WTF is Business Casual

Rise Human Resources
  • 4.8 (17)
  • MANAGEMENT

Buckle up for real HR stories that'll make you laugh, cringe, and thank your lucky stars you're not that guy. WTF is Business Casual is the HR podcast where two seasoned consultants—Sarah Bursten and Jenny Lavey, co-founders of RiseHR—dish on wild workplace fails, toxic bosses, employee drama, and leadership gone wrong. With 35+ years of combined experience in HR, leadership development, and people management, they offer surprisingly useful advice wrapped in real talk and hilarious storytelling. If you’re an HR professional, small business owner, people manager, or just someone who’s survived office politics, this show is for you. Subscribe to WTF is Business Casual—because work is weird, leadership is messy, and people always be peopling. Hosted by Sarah Bursten & Jenny Lavey | RiseHR www.risehumanresources.com

  1. 2D AGO

    When Employees Start Making the Rules: How Leaders Should Respond

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when employees stop asking and start telling? In this episode, Jenny and Sarah unpack a growing workplace trend they have been seeing with small business owners: employees announcing schedule changes, cutting their hours, demanding remote work, and assuming the answer will be yes. The bigger issue is not employee boldness. It is leadership hesitation. They dig into why so many leaders struggle to respond in the moment, how unclear expectations create bigger problems later, and why avoiding uncomfortable conversations often creates legal risk, resentment, and confusion across the team. This conversation covers the real difference between being flexible and being run over. In this episode, they cover: Why employees are increasingly telling leaders what they will do instead of askingThe difference between a reasonable request and an unreasonable demandWhy small business owners often struggle more with boundaries than corporate leadersHow unclear expectations create confusion, inconsistency, and frustrationWhy avoiding hard conversations almost always makes the problem worseHow to think through requests for schedule changes, reduced hours, and remote workWhat leaders should do before saying yes to a request tied to stress, family needs, or medical concernsWhy documentation matters more than most leaders realizeThe role of boundaries, accountability, and clear communication in healthy workplaces Visit our website: RISE Human Resources Book a  call: 30 Min HR Consultation Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

    46 min

  2. APR 22

    The Most Expensive "Free" Lunch in HR History.

    Send us Fan Mail A team gets invited to a "free" lunch with a consultant, and it ends up costing the company six months of peace. Jenny and Sarah unpack a "WTF" moment where a simple midday meeting turned into a spiral of written statements, HR investigations, and a team that stopped speaking to each other. It’s a look at how a lack of curiosity and a surplus of ego can turn a minor oversight into a total relationship wrecking ball. Spoiler: When leaders choose "investigation mode" before asking a single question, everyone loses. They dive into the ripple effect of a leader who skipped the facts to go straight for the jugular, and a leader whose "I’d tell you if you sucked" management style left her team feeling like cogs in a machine. In this episode, you’ll get: The Anatomy of "Lunch-Gate": How a tiny miss in communication led to half a year of resentment and "mechanical" one-on-ones.The Ego Trip: Why "hot and emotional" leadership is a recipe for collateral damage.The Power of the Non-Apology: Why it’s so hard for leaders to just say, "I forgot, and I’m sorry this landed on you."Assuming Negative Intent: How we "stack" stories in our heads until our bosses look like villains and our office doors stay closed.The Empathy Deficit: A reality check on why being "black and white" at the top leads to a very grey future for your culture.Whether you’ve been thrown under the bus or you’re the one driving it, this episode is a mirror moment for anyone who’s ever forgotten that HR stands for Human Resources. Hit play. Bring your own lunch—just make sure you run it by the head honcho first. Visit our website: RISE Human Resources Book a  call: 30 Min HR Consultation Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

    43 min

  3. APR 8

    Gen Z at Work: Lazy, Loud, or the Wake-Up Call Corporate Needed? (Rebroadcast)

    Send us Fan Mail Rebroadcast: It’s graduation season, and we’re dusting off one of our all-time fan favorites! Whether you’re tossing your cap, building a team, or guiding the next generation, this episode is essential listening for navigating the transition from campus to career. ______ Gen Z has officially entered the chat and corporate America isn’t ready. Jenny and Sarah rip into the chaos (and low-key brilliance) of the newest generation in the workplace. Are they entitled job hoppers with no soft skills… or the only ones brave enough to call BS on burnout culture?  Spoiler: it’s complicated — and very, very human. They unpack everything from Gen Z’s allergy to fake leadership to why they’ll quit faster than you can say “circle back.” Plus, the hosts drag every generation (including their own) through the mud for good measure. You’ll get: The truth about Gen Z’s “bad attitude” and why it’s actually a boundaryHow pandemic schooling and parenting styles rewired workplace expectationsReal talk on feedback, flexibility, and why managers need to grow up tooThe tension between “just do your job” and “I need meaning in my job”A mirror moment for HR pros who keep trying to lead with policies instead of peopleBecause every generation swears the next one’s the problem, but maybe Gen Z’s just the first one bold enough to say the quiet part out loud. Hit play. Laugh a little, cringe a lot, and maybe rethink how you talk about “kids these days.” Visit our website: RISE Human Resources Book a  call: 30 Min HR Consultation Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

