Best Chuck Simikian Podcasts (2025)

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Ep124: Heels, Health, and HR Headaches - The Dress Code Lawsuit Every Employer Should Know 39:17

2d ago39:17

39:17

Send us a text What happens when a company's dress code walks straight into a lawsuit? In this eye-opening episode, Chuck and John unpack the real-life legal battle between a cocktail server and MGM National Harbor over mandatory high heels, disability discrimination, and a rigid appearance policy. This isn’t just about shoes. It’s a cautionary tal…

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Ep123: Q&A - Smelly Lunch and Consistent Callouts 20:26

13d ago20:26

20:26

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: 1. Can you require a doctors note for someone who continually calls in the day after a holiday weekend? Our PTO policy doesn’t require it but it happens every time. 2. Is it an HR issue if someone brings particularly fragrant food …

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Ep122: Burnout, Stress & Leadership – What HR Needs to Hear Right Now 43:12

19d ago43:12

43:12

Send us a text John Thalheimer and Chuck Simikian unpack the growing crisis of burnout and chronic stress among HR professionals and business leaders. With recent federal actions, such as workforce reductions and the rollback of affirmative action policies, HR leaders are navigating more pressure than ever. You’ll learn: What burnout really looks l…

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Ep121: Q&A - Retaliation against HR, demotion compensation, and mixed employment 16:55

28d ago16:55

16:55

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: What should an HR employee do if they’re experiencing retaliation in the workplace but feel like they can’t go to management? How do you handle compensation for someone getting demoted while pay bands changed? Can someone be an ind…

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Ep120: Updates from the EEOC - Lawful DEI in the Trump Era 46:50

1M ago46:50

46:50

Send us a text The Trump Administration has signed a flurry of executive orders - some of which have direct impacts on the workplace. It’s critical, now more than ever, to pay attention to changes and updates that are coming your way. In today’s episode, Chuck and John review some new documents released by the EEOC that are providing clearer guidan…

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Ep119: Q&A - The Nitty Gritty of Overtime 17:45

1M ago17:45

17:45

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: What’s the smallest increment of time that you have to count towards overtime? How do you handle PTO fairly in terms of seniority? Is there a policy that you have for senior employees over new hires? Can part time employees be give…

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Ep118: Pay Discrimination & Retaliation - How to Avoid Costly Mistakes 32:06

1M ago32:06

32:06

Send us a text This is a case you can’t afford to ignore. When AccentCare, Inc. paid a less-experienced male nurse more than a seasoned female nurse—and then fired her when she complained—the EEOC took action. In this episode, we break down the lawsuit, the five critical lessons for employers, and why Equal Pay Day (March 25) is a wake-up call. Fro…

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Ep117: Q&A - Medical Disclosures & Unauthorized Charges 23:38

2M ago23:38

23:38

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: We have an employee who has been out numerous times for a medical issue but he will not provide any supporting documentation or take FMLA. How can we proceed if we need to take action to have someone fill the role? We have someone …

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Ep116: HR on Trial - The Importance of Good Record Keeping 44:26

2M ago44:26

44:26

Send us a text In this episode, we dive into the shocking case of Reena Mathew, an HR Business Partner at Santander Consumer USA, who was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan and fired after announcing her pregnancy. Was it a case of performance management—or pregnancy discrimination disguised as poor performance? Chuck and John break down the …

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Ep115: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: When HR gets messy and complicated 25:16

2M ago25:16

25:16

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: I’m newly taking over HR duties and it’s a mess. Where do I start? We have an employee that wants to take 8 weeks of unpaid leave for personal medical needs. They want to use PTO to cover benefit deductions but they won’t have enou…

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Ep114: Beating the Challenges of Being a CHRO 43:39

2M ago43:39

43:39

Send us a text In today’s episode, you’ll follow along with a CHRO who was tasked with tackling hybrid work challenges, boosting employee well-being, and building a future-ready workforce. Listen as Chuck and John talk through these ways to come out on top of these challenges: ✅ “Collaboration Week” – Fixing hybrid work disconnect ✅ Mental health &…

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Ep113: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Life & Death - Acknowledging Key Life Moments 22:34

3M ago22:34

22:34

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How do you deal with the death of an employee? How do you convince executives to support HR? How do you recognize birthdays and anniversaries? Visit TeamAtHRStories.com to see all of our workshops and offerings to help you feel con…

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Ep112: Perceived Bias and Promotion Troubles - Keeping Hiring Legal & Clear 42:01

