HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

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 an HR employee do if they’re experiencing retaliation in the workplace but feel like they can’t go to management? How do you handle compensation for someone getting demoted while pay bands changed? Can someone be an independent contractor for the same compan...

Send us Fan Mail The Trump Administration has signed a flurry of executive orders - some of which have direct impacts on the workplace. It’s critical, now more than ever, to pay attention to changes and updates that are coming your way. In today’s episode, Chuck and John review some new documents released by the EEOC that are providing clearer guidance around how to legally approach DEI in the wor...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: What’s the smallest increment of time that you have to count towards overtime? How do you handle PTO fairly in terms of seniority? Is there a policy that you have for senior employees over new hires? Can part time employees be given comp time instead of getting paid ove...

Send us Fan Mail This is a case you can’t afford to ignore. When AccentCare, Inc. paid a less-experienced male nurse more than a seasoned female nurse—and then fired her when she complained—the EEOC took action. In this episode, we break down the lawsuit, the five critical lessons for employers, and why Equal Pay Day (March 25) is a wake-up call. From pay transparency to retaliation risks, we’ve g...

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 an employee who has been out numerous times for a medical issue but he will not provide any supporting documentation or take FMLA. How can we proceed if we need to take action to have someone fill the role? We have someone who quit due to undisclosed PTSD being...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive into the shocking case of Reena Mathew, an HR Business Partner at Santander Consumer USA, who was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan and fired after announcing her pregnancy. Was it a case of performance management—or pregnancy discrimination disguised as poor performance? Chuck and John break down the timeline of events, the questionable "excul...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: I’m newly taking over HR duties and it’s a mess. Where do I start? We have an employee that wants to take 8 weeks of unpaid leave for personal medical needs. They want to use PTO to cover benefit deductions but they won’t have enough for the leave. What do I do? Employe...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, you’ll follow along with a CHRO who was tasked with tackling hybrid work challenges, boosting employee well-being, and building a future-ready workforce. Listen as Chuck and John talk through these ways to come out on top of these challenges: ✅ “Collaboration Week” – Fixing hybrid work disconnect ✅ Mental health & burnout solutions that work ✅ Upskilling...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How do you deal with the death of an employee? How do you convince executives to support HR? How do you recognize birthdays and anniversaries? Support the show Our new book... The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!  Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chuck and John break down the Cunningham v. Department of Defense case, where a qualified employee’s promotion was denied due to subjective interview evaluations. Gwendolyn Cunningham, despite her expertise, was passed over for a new leadership role, leading to claims of bias and a legal battle. Listen in as Chuck and John discuss the lessons for HR professionals...

Send us Fan Mail HR is hard - BambooHR is easy!  See for yourself with a free demo at BambooHR: https://shorturl.at/E7kkF Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How do we handle an individual who attended multiple days of training without completing paperwork or signed their contract yet? We have to terminate a great employe...

Send us Fan Mail In a landmark remote work case, when Inna worked remotely in New Jersey for a Pennsylvania-based company, she assumed New Jersey's employee-friendly laws would protect her. However, the courts made a surprising ruling: the company's location, not the employee's, determines which state laws apply. This key decision highlights the complex "It Depends" nature...

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 start an employee as a contractor then transition them to full time? When an employee changes from part time to full time, do you need to fill out new paperwork or can you just update their status in the HRIS? How do I prepare myself for the next HR role? C-Suit...

Send us Fan Mail We are just days away from a new administration stepping in to The White House. Every time we have a change of office, there are impacts to the employment sector that are felt down to the small business levels, often coming from how laws are enforced and interpreted. While we have a preview of what may be expected from Trump’s administration from his first term, it’s important for...

Send us Fan Mail WELCOME TO THE LIVE EPISODE! Join Chuck and John for this playback of their first live recording, done on January 7th, 2025. There's no shortage of ways that people set out to make their new year a better - working out, eating better, journaling. The Team at HR Stories wanted to provide a tool that you use use to improve your work life any time of the year. Listen in as the t...

Send us Fan Mail The new year is upon us and with it comes an opportunity for a fresh start. Start your 2025 off right with an audit of the top-ten issues that the team has encountered when working with HR Teams. Proactive work on these areas can prevent major headaches later in the year. From I-9 pitfalls (likely important in 2025) to employee handbook updates, you won’t want to start 2025 withou...

Send us Fan Mail The year has been filled with a lot of updates, changes, and questions along the way. Hang out with Chuck and John as they review some of the top listener Q&A's from 2024.  We'll see everyone next week with new content to prepare you for 2025.  Does anybody have good ideas to make your Indeed postings stand out and look less “basic” and “dry”? Can managers order indi...

Send us Fan Mail Take a trip down memory lane with Chuck and John as they visit the North Pole and talk about the brutal work conditions of everyone's favorite red-nosed reindeer. Learn about how Jolly Ol' St. Nick mishandled a toxic work environment filled to the brim with harassment and exclusionary practices and where he could have done better.  Support the show Our new book... The Ul...

Send us Fan Mail Gloria worked for Trader Joe's for over 15 years and it was a family affair - with her grandson working at the same store. When a situation arose with her underage grandson and the sale of alcoholic beverages, Trader Joe's offered her the opportunity to retire but then had to terminate her when an email arrived in their inbox with some troubling details.  Join Chuck and...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Do we need to reimburse someone for cellphone usage, milage, and after hours texts? We’re going to hire someone to work half in HR, half in accounting. What tasks can I give them? Can someone use paid bereavement leave in the middle of maternity leave? Can someone be te...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, Chuck and John dive into several questions ripped from headlining stories. From Hooters discriminatory hiring practices to reality shows providing too much alcohol to participants, there has been no shortage of lessons to be learned from corporate missteps.  The team also looks at recent survey results that say not only is your company leadership still...

Send us Fan Mail The big day is here! Chuck and John celebrate the podcast's 100th episode by looking back at their top 10 podcast stories, looking at the most controversial episode titles, and the best and worst stories they've told. You won't want to miss this look back at where it all began along with an exciting announcement about next year's episodes! C-Suite Perspectives...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, Chuck and John take on some of the tough questions that come from the employee's perspective. As an HR professional, keep an open ear for ways to make sure your employees don't go unheard.  Check out how the team tackles these questions:  How do I know if I’m being paid fairly for my role? Can I refuse to work in a hazardous environment? Do I hav...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How much do you take dietary restrictions into consideration for company events? Can you require salary employees to clock in and out? What’s the best way to develop a time off policy? Support the show Our new book... The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now...

Send us Fan Mail It’s easy for us to look back and see how much has changed from 5 or 10 years ago but it can sometimes be easy to miss the subtle changes as they come that lead to those bigger changes. In today’s episode, Chuck and John talk through the changes that have been coming to the work environment over the recent years and how they will shape the future of work. In the HR News segment, t...