HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story! – Details, episodes & analysis
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HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!
John Thalheimer, MS Org Leadership and Chuck Simikian, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Frequency: 1 episode/13d. Total Eps: 169
Welcome to the HR Stories Podcast - where there is a lesson in every story. Our Storytellers - John Thalheimer and Chuck Simikian, the Team behind HR Stories, share real-life tales about where a business made a preventable mistake. At The HR Stories Podcast, the STORIES are the teaching tool! LISTEN to the stories of those who did not heed the warning signs. LEARN from their mistakes. ACT on best practices shared by our hosts and guests. Each year, our hosts, Chuck Simikian and John Thalheimer, deliver thousands of live seminars around the country to business owners, executives, and HR professionals discussing the fundamentals of Human Resources, Leadership best practices, and legal risk reduction activities for organizations.
Each HR Story episode shares a story of where a company missed the mark, what went wrong, and how you can avoid their fate. As the Team at HR Stories, John and Chuck continue to develop and provide resources to help HR leaders, business owners, and organizations with the confidence they need to successfully handle employee issues and build strong employee practices to comply with employment laws. Both successful entrepreneurs help businesses through HR consulting, training, and coaching leaders. They have coached and trained thousands of HR Professionals, Business Owners, and Leaders to prepare them for the future.
John is the Founding Director of True Star Leadership™, which focuses on helping managers and leaders learn performance management principles. Chuck is the Founding Partner of Alliance HR Partners, which provides HR consulting and training to businesses nationwide. Together, they have over 40 years of experience navigating the challenges of HR and recently published their book, The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklist Edition. Go to https://ultimateguidetohr.com/ for more information, download a free sample, and watch their webinar on the Secret Power Behind Successful Businesses.
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Apple Podcasts
🇨🇦 Canada - management
01/02/2026#70🇨🇦 Canada - management
07/01/2026#66🇨🇦 Canada - management
12/05/2025#98🇨🇦 Canada - management
11/05/2025#69
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See allScore global : 62%
Publication history
Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.
Ep124: Heels, Health, and HR Headaches - The Dress Code Lawsuit Every Employer Should Know
Episode 124
mardi 6 mai 2025 • Duration 39:17
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 tale for HR professionals and small business owners alike. We break down the legal pitfalls of gendered dress codes, the requirements of the ADA, and the importance of honoring medical accommodations. With real court rulings, evolving workplace fashion trends, and clear HR compliance tips, this episode will help you audit your dress code policies, avoid discrimination claims, and stay ahead of costly employment law violations.
The team also touches on the following topics and more:
- Poorly formatted resumes can be the death of your job application
- There’s an apparent lack of will to work - how to make sure you’re creating an environment that people want to work in and, more importantly, stay in!
- The difficulty of pushing unpopular HR policies and the rise of HR being forced to push policies they don’t agree with.
Visit TeamAtHRStories.com to see all of our workshops and offerings to help you feel confident in your HR decisions.
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
Ep123: Q&A - Smelly Lunch and Consistent Callouts
Episode 123
mardi 29 avril 2025 • Duration 20:26
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 into the break room?
3. Can we lower someone’s pay if they move to a cheaper remote work location?
4. Can I take leave to take care of my sister who I am legally responsible for?
5. If a person is off work for the day and they answer emails or do work without being asked to, do we have to pay them?
Visit TeamAtHRStories.com to see all of our workshops and offerings to help you feel confident in your HR decisions.
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
Ep114: Beating the Challenges of Being a CHRO
Episode 114
mardi 25 février 2025 • Duration 43:39
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 & burnout solutions that work
✅ Upskilling & leadership development strategies
✅ Winning the war for top talent with DE&I
See more from John about DEI in the workplace here.
In the HR News segment, the team touches on the following topics and more:
- Executive orders being overturned - in particular #11246. The implications of Trump’s anti-DEI policies on your HR operations.
- Have DEI initiatives implemented by companies been mostly for PR? Apparently a lot of employees think so.
- DEI funds being shifted to AI investments by multiple companies.
- How you find a job in HR by making local connections.
- Many workers are looking for their next role… and quickly! Is the motivation higher pay or work-life balance?
🔔 Subscribe, review, and share!
Visit TeamAtHRStories.com to see all of our workshops and offerings to help you feel confident in your HR decisions.
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
Overcoming the HR Time Suck
Episode 37
dimanche 7 mai 2023 • Duration 53:11
You start out your day with a list of to-do’s. First, you start checking your emails. Then another colleague stops by and asks you to take a look at a document for them. A phone call comes in asking about a new upcoming project and a projected budget to be put together. A task, another, and another all pop up throughout the day and all of a sudden, the day is gone and your original to-do list is still waiting for you.
Does this sound familiar? In this episode, Chuck and John talk about how to manage time in HR effectively, touching on the Eisenhower Matrix. They recap a story of an HR Manager who was at risk of burnout by working excessive hours and continually struggling to check off the to-do list due to consistent incoming tasks.
