This Week at Work: An HR and Employment Law Podcast

Hybrid Burnout & Quiet Disengagement: Warning Signs Leaders Miss

Everyone’s staying, but are they still showing up?Turnover is down, but so is energy. From hybrid fatigue to economic caution, employees may be staying put, but not leaning in. Learn why today’s disengagement looks different, how to spot the early signs, and what leaders can do to re-ignite focus before top talent quietly checks out. Phil and Burt are joined by leadership strategist Tanya Zion for a timely conversation about the signals employers can’t afford to miss. Using the latest Gallup data, she explains why employees are staying put yet feeling disconnected, how unclear expectations are fueling burnout, and what managers must do differently to develop today’s workforce.
Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome02:59 – Lawyer on the Clock begins 03:09 – EEOC rescinds 2024 harassment guidance explained07:00 – State-by-state DEI and affirmative action rollbacks10:06 – EEOC sues Nike over race discrimination investigation12:23 – FTC targets law firms and Mansfield Certification19:38 – AIM updates and transition to Tanya Zion21:01 – Engagement down while retention rises – Gallup insights26:31 – Rethinking the manager’s role and clear expectations29:10 – AI, cognitive offloading, and critical thinking risks35:01 – Celebrating incremental wins and practical leadership takeaways
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The Speed of Change Exposing Leadership Gaps - Who’s at Risk and How to Prepare Now

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In Episode 360, Phil is joined by Melissa Pesce of Ogletree Deakins and executive coach Leslie Mizerak to break down the workplace issues leaders and HR professionals need to understand right now.
Our panel covers timely legal guidance on FMLA and snow day closures, what employers should know about remote work as a disability accommodation, and how clear policies can reduce risk. Then the conversation shifts to the growing role of executive coaching in leadership development, managing change, and preparing high-potential employees for succession.
Timestamps: 00:01:36 – Phil welcomes Melissa Pesce back to the show00:02:46 – Introduction of executive coach Leslie Mizerak00:03:22 – Leadership trends and upcoming AIM events update00:04:22 – Lawyer on the Clock00:04:49 – FMLA guidance on snow days and unexpected closures00:10:16 – Remote work and ADA accommodation case update00:17:01 – Coaching misconceptions and modern purpose00:28:44 – Coaching for succession planning and high-potential leaders
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2026 Employer Policy Outlook After Washington’s Active 2025

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In Episode 359 we welcome Beltway insider Jim Plunkett for a practical breakdown of how recent disruptions are shaping the year ahead for employers.
The conversation explores where employment policy is really being made, why federal agencies may have more influence than Congress, and how shifts at the Department of Labor, NLRB, and EEOC could impact employers in 2026. The panel also takes a look at AI hiring risks, emerging discrimination lawsuits, a rare 27-pay-period year, and the growing divide between state and federal workplace rules.
This episode is essential viewing for HR leaders and business executives who want to understand what is changing, why it matters, and how to prepare before the next wave hits.
Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & what Congress did (and didn’t) do for employers01:31 – Opening banter & why keeping up with policy feels like tennis03:38 – Lawyer on the Clock: AI hiring tools & Fair Credit Reporting Act risks07:32 – Uber & Lyft gender-matching lawsuits: damned if you do, damned if you don’t10:27 – 2026 warning: Why some employers may face 27 pay periods13:52 – Why 2025 felt so disruptive for employers17:38 – When agencies drive employment policy, not Congress19:03 – Independent contractor rules & OSHA heat regulations23:15 – State vs. federal divide on AI and workplace laws26:12 – What’s coming from the NLRB, EEOC & DOL in 2026
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Leadership Development Is Stalling: The Delegation Gap Leaders Must Fix

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Delegation isn’t just about giving work away - it’s how future leaders are developed. With 40% of executives saying leadership development is a serious long-term challenge, we’re asking the BIG question: are leaders actually delegating enough and to the right places? 
Join us with Lauren Patel (AAIM) as we explore delegation in workplaces where leaders must learn to delegate effectively to both humans and AI.
Timestamps: 00:09 – Leadership Development as a 2026 Business Challenge01:32 – Guest Introduction: Lauren Patel02:49 – Lawyer on the Clock Begins03:25 – AI in Hiring and Employment Law Overview07:45 – EEOC Power Shift and Policy Direction14:12 – Lawyer on the Clock Wrap-Up15:35 – Why Leaders Struggle to Develop Future Leaders18:11 – The Real Barriers to Delegation29:52 – Delegate Decisions, Not Just Tasks

The Cost of Toxic Flattery - and How to Restore Honest Leadership

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Toxic flattery may sound “nice,” but it’s costing organizations time, talent, and truth. When leaders and tools are rewarded for agreeability instead of honesty, tough questions go unasked, bad decisions stick, and teams stop learning. 
Join us with special guest Kris Gfell (HR Services, AAIM) as we unpack the epidemic of toxic flattery - and how HR can lead a culture that values candor over comfort.
Timestamps: 
00:00 — Why 30% of Employees Don’t Feel Safe Speaking Up01:28 — Welcome Back and Six Years of This Week at Work03:13 — Introducing Toxic Flattery in the Workplace03:58 — Lawyer on the Clock: Major Labor and Employment Updates05:16 — Marijuana Rescheduling and What It Means for Employers08:12 — DEI Programs Under Legal Scrutiny10:30 — State Law Changes Employers Must Know in 202614:49 — Illinois Employment Law Updates That Impact HR19:17 — What “AITA” Culture Reveals About Validation and Feedback29:57 — How Leaders Create Alignment Without Toxic Flattery

Leaders Are Leaning on AI & HR: Coaches vs. Crutches

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For episode 356, Leaders are increasingly leaning on AI tools - and HR - for guidance, decisions, and direction. When AI and HR act as crutches, leadership capability erodes. When used as coaches, they scale judgment, confidence, and performance. Working alongside company leadership, HR must design training and development that uses AI to reinforce leadership, not replace it.
Timestamps: 00:13 – AI, Coaching, and the Workplace Questions Defining 202603:40 – Lawyer on the Clock Begins: SHRM Ordered to Pay $11.5M in Race Discrimination Case05:54 – Service Dog ADA Lawsuit: Where the Interactive Process Broke Down09:32 – Recap of Department of Labor Guidance in first year of 2nd Trump Administration 14:32 – The “Dumbbell Effect”: How AI Is Reshaping the Job Market21:10 – According to AAIME Hart: Key to Leadership Success Coaching Series 23:40 – Philburt's Phorum is back 24:40 – Matt Wideman: Why Coaching Should Start on Day One of Onboarding29:40 – How AI can help with difficult conversations with your team39:21 – Final Takeaways, Listener Question, and Holiday Wishes
Tune in to learn how to keep coaching as a core leadership skill in 2026.

What Is a Job? After AI Strips Away Tasks, Here’s What Remains

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For episode 355, Dr. Scott Koeneman - 3rd-degree black belt, Lean Six Sigma expert, hypnotist, and author - joins us to explore the “Great Realignment.” As AI strips tasks away from traditional roles, we ask: What is a job now? What do employers truly need, and what do employees now value in a career? Dr. Scott breaks down why reskilling matters, where human nuance still wins, and how AI levels the playing field for small businesses while challenging large ones. Plus - in a world where even layoffs can be automated - what does it mean to be “let go” today?
Timestamps: 00:42 - Welcome & Show Intro02:40 - Guest Introduction: Scott Koeneman04:00 - Scott’s Book: Quantum Intern Year One04:50 - Veteran Work & Community Involvement06:06 - Lawyer on the Clock: Fed Chairman Press Conference Thoughts16:38 - According to AAIME Hart: Compliance Checklist 20:36 - Four Key Skill Buckets for the Future Workforce29:03 - W2 vs 1099 & Project-Based Work34:37 - AI in Small Business & Main Street Impact
REGISTER NOW! AAIM’s Payroll Tax Update is coming up fast on December 12th! Your best defense against future payroll errors. 
Click the link to sign up: https://aaimea.org/payroll-tax-update-2025/