    1h 3m

  4. MAR 25

    What "Lack of Initiative" Means (And Why Employees Get It Wrong)

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Jenny and Sarah break down one of the most misunderstood workplace complaints: “You lack initiative.” But what does that actually mean? Because to employees, it often sounds like: Work more. Stay later. Do extra. Don’t get paid for it. And to leaders, it usually means something completely different. This episode unpacks the gap between those two interpretations—and why it’s creating frustration on both sides. Using simple, real-world scenarios, they show the difference between task-based thinking and outcome-based thinking, and why that shift is what leaders are actually looking for. They also get into where things go wrong: unclear expectations, over-structured environments, and managers who forget they need to teach—not just expect. And yes… the Gen Z stare makes an appearance. What’s inside this episode: [00:00] What leaders mean when they say “initiative” [03:00] The viral example that perfectly explains task vs. outcome thinking [06:20] Why employees hear “initiative” as unpaid extra work [08:45] The role leaders play in setting clear expectations (“paint it done”) [10:00] How school and parenting shape workplace behavior [12:30] When initiative goes too far (and hurts your reputation) [15:30] The “Gen Z stare” and what it really signals [18:30] Interpersonal conflict: handle it yourself or escalate? [22:00] The difference between tattling and professional communication [24:45] Why managers hate the “boomerang” problem [27:30] Problem-solving: don’t bring just problems—bring thinking [31:00] When leaders say they want solutions but reject all of them [33:30] Why none of this is easy—and how it gets better over time This episode is about clarity. Because most people aren’t failing due to lack of effort. They’re failing because no one clearly defined what “good” actually looks like. Visit our website: RISE Human Resources Book a  call: 30 Min HR Consultation Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

    35 min

  5. MAR 11

    Productivity at All Costs? The Workplace Obsession With “More With Less”

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Jenny and Sarah follow a strange rabbit hole that started with a podcast about the history of meth. Yes, really. The episode explored how stimulants were once used to push soldiers, pilots, and workers to stay awake longer and produce more. And it sparked a bigger question: why has the workplace always been obsessed with squeezing more productivity out of humans? More with less. Work harder. Sleep less. Grind. Sound familiar? What’s inside this episode: [03:30] The surprising history of productivity drugs and why they were originally used [06:45] Why workplaces have chased “more with less” for decades [10:20] The Uber leadership philosophy that openly promotes grind culture [15:10] When transparency about workload actually helps employees self-select out [18:40] The dangerous expectation that employees should care as much as founders [21:15] The difference between working hard and sacrificing your entire life to work [24:30] Why “work as hard as I do” is a flawed leadership mindset [27:00] The reality of corporate workloads and why “more with less” usually means something else gets dropped [30:15] The two leadership lessons every company should take from this conversation This episode isn’t about avoiding hard work. It’s about being honest about what work actually demands, and remembering that the people doing it are human. Visit our website: RISE Human Resources Book a  call: 30 Min HR Consultation Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

    34 min

  6. FEB 25

    WTF Workplace Moments: AI Fails, Paycheck Glitches & Career-Limiting Questions

    Send us Fan Mail  This week, Jenny and Sarah lean into the weird. They kick it off with an AI interview note-taker that accidentally sent a candidate the hiring team’s unfiltered commentary about other applicants. Yes, really. Including the not-so-flattering parts. It’s a cautionary tale about AI tools, privacy, and why you should absolutely lock down your settings. They also get into: Employees being “forgotten” but still collecting paychecksWhy keeping money you know you shouldn’t have never ends wellThe awkward rise of team lunch contributions and workplace gift pressureCompanies letting employees pull paychecks “on demand”And the employee who asked a wildly off-topic sustainability question in an all-hands meeting… and was quietly gone weeks laterThe throughline? Just because you can say something doesn’t mean you should. Just because AI spits something out doesn’t mean it’s true. And just because nobody noticed doesn’t mean it won’t catch up to you. There’s humor. There’s mild outrage. There’s a reminder to make good choices. If you’ve ever sat in a meeting thinking, “WTF is happening right now?” this one’s for you. And if you’ve got your own workplace WTF moment, send it in. We’ll keep it anonymous.  Visit our website: RISE Human Resources Book a  call: 30 Min HR Consultation Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

