Employees could also be hoping that AI can lastly take over their drudge work within the new yr—ease their hundreds and shorten the workweek, or at the least make extra space for all times exterior the workplace.
And it’s one thing younger individuals particularly are desperate to have: 74% of Gen Z rank work-life stability as a high consideration when selecting a job in 2025—the best of any era—in accordance with Randstad. And within the greater than 20 years of manufacturing its Workmonitor report, it’s the primary time work-life stability outranked pay as the highest issue for all staff.
However as AI has reshaped company constructions and enhanced productiveness ranges, many govt leaders are working tougher than ever—and anticipating everybody else to observe.
From pushing return to workplace mandates to praising around-the-clock availability, CEOs are modeling a tradition the place the traces between work and life blur. Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang, for instance, mentioned he labored seven days per week this yr—together with holidays. Zoom’s CEO Eric Yuan conceded merely: “work is life.”
And looking out towards 2026, it’s unclear whether or not desires of work-life stability will come true.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
Because the chief of the world’s Most worthy firm, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has so much on his thoughts. Rest, nevertheless, doesn’t seem like a part of the plan.
His work schedule is nothing wanting rigorous—beginginng from from the second he wakes up till he’s again on the pillow—seven days per week, together with holidays. It’s a grind fueled not solely by the depth of the AI race, however by a lingering worry of what occurs if he ever lets up.
“ the phrase ’30 days from going out of enterprise,’ I’ve used for 33 years,” Huang mentioned on an episode of The Joe Rogan Expertise launched in December. “However the feeling doesn’t change. The sense of vulnerability, the sense of uncertainty, the sense of insecurity—it doesn’t go away you.”
That mindset extends past Huang himself. His two kids, who each work at Nvidia, observe in his footsteps and work each day for the semiconductor large. For the Huang household, work isn’t only a job—it’s a lifestyle.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan
Video communications large Zoom has had one of many largest oblique impacts on the work-life stability debate, thanks to creating it attainable for staff to go browsing from the consolation of a mattress, seaside, or anyplace in between.
Nonetheless, the journey to scaling the corporate to over $25 billion in market capital has revealed to Zoom CEO Eric Yuan that work-life stability is a farce.
“I inform our staff, ‘Guys, you understand, there’s no option to stability. Work is life, life is figure,’” Yuan mentioned in an interview with the Grit podcast over the summer season.
Yuan even admitted that he doesn’t have hobbies, with all the pieces he does devoted to “household and Zoom.” Nonetheless, when there’s a conflict and he has to decide on between the 2, the 55-year-old offers life some slack: “At any time when there’s a battle, guess what? Household first. That’s it.”
TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett
Thasunda Brown Duckett, the CEO of economic providers firm TIAA, has lengthy not been a fan of the time period “work-life stability”—usually calling it an outright “lie”—and this yr was no exception.
On a Mom’s Day social media submit this previous spring, Duckett doubled down on the evaluation as soon as extra.
“Let’s drop the work-life stability charade,” she wrote. “The reality? Stability suggests good—and that’s a lure.”
“As an alternative, consider your life like a diversified portfolio. You solely have 100% to offer, and lots of locations to allocate. So give with intention. If motherhood offers 30% as we speak, make it a robust, current 30%,” she added.
For Duckett, having a continuing analysis of how a lot time to dedicate to all the pieces needing consideration in her life is what true a wholesome relationship between work and life seems like.
“Some days you received’t really feel like the very best mother, chief, associate, or good friend. However over time, whenever you lead with goal—you’re greater than sufficient.”
Palantir CEO Alex Karp
This yr has been a breakout yr for Palantir, with its inventory worth up some 140%.
For younger individuals seeking to get their careers off the bottom, CEO Alex Karp despatched a phrase of warning this yr: skip out on a few of life’s superfluous issues if you would like a shot at success.
“I’ve by no means met somebody actually profitable who had an awesome social life at 20,” Karp mentioned on the Financial Membership of Chicago in Might.
“If that’s what you need, that’s what you need, that’s nice, however you’re not going to achieve success and don’t blame anybody else.”
Whereas Karp’s feedback may sting for Gen Z—particularly since they’re the era who place essentially the most worth on work-life stability, Karp believes that for those who put within the time whenever you’re younger, it’ll all be value it whenever you’re older and have a extra comfortable job.
“Most individuals have one thing they’re proficient at and revel in. Concentrate on that. Manage your complete life round that,” Karp added. “Don’t fear a lot in regards to the cash—that seems like hypocrisy now, however I by no means actually did—and keep off the meth and also you’ll do very effectively.”
Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos could now not run Amazon daily, however he stays deeply concerned as board chair—whereas additionally rising Blue Origin and backing new AI ventures.
Like a number of of his friends, Bezos has lengthy taken situation with the concept of stability itself.
“I don’t love the phrase ‘stability’ as a result of it implies a tradeoff,” Bezos mentioned at Italian Tech Week in October. “I’ve usually had individuals ask me, ‘How do you take care of work-life stability?’ And I’ll say ‘I like work-life concord as a result of for those who’re blissful at residence, you’ll be higher at work. In case you’re higher at work, you’ll be higher at residence.’ These items go collectively. It’s not a strict tradeoff.”
It’s not the primary time Bezos has expressed his grievances with the idea of work-life stability. In 2018, Bezos known as it a “debilitating phrase” as a result of it implied that one has to offer, to ensure that the opposite to thrive. As an alternative, he likes to make use of the phrase “concord” and likened the idea to a “circle.”
Jamie Dimon has been one in every of Wall Avenue’s most outspoken champions of full-time, in-office work. Early this yr, he known as most of JPMorgan’s 300,000 workers again in-person and capped the push by opening the financial institution’s new $3 billion Manhattan headquarters.
But at the same time as Dimon has taken a tough line on the place work will get carried out, he has lengthy argued that sustaining stability is finally a person accountability—not a company one.
“It’s your job to deal with your thoughts, your physique, your spirit, your soul, your pals, your loved ones, your well being. Your job, it’s not our job,” he mentioned in a clip initially from 2024 that resurfaced this yr.
