HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

Send us Fan Mail An employee gets drug tested and the test comes back positive. Seems like an easy call to make... or so you think. This was the predicament that an Airgas employee found himself in after using hemp products during his cancer treatments. After trying to plead his case, that he had not been doing drugs, Airgas terminated him, claiming it was their honest belief that it was the right...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Is there a type of policy an organization should have that shows the process of suggesting new ideas or policies? Our company is being bought out and there is a new perfect attendance policy. This feels like it will disproportionately impact working parents. Is this leg...

Send us Fan Mail This week, the team is uncovering the dark side of retaliation in the workplace, straight from a nightmarish case at Tosh Farms, Tennessee. A shocking number of EEOC claims involve retaliation. Listen in to hear the spine-chilling tactics used against employees and the impact on company reputation and legal standing.  In the HR News segment, the team touches on the following topic...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Our handbook policy says we cannot wear anything vulgar, but we don’t have anything about vulgar bumper stickers on our personal vehicles. Can managers order individuals to cover vulgar bumper stickers on their personal vehicles? I have an HR friend who was asking me ab...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chuck and John in this special episode where they replay their webinar they hold quarterly, updating HR professionals in all of the major industry law and regulation updates YOU CAN’T MISS! Stick around to the end for a special announcement From reviewing the big game changer policies of 2023 such as the I-9 changes, the PUMP Act, and religious accommodations, to talking abou...

Send us Fan Mail 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 nursing employees, and the crucial lessons HR can learn from these real-life experiences.  We'll explore the importance of the PUM...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: We’re having trouble with a background check on a 15 year old intern. Is this even required? An employee verbally assaulted a new employee and she claims her autoimmune disease causes her to not think clearly and not act herself. What do you do in this situation? Are we...

Send us Fan Mail Dive deep as we peel back the corporate curtain, revealing the shocking disconnect between leaders' expectations and the harsh realities faced by employees. From unpaid overtime at Garnett News Company to deadly safety oversights, discover how policies fail in the face of middle management decisions and workplace culture. Are extensive policies enough when employees suffer an...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How many times/how often do you fire employees in your organization? What’s your take on who should talk during a termination? How long should you usually give an emplopyee to cash a check? If a check was lost and you re-issue a check and they have not come to pick up t...

Send us Fan Mail It goes without saying (but we will anyways) that the pandemic drastically changed our ways of working as well as our expectations of a job. One of the most notable changes was the shift to remote work. While many companies embraced this change and have found a new way of collaborating, others have grown tired of it and are starting to pull back on the remote flexibility many empl...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive into the unique challenges faced by HR department of one employees. From managing PTO allocation to navigating a remote-first company culture spread across multiple states, listeners gain insights into the delicate balance of work-life boundaries and professional expectations. We explore practical strategies for addressing personal relocation requests with...

Send us Fan Mail Dive into a riveting episode of HR Stories Podcast, featuring the story of Sheri Minarsky's brave stand against workplace harassment. This episode, reveals Sheri's struggle as a secretary in Susquehanna County’s Department of Veterans Affairs, where she endured years of harassment in silence due to fear and isolation. Her story unfolds as a gripping narrative of resilien...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Question #1 – Does your company do anything to compensate exempt employees if they travel/work on weekends or holidays? Also, if they travel home on a work day, but they get to town with 4 hours of work day left, do they have to go into the office or get to take the res...

Send us Fan Mail When a piece of equipment with a history of related injuries claims the life of a high school student picking up hours over the summer, is it just a freak accident, or was this a preventable situation? How did the company respond to the OSHA recommendations? In today’s episode, Chuck and John dive into a heavy story about the death of an employee at a mill, covering different leve...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Does anybody have good ideas to make your Indeed postings stand out and look less “basic” and “dry”? As a Manager, how do you create an environment where employees can be brave and have no fear of speaking up? Could you share some examples if you have any? We hired a wo...

Send us Fan Mail What a year it has been, not only in the world of HR, but for The Team at HR Stories! This year, we kicked off a new episode format called Listener Q&A where we answer questions submitted by YOU! This has been a great opportunity to discuss a variety of issues, from hygiene to employees illegally recording others. Thank you for joining us each week as we dive into stories and...

Send us Fan Mail In this special holiday edition of the HR Stories Podcast, join John and Chuck as they delve into the enchanting yet enlightening tale of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This episode offers a whimsical exploration of serious HR topics, including workplace discrimination, ADA implications, and the responsibilities of management in fostering an inclusive environment. Through the stor...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: My new employer is sending me on training in Los Angeles. Can I bring my significant other? I recently discovered an employee is recording her teammates when she leaves the room to find out what they are saying about her when she is gone. Any other words of wisdom in en...

Send us Fan Mail The ADEA, or the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, is meant to protect older workers from disadvantages in job searching and while employed. Whether it's assumptions about technology skills or desires to see a longer tenure from a new hire, older people in the workforce face several hurdles that can result in discrimination allegations. In today's episode, 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: From an HR perspective, what do we need to keep in mind during a merger? Which would be better received by staff - a Friday or Tuesday as a day to observe a holiday? If you have an employee requesting to move from full-time to part-time, do you adjust their accrual rate...

Send us Fan Mail Who ordered the Venti Peppermint Mocha Latte topped with discouraging of union activity? Anyone? In today’s story, Chuck and John ‘spill the beans’ on a an issue that ‘brewed’ among a group of employees at Starbucks. This story goes into the ripple effects that can spread when basic communication breaks down and employees have collective issues with company practices. Updates from...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: As a new HR Team of One, where do I start? What would you do if an employee uses PTO suddenly, then silently quits? Would you pay out the time off? What is HR’s role in performance evaluations? Do owner partners count toward your total employee count? Support the show O...

Send us Fan Mail We’ve all had those days at work where we just can’t give 100%. Maybe we were staying up late to watch the end of the big game. Maybe we had trouble finding childcare for the week. Whatever the reason, there are guaranteed times that employees will struggle with stress and other negative factors that impact overall work production. How can we take opportunities to lessen the negat...

Send us Fan Mail Today, the team dips into the vault and resurfaces an episode from 2020. See how UPS could have avoided big legal trouble by following accommodation procedures. When a deaf employee was required to attend meets, leadership tried to find every way around hiring an interpreter.  Revisit the importance of ADA and how to properly accommodate individuals.  Support the show Our new book...

Send us Fan Mail "Okay, Boomer! Turn those hearing aids up and listen in." Even when said in jest, statements like these can easily create a situation of age or generational discrimination. In today’s episode, Chuck and John dive into stories of employees who have felt discriminated against due to their age, whether through comments, application processes, or pressures to change appearan...