How can employers address AI anxiety in the workplace?

“Employees aren’t just watching AI reshape work, they’re feeling it, living it, and questioning how they’ll fit in the future,” said Jill Havely, global employee experience leader at WTW.

“Organisations that intentionally design an employee experience to address this anxiety can replace uncertainty with confidence and help people see a future where they still matter.”

What needs to change

The findings come from WTW’s 2026 Employee Experience Global Market Study, conducted in April, which surveyed close to 550 employers across industries including manufacturing, financial services, and IT and telecommunications, representing 5.6 million employees worldwide.

The research points to a widening gap between the speed of technological change and workforce readiness.

While 59% of employers expect AI to fundamentally change how employee experience is messaged, managed, and delivered within the next three years, rising to 89% over the next decade, many organisations remain ill-equipped to support their people through the transition.