Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
A growing share of the U.S. small business workforce believes HR should operate around the clock.
TriNet’s latest report shows that 66% of employers and 53% of employees think HR should be available 24/7 — a notable rise from 54% and 44% last year. Younger workers lead the demand: 62% of Gen Z employees say HR access shouldn’t stop outside business hours.
The intensity of this expectation is rising, too. Employee agreement scores jumped to 74% from 65% in a year, while employer agreement rose to 85% from 77%.
AI Moves From Novelty to Routine Workplace Tool
AI is now embedded in daily operations for nearly everyone in the small business ecosystem. Ninety-four percent of employers and 84% of employees use AI at work, with some engaging monthly or weekly. For most, AI is simply another tool they rely on to get through routine tasks.
HR is one of the biggest touchpoints. Three in four employees use AI for everyday HR needs like checking time-off balances, reviewing benefits, or navigating onboarding. Usage drops in more sensitive functions — such as offboarding or training — but AI interaction is now a normal part of the employee journey.
Workers Are Turning to AI First for Payroll, Benefits, and Personal HR Questions
Employees are becoming comfortable using AI for some of the most frequent HR questions. Forty-eight percent rely on AI almost every time or every time for payroll support, while 53% do the same when reviewing benefits. Personal questions (such as time off, health-related inquiries, or performance feedback) see 44% of employees using AI frequently.
Even interpersonal questions, such as resolving conflicts or clarifying roles, have moved into AI territory. Forty-nine percent of workers now use AI almost every time or every time for these issues. Performance reviews also show consistent use, with 48% turning to AI nearly every time.
Employers Are Growing More Comfortable Handing HR Tasks to AI
Acceptance of AI within HR is rising among employers. Sixty-four percent consider AI moderately or extremely acceptable for payroll questions, and 66% feel the same about benefits. Forty percent are comfortable with AI involvement in personal HR questions, and 56% are comfortable with AI helping with interpersonal issues.
Performance reviews, once a heavily human-led process, now see 64% of employers rating AI involvement as acceptable, which is a sharp increase from 55% the year before.
Training and offboarding, however, tell a different story. Employer comfort with AI in training fell to 61%, and preference for AI support in offboarding dipped slightly to 32%.
Employers Want AI to Take On More Core HR Work, But Not Everything
More employers prefer AI support for benefits administration (36%, up from 26%) and performance management (33%, up from 24%). But enthusiasm cools when the work involves emotional nuance. Preference for AI in training and development dropped to 23%, while interest in offboarding support edged down to 32%.
This mixed adoption underscores a practical reality: AI is widely embraced for administrative tasks but remains controversial when tied to employee growth or career transitions.
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Workers Are Growing More Anxious About AI in HR
Employer concerns have mostly leveled off, with only slight changes year over year. Employee concerns, however, rose across every category measured.
The steepest rise came in fear of bias and discrimination, which climbed from 3.23 to 3.50. Worries about follow-through increased to 3.61 from 3.43, accuracy concerns rose to 3.67 from 3.52, and privacy concerns increased to 3.67 from 3.54.
Despite these growing anxieties, workers continue using AI at higher rates, especially in payroll, benefits, and interpersonal questions. “Never” responses have dropped to single digits in many areas, showing that resistance is fading even as concerns grow.
Speed and Reliability Keep AI Popular With Employers
Employers say they turn to AI because it helps them respond faster. More than half cite speed as the main reason they rely on AI for HR support, and 44% value its reliability. Many also appreciate that AI avoids the interpersonal dynamics that can make HR conversations feel uncomfortable or politically sensitive.
HR’s Future Looks Hybrid: AI First for Tasks, Humans for Context
TriNet’s data shows a workplace shifting toward an AI-first model for routine HR tasks. Workers want immediate answers, and employers see AI as a tool that lightens their administrative load.
But the humans behind HR remain essential in areas where empathy, context, and judgment play the biggest role.
As expectations for 24/7 HR access continue to rise, AI will likely become the frontline tool for everyday questions while HR teams focus their time where human insight matters most.
