Like a Boss with Michael Cohen

Duane Morris
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Education

An empathy-driven podcast providing essential and practical guidance on how most effectively to lead your team. Be the leader that your people need and that you want to be, all while focusing on transparency, kindness and meeting others where they are. Embrace new techniques, ensure compliance with the law and emerge with great results. Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year. Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882 mcohen@duanemorris.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12 https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html Pronouns: he/him

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 78 - 🔥 Menopause and Perimenopause Are Personal. How Workplaces and Leaders Respond Is Everyone's Business. 🔥

    Millions of talented women are going through perimenopause and menopause right now, often in silence. 🤐 When workplaces don't respond, the cost is lost talent 📉, legal risk ⚖️, and a culture that leaves people out. 💔 At its core, this is a women's issue 💜. Building a culture that supports women, and keeping up with the ever-changing law, is everyone's responsibility. 🌍🤝 In my new Like A Boss Podcast 🎥, I cover the legal and workplace culture issues around menopause and perimenopause, and the 5 steps organizations and leaders must take: 1️⃣ Educate & Train 📚 2️⃣ Invest in Well-Being Support 🧘‍♀️ 3️⃣ Offer Workplace Flexibility 🏡⏰ 4️⃣ Embrace Employee Resource Groups 🫶 5️⃣ Know the Law (and the Changes) 🧑‍⚖️ 🎤 I'm excited to be speaking at The M Factor 2 in Reno 🌄, brought to you by @MenoPalz 🌸. 🚀 👇 Please watch the video and tell me which steps your organization need most. @duanemorris @menopalz #Menopause #Perimenopause #MenopauseAtWork #WorkplaceCulture #Leadership

    Episode 78 - 🔥 Menopause and Perimenopause Are Personal. How Workplaces and Leaders Respond Is Everyone's Business. 🔥

  2. Oct 6

    Episode 30 Repost - 🎀 Marsha found a lump. And she waited. 💔

    October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this post is personal. But the message is for every one of us. 💗 My mother-in-law, Marsha, had understandable reasons for waiting: fear, a full life, the hope that it was nothing. 💭 But cancer didn't wait, and we lost her. I'm sharing her story because I don't want it to be yours. On the latest Like A Boss Podcast, I talk about why this matters 👇 🔍 Early detection saves lives. Book the screening. If something feels off, don't put it off. A checkup today could mean more years with the people you love. 👩‍🦰👨 This touches all of us. Breast cancer mostly affects women, and we need to keep showing up for them. But men can get it too, and they're often diagnosed later because nobody expects it. Every kind of cancer reaches into every home and every team. 🤝 Leaders, this is on us. Flexible time for appointments, strong benefits, and honest conversations aren't perks. They're how we take care of our people. Make it safe to say "I'm scared" or "I need a day." 🙌 Somewhere on your team, someone is putting off a checkup right now. A word from you might be the nudge they need. 🫶 🎙️ Please watch the full episode, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. In memory of Marsha. 🌸 We all have a Marsha. @duanemorrisllp @americancancersociety #breastcancer #cancer #leadership #hr #breastcancerawarenessmonth

    Episode 30 Repost - 🎀 Marsha found a lump. And she waited. 💔

  3. Sep 29

    Episode 77 - 🚨 Harassment Prevention Starts at the Top: The 5 Rs of Leadership Action 🚨

    Preventing harassment at work isn't only HR's job. It's a leadership job. 💼 With everything happening in today's workplace, the way managers respond (or don't) can decide whether a situation gets fixed early or turns into a claim, a culture problem, or a headline. 📉 Every leader must follow the 5 Rs of harassment prevention: 👇 1️⃣ Refrain from inappropriate conduct 🙅🏾‍♀️ Your team takes its cues from you. Jokes, comments and "just kidding" moments set the standard for everyone. 2️⃣ Report all complaints to HR 📣🧑🏻‍💼 Don't filter them, judge them or try to handle them quietly on your own. If you hear it, pass it on to HR, even if the employee asks you to keep it to yourself. 3️⃣ Respond proactively, even without a complaint 👀👨🏿‍💼 Silence doesn't mean everything is fine. If you see or hear something, deal with it. 4️⃣ Remedy the inappropriate behavior 🛠️👩🏼‍💼 Take prompt action that fits the problem. Make sure the behavior stops and doesn't come back. 5️⃣ Refrain from retaliation 🛡️🧕🏽 Protect the people who speak up, including witnesses. Retaliation claims are often easier to prove than the original complaint, and they can cost more. The business case: Strong leaders lower legal risk, keep good people and build trust. 🤝🏾🤝🏻 Practical tip: Train your managers on the 5 Rs every year and ask them to show how they apply them, not just attend the session. 💬 Your leaders are key to prevention, correction and positive workplace culture! 👩🏻‍🦱👨🏽‍🦲👩🏿‍🦳 @duanemorris #Leadership #HarassmentPrevention #EmploymentLaw #HR #WorkplaceCulture

