Hey there,

Happy 2026 🎉

You’re probably currently in the middle of leftover holiday sweets, half-written resolutions, calendars filling up fast, and the “Let’s go 2026” emails.

We’re all on the same boat - and somewhere in the middle of all that noise, we found ourselves thinking about work - not the work-work, but the experience of it.

How people feel logging in on a Monday morning after the New Year week. How teams actually come together. How culture shows up when no one is trying to perform it.

HR (and we mean - you) has always been shaping this quietly. Sometimes in the spotlight, often behind the scenes - our corporate superheroes!

🎉Why 2025 felt different

2025 wasn’t loud. But it was meaningful.

It didn’t just introduce new rules - it shifted the tone. For once, HR wasn’t only reacting to compliance requirements. It was given space to think, design, and build.

HR received the signals that they could stop patching systems - and instead start designing them.

Few things that changed in 2025 - and what it means for 2026

• A workforce where contributions matter more than contracts: Freelancers, gig workers, part-timers - they’re no longer “outside” the organization. 2025 legally recognized their place at the table.

  What this opens up in 2026: For HR, this is profound. It means we can invite flexibility into the very core of our design: creating career paths for people who were never formally considered employees, thinking about benefits, recognition, and growth not by contract type, but by contribution.

In 2026, the best organizations won’t just hire gig talent - they’ll make them feel like they belong.

• Remote Work and Labour Law Codes: Working from anywhere is no longer a gray area - it’s codified. Policies that once existed only on slides or PDFs now have legal weight.

  The effect? This isn’t just about being compliant - it’s about being intentional. HR can design teams without geographic anxiety, tap into talent far beyond metro cities, and experiment with async work - knowing the legal ground is finally steady.

  

• Gender Equality and True Flexibility

  Women have worked night shifts before. What changed is that it’s now clearly legal, defined, and the employer’s responsibility - complete with consent, safety, and supervision.

  What next? This gives organisations a real chance to get inclusion right - not as a headline or policy update, but in everyday decisions. Inclusion stops being something we talk about and starts becoming something we practice every day.

• The Right to Disconnect: India took an important step in 2025 with the introduction of the Right to Disconnect Bill. At its heart, it’s a simple idea: work shouldn’t follow you home.

  The bill gives employees the legal backing to switch off from calls, emails, and messages after official hours - without worrying about consequences.

  As we head into 2026, this could finally push organisations to rethink “always-on” culture, and design workdays that leave room for real life too.

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✉️An invitation to be part of something transformative.

On January 17th, the TSOW People Leaders Summit lights up Bangalore with a day crafted for bold HR leaders and game changers who are redefining the future of work.

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s waiting for you:

• ✨ A legendary keynote from the Father of HRD in India

• 🏆 Celebrating the next wave of HR stars with our 40 Under 40 & Best Startups awards

• 🧠 Deep dives into what makes great workplaces thrive and how the next-gen CHRO is shaping leadership

• 🚀 Innovative HR tech demos that are changing the game

• 🌟 And the launch of TSOW Launchpad — your gateway to support, visibility, and capital for early-stage HR tech startups

This is more than a summit — it’s a movement of leaders shaping culture, innovation, and impact.

Start 2026 by stepping into the future of work. Your seat awaits.

“From where we stand, 2025 felt like a release.

HR was finally given something it had long deserved - freedom. Freedom to hire differently. Work differently. Pay more fairly.

But 2026 asks for more than that. It asks for thoughtful intention. It asks us to pause and question ourselves: what kind of workplaces do we want to create when the rules finally give us space to act?

It’s about designing workplaces where flexibility isn’t a perk, fairness isn’t a checkbox, and wellbeing isn’t an initiative - it’s how work actually works, day in and day out. It’s in the choices we make when nobody is watching.

The question isn’t what compliance allows us to do. The real question is:

When we have the freedom, what kind of organisation do we choose to build?

Because the companies that answer this thoughtfully - and act on it - will go beyond staying compliant. They’ll earn trust, attract the right talent, build stronger cultures, and quietly define what the future of work looks like.

And that’s the challenge - and the opportunity - of 2026.”

✅TSOW HR Meetup in Pune, Sunday, January 18

Join an inspiring group of HR leaders for a morning of meaningful conversations, practical insights, and new connections. Leave with actionable takeaways - and a digital badge to show you were part of it. Seats are limited - reserve yours today!

✅TSOW HR Meetup in Chennai, Saturday, January 31

Hang out with HR peers, swap insights, and leave inspired with actionable strategies. Oh, and there’s a digital badge for bragging rights! Limited seats—grab yours before they’re gone.

✅TSOW HR Meetup in Delhi, Saturday, February 7

Meet your fellow HR trailblazers, share stories that only HR folks truly get, and walk away with fresh ideas you can actually use. Oh, and yes - there’s a shiny digital badge for showing off your HR cred. Limited seats - grab yours before they vanish!

✅TSOW HR Meetup in Mumbai, Saturday, February 14

Connect with an incredible community of HR professionals, exchange real-world insights, and walk away with renewed clarity and confidence and of course — your digital badge awaits! Seats are limited - save your spot now.

Progress doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes it shows up as clarity, confidence, and better questions. 2026 feels like one of those years. Happy New Year! 🎉

~ Team TSOW