The Arc of Caring: Is Workplace Well-Being at a Crossroads?

By Dr. Sergey Gorbatov, SIOP Member, and Angela Lane

The workplace has undergone a profound transformation in how it expresses care for employees, an arc that has steadily risen over the past few decades. It’s not paternalistic care or benefits but an arc that has reflected a growing openness to caring for the individual—as a whole person, not just a worker or a “human resource.”

Consider the 1980s. It might be described as the antithesis of caring. Talent in that era, especially for those on a leadership path, was expected to make personal sacrifices in return for professional success. Long hours and personal trade-offs were necessary and virtuous. Success was often measured in hours worked and vacations missed.

Over time, things shifted. “The War for Talent” entered our awareness. A new vocabulary emerged. Terms like “work‒life balance” began to appear, not yet mainstream, but increasingly visible. In this early stage, balance meant something quite literal: a proportional distribution of time between work and the rest of life. Reasonableness was a virtue. And although this era predated much of the technology that now encroaches on our personal time, it set the stage for what was to follow.

The next evolution was the era of flexibility. It wasn’t just the time we worked but also when and how that time was utilized. Flextime, remote work, compressed schedules—these ideas moved from perks to policies. It is not just about respecting boundaries but enabling autonomy.

Then came what we might consider the era of wellness. Evident before the pandemic but undeniably amplified by it, caring moved beyond balance and flexibility to encompass total well-being—physical, emotional and mental. Mental health was no longer whispered about; it was featured in company policies. Concepts like a “mental health day” became acceptable and even encouraged. Whether driven by genuine enlightenment or enlightened self-interest, the workplace broadened its sense of care.

This evolution has been fueled—and complicated—by technology. But the very tools that enabled employers to grant greater flexibility have also blurred boundaries. The same platforms that support remote work intrude into our private time. This tension between enablement and encroachment is baked into the experience.

We find ourselves at another inflection point.

As 2024 drew to a close, employers, including prominent tech firms, began calling people back to the office in increasing numbers. The U.S. federal government rolled back hybrid options. Concurrently, concepts like belonging and inclusion, critical to well-being, got caught up in debates on diversity. With agents ready to replace workers, the talent scarcity that potentially supported the rise in care may be receding.

The other big change is, of course, AI. On the one hand, it revolutionizes how performance happens and redefines the employer‒employee relationship. A recent meta-analysis revealed that AI promises to democratize and facilitate mental health and well-being care in the workplace. The potential is for new technology to continue to enable more flexibility and autonomy.

And yet, the advent of AI also represents the single biggest challenge to the war for talent —employers gaining the upper hand. With predictions of potential job losses, the financial security that is prerequisite to well-being is undermined.

These shifts raise a critical question: Will the arc of caring continue, or have we reached an apex?

At a 2025 SIOP Annual Conference panel, we posed the question: Are we observing a change in how firms think about “caring”? And if so, is this a temporary moment in time or the beginning of a trend where we return to a more transactional era? The surprising finding? The opinion was split. Just over 50% predicted a continued emphasis on personalized, human-centered work cultures. But 46% believed we are entering a phase that might be thought of as a “correction,” where conditions will favor less emphasis on well-being over the next 3 years.

Tim Richmond, chair of the HR Policy Association Board and panelist at the conference session, concluded: “Smart, strategic companies will continue to emphasize high levels of workforce engagement. Now is the time to sustain—if not amplify—activities that build trust, foster engagement and prioritize the strength and quality of people leadership. Companies that stay focused and disciplined in applying proven principles will attract and retain more top talent—and ultimately perform better over time.”

So, we’re naming this the Era of Choice—employer choice. Organizations face a decision: to stay the course and potentially deepen their commitment to care or pivot toward a less holistic model, potentially more centered on a traditional understanding of the employer‒employee relationship.

The arc may continue to rise. Or it may bend.

Either way, the implications go well beyond the firm.

Editor’s Note: Angela Lane and Sergey Gorbatov, PhD, were invited to submit this article to share insights from their 2025 SIOP Annual Conference session “Reinventing the ‘Academy Company’: The Paradox of Leadership Development Today,” presented along with SIOP Fellow Rob Kaiser, Tim Richmond, and SIOP Member Michael Tuller. They work and write about the complex science of human performance while making it simple. Both are practicing senior executives in talent management, leveraging Fortune 500 experience and gained across four continents. Angela and Sergey equip leaders with practical tools for success. They are researchers, regular contributors to leading publications, and the authors of influential books: Fair Talk: Three Steps to Powerful Feedback and Move Up or Move On: 10 Secrets to Develop Your Career. They are also academic directors of the Strategic Talent Management program at Porto Business School.

The perspectives and conclusions expressed in this work are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of any organizations or institutions with which they may be associated.