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Americans’ mental health is suffering and it’s not just due to stressful news feeds or not getting enough steps in. Toxic work environments are playing a large role in an epidemic of worsening mental health. According to Monster’s newly released 2025 Mental Health in the Workplace survey of 1,100 workers, 80% of respondents described their workplace environment as toxic. The alarming statistic is an increase from 67% just a year ago. The challenging environment has major implications. An astonishing 71% of workers say their mental health is poor (40%) or fair (31%), while only 29% rank it positively: 20% said it was good and 9% described it as great. Workers say that a toxic workplace culture is the top cause of their poor mental health (59%), followed closely by having a bad manager (54%). Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster, says that toxic work environments can lead to more than burnout. Stressful and toxic work environments arent just bad for businesstheyre dangerous for employee health, Salemi explained in a press release. Our findings show workers are reaching a breaking point, prioritizing their mental well-being even over promotions or raises. Employers cited some ways that their employers can support their mental health. Half of workers who feel supported say theyre allowed time off for doctor/therapy appointments; 29% say they feel supported by having a generous amount of paid time off and 23% say that policies specific to mental health are important ways to show support. Mental health is incredibly important to employees. The majority (63%) care more about it than having a “brag-worthy” job. Likewise, many would pass on a promotion (43%) or opt out of a raise (33%) if it was better for their mental health. However, most workplaces are not meeting workers’ standards when it comes to properly supporting employee mental health. Regardless of the fact that workers seem to be feeling strained, most of them don’t feel their employer is responding to workers’ mental health needs. The vast majority (93%) say their employer isn’t focused on supporting employee mental healtha statistic that rose drastically since just a year ago, with 78% claiming the same. While not every worker struggling with their mental health is able to throw in the towel. That’s especially true in the era of “job hugging.” But that doesn’t change the fact that many would like to. According to the survey, more than half of workers (57%) say they’d rather quit their job than continue working in an environment they feel is toxic and overall, causing major strains to their mental wellbeing.
Category:
E-Commerce
Agentic AI is redrawing the boundaries of value creation in corporate America. Gartner projects that by 2028, 33% of enterprise software applications will incorporate agentic AI, and at least 15% of daily business decisions will be made autonomously by AI agents. The AI race isnt about building the most sophisticated algorithms, its about whether employees actually adopt these digital collaborators and use them to expose inefficiencies long hidden in plain sight. Yet many business leaders are still grappling with how to integrate agentic AI seamlessly into existing operations, and deliver meaningful results. A recent MIT Nanda report found that 95% of AI pilots fail. The core barrier? The learning gap, a disconnect between what the tools can do, and how organizations leverage them. The same report noted that buying AI solutions from specialized vendors succeeds around 67% of the time, while in-house builds succeed only a third as often. RETHINK WORK AT THE ATOMIC LEVEL Agentic AI isnt just another automation tool, its a new way of automating. Its true potential lies in reimagining work at its most granular level: breaking down complex processes into smaller, modular components that can be quickly reconfigured for maximum flexibility and impact by LLM-driven systems and reasoning. Consider the music industrys digital transformation. When the world shifted from CDs to digital downloads, record labels no longer had to sell entire albums to move a single hit. Tracks could be released individually, targeting specific audiences, and responding instantly to demand. Agentic AI lets work evolve the same way. Instead of forcing employees through rigid, linear processes, AI agents can identify whats needed in each moment, suggest next steps, and help people move forward while still ensuring all compliance requirements and approvals. Every step becomes a point of value creation, not just a box to check. Now, the energy once lost to bureaucracy gets redirected toward more meaningful progress that drives improved business outcomes. EXPOSE HIDDEN INEFFICIENCIES One of agentic AIs most powerful capabilities is surfacing inefficiencies that go unnoticed under legacy systems. When workflows become more visibleand dramatically fasterflaws built up over years are suddenly impossible to ignore. At one large industrial company, a frontline employee needed to order a $50 backpack from a trusted supplier. On paper, the process looked fine, a simple purchase order flowing through the required workflows. But when an agentic AI was implemented, the reality was clear: The request required seven separate approvals, each one adding delay. The AI didnt just move through the workflows faster; it turned the entire process into a conversation, exposing how much unnecessary friction had crept in over time. That visibility sparked an important discussion: Did they really need so many layers of sign-off for such a routine expense? The technology made the inefficiency undeniable, but it took a cultural and compliance shift within the company to actually eliminate the redundancy. By combining automation with organizational will, the company not only streamlined purchases but also gained insight into how work actually gets done, building momentum for broader changes regarding outdated processes. FROM RIGID TO RESPONSIVE Traditional enterprise software enforces strict compliance: every field filled, every form completed, every step followed in order. But work in the real world is rarely so tidy. Employees operate with partial information and constantly adapt to shifting priorities. Agentic AI changes the equation. It adapts to how people work, not the other way around. AI agents capture whats available, ask follow-up questions later, and complete tasks dynamically as information emerges. The most advanced agentic deployments go further. When a major movie studios engineering team noticed