In the HR News segment, the team touches on the following topics and more:
- 10-year-olds working at a McDonald's restaurant
- Companies offering job titles as incentive overpay
- Updated guidelines for handling when employees are upset around unsafe work conditions
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
Constructive Discharge: Constructing a Potential Lawsuit for your Company
Episode 36
lundi 1 mai 2023 • Duration 54:04
Retaliation is a known issue when an employee reports a problem but did you know that indirect action to create an environment that would push someone out of the workplace has its own name? In this episode, Chuck and John talk about Constructive Discharge - how it can happen and how to avoid a lawsuit by preventing it.
In the HR News segment, the team touches on the following topics and more:
- FTC guideline recommendations for non-competes
- Increases in Sexual Harassment Claims
- Walmart’s increase in diversity within leadership roles
- A trend in the increase of parental leave
- Being cautious with AI use
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
Serving up Discipline and Potential Discrimination at Whole Foods
Episode 35
lundi 24 avril 2023 • Duration 43:02
In each of our work environments, we have specific policies and procedures that we outline for our employees. Holding employees to these expectations can, at times, mean disciplinary measures are taken if they are not followed. This can seem like a clear process but there are some important steps to keep in mind when entering into these moments with your team.
Haley Evans was an employee working at Whole Foods who had been disciplined for attendance issues when she was repeatedly sent home for wearing a Black Lives Matter face mask. When she claimed that other employees had not been disciplined for wearing other logos and branded items, the situation became more of a complicated issue. In this week’s episode, Chuck and John talk through the importance of enforcing policies consistently to avoid becoming an EEOC issue.
In the HR News segment, the team touches on the following topics and more:
- Challenging the “Boss model” in the workplace with remote work
- A recent court case surrounding PTO
- Clarifying your overtime policies
- A new EEOC Technical Assistance Document that will be important for Federal Employees to take notice of
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
Payroll Pitfalls: The 5 Sneaky Traps You Need to Watch Out For
Episode 34
lundi 17 avril 2023 • Duration 57:49
There are a number of ways that you, as an HR professional, can run into trouble, potentially even legal trouble, with employee payroll. In this week’s episode, the Team take on the topic of payroll and running payroll audits. Doing simple payroll audits to make sure you have all of your bases covered can help you avoid complications before they arise.
Want to watch the Team rather than listen? Check out our YouTube channel every Thursday for the video versions of the episodes! See this week's here: https://youtu.be/8YG2eyvZj4w
In the HR News segment, the team touches on the following topics and more:
- A former HR Director’s lawsuit regarding age discrimination
- Religious accommodations being discussed at the Supreme Court level
- I9 Document Do’s and Don’ts
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
Violence in the Night: How to Protect Your Employees
Episode 33
dimanche 9 avril 2023 • Duration 49:07
Trigger Warning
Today’s episode contains discussions about workplace violence, violent acts, bullying, and the use of weapons. If you are uncomfortable with any of these topics, we recommend skipping this episode and joining us again on the next episode.
We hear about new acts of violence daily on the news and, unfortunately, these sometimes occur in people’s workplaces. These can range in severity and complexity while involving customers, clients, or other employees. How do we, as HR professionals, establish procedures and policies to protect our businesses and employees the best we can?
In today’s episode, Chuck and John will talk about a convenience store robbery and a workplace bullying situation among others to discuss how training and policies could have mitigated the risk in those situations. They also discuss proactive measures and observations to be aware of to apply to your workplace. In the worst-case scenario, the team discusses being prepared to respond to a situation.
In the HR News segment, the team touches on the following topics and more:
- Building trust through systems and habits
- Handling sensitive, potentially embarrassing topics with employees
- The importance of sexual harassment training
- Potential changes to criminal background checks that California is trying to put into law
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
When Joking Around at Work is No Laughing Matter
Episode 32
lundi 3 avril 2023 • Duration 57:00
In honor of April Fools Day recently rolling around again, the team talks about when jokes go too far and cross a line in the workplace. Many people have either been the butt of the joke or been around the big joker at work. And perhaps, at times, you may have been around these situations when it goes from being a funny moment into an uncomfortable situation. How, as HR professionals, do we make sure we handle these situations properly? Chuck and John will tell you all about it with several story examples, some they even had to handle directly.
Also in today's episode, Chuck and John talk about employee satisfaction surveys, a great resource for getting your HR questions answered, how language ties into the protected class of National Origin, and transgender rights in the workplace.
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
Why did they leave you? The Story of Employee Turnover
Episode 31
lundi 27 mars 2023 • Duration 49:57
We are seeing an increased rate of people voluntarily leaving their jobs. There is no one "golden ticket" answer to say why this is happening, but rather there is a multitude of reasons - pay, flexibility, and culture among them. How do we as HR professionals tackle this? In today's episode, Chuck and John discuss the ins and outs of employee retention.
The Team also talks about 4-day work weeks and ongoing studies around them as well as ADHD as an ADA-covered accommodation. After the recent bank collapses in the news, Chuck and John touch on ways to avoid losing access to company funds and how to navigate paying employees in those situations.
Visit AskJan to learn more about workplace accommodations.
Our new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE!
Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.
Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.
You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcast
Don't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!
Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event? You can reach the Team at Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.
The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.
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