Episodes tagged: Workplace

Super Bowl Monday is not an HR Emergency

On this episode of the Workplace Minute, Steve takes on one of the most predictable workplace headlines of the year: claims that the Super Bowl will cost U.S. employers billions in “lost productivity.”

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How Year One Changed the Balance of Power at Work

In this episode, Steve examines how the first year of the second Trump administration has reshaped…

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A Shift of Workplace Civil Rights in a New Political Era

In this episode we examine a significant shift at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the Donald Trump administration. After decades focused on protecting workers from harassment and discrimination, the EEOC’s new public posture, including calls for complaints from white male workers who feel disadvantaged by DEI efforts, signals a sharp change in tone and priorities.

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The Normalization of Layoffs and the Rise of Worker Burnout

In this episode Steve discusses how increasing layoffs from high-profile and wildly profitable companies like Amazon are creating a chilling effect on worker safety and confidence – and placing employees in a state of almost constant fear and uncertainty. If one of the largest, most successful companies can easily cut tens of thousands of workers – is any corporate job truly secure?

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The New Global War for Tech Talent

In this episode Steve discusses how Finland, emboldened by increasing job uncertainty and societal stressors in the U.S., is aggressively courting American tech talent in fields like quantum computing and AI to relocate to their country to bolster their growing tech sector. American companies need to take the competitive threat of countries like Finland seriously, as better work life balance and social supports are looking more and more attractive to stressed out American tech workers.

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How Do You Show Up for Work in America Today?

In this episode Steve discusses how the current environment in America, which violence playing out on the streets of Minneapolis and in other cities, impacts how all of us are able, or not able, to show up at work. These are unprecedented times, and the stress and fear in U.S. workplaces are real. Managers and leaders have a responsibility to care for their people – and themselves.

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What Happens When AI Becomes the Gatekeeper to Work?

In this episode Steve discusses the growing legal scrutiny facing AI-powered hiring tools, sparked by high-profile lawsuits involving Workday and Eightfold. We break down what these cases allege, why they matter, and what they reveal about how algorithms are being used to screen and rank job candidates. We also explore the implications for HR leaders everywhere who are navigating the fast-changing intersection of technology, compliance, and trust in the hiring process.

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The Alarming Divide Between Workers and Wealth in America

In this episode Steve shares new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics which reveals that labor, meaning the U.S. worker, are taking home less of the country’s overall wealth than ever before, which capital and capital owners, realizing more and more gains.

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The Metaverse, Work, and a Very Expensive Lesson

In this episode Steve discusses the hype and the fall of The Metaverse as a transformative workplace technology. Despite the hype and the investments, the Metaverse was a solution in search of a problem, and it reminds us to approach any new workplace technology with clear expectations and evaluation methods.

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Research Suggests that CEOs are using “AI” as a Convenient Excuse for Old-Fashioned Cost-Cutting

In this episode Steve shares results from new research that suggests that AI and automation are not actually driving significant layoffs, and that some CEOs are using AI as a convenient excuse to carry out headcount reductions and cost-cutting that are being driven by other factors. Factors that perhaps place more pressure and blame on the CEOs themselves.

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