Latest news with #BetterUp
National Post
2 days ago
- Business
- National Post
WSIB Workers Mark Two Weeks on Strike as Ford Government Turns a Blind Eye to Dangerous Workloads and U.S. Outsourcing
Article content TORONTO — 3,600 members of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750), who support more than 5.6 million workers across Ontario, are now entering their second week on strike—the first full-scale work stoppage in the WSIB's 110-year history. Article content The strike stems from dangerously high workloads, chronic understaffing, stagnant wages, and a toxic workplace culture—conditions that have created growing backlogs for injured Ontarians. Adding fuel to the fire, the Ford government has allowed WSIB to outsource critical Ontario jobs to U.S.-based companies, undermining public services and costing local jobs. Article content 'Our members are passionate about helping injured workers—but they are workers too,' said Harry Goslin, President of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'The Ford government and WSIB management are refusing to fix the growing crisis inside the system. Instead, they're sending Ontario jobs and public dollars to American companies. That's not cost-saving—it's job-killing. And it flies in the face of Ontario's own Made-in-Canada promises.' Article content WSIB staff have been locked out of their work systems, harassed for participating in legal strike action, and targeted by private investigators hired by management to monitor picket lines. Meanwhile, WSIB has spent $14.5 million on U.S.-based coaching firm BetterUp, and is finalizing a contract with American company Iron Mountain that will eliminate 26 Ontario jobs tied to vital document management. Article content 'Instead of coming to the table with real solutions, the employer is stalling negotiations and using intimidation tactics, while Ontario's injured workers face longer wait times and growing backlogs,' said Goslin. ' This strike was avoidable. We remain ready to negotiate, but management must stop the intimidation, end the outsourcing, and bring forward a fair deal.' Article content WSIB is solely funded by Ontario employers—not taxpayers. In the past year, the Board handed out $4 billion in rebates to employers but refuses to invest a fraction of that in addressing staff workloads, fair wages or improving the services available to injured workers. Article content The outsourcing of public sector jobs and the failure to address core issues at WSIB set a troubling precedent for Ontario's broader public services. Article content 'All workers deserve fair pay, safe workplaces, and respect,' Goslin said. 'This strike can end tomorrow if WSIB and the Ford government come to the table with a real deal. It's time to stop the delay tactics, end the intimidation, and invest in the people who keep Ontario's public services running.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information, please contact: Article content Article content Bill Chalupiak Article content Article content Article content
CNA
29-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Zscaler names Kevin Rubin as CFO, raises annual forecast
Zscaler named Kevin Rubin as its chief financial officer and raised its annual results forecast on Thursday, as businesses spend more on cybersecurity networking solutions to combat sophisticated online threats. The cloud security firm's shares rose nearly 5 per cent in extended trading. Rubin, who was the finance chief of mental health startup BetterUp before joining Zscaler, will replace Remo Canessa, who retired in December. With the widespread adoption of generative AI, enterprises face increased data loss risks, underscoring the critical need for robust data protection. Enterprises continue to spend on digital protection services, ramping up sales for companies such as Zscaler, which offers data protection and AI-powered security products. Zscaler now sees fiscal 2025 revenue between $2.659 billion and $2.661 billion, up from its prior projection of $2.640 billion to $2.654 billion. Analysts expect $2.649 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. On an adjusted basis, Zscaler expects annual earnings between $3.18 and $3.19 per share, from its earlier forecast of $3.04 to $3.09 apiece. For the third quarter, ended April 30, Zscaler posted revenue of $678 million, beating analysts' average estimate of $666.4 million. It reported adjusted per-share earnings of 84 cents for the quarter, ahead of analysts' estimate of 75 cents per share.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why executives need to redefine what ‘hustle culture' means for their employees
Good morning! Hustle culture has long defined the American economy, with the general idea being that grinding hard and long enough will eventually lead to success. But a new generation of workers is out to undo that long-held belief and put a focus back on mental health and wellbeing, and it's changing how leaders invest in their people and motivate them to do high-quality work. 'I think high performance and sustained high performance and that leading to business outcomes have never gone away,' said Jolen Anderson, chief people and community officer at BetterUp, a management development platform, during the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit on Tuesday. 'However, we often lack the metrics to demonstrate what exactly is going to lead to outcomes, and as a result, that's been replaced with this idea that face time, that just showing up, and spending more time in the office is going to lead to better outcomes when, in fact, it's exactly the opposite.' Put simply, people don't need to work harder, they need to work smarter and it's leading to a massive decline in performance across organizations. To overcome this, she said, leaders need to go back to what fuels performance: agency, optimism, motivation, and a focus on ensuring employees have the resources available to bring their best selves to work. 