'People don't want to share their productivity tricks, because it's an edge': academics discuss reasons behind employee reluctance to disclose AI use
With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT in the workplace, many employees are hesitant to disclose their AI usage to their managers, according to the recent Slack Workforce Index.
The index found that 50% of Canadian desk workers are uncomfortable sharing the fact that they use AI tools for common tasks, as they fear that being open about using AI could label them as less competent, lazy, or even cheating.
According to Jean-Nicolas Reyt, associate professor of organizational behaviour at McGill University, this reluctance could be seen as a red flag for HR professionals aiming for transparency and efficiency.
The challenge for HR lies in fostering collaborative environments where employees feel safe to share AI-based productivity gains, he says.
“For that to be a positive, you would need to have a really good, collaborative and understanding relationship, where both parties trust each other.”
However, this trust is often absent, creating a barrier to honest conversations about AI.
Productivity boost with AI use
Employee discomfort around AI use stems from productivity increases leading to greater demands — but without the corresponding financial rewards. Reyt highlights the shift from a “win-win” model in the past century — where productivity gains and salary growth were aligned — to today’s climate, where productivity gains do not necessarily translate to wage increases.
“There was almost a near perfect correlation between productivity and salary, which means that organizations were demanding more productivity from employees, but that was rewarded with more money,” Reyt explains.
“The problem is that in most developed countries, in Canada, in the U.S. and Western Europe, you have over the past 40 years a phenomenon that economists call ‘decoupling,’ which is that you have a very steady increase in productivity, but the real salary is stagnating, meaning people don’t make more money,”
This stagnation can lead to a reluctance by employees to disclose how tools like ChatGPT are helping them work more efficiently.
Source: Slack Workforce Index
Distrust and AI productivity in modern organizations
A fundamental issue is the lack of trust between employees and managers, Reyt says. In such an environment, sharing AI use could make employees feel vulnerable to scrutiny or even higher expectations.
“A lot of people don’t trust their managers to have their best interest in mind, and so to them, why would they share that they’re using ChatGPT that tremendously increases their productivity?” he asks, adding that employees are often skeptical that their transparency will be rewarded and may even worry that AI usage could lead to tighter productivity targets or job cuts.
Plus, an employee may worry about their colleagues being resentful of increased productivity due to AI, as it could raise expectations for everyone.
“If I were to tell you that now I can be 50% more productive, the last thing I would want is for my manager to know about it, because if my manager knows about it, I’m screwed,” Reyt says. “Not only am I screwed, but everybody in the company will hate me.”
The Slack Workforce Index underscores these concerns, and places the responsibility with employers to address them: 71% of Canadian desk workers consider an employer’s ability to provide AI training and support a significant factor in job selection.
This signals a growing expectation that employers will take the lead in providing AI-related resources and policies, reassuring employees that AI isn’t a threat to their job security.
Incentivizing openness for AI use
For HR to build trust around AI usage, employers need to create an environment where the benefits of AI are clearly communicated and employees are given fair incentives to use these tools. Reyt suggests that organizations must offer tangible benefits, stating, “They will only share it if it benefits them at some point, and so there’s not a lot of ways it can benefit them. It’s either with fewer hours or higher salary or more flexible hours.”
Providing incentives can help employees see value in being open about their productivity-enhancing strategies.
“Just like everything else in the modern organization, productivity is penalized, it's not rewarded … if you're very productive, you tend to be punished as opposed to rewarded,” he says.
“What they fear is their job being made redundant. That's what they fear. They fear that their hours are going to go down. They fear that now they're going to have twice more work.”
AI expectations and employee pushback
As AI technology rapidly advances, employees may soon face challenges in keeping pace, especially if AI usage expectations are implemented too abruptly.
As Mohammad Keyhani, professor of entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Calgary explains, as AI becomes more essential in job functions, HR must be vigilant to avoid overwhelming staff, especially if employees feel inadequately trained or supported.
“Employers might start seeing pushback when the adoption of generative AI happens so rapidly that employees feel overwhelmed and unable to keep up,” he says. “While AI is giving people incredible new capabilities and making their jobs easier, not everyone is ready for such swift changes.”
Keyhani suggests the speed of AI adoption may surprise many employees, leading to unanticipated frustrations. HR professionals should prioritize gradual implementation and frequent training sessions to help bridge the knowledge gap.
“Currently, most people do not appreciate how fast AI is going to change things so I would expect many disgruntled people are taken by surprise,” he says.
“While it's hard to say definitively whether compensation should go up or down, the key is to support employees in adapting to new technologies and to consider how their enhanced abilities contribute to the company's success.”
The rapid integration of AI may also spark discussions around job roles, compensation, and fair labour practices.
“I suppose employers should be mindful of labour laws related to job duties and fair compensation,” Keyhani advises, stressing that clear communication about evolving job roles and opportunities for upskilling can mitigate anxiety around AI-related transitions.
“On one hand, AI is making it easier for employees to accomplish more, which might reduce the need for certain roles and put downward pressure on wages. On the other hand, those who can effectively leverage AI bring significant value, and might feel they deserve higher compensation.”
Shifting toward collaborative productivity
For AI to serve as a collaborative rather than divisive force in the workplace, companies need to address the underlying issues of trust and compensation, says Reyt.
HR leaders can also promote collaboration by embedding AI training into workplace culture. The Slack Workforce Index shows that 75% of Canadian desk workers feel a pressing need to become more skilled in AI, yet 63% have spent less than five hours on AI training.
“Organizations need to go back into a model where, if you produce more and you create more revenue for the company, it’s normal that you’re paid more,” Reyt says.
Such a model acknowledges the contributions that employees make through AI without penalizing them for increased productivity, and by offering comprehensive, ongoing AI training and clear guidance on AI usage, employees are empowered to confidently use these tools, knowing they are supported.
Building a foundation of trust around AI at work
Keyhani emphasizes that organizations should not resort to downsizing simply due to AI efficiencies, and instead encourages a more dynamic, entrepreneurial mindset in organizations, where employees are supported to leverage AI for innovation.
“I personally think downsizing is an indication of lack of creativity, where you don’t know what to do with all the new superpowers of your employees,” he says.
“Rather than downsizing, employers can focus on empowering their workforce to use AI to achieve more, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset where employees are encouraged to find new ways to create value within the company.”
Ultimately, encouraging transparency around AI usage requires organizations to prioritize open communication, fair incentives, and mutual trust, says Reyt; when employees feel assured that their use of AI will be valued rather than penalized, they are more likely to share insights and collaborate on best practices.
“The problem is that right now, most organizations are reluctant to increase salaries, that’s the main problem, and that’s why people don’t want to share their productivity tricks, because it’s an edge,” Reyt says. “Why would they give away their edge?”