Fix Culture Fast: Change What Leaders Do, Not What They Say

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For episode 354, we’re joined by Inclusion Thought Leader Fred Falker for a candid conversation about leadership’s role in actually building an inclusive culture. Hint: it isn’t achieved through statements or slogans. It happens through action.
At its core, an inclusive culture should expand the circle, not redraw the lines - and only consistent leadership behaviors make that possible. Plus, a full sweep of this week’s must-know employment-law headlines
Timestamps: 01:03 — Open01:12 — Phil Discusses Employee Misalignment Trends02:41 — Fred Falker joins the show05:39 — Lawyer on the Clock: SHRM, Job Market, NLRB15:34 — AI HR Advisor AAIME Hart Shares Important Updates17:15 — Fred Falker on Changing Workplace Culture26:38 — Phil Discusses the Importance of Business Promises32:43 — Measuring Culture: Employee Experience & Belonging
REGISTER NOW! AAIM’s Payroll Tax Update is coming up fast on December 12th! Your best defense against future payroll errors. 
Click the link to sign up: https://aaimea.org/payroll-tax-update-2025/

Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity: Leadership in Crisis With Sam Goodwin

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This week on This Week at Work, we sit down with Sam Goodwin: one of the few to visit all 193 countries. In 2019, Sam’s journey took an unexpected turn when he was abducted in Syria and falsely accused of being a spy. Now a speaker, author, and expert on resilience, Sam shares how his experience taught him to lead through chaos, embrace uncertainty, and find purpose in the most unlikely places. 
Don’t forget to register for AAIM’s Payroll Tax Update on December 12th! Your best defense against future payroll errors. 
Click the link to sign up: https://aaimea.org/payroll-tax-update-2025/
Timestamps: 00:36 – Welcome, Preview of today's guest Sam Goodwin 03:01 – Lawyer on the Clock: The Layoff Explosion & What It Means  05:36 – The Hidden Talent Mismatch Problem in the Hiring Market  08:29 – Major Shift at the EEOC: Religious Discrimination Under the Microscope  11:06 – Enforcement Is Back: DEI Programs Face Legal Heat  14:39 – Meet Sam Goodwin: Athlete, Traveler, Author of “Saving Sam”  16:31 – Sam’s Arrest in Syria  20:22 – Surviving Solitary & Life in a Syrian Prison Cell  24:04 – Sam on what led him to Hockey, Faith & Mindset after captivity  28:50 – Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity: Sam’s Three-Step Framework  

Lead Smarter: Leverage the Humanity AI Can't Replace

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In this episode, Phil and Burt welcome Lauren Patel to explore the urgent need for “Double Fluency” - the ability to not only engage with AI, but also to strengthen the uniquely human skills that AI can’t replicate. Drawing from the WEF’s Future of Jobs Report, they break down what HR and business leaders must do now to prepare their teams for a future where fluency in both tech and soft skills defines success. 
Timestamps: 00:00 – Are You Training Your Team to Think With AI?01:33 – Phil and Burt Debate Robots and “Optimus” at Home03:25 – Why Phil’s Waiting for Elon Musk’s Optimus Robot05:28 – Lauren’s First Reaction to Seeing “Neo” the Robot07:32 – Lawyer on the Clock: The Home Depot Dress-Code Case10:10 – What Counts as “Protected Activity” at Work?17:23 – Starbucks Union Pins and the Future of Dress Codes21:02 – Aaime’s HR Updates: Payroll and Leadership Training22:24 – Double Fluency: Balancing Tech and Human Skills36:21 – Government Reopens: What It Means for Employers
Remember to sign up for AAIM’s payroll tax update that can save your company from any payroll mistakes in the future!
Click the link to sign up: https://aaimea.org/payroll-tax-update-2025/