3M ago42:01

42:01

Send us a text In this episode, Chuck and John break down the Cunningham v. Department of Defense case, where a qualified employee’s promotion was denied due to subjective interview evaluations. Gwendolyn Cunningham, despite her expertise, was passed over for a new leadership role, leading to claims of bias and a legal battle. Listen in as Chuck an…

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EP111: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Working without paperwork, Layoff Difficulty, and Passive Aggression 27:28

3M ago27:28

27:28

Send us a text HR is hard - BambooHR is easy! See for yourself with a free demo at BambooHR: https://shorturl.at/E7kkF Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How do we handle an individual who attended multiple days of training without completing paperwork or signed their contract yet…

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Ep110: Remote Work Legal Complexity - State Laws vs Company Location 51:05

3M ago51:05

51:05

Send us a text In a landmark remote work case, when Inna worked remotely in New Jersey for a Pennsylvania-based company, she assumed New Jersey's employee-friendly laws would protect her. However, the courts made a surprising ruling: the company's location, not the employee's, determines which state laws apply. This key decision highlights the comp…

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Ep109: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Employee Statuses and Preparing for the Next Role 27:50

4M ago27:50

27:50

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Can you start an employee as a contractor then transition them to full time? When an employee changes from part time to full time, do you need to fill out new paperwork or can you just update their status in the HRIS? How do I prep…

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Ep108: Trump's HR Impacts - What to Expect From the Next Administration 32:17

4M ago32:17

32:17

Send us a text We are just days away from a new administration stepping in to The White House. Every time we have a change of office, there are impacts to the employment sector that are felt down to the small business levels, often coming from how laws are enforced and interpreted. While we have a preview of what may be expected from Trump’s admini…

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Ep107: The LIVE Edition! How These Checklists Can Improve Your 2025 & Beyond 53:04

4M ago53:04

53:04

Send us a text WELCOME TO THE LIVE EPISODE! Join Chuck and John for this playback of their first live recording, done on January 7th, 2025. There's no shortage of ways that people set out to make their new year a better - working out, eating better, journaling. The Team at HR Stories wanted to provide a tool that you use use to improve your work li…

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Ep106: When Audits Come Knocking - Start 2025 On The Right Foot 40:49

4M ago40:49

40:49

Send us a text The new year is upon us and with it comes an opportunity for a fresh start. Start your 2025 off right with an audit of the top-ten issues that the team has encountered when working with HR Teams. Proactive work on these areas can prevent major headaches later in the year. From I-9 pitfalls (likely important in 2025) to employee handb…

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Ep105: 2024 Top 10 Q&A! 51:44

5M ago51:44

51:44

Send us a text The year has been filled with a lot of updates, changes, and questions along the way. Hang out with Chuck and John as they review some of the top listener Q&A's from 2024. We'll see everyone next week with new content to prepare you for 2025. Does anybody have good ideas to make your Indeed postings stand out and look less “basic” an…

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Ep104: From the Holiday Vault - Revisiting the Poor Working Conditions of the North Pole 22:25

5M ago22:25

22:25

Send us a text Take a trip down memory lane with Chuck and John as they visit the North Pole and talk about the brutal work conditions of everyone's favorite red-nosed reindeer. Learn about how Jolly Ol' St. Nick mishandled a toxic work environment filled to the brim with harassment and exclusionary practices and where he could have done better. Su…

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Ep103: Grandma Got Fired, Not Retired - How Trader Joe's learned that Niceness can Backfire 53:27

5M ago53:27

53:27

Send us a text Gloria worked for Trader Joe's for over 15 years and it was a family affair - with her grandson working at the same store. When a situation arose with her underage grandson and the sale of alcoholic beverages, Trader Joe's offered her the opportunity to retire but then had to terminate her when an email arrived in their inbox with so…

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Ep102: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: After Hours Tasks and Getting Fired on Leave 20:00

5M ago20:00

20:00

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Do we need to reimburse someone for cellphone usage, milage, and after hours texts? We’re going to hire someone to work half in HR, half in accounting. What tasks can I give them? Can someone use paid bereavement leave in the middl…

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Ep101: Questions and Lessons from the News - Topics You'll Give a Hoot About 48:45

5M ago48:45

48:45

Send us a text In this week's episode, Chuck and John dive into several questions ripped from headlining stories. From Hooters discriminatory hiring practices to reality shows providing too much alcohol to participants, there has been no shortage of lessons to be learned from corporate missteps. The team also looks at recent survey results that say…

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Ep100: The Big 100 - HR Stories Podcast Celebrates 100 Episodes 48:27