unexplained server spikes, their ambient AI scanned logs, release schedules, and forums, revealing leaked content driving traffic from torrent sites. It flagged the issue and suggested scaling options, while the agentic AI spun up extra servers and alerted the security team, immediately turning insight into action. These breakthroughs only matter if people actually use the tools. Thats where most enterprises stumble. THE REALITY OF RESISTANCE Many organizations are already overwhelmed by digital complexity. Employees face fragmented workflows, siloed teams, and outdated systems. Agentic AI wont erase this complexity overnight, and adoption will be uneven. Thats why successful implementations dont force new processes or best practices. Instead, agentic systems leverage how work already happens, and makes it easier. Agentic AI wont debate how you onboard vendors or process reimbursements, they just help get it done faster and with less friction. This builds trust. When employees see AI agents handling tasks they already do like finding files, filling out forms, or submitting requests theyre more likely to engage. And the best agentic systems dont just wait for instructions; they reach out proactively, helping people stay one step ahead. The more useful and interactive the assistant, the faster adoption spreads. CAREER IMPLICATIONS Working with AI is fast becoming a core career skill. Employees who learn to collaborate with AI agents by asking smart questions, interpreting insights, and applying them to real-world challenges will be better prepared as roles evolve. This isnt about replacing humans, but amplifying their capabilities. Those who master conversational AI, navigate multiple systems, and use AI to manage complexity will accomplish what once took entire teams. That fluency will set top performers apart. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR TOMORROW PwCs Value in motion report predicts AI adoption could boost global GDP by up to 15% by 2035, an impact on par with the industrial revolution. But realizing that future requires responsible deployment, clear governance, and a culture of trust. The workplace of the future will be built on collaboration between people and AI. Companies that get this right will break down silos, eliminate waste, and empower employees to focus on what matters most. The technology is ready; the real challenge is building cultures that value transparency over complexity and see AI agents as essential partners, not threats. Agentic AI wins when people use it because it makes their jobs easier, shines a light on hidden inefficiencies, and unlocks new ways of working that were once out of reach. Bhavin Shah is founder and CEO of Movework.
Category:
E-Commerce
I grew up in the Netherlands, so I know the upsides of living in Europe. I also know how hard it is to build a company here. The rules change across borders, funding is limited, and things move slower than they should. When we started Remote, we knew we had to think globally but also anchor in the U.S. Its the biggest tech market, and succeeding there gives you the best chance to scale everywhere else. That choice wasnt unique to us. More and more European founders are making the same call.Whats changed is the timing of the move. Expanding to the U.S. used to happen once companies were well-established in Europe. Now theyre showing up earlier and moving faster. Index Ventures found that 64% of startups expand to the U.S. at preseed or seed stage now, an increase from the 2015-2019 rate of 33%. WHY IT MATTERS This shift matters for American businesses. European startups are arriving with funding and moving in as both competitors and potential partners. That changes how U.S. companies compete for capital, customers, and talent. Spotify did this early. They started in Sweden in 2006 and quickly expanded into the U.S. They opened offices, built partnerships, and kept much of their engineering base in Europe. U.S. investment anchored them in the American market. It gave them credibility with local customers, visibility with partners, and the resources to scale fast. By the time they raised their $1 billion Series F, led by a U.S. VC, they were ready to take on Apple. Today, they lead the streaming market. So why is this happening now? On paper, Europe is a huge market. In reality, its fragmented. Tax, labor, and compliance rules differ from one country to the next. Expanding from France into Germany can be as complex as expanding from Europe into Asia. Late-stage capital is harder to find, which slows growth, and enterprise customers are slower to move on smaller deals. Thats why European startups are looking to the U.S. earlier. American buyers move faster, spend more, and make decisions quickly. The U.S. is still the market that signals credibility, and winning there carries weight abroad. Enterprise buyers in other regions often want proof a product works there before they commit. These moves benefit more than just the startups. They raise the bar for everyone by pushing U.S. companies to get leaner, scale faster, and think globally. 4 TAKEAWAYS So what should U.S. founders take away from all this? 1. Dont slow down European founders are showing up with clear goals and aggressive timelines. If youre in a crowded market, theyll be chasing the same deals, talent, and capital. Use that pressure to improve your product and move faster. 2. Build with discipline European founders often scale with fewer resources and smaller teams. They build distributed companies early, with strong culture and tight alignment. Instead of debating office models, they figure out how to work across borders and time zones. That discipline can give U.S. companies an edge on speed and cost. 3. Think global from day one European startups dont have a big home market. They build for multiple markets early, which means products that work across languages, currencies, and regulations. U.S. companies that do the same are better positioned to scale fast and win abroad. 4. Work with them, not against them Working with these companies can give you access to new markets, talent, and expertise. Investors who back them get exposure to broader networks and operating models. Treat partnership as a growth strategy. My advice to American founders: Dont ignore this wave. The best European startups are already here. Competing with them or working alongside them will make your company better. Dont see it as a threat. Learn from it. Job van der Voort is CEO and cofounder of Remote.
Category:
E-Commerce
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