Toot or Boot

Disengagement at work is often framed as an attitude problem. But what if it’s actually a nervous system response? In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall sits down with HR leader and psychology-trained strategist Erica Spitale to unpack the deeper forces behind workplace disengagement, trust, and emotional safety. Together they explore why employees withdraw when environments feel unsafe...

For decades, SHRM has been the institution shaping HR standards, HR certifications, and workplace policy. But as political tensions rise, protections erode, and credibility questions grow louder, HR leaders are asking a new question: What happens when the largest HR organization in the world stops representing workers — and starts representing itself? In this packed, no-nonsense episode of Toot or...

Hiring has never felt more confusing — for candidates, recruiters, or the HR teams stuck in the middle. Between ATS myths, bad advice on TikTok, the Mobley v. Workday lawsuit, and a flood of AI-powered recruiting tools no one fully understands, it’s no surprise people are frustrated and misinformed. In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall is joined by talent experts Dani Herrera and T. Ta...

We’ve been taught that “nice” is the goal at work — be pleasant, be agreeable, don’t rock the boat. But what if niceness is actually keeping us stuck, silencing truth-tellers, and protecting the status quo? In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall sits down with author and communications strategist Amira Barger to unpack her new book The Price of Nice — a fierce, funny, deeply human guide...

Work shouldn’t be the worst part of your week — but for too many people, it still is. In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall talks with Madison Butler — author of Let Them See You — about what it really means to show up as yourself at work, even when systems weren’t built for you. Together, they unpack authenticity, burnout, boundaries, and what happens when companies say they value “cul...

Between layoffs, burnout, political chaos, AI anxiety, and the cost of living crisis, it’s no wonder employees aren’t okay. But if “not okay” has become the new normal, how do we lead, work, and stay human in the middle of it? In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall is joined by Kat Kibben and Ryan-Mae McAvoy to explore the crises reshaping the modern workplace. Together, they dig into wh...

Something strange is happening in the C-suite — and employees are the ones feeling it. In this fiery and funny episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall is joined by Jessica Winder and Kim Rohrer to unpack a record-breaking trend: more CEOs have stepped down in 2025 than any year in recent history. They dig into why leaders are bailing, what’s really going on behind the “personal reasons” PR statem...

When politics and policy collide with people’s livelihoods, HR leaders are often the ones left cleaning up the mess. In this episode, Stacey sits down with fractional HR leaders Anessa Fike and Morgan Williams to unpack the chaos surrounding recent presidential proclamations on H-1B visas, the newly proposed “gold card” visa, and what happens when immigration policy turns into a political weapon....

Black women are being pushed out of the U.S. workforce at alarming rates—and it’s not by choice. In this powerful episode of Toot or Boot, host Stacey Nordwall sits down with workplace equity expert T. Tara Turk-Haynes and communications leader and career strategist Cassandra Babilya to unpack how federal job cuts, dismantled DEI programs, and systemic neglect have created an economic crisis that...

In this episode, we explore three critical workplace strategy topics: how effective leaders can minimize office politics through transparency, accountability, and encouraging diverse viewpoints—strategies that seem obvious yet many workplaces still struggle to implement; Moderna's innovative approach to merging their tech and HR departments under a single "chief people and digital technology offic...

This episode dives into why some CEOs are paying the price for walking back DEI, how the employer-employee relationship has fundamentally shifted, and the horrifying conditions faced by Meta’s outsourced content moderators. From strategic miscalculations to moral failures, we examine what these stories tell us about leadership, labor, and the values that shape today’s workplaces. Connect: With Ane...

In this episode, we explore Cake’s Body’s bold $36K childcare stipend, why the job market is suddenly so brutal for college grads, and what the WEF’s new report reveals about the steep decline in employee well-being. We break down what these headlines signal about where workplaces are headed—and what HR needs to be thinking about next. Connect: With Anessa: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in...

This week, we're diving into three concerning workplace trends: First, employee engagement is declining sharply, with managers under 35 and female managers leading this downward slide—potentially because they're caught in middle management roles with high responsibility but little decision-making power. Meanwhile, BNY Mellon is increasing its office mandate from three to four days weekly by Septem...

This week, we dive into the real-world impacts of DEI rollbacks, workplace discrimination, and employee disengagement. We examine how Target faced boycotts and significant business impacts after eliminating DEI initiatives recently met with Rev. Al Sharpton to address the impacts of boycotts. We'll also explore troubling new research showing increased workplace discrimination against LGBTQ+ employ...

This week, we welcome Nathan Chung, Jessica Donahue, and Greer Procich for a critical conversation about workplace accessibility and inclusion. With collective experience in HR, cybersecurity, and disability advocacy, our panel examines how current workplace policies often overlook the experiences of disabled and neurodivergent employees. The conversation explores three major topics affecting the...

In this episode, we analyze new Glassdoor research suggesting employees are increasingly deprioritizing workplace relationships, questioning whether this shift stems from broader social disconnection or reflects changing priorities in a hybrid world. We also discuss a revealing Perceptyx survey showing that while 95% of HR teams are collecting employee feedback, only 27% feel confident they can ac...

Kim Minnick joins this week as we dive into three fascinating workplace trends from around the globe. We examine Tokyo's move toward a four-day workweek aimed at addressing Japan's population crisis and work-life balance challenges, while questioning why it takes demographic emergencies to implement family-friendly policies. We also explore the "resignation by proxy" phenomenon emerging in Japan's...

In this special April Fool’s Day episode, host Stacey Nordwall hands over the reins to co-producer Lexi Croswell for a fun twist on the usual format. Instead of tooting or booting HR headlines, Stacey and HR consultant Nadia Eran have to decide if the headlines are real or fake – and why!  Connect: Nadia Eran -> on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiaeran/ Or her website Future in Work: htt...

Last week our team was at the Transform Conference in Las Vegas, connecting with HR practitioners and thought leaders. We decided to have some fun and do quick on the conference floor interviews with fellow attendees and friends of the pod. So this week we're spreading the fun and bringing you a special compilation episode of all of our interviews, which involve folks tooting your booting things a...

We discuss a recent sex discrimination case where a male employee in a female-dominated workplace filed a claim after being excluded from awards with the announcement "it's not going to be any of the men." We explore the complex dynamics of being in the minority at work. Next, we analyze the growing trend of companies like Google and the Trump administration offering buyouts with an underlying mes...

In this episode, we start with the concerning prevalence of workplace ageism, where research shows nearly all employees over 40 experience age discrimination and feel pressured to downplay their experience. We then explore the puzzling "career catfishing" phenomenon, where 34% of Gen Z workers reportedly accept positions only to deliberately skip their first day without notice - raising questions...

Matt is back to talk about the growing divide in workplace flexibility across different sectors of the workforce. We dive into new research showing how Britain's frontline workers are being left behind in the flexible work revolution, creating a "two-tier" system. We'll explore Randstad's 2025 Workmonitor report revealing that workers now prioritize work-life balance over pay, and discuss JP Morga...

In this episode, we dive into layoffs due to performance, AI and workplace monitoring. First, we chat Meta's controversial "low performer" layoffs, where terminated employees are challenging the company's performance-based justification. And we talk about the shift in messaging from previous layoffs that were described as cost-cutting measures. We also explore Australia's  parliamentary report cal...

Join host Stacey Nordwall and special guests Julie Turney and Stephanie Lemek for a deep dive into HR burnout - an issue that has become critical for the field. Drawing insights from Emily and Amelia Nagoski's book "Burnout," the conversation goes beyond the oversimplified notion that burnout is just feeling tired or can be fixed with a long weekend. Instead, they explore how burnout represents a...

Coming up on today's episode: We're diving into the latest RTO trends for 2025! We'll explore how major companies are taking wildly different approaches - from WPP's new four-day office mandate to firms like Spotify doubling down on flexibility. Plus, we'll discuss some fascinating findings about workers choosing flexibility over higher salaries, and tackle the tricky question of whether remote wo...