6M ago48:27

48:27

Send us a text The big day is here! Chuck and John celebrate the podcast's 100th episode by looking back at their top 10 podcast stories, looking at the most controversial episode titles, and the best and worst stories they've told. You won't want to miss this look back at where it all began along with an exciting announcement about next year's epi…

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Ep99: Q&A - The Employee Edition: The questions your employees may be afraid to ask 41:31

6M ago41:31

41:31

Send us a text In today's episode, Chuck and John take on some of the tough questions that come from the employee's perspective. As an HR professional, keep an open ear for ways to make sure your employees don't go unheard. Check out how the team tackles these questions: How do I know if I’m being paid fairly for my role? Can I refuse to work in a …

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Ep98: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Would you like cheese with that? 22:45

6M ago22:45

22:45

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How much do you take dietary restrictions into consideration for company events? Can you require salary employees to clock in and out? What’s the best way to develop a time off policy? Support the show Our new book...The Ultimate G…

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Ep97: The Future Of Work: What Are We Missing? 37:46

7M ago37:46

37:46

Send us a text It’s easy for us to look back and see how much has changed from 5 or 10 years ago but it can sometimes be easy to miss the subtle changes as they come that lead to those bigger changes. In today’s episode, Chuck and John talk through the changes that have been coming to the work environment over the recent years and how they will sha…

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Ep96: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Avoiding a bad hire and restriction avoidant workers 24:00

7M ago24:00

24:00

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How do you effectively advise on not hiring a bad culture-fit candidate? How do you properly navigate legal documentation and onboarding documentation for transgender individuals? How do you work with an employee who is hesitant to…

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Ep95: He Was In Hot Water... Literally - Workmans' Comp Need To Know 52:39

7M ago52:39

52:39

Send us a text When a new hire of a trucking company follows directives from a supervisor, he lands in hot water - literally - and in a dispute around workmans' comp. What is classified under this umbrella and how can you think about it in realistic terms? This week, Chuck and John dive into all of this an more as they discuss intramural sports lea…

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Ep94: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Getting Directors to Take a Step Back and Operations to Align 28:35

7M ago28:35

28:35

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Should supervisors working in the field be exempt or non-exempt? What questions should we ask? When you try to offload responsibilities from Directors to Managers but the Directors continue to step in and say how things should be h…

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Ep93: Make HR Easy - The Ultimate Guide to HR 53:08

8M ago53:08

53:08

Send us a text Whether you’re a seasoned HR professional or someone who was volun-told that you are now handling HR functions at work, there can be an overwhelming amount of questions around every corner and in every process. Maybe you’re trying to figure out how to manage remote workers effectively or how to properly handle an investigation into a…

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Ep92: A Smile or a Consequence - Trader Joe's Problematic Stance on Positivity 46:44

8M ago46:44

46:44

Send us a text A story in the New York Times brought to light a different side to the Trader Joe's so many know and love, talking about how a policy of positivity and happy greetings was creating quite the opposite of a work environment for employees. In today’s episode, Chuck and John talk about this contradicting policy and environment, particula…

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Ep91: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: When you want to fire a customer 20:04

8M ago20:04

20:04

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Are the new FLSA Salary threshold rules in place for January 2025? Did we miss the announcement? If you have an employee working on the phone with customers and the customer starts speaking very inappropriately, what action can you…

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Ep90: From the Vault - "I’m Going to Run You Over with this Forklift" - An Intense Tale of Sexual Harassment 51:27

8M ago51:27

51:27

Send us a text Today, Chuck and John went into the vault to talk about the crazy story that had someone saying, "I'm going to run you over with this forklift!" Join them on this trip into the archives. We'll be back next week with a new Q&A episode. --------- When an employee consistently makes harassing comments and even threatens violence against…

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Ep89: Nose Pickers and Scab Pickers - It Gets Weird In HR 43:38

8M ago43:38

43:38

Send us a text In this weird and wacky episode, Chuck and John talk about some of the more strange instances they and other HR professionals have dealt with. Being in the unique position of HR, you’ll encounter all sorts of interesting people and situations, often having to figure out how to navigate the most challenging of circumstances. From nose…

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Ep88: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Working for Competitors and Social Media Problems 39:51

9M ago39:51

39:51

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How do you handle a salary non-exempt employee working overtime one week and under hours the next during a pay period? Are you required to give pay increases to all employees? A manager suspects someone is working for a competitor.…

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Ep87: Interviews - Getting Them Right 41:45

9M ago41:45

41:45

Send us a text Join us in this episode of the HR Stories Podcast, where we uncover the complexities and legalities of the interview process. Chuck and John dive into a lively discussion sparked by a heated Facebook debate on working interviews. They clarify the nuances of what employers can legally ask candidates to do, ensuring organizations navig…

