Episodes tagged: Workplace

John Deere Wants to Help Farmers Address Labor Shortages with Advanced Automation

In this episode Steve discusses news from the Consumer Electronics Show where John Deere revealed plans for four new autonomous machines – designed to improve productivity and help operators address persistent labor shortages.

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Costco Announces Continued Commitment to DEI Programs

In this episode Steve shares news about Costco and how Costco’s board and leadership have expressed continued support and commitment to the company’s DEI programs – despite a wave of other large corporations backing away from DEI initiatives.

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As 2025 Begins, A Look at the State of Flexible Working in the US

In this episode Steve discusses the current state of in-person, hybrid, and flexible work in US companies, revealing some surprising statistics on how US employees are working as 2025 begins.

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The Surprising Results of California’s Minimum Wage Hike for Fast Food Workers

In this episode Steve discusses the impact on employment and wages from California’s controversial increase in minimum wages for many of the state’s fast-food workers – from $16 per hour to $20 per hour.

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Not So Happy Holidays – Party City to Close, Fire Thousands of Employees

In this episode Steve discusses the recent announcement from retailer Party City, soon to close operations and fire over 12,000 employees.

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Ensuring that People Strategy Includes People with Disabilities

In this episode Steve shares some recent data on people with disabilities and their experiences in the workplace, and three strategies for organizations to be more disability inclusive in their organizations.

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Reality TV Meets HR: NLRB Moves to Classify “Love is Blind” Cast as Employees

In this episode Steve discusses how a recent ruling at the NLRB classifying cast members as employees could shake up the entire Reality TV industry – and give cast members a larger share of the revenues.

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HR’s Role in Boosting Organizational Energy and Innovation

In this podcast interview Mervyn talks with Perry Timms, published author who is consistently ranked as one of HR’s most influential thinkers, about the evolving nature of work, and some of the latest thinking and practice around organisational energy, skills based working, and innovation.

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New Research Shows Return to Office Mandates Increase Turnover and Slow Hiring

In this episode Steve discusses how new research on the impact of corporate Return to Office mandates has shown that the mandates increase employee turnover – especially for women and highly skilled employees, and slow down replacement hiring.

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Japan Tries the Four-day Workweek to Address Declining Birth Rates

In this episode Steve discusses how authorities in Japan plan to institute a four-day working week for government workers in an effort to boost the county’s declining marriage and birth rates.

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