'When we focus on wellness and mental health and building resilience, there's a direct tie to whether or not people are driving the right outcomes in the organization.' Cesar Carvalho, CEO of Wellhub, a corporate wellness platform agreed, and took it a step further. Carvalho said bosses need to genuinely care about not just the work, but the person behind the work. 'We focus too much on individuals at work and at the workplace, and we forget about all the other hours that are not related to work. If you're not sleeping well, if you're not exercising, if you're not eating well, it will have huge consequences on the way you perform at work. And we can't forget that part.' And while most large Fortune 500 companies have some kind of wellness programs, what matters more is whether or not workers are taking advantage of them. Carvalho said that too often, benefits like these are implemented only for the company to find out a year down the line that less than 5% of folks are actually taking advantage of them, which is a waste of money. To get participation, Anderson says it starts with offering flexible benefits tailored to real problems employees are facing outside of work, such as help paying off student loans, having a child, or planning for retirement. 'With today's technology, there's so much opportunity to design personal solutions, things that feel custom and give people agency around their experience.' Brit This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
13 Signs Your Parents Undermined Your Confidence And Personality
Confidence isn't something we're born with—it's shaped by how we're seen, supported, and spoken to in our most formative years. And when that early environment is full of criticism, conditional love, or emotional neglect, it quietly chips away at our sense of self. The damage isn't always obvious—but it lives in the way we speak, relate, and doubt ourselves. If you often second-guess your gut, play small in relationships, or struggle to feel 'enough' without overperforming, it's worth looking at how you were parented. Because sometimes, the person holding us back the most… was the one who raised us. These subtle signs may reveal the ways your parents unintentionally (or not) made you question your worth. You walk into a room and immediately shrink—talk quieter, move slower, second-guess your presence. It's not humility; it's conditioning and means you're an over-apologizer according to Psychology Today. Somewhere along the way, you were made to feel like taking up space was selfish. This isn't a personality trait—it's survival. If your parents constantly corrected your tone, your energy, or your volume, you learned that confidence was dangerous. Now, visibility feels like a risk. You agonize over what to wear, what to say, what to choose—because you fear getting it 'wrong.' Not because you're indecisive, but because you were trained to doubt your own judgment. Every small mistake was treated like a character flaw. If your parents micromanaged your choices or rarely trusted your intuition, it rewired your ability to self-trust. Now, even minor decisions feel like potential failure. That's not personality—that's emotional programming. You show up as the helpful one, the funny one, the overachiever—because being 'yourself' never felt like enough. You learned that approval came through results, not presence as outlined in Psych Central. Resting felt lazy. Needing felt selfish. If your parents praised your output but ignored your emotional needs, you likely internalized the idea that love is transactional. Now, you hustle for affection instead of expecting it. That's not ambition—it's fear of being abandoned. You struggle to say what you want, ask for help, or admit when you're overwhelmed. You worry you'll be seen as needy, dramatic, or too much. So you stay silent, hoping people will guess. This behavior often starts in homes where emotions were minimized or shamed. If your needs were brushed off or weaponized, you learned to suppress them. But silence doesn't equal strength—it's often self-protection. You can read a room in seconds, adjust your behavior to avoid conflict, and sense when something's 'off.' This gives you an edge in some ways according to Better Up, but when it comes to your own feelings, you're blank. You weren't taught to check in with yourself—only to anticipate others. This often comes from growing up around emotional volatility or perfectionism. When parents are unpredictable, kids learn to over-function emotionally. You became a peacekeeper before you learned how to self-regulate. Setting boundaries triggers shame. You worry you'll hurt someone, disappoint them, or be seen as selfish. So you overextend, overcommit, and burn out trying to avoid conflict. This pattern is common in homes where compliance was praised and assertiveness was punished. If your 'no' was met with guilt trips or withdrawal, you learned to override your own limits. People-pleasing isn't kindness—it's a trauma response. You downplay compliments, deflect praise, or feel like an imposter in your own wins. Not because you're modest—but because confidence was never modeled as safe. Maybe you were told not to 'brag' or warned not to 'get a big head.' When pride was met with criticism, you learned to shrink your joy, this is a trait of imposter syndrome according to Verywell Mind. Now, owning your greatness feels like a risk instead of a right. That's not humility—it's inherited self-rejection. A single critique will replay in your mind for hours, while ten compliments barely register. You focus on where you fell short, not where you showed up. That's not high standards—it's emotional conditioning. If you grew up around constant correction, you learned to self-monitor. Your inner voice became an echo of their disapproval. Now, self-worth feels fragile because it was built on someone else's mood swings. Stillness feels suspicious. Peace feels temporary. You're always waiting for the other shoe to drop—even in happy moments. This comes from nervous systems shaped by unpredictability. If love was inconsistent or safety was conditional, you learned to brace for impact. Now, peace feels like a setup—because it never lasted when you were young. Your identity is wrapped up in roles: the achiever, the caretaker, the fixer. But when asked what you love, value, or dream about… you blank. That's not because you don't have depth—it's because no one ever asked. Parents who focused only on behavior—not inner life—raise adults who feel hollow beneath the productivity. You became what was rewarded. But who you are is not what you do. You cried, they rolled their eyes. You reacted, they said you were 'dramatic.' Eventually, you learned that emotional expression = weakness. But sensitivity is not a flaw—it's information. If your feelings were mocked, you buried them. Now, you struggle to validate your own pain, even when it's real. Strong personalities make you shrink, appease, or retreat entirely. It's instinct, not choice. Somewhere deep down, you believe speaking up will lead to punishment or rejection. This usually starts with power dynamics at home—where questioning authority felt dangerous. Now, you avoid conflict by disappearing inside it. Your silence isn't shyness—it's self-preservation. You've built a life, hit the milestones, done the work—but deep down, it still doesn't feel like enough. You're always chasing, comparing, striving. Not because you're ambitious—but because your self-worth has always been conditional. If love was tied to achievement, performance, or perfection, then rest feels unsafe. And receiving without earning feels foreign. Healing begins when you stop performing—and start remembering who you were before the self-doubt took over.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Everyone Is Talking About Human-Centric AI. What Do They Mean?
Human and robot hands forming a heart shape together. AI and human collaboration concept. Generative AI research is flowing in fast, with recent reports from BetterUp and others exploring the more human-centric side of AI. But 'human-centric' feels like the next big buzzword in the future of work space. Does it mean using AI to better understand the human condition? Is it to better help people learn and create to ease the time and cognitive load at work? Or is it the other way around — where AI is taking people's thoughts and input to create products? 'Both of those directions are part of what I think about when I say 'human-centric' AI,' says Andrew Reece, Chief AI Scientist of BetterUp. BetterUp offers personalized coaching and training for both individuals and organizations. 'I get the most joy out of thinking about people problems but then leveraging this incredible machine intelligence to watch the patterns that we don't always see ourselves to learn more about us,' says Reece. A unique application of this approach is how BetterUp used AI to better understand the hallmarks of a great conversation. 'When I started at BetterUp, there wasn't a requirement to tie our research back into the product, but we are doing so now. For example, you could say that what BetterUp has traditionally done is selling good conversations. When we realized that we didn't really know what makes for a good conversation, we had strangers meet up and have short conversations with each other about whatever topic they wanted. Once we had 1,000 hours or so of conversations, I built all the algorithms to start looking at the different things that you and I are doing right now in this conversation.' His point was that it's not just the words that we're saying that make up a conversation, but other non-verbal cues such as nodding and smiling, how voices align, the length of pauses, and so forth. AI can spot those nuances, catalog them, and feed them back to make a stronger product. 'This incredible pattern-matching kind of intelligence can come in and identify the magic sauce that's happening when two people are connecting. And then we've translated that into coaching space,' says Reece. This is a fantastic example of using AI to help us better understand fundamental human tendencies and translate them into a business product. Another great example of how to lean into the human-centric side of AI is with classic therapy. 'A lot of people find they get a little skittish about talking with people, but that they're actually able to be more vulnerable and more open when they're talking with their AI buddy,' says Reece. It's about attitude and mindset. 'We found that there are two very distinct camps of how people, especially employees, are using AI in this sort of modern LLM style. The pilots are the people who are using AI as a foil to become more creative and to think about the art of the possible. Pilots have more optimism at work, more self-efficacy, and a sense of agency. The passengers, on the other hand, are really using AI to figure out how to do less work,' says Reece. According to the research, 72% of the workforce identify as passengers. While doing less work is an acceptable goal, BetterUp's research found that, over time, passengers started abdicating their capacity for critical thinking. Over time, Reece predicts that employers will start looking for the pilot mindset and the skills of innovation, creativity, and originality that come with it. Reece then asks, 'Aren't those traits the last bastion of truly human capacity?' That's a big question, which leads to other big questions about what employers will do with the new capacity unlocked. 'What are we really doing with these tools? How do they become not just another way to absorb our time? With any new technology, there's this big wave and then suddenly it changes our culture. But we still get to be the arbiters of how it is that we want to be people,' says Reece. For example, the BetterUp report found that employees strongly prefer a human manager for motivation, feedback, and coaching on non-technical skills. That leaves AI to handle administrative managerial tasks. What are Reece's parting thoughts on human-centric AI? 'The message of AI is that it is casting a light on where AI isn't. Leaning more into our humanity is the only thing that's going to get us through these messy times.'