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Ep86: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: FMLA, Merger Timelines, and Layoff Worries 23:00

9M ago23:00

23:00

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Does FMLA paperwork need to be filled out by the doctor or can a nurse practitioner fill it out? Can we deny it if the doctor won’t fill it out? What timelines do I need to keep in mind during a merger? How do I handle layoffs and …

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Ep85: You Can't Make Me Take This Training! 48:26

10M ago48:26

48:26

Send us a text Something big is coming from The Team at HR Stories this fall! Don’t miss out on the chance at an early view of it. In this week’s episode, the team does an extended Listener Q&A format, diving further in to some interesting topics, telling a story alongside each question - Can employees refuse to do mandatory training? Can there be …

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Ep84: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Will all this be declassified? Or is this confidential? 26:50

10M ago26:50

26:50

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: How does confidentiality work in HR? What suggestions do you have to boost employee moral and how do you work with employees who don’t want to participate in employee activities? We have one person who had approved time off - has b…

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Ep83: Celebrating the Civil Rights Act - There are Still Lessons to Learn 41:43

10M ago41:43

41:43

Send us a text It’s July! You know that means we’re celebrating! Not only the 4th of July but also the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, signed July 2nd in 1964. In today’s episode, Chuck and John talk about the importance of this act and the work of the EEOC through the eyes of three employees of a property management company where they we…

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Ep82: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Out-of-work behavior, Termination Blues, and PTO Swaps 22:46

10M ago22:46

22:46

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Can I hold an employee responsible for behavior that they participate in outside of work, on personal time? Does it ever get easier to terminate someone? If a company schedules a meeting over a posted holiday, can you shift that PT…

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Ep81: Gender Discrimination - How to Ensure an Inclusive Workspace and Avoid a Lawsuit 48:42

10M ago48:42

48:42

Send us a text Laws around discrimination on the basis of sex are nothing new but the conversation and nuance around it has changed. While political climates have made conversations around gender and sex a heated topic, how do you ensure your employees, management, and HR policies align with the law, not personal opinions. In today’s episode, Chuck…

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Ep80: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: Job Descriptions, Balancing Accommodation with Production, and Celebrations 22:29

11M ago22:29

22:29

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Do you have a good step-by-step process for creating or gathering job descriptions for all roles in the company? How do you handle an employee who has slower output but claims to have a disability? Do you have any suggestions for r…

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Ep79: Preventable Death in the Workplace 49:20

11M ago49:20

49:20

Send us a text Summer’s here and you don’t want to get ‘burned’ by the seasonal conditions. In today’s episode, Chuck and John explore the dangers of outdoor work conditions and how they can result in the most tragic of circumstances if you are not taking the proper steps to protect your employees. In the HR News segment, the team touches on the fo…

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Ep78: Listener Q&A - We Answer Your Questions: The Dos and Don'ts of Exempt vs Non-exempt 14:49

11M ago14:49

14:49

Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: Can I, as an exempt employee, work in a non-exempt role at the same company performing a separate job? We hired someone has a salary exempt employee but after 10 months, his job description changed and reclassified him as non-exemp…

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Ep77: The Hidden Dangers of Social Media Retaliation - What Employers Need to Know 43:56

11M ago43:56

43:56

Send us a text In today's episode, we're unraveling a case that blends social media, workplace rights, and a touch of constitutional debate. Chuck and John explore how Bevins & Son Inc. found themselves embroiled in a Department of Labor lawsuit over unpaid wages and social media retaliation. Discover how a Facebook post turned a wage dispute into …

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Ep76: From the Vault - Breaking Legal Barriers: The Part-Time Secretary Who Rewrote Harassment Laws 51:47

12M ago51:47

51:47

Send us a text Today, we jump back into the vault to revisit one of our most popular stories from this year - Sheri Minarsky's workplace harassment fight. We'll be back next week with a new episode. ------------ Dive into a riveting episode of HR Stories Podcast, featuring the story of Sheri Minarsky's brave stand against workplace harassment. This…

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Ep75: It Spreads Faster Than Covid! - Watch out for this contagion in your office. 43:22

12M ago43:22

43:22

Send us a text Your office might be susceptible to a fast-spreading and harmful contagion. You can't see it but you can feel it... and you can definitely hear it. In this week's episode, Chuck and John talk about those negative voices you experience in the office and how they can impact your team. Navigating these type of interactions and individua…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Chuck Simikian Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen