HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

John Thalheimer, MS Org Leadership and Chuck Simikian, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
  • 5.0 (16)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. 6D AGO

    Ep145: Hot Topics - Rolling Layoffs and reduced trust. Are you ready for 2026?

    Send us a text This week on Hot Topics, the team touches on the following topics and more: Rolling layoffs are becoming more of a trend. Reducing the workforce 50 or fewer employees at a time could be a way for companies to save face and avoid reporting requirements. What are the implications of this on the remaining workforce? Studies show increases in anxiety are just the tip of the iceberg.Proximity bias - Does it show up in your workplace? The future of remote work starts with clarity and transparency to your employees.There’s a drastic rise in misalignment between employees and leadership. Are your leaders being clear about the values and expectations to their employees?The impact of banning pay history questions in the hiring process.Healthcare costs are projected to increase next year and will be difficult on companies and employees.People in lower socioeconomic ranges are feeling more disconnected than ever with their employers.People are turning to dating apps for professional uses…? What do you think for?Caregiving is becoming more and more of a barrier for people in their workplaces. How do they balance it and how does a company stay balanced across employees?Job hugging is reshaping our workforce. Hard jobs are in high demand and seeing a surge in applicants.The economy is creating turmoil for all levels of employees. There are a lot of areas of the workforce that are going to be facing challenges in this market and it’s important to be thinking ahead. Support the show 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.

    33 min

  2. DEC 2

    Ep144: Moldy Misery - The Importance of Tracking Your Efforts

    Send us a text After an employee asks for an accommodation of working from home due to mold concerns, things get complicated. But in this instance, you'll see how important it was that the employer recorded all of their efforts taken along the way when they say that working from home is not a reasonable accommodation.  Follow along with the team as they review the important steps to take when it comes to ADA accommodations - making sure you don't get caught OVER accommodating.  Support the show 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.

    31 min

  3. DEC 1

    Ep143: Q&A - Do I have to let ICE in?

    Send us a text Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions: 1. We’ve had a couple of sexual harassment complaints that don’t seem serious. Do we HAVE to investigate all of them? 2. A male says that he has a religious belief that he cannot work alone with a woman. Is this an accommodation that we must abide by? 3. What do you do if ICE shows up at your workplace? Support the show 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.

    26 min

  4. NOV 18

    Ep142: A Six Million Dollar Mistake

    Send us a text When two sisters who own a Dairy Queen are on the receiving end of a pay violation lawsuit, they are stunned. They’ve worked hard to create a “second chances” work environment and always paid their employees on time - even giving employees advances when they need it. They quickly learned that the lawsuit wasn’t for neglecting to pay their employees, but rather the frequency at which they paid them. Today’s story emphasizes the importance of knowing state laws to avoid a sneaky lawsuit. Good intentions don’t replace good systems, and a system failure can result in an expensive payout. Support the show 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.

    18 min

  5. NOV 4

    Ep141: Q&A - Tattoos and the Risks of Case-by-Case Policies

    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 create a policy about tattoos and piercings?Can we leave details out of the handbook that we want to handle case-by-case?Can a anxiety from a workplace incident be considered a disability and require reasonable accommodation? Support the show 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.

    19 min

  6. OCT 29

    Ep140: Work 32 hours a week whenever works best for you!

    Send us a text In this week’s Hot Topics, Chuck and John talk about the following topics and more: - Companies implementing AI training across their teams - Planned salary increases for 2026 are holding steady to this year. How do we provide value for employees to retain them? - Four-day work weeks seeing a bump in employee productivity and satisfaction. Lumen SEO is taking it to the next level by only requiring employees to work 32 hours per week, whenever works best for them. - Robo-bosses - there are bills being introduced to regulate the use of AI in decision-making processes Support the show 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.

    23 min

  7. OCT 21

    Ep139: Sunday Off - The Cost of Revoking a Religious Accommodation

    Send us a text When an employee’s request for Sundays off was approved — then revoked — it led to an EEOC case and a costly lesson in religious accommodation law. Chuck and John unpack how one scheduling change turned into a Title VII violation, what the Groff v. DeJoy decision means for employers, and how HR can avoid retaliation, document undue hardship, and protect the company from legal risk. Support the show 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.

    27 min

  8. OCT 14

    Ep138: Hot Topics - Workday is all in AI and Starbucks tells corporate to take their coffee to-go

    Send us a text Workday going all in on AI, spending astronomical amounts of money investing in AI softwares and agents. With AI not going anywhere, what risks and litigation do we open ourselves to when AI starts making business decisions. Starbucks is cutting more corporate positions and closing doors on some locations. Many companies have been able to stave off layoffs by relying on retirements and not filling open roles but in this uncertain economic landscape, businesses are needing to get creative on retention and avoiding turnover costs. A lawsuit against Nucor was brought about by two different employees for race-related retaliation. When the courts assessed the case, they sided with the employer. As a company, the importance of proper and thorough investigations cannot but understated. Support the show 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.

    24 min
See All (165)

Trailer

5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    John Thalheimer, MS Org Leadership and Chuck Simikian, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    165
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!
  • Show Website
    HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

You Might Also Like