The Rational Workforce

Your company didn't downsize because of AI. They downsized because of a bad quarter, a bloated org chart, or a board breathing down their neck... and AI made a convenient press release. Don't take my word for it. Sam Altman said it. The National Bureau of Economic Research said it. Even the companies doing it are starting to admit it. But here's the part that gets overlooked: we were already prime...

Don't look now, but people have stopped looking to the workplace for meaning, value, and a sense of belonging. Not because they stopped needing those things. Employers just made it clear they couldn't be trusted with the responsibility The resurgence in church attendance. The rising number of LLC registrations. The number of content creators documenting how they're using AI to level the playing fi...

Every week, another wave of layoffs. Another breathless press release about AI transformation. Another batch of executives patting themselves on the back for being bold and visionary while their workers clean out their desks. Here's the part nobody's saying out loud: for most companies, the AI revolution isn't delivering. The ROI isn't there. The efficiency gains aren't there. And the humans who w...

Let's face it - some people are just addicted to getting offended by everything, whether it impacts them or not. BUT... I think they're increasingly in the minority. Everywhere you look - politics, entertainment, pop culture - there are signs that Outrage, Inc. may be on the way out. This episode takes a look at some of the early indicators that, despite the odds, joy, hope, and levelheadedness ju...

Tired of AI ghosting your job applications and being treated like garbage during your job search? In 2026, workers are fighting back! Some major class-action lawsuits against HR tech vendors, exposing hidden biases and secret scoring that reject qualified candidates (especially over 40) without a fair shot. Discover how these cases could level the playing field, why employers are scrambling, and r...

2025 is now in the rear-view mirror, and not a moment too soon. It has been a rough year for the workforce, but I think 2026 will mark a turning point. There are plenty of changes still looming on the horizon, but employers and HR may have overplayed their hand on multiple fronts. This is the year when I think workers have an amazing opportunity to step up, speak up, and show up in a way that will...

What happens when you mix EPCOT, a college grad, a Gen X dad, and a whole lot of unsolicited opinions about work, life, and figuring things out? You get this video. We took a father-daughter day trip to EPCOT (because where else do you have deep conversations about burnout, ambition, and impostor syndrome?), and decided to flip the script on our usual content. This one’s a little different from th...

Why are brands torching their identities in the name of progress? In this episode of The Rational Workforce, we unpack the Sydney Sweeney/AEO campaign, Cracker Barrel’s botched rebrand, and the rise of outrage marketing. Who benefits? Who pays? And what does it say about the state of DEI, branding, and the workforce caught in the middle?

We all feel it: The sting of being overlooked. The rush to defend ourselves. The quiet resentment after a meeting or message that just didn’t sit right. But here’s the hard truth: Not every reaction points to injustice. Sometimes it’s not them... it’s your ego. Today's episode presents a practical framework to help you decode what you’re feeling at work and why. It’s not therapy and it’s not fluff...

In a legal settlement that feels like it has been a long time coming, actress Gina Carano and Disney seem to have settled their differences. In today's episode, we give you a quick recap of the news and the events that got us here, and discuss how this could have broader implications for workers everywhere.

How did layoffs become the new executive flex? In this episode of The Rational Workforce, we unpack a disturbing new trend: corporate leaders turning mass layoffs into bragging rights. What used to be a last resort is now a flex... and workers are paying the price. From the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of C-suite callousness to a look back at some amazing examples of REAL leadership, this is a b...

Stephen Colbert isn’t losing his show because of politics. He’s losing it because declining viewership and $40M in losses don’t lie. (But sure, let’s blame Trump.) In this episode, we torch elite bubble logic, examine who actually pays the price when shows fail, and remind the overpaid and underperforming: welcome to the real world. Viewer discretion advised (especially if your safe space has WiFi...

The Coldplay Kiss Cam moment has been clipped, memed, stitched, dunked-on, and dissected to death, so I’m not here to recap it. I am here to ask a more uncomfortable question: Why did it go this viral, this fast, and with this much venom? Here’s the hard truth: Most workers don’t exactly see the C-suite as sympathetic figures, so when a CEO and CHRO get caught (literally) in an ethics breach, it d...