    41 min

  7. FEB 11

    Small Business HR Mistakes That Will Cost You: Employee Classification, PTO Policies & Intern Rules

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Jenny and Sarah tackle the HR landmines small businesses step on all the time. They break down three compliance issues that quietly turn into very loud, very expensive problems: employee misclassification, messy PTO policies, and unpaid interns who legally aren’t interns. First: employee misclassification. Paying someone a salary does not make them exempt. Titles don’t matter. Good intentions don’t matter. If someone should’ve been earning overtime and wasn’t, the Department of Labor is not interested in your logic. They’re interested in back pay and penalties. Then: PTO policies. That “use it or lose it” language still floating around in Colorado? Illegal. Accrued PTO is earned wages. You cannot wipe it out at year-end. They also break down accrual vs. lump sum, payout rules, and why negative PTO feels generous until someone quits and payroll gets messy. Finally: unpaid interns. The “it’s for experience” kind. The “my friend’s kid needs exposure” kind. The rules are stricter than people think. If the company is benefiting more than the intern, you likely have an employee. And that risk adds up fast. If you think “we’ve always done it this way” is a solid strategy, this episode might stress you out a little. In a good way. What’s inside this episode: [03:12] Why paying someone a salary does not automatically make them exempt [06:45] The real difference between exempt and non-exempt under FLSA [10:18] How misclassification turns into back wages, penalties, and audits [15:02] Why independent contractor status isn’t a “mutual agreement” situation [19:37] What the Department of Labor actually looks at [24:11] Why “use it or lose it” PTO policies are illegal in Colorado [28:26] Accrued vs. lump-sum PTO and where companies get into trouble [32:54] The negative PTO trap no one thinks through [36:40] The strict rules around unpaid internships [41:12] How to structure internships so they’re actually compliant Hit play. Fix what needs fixing. Then send it to the friend who still thinks titles determine exemption status. Visit our website: RISE Human Resources Book a  call: 30 Min HR Consultation Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

    48 min

  8. JAN 28

    Cussing at Work: Where “Authentic” Meets “HR Nightmare”

    Send us Fan Mail  This week, Jenny and Sarah tackle a topic that somehow manages to be both extremely relatable and extremely lawsuit-y: swearing at work. It starts with a law update that made both of them do a double take. Turns out, “letting an F-word fly” at work is no longer just a culture question. In some cases, it is a legal one. And in 2024 and 2025, the courts made that line a lot thinner than it used to be. What’s inside this episode: [05:32] Why swearing can make you seem more authentic and more trustworthy, according to research [12:17] Why that same swearing can still get your company sued [14:56] The court cases that changed the rules around hostile work environment claims [15:55] Why one single comment can now be enough to trigger serious legal trouble [25:09] The difference between swearing at the printer and swearing at a person [17:17] Why gender-specific and identity-based slurs are basically a career-ending choice [18:13] How different industries and different countries treat workplace language very differently [28:31] The impossible spot employers are in between the EEOC and the NLRB [34:25] Why “that’s just how our industry is” is not a legal defense [35:48] What new grads and early-career employees should do about swearing at work (hint: don’t) [39:03] How much these lawsuits actually cost companies when things go wrong [40:30] Why culture always starts at the top, for better or worse Jenny and Sarah are not here to pretend nobody ever swears. They are here to explain why the workplace is a different arena, why intent does not protect you from impact, and why “we’ve always done it this way” is a very expensive strategy. Hit play for some uncomfortable truths, a few wild stories, and a very clear explanation of why the law does not care how authentic you feel.  Visit our website: RISE Human Resources Book a  call: 30 Min HR Consultation Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

    42 min
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4.8
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Buckle up for real HR stories that'll make you laugh, cringe, and thank your lucky stars you're not that guy. WTF is Business Casual is the HR podcast where two seasoned consultants—Sarah Bursten and Jenny Lavey, co-founders of RiseHR—dish on wild workplace fails, toxic bosses, employee drama, and leadership gone wrong. With 35+ years of combined experience in HR, leadership development, and people management, they offer surprisingly useful advice wrapped in real talk and hilarious storytelling. If you’re an HR professional, small business owner, people manager, or just someone who’s survived office politics, this show is for you. Subscribe to WTF is Business Casual—because work is weird, leadership is messy, and people always be peopling. Hosted by Sarah Bursten & Jenny Lavey | RiseHR www.risehumanresources.com

Information

  • Creator
    Rise Human Resources
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 WTF is Business Casual
  • Show Website
    WTF is Business Casual

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