong talent in doing this, but we truly believe the level of intensity this moment demands from us is unprecedented. While not everyone is looking for a culture like ours, everyone deserves respect and appreciation for their work.”
As Wu noted, not everyone can or would work in an environment like this. But being crystal clear about your company’s culture allows workers to make the best choices for themselves, their families and their goals. No one could read Wu’s email or his social post and be unclear about what is expected of them in this new environment, and the severance package is a generous way to soften the blow.
While this move toward hardcore working hours is prevalent in tech, we’re also seeing increasing demands in more traditional sectors. Look at AT&T’s memo explaining clearly what was expected of them: if you need hybrid or remote work, see yourself out.
While workers might not like these messages, they leave no ambiguity about expectations. And that’s always the right move in communications.
- Walmart listens to employees and expands grocery discount
Walmart has introduced a much-requested perk for its employees. Now, associates at its stores can get 10% off on most grocery items, the Wall Street Journal reports. There has long been a discount on some groceries, but it excluded staples like milk, pasta and frozen meat, except during the winter holidays. The change was announced by CEO John Furner and a Florida store manager at a meeting of managers, where the news was reportedly met with a standing ovation.
“All I can think is about my associates back home,” the manager said, noting that many store associates rely on “associate pantries,” or snacks available in the breakroom, for their next meal.
Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris said the expansion was one of their most-requested benefits. It’s a move intended to better retain workers. Walmart’s in-store benefit lagged behind other competitors, such as Target, which offered 20% off on a limited selection of items and 10% off on most other goods.
The method of the announcement, involving the CEO, a front-line manager and the chief people officer, shows how important this news is to the company and its employees. Each touch point notes that this is a responsive benefit adjustment intended to help combat food insecurity amid rising prices across the supermarket. Not only does the benefit help, but the style of communications makes employees feel seen and heard, which can be nearly as valuable as a discount.
- 75% of employers say benefits are underused
On a related topic, many employees bring financial stress into the workplace, causing declines in productivity, according to a new survey from The Hartford. Fifty-nine percent of surveyed workers said that financial stress impacts them at work. But even as employees are feeling the pinch, three-quarters of employers surveyed said their benefits offered were underused. This comes even as more than half of employers plan to add new benefits in 2026, according to the survey. Communicators have a huge role to play here. Partnering with HR to ensure workers know what options are available to them is huge. Think beyond another email blast — are there training sessions, digital signage or briefs during town halls that can help workers better understand what the company is offering? Get creative and help relieve some of that worker stress.
- How about some good news?
- YouTubers MrBeast and Mark Rober have teamed up to raise $40 million to bring clean drinking water to 2 million people.
- A beloved family dog was reunited with his family after six years — microchip your pets, y’all!
- The James Webb Space Telescope may have located a planet in the galaxy right next door to ours. New neighbors!
- Ragan Trainingis great for communications pros to find inspiration and resources.
- You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!
Have a great weekend!
Allison Carter is editorial director of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow her on LinkedIn.
