HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

Send us Fan Mail When an employee’s request for Sundays off was approved — then revoked — it led to an EEOC case and a costly lesson in religious accommodation law. Chuck and John unpack how one scheduling change turned into a Title VII violation, what the Groff v. DeJoy decision means for employers, and how HR can avoid retaliation, document undue hardship, and protect the company from legal risk...

Send us Fan Mail Workday going all in on AI, spending astronomical amounts of money investing in AI softwares and agents. With AI not going anywhere, what risks and litigation do we open ourselves to when AI starts making business decisions. Starbucks is cutting more corporate positions and closing doors on some locations. Many companies have been able to stave off layoffs by relying on retirement...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: What should you think about when creating a lactation space? How do you handle an employee talking poorly about another employee? What is a good transition career out of HR? Can we pre-approve timesheets for someone going out on leave? Support the show Our new book... T...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Do you have to follow the laws of where the employee is or where the company is? Is it discrimination to not invite all employees to the 401k info session? How can you protect against discrimination in hiring when it can be so subjective how people fit into a culture? I...

Send us Fan Mail When someone goes from star employee to being told that he will never be a manager because they used their FMLA, a legally protected leave, there’s more to the story that what the management hopes to hear. FMLA is not a employment benefit. It’s a right. And in the case of today’s story, our main character’s management discriminating against him for using it can land an employer in...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to a new format from the team where they explore hot topics in the news! In today's episode Chuck and John discuss the following topics: - The unusual perks that can keep employee retention up at little cost to the company. - Cracker Barrel's latest controversy involving racial discrimination in the workplace. - The extremes of job hugging and quiet quitting amon...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: HR is constantly changing because of cultural shifts or technology. What else is influencing the HR role within the organization? Do you have to follow other state regulations when you have employees working in other states from your business location? Do State or Feder...

Send us Fan Mail We've seen it in the news and around social media - someone did something controversial and they went viral for it. Next thing we hear, they've either tastefully resigned from their job or the company has issued a statement saying they do not stand by the actions and the person has been removed from the company.  If you have an employee that goes viral for all of the wro...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chuck and John as they go back to an episode that originally aired in May of 2021 to review the Ellerth v Burlington case.  --- Kimberly Ellerth was 23, fresh out of college and recently married, when she landed a prized marketing job with Burlington Industries in its Chicago office. But eventually her dream job became unbearable, she said, after a boss began making sexual ad...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chuck and John this week as they go back to an episode from May 27, 2021 about the case that redefined what sexual harassment can look like in the workplace.  --- In this episode, our hosts John and Chuck tell the behind the scenes story of Mechelle Vinson....a 19 year old Bank Teller and how she was coerced into having a sexual relationship with her boss in order to save her...

Send us Fan Mail John talks to Chuck to glean what he learned at the recent National SHRM Conference. While there was the expected hot topic of AI in human resources, there were some interesting and unexpected topics covered - particularly in the mental health space. Join the team as they recap the topics that are viewed as "Can't Miss" from SHRM.  C-Suite Perspectives Elevate how y...

Send us Fan Mail In today's summer school episode, Chuck and John revisit the cases that help us understand the importance of the PUMP act.  In this week's episode, we delve into the critical yet often overlooked aspects of the PUMP Act, through the lens of two compelling stories from nursing mothers at McDonald's. Discover what happens when workplace policies fail to support nursin...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chuck and John as they take a trip back to June of 2023 to revisit the case of Geduldig v. Aiello - the ORIGINAL pregnancy Supreme Court case.  Sylvia Aiello, was a pregnant woman who sought disability benefits under the California State Disability Insurance program. However, the program excluded coverage for pregnancy-related disabilities. Aiello argued that this exclusion v...

Send us Fan Mail This week in our Summer School series, we’re revisiting a landmark case that forever reshaped HR law and workplace culture: Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson . Originally aired in May 2021, this powerful episode unpacks the story of Mechelle Vinson, whose harrowing experiences led the U.S. Supreme Court to recognize hostile work environment sexual harassment as a form of discriminati...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Summer School! Chuck and John are going to take you back through some of the biggest Supreme Court cases that changed the face of Human Resources. This week, we revisit the case of Griggs v Duke Power, where an intelligence test was discriminating against Black employees. Listen in to be reminded how Willie Griggs and 13 fellow employees took a stand against this Power...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Can you terminate an employee just for a bad attitude? What should you do when an employee walks off the job mid-shift? Can quid pro quo harassment happen between coworkers? C-Suite Perspectives Elevate how you lead with insight from today’s most influential executives....

Send us Fan Mail Racial harassment, DEI confusion, and legal landmines—this episode dives into the HR challenges small businesses can’t afford to mishandle. From a $200K court ruling against an HR team that brushed off serious complaints to how one company legally retooled its DEI program after Trump’s executive order, we break down what to do (and what not to do). Join Chuck and John as they dive...

Send us Fan Mail There has been no shortage of policy updates this year and it's enough to make any HR pro's head spin. Join the team as they go through the key ones to be aware of and discuss the proposed changes that you may hear about through the remainder of the year.  C-Suite Perspectives Elevate how you lead with insight from today’s most influential executives. Listen on: Apple Po...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: We have someone out on military leave who is supposed to return soon. We want to keep the person we brought in to cover for them How do you handle managers who don’t want to do what needs to be done to enforce policies? What do you do when someone refuses to take their...

Send us Fan Mail Chuck and John are back this week with part 2 of what is keeping HR professionals awake at night. Catch up on the ins and outs of the issues of today so you can walk into your job with the confidence and knowledge needed to tackle them like a pro.  C-Suite Perspectives Elevate how you lead with insight from today’s most influential executives. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spot...

Send us Fan Mail Part 1 of 2 - Do you have sleepless nights, stressing about all of the things you need to take care of in your workplace? Working in HR, there are endless lists of important details that human resource professionals are responsible for. From employee burnout to difficulty in recruiting, to handling ever changing political landscapes, in Part 1 of this two-part series, the team wil...

Send us Fan Mail Join the team as the jump back to an episode from last summer where they talk about how to keep you and your employees safe during the summer heat and avoid costly mistakes that can lead to serious harm.  We'll see you back next week for a brand new episode.  C-Suite Perspectives Elevate how you lead with insight from today’s most influential executives. Listen on: Apple Podc...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a company's dress code walks straight into a lawsuit? In this eye-opening episode, Chuck and John unpack the real-life legal battle between a cocktail server and MGM National Harbor over mandatory high heels, disability discrimination, and a rigid appearance policy. This isn’t just about shoes. It’s a cautionary tale for HR professionals and small business o...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: 1. Can you require a doctors note for someone who continually calls in the day after a holiday weekend? Our PTO policy doesn’t require it but it happens every time.  2. Is it an HR issue if someone brings particularly fragrant food into the break room? 3. Can we lower s...

Send us Fan Mail John Thalheimer and Chuck Simikian unpack the growing crisis of burnout and chronic stress among HR professionals and business leaders. With recent federal actions, such as workforce reductions and the rollback of affirmative action policies, HR leaders are navigating more pressure than ever. You’ll learn: What burnout really looks like in the workplace The link between DEI policy...