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Think about the last time someone hit “record” in a meeting or you saw that little AI notetaker pop up in the corner of your screen. How did it make you feel?
 
 

Caught off guard? A little uneasy? You’re not alone. According to new data from Microsoft Canada, 59 per cent of Canadians say people should ask permission before using artificial intelligence to transcribe a meeting and 63 per cent feel the same about recordings.
 
 

As AI tools become more common at work, there’s a growing push to pair this technology with something timeless: good manners.
 
 

It’s a shift in workplace culture that Toronto-based career coach and content creator Emily Durham is watching closely.
 
 

“A couple years ago, it was, ‘Should I be using AI?’ Now the question is, ‘What is the right way to go about this?’” says Ms. Durham.

 
 
 

Ms. Durham, known online as Emily the Recruiter, says that aside from automating tasks, AI can also be a powerful tool for helping relieve stress and boost confidence at work, especially for those who are earlier in their careers. “All of these questions that were so anxiety-inducing at one point in time are now going to tools like Copilot,” she says.

 
 

The Microsoft data supports this notion, with 47 per cent of workers saying AI helps them polish their writing and gives them confidence before sending important messages. The same amount say AI also helps them start complex or intimidating projects.

 
 

But that doesn’t mean AI should be used without limits. When it comes to meetings, Ms. Durham believes etiquette and consent are critical.
 
 

“If you’re in a meeting and using an AI notetaker, we’ve all kind of decided it’s weird if you’re not telling people,” she says. “Alex doesn’t want to tell the whole org in the meeting notes that she’s having a bad week.”
 
 

Ms. Durham recommends providing a simple heads-up by letting everyone know in advance that AI will be used to take notes and making it clear that those notes will be reviewed by a human before being shared.
 
 

This mindset – AI as a tool, not a replacement – threads through all of her advice.

 
 

“I think the baseline should be in corporate culture that we’re using AI tools to work smarter and better and faster so we can focus on the people and relationship building. Where that gets yucky is if you’re treating it like its a final product and leaving out the human touch and the human review. That’s when you’ve lost your magic,” she says.

 
 

And as for AI etiquette? It’s simple. “If it impacts other people, give them a heads up,” Ms. Durham says.

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

15 per cent
 
 

That’s how much more young people with mentors are projected to earn over the course of their careers, according to a new report from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Looking for a safeguard against the rising layoffs and increased use of AI? This Wall Street Journal article says it’s time to toot your own horn at work.

 
 

According to the article, employees should actively document and promote their achievements rather than rely on quiet contributions. Keeping a “brag book” of accomplishments helps shape perception, demonstrate impact and provide concrete evidence of value when managers scrutinize performance.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

“When it comes to employees on maternity leave, there is a misconception that an employee who is on a protected leave cannot be terminated and that’s not, strictly speaking, true,” says Aaron Zaltzman, an associate lawyer at Whitten & Lublin, a Canadian employment law firm based in Toronto.
 
 

This article looks at how pregnancy discrimination remains widespread in Canada despite strong legal protections.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Silicon Valley’s most famous accelerator, Y Combinator, has stopped investing in startups incorporated in Canada. The policy change, made quietly in late 2025, marks a significant shift for a program that has backed more than 140 Canadian startups since 2005 and regularly accepted Canadian firms into its cohorts.