Power shift | C-Suite pressure rising as employee power wanes

If 2021 was the year of worker empowerment, 2025 is shaping up to be the polar opposite.

With continued calls for a return to office being met with resistance from workers who see no reason to return other than to prop up the value of commercial real estate, CEOs are no longer in the mood for negotiation, preferring instead to lose those that are unwilling to buy in to their new office-based vision.

The rhetoric from the C-suite is growing bolder, and more hostile. With economic uncertainty driving leadership priorities, top executives are asking more from smaller teams, and making no apologies for it.

Forget the carefully worded memos and morale-boosting town halls. Today's message is increasingly blunt - work harder, stop complaining, and be thankful that you still have a job.