    Episode 77 - 🚨 Harassment Prevention Starts at the Top: The 5 Rs of Leadership Action 🚨

  4. Sep 22

    Episode 76 - 🧠✨ Mental Health is a Day One Conversation ✨🧠

    @The University of Michigan💙💛 just made a bold move: all 2027 incoming freshmen of their School of Literature, Science and the Arts will take their first-semester classes pass/fail. Why? Because easing the pressure upfront helps people thrive long-term. 💡 That same principle applies to our workplace. Psychological safety isn't a buzzword — it's the foundation for how we show up, grow, and do our best work. Here are three ways we're making it real for every new team member: 👇 1️⃣ Start Strong on Day One: Mental health resources and expectations are woven into onboarding materials, handbooks, and every early communication. No one should have to go looking for support — it meets you where you are and it MUST be clear on Day 1! 📋💬 2️⃣ Leadership Walks the Talk: Our leaders should mention well-being in a formal welcome speech (live or recorded). But that cannot be it. They speak must speak about it consistently — at kickoffs, in team meetings, and in 1:1s. Mental health is a core value, not a platitude. 🗣️💪 3️⃣ Embrace Equity in Mental Health: Everyone's experience is different. New employees must appreciate that we're committed to meeting people where they are — across backgrounds, identities, and needs — because equitable support is real support. 🤝🌍 The common thread? Consistency between words and action. Not performative. Genuine and concrete. Because when people feel safe, they do extraordinary things. 🌱🔥 @Duane Morris LLP @SHRM #umich #mentalhealthmatters #WorkplaceCulture #leadership #mentalhealth

    Episode 76 - 🧠✨ Mental Health is a Day One Conversation ✨🧠

  5. Sep 14

    Episode 75: 💣 Three FMLA Landmines Waiting After Leave Ends: FMLA Leave Is Over… Now What? 💣

    Three tricky return-to-work scenarios HR, managers and counsel need to know. 🔥👇 1️⃣ FMLA runs out, but they need more time off. Don't just say "see ya" 🙅‍♀️. The ADA and FMLA act in conjunction with each other and the ADA might require additional leave as a reasonable accommodation 🛡️. FMLA ending ≠ conversation over ❌. Know where one law stops and the other kicks in ⚖️🔄. 2️⃣ You find out they broke the rules… while they're on leave. Plot twist 😲: the misconduct happened BEFORE leave started. You CAN act on it 💪 — FMLA protects leave, not prior bad behavior 🚫. Just make sure you'd discipline ANY employee the same way ✅. Documentation becomes CRUCIAL. 📝🗂️ 3️⃣ Disciplining them the SECOND they walk back in. Timing is everything ⏰. If a write-up lands on Day 1 back, the timing alone can raise questions 🚩 — even when the concern is legitimate. Best practice? Build your paper trail early 📋, stay consistent across the team 🤝, and make sure the decision was already in motion before the return. Smart timing = smart HR 🎯💡. 💡🔑 Bottom line: FMLA is full of landmines 💣. Stay consistent ✅, document like your career depends on it 📝 (because it might 😅), and loop in counsel BEFORE you act 🏛️⚠️. Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute #LikeABoss #fmla #leadership #hr

    Episode 75: 💣 Three FMLA Landmines Waiting After Leave Ends: FMLA Leave Is Over… Now What? 💣

  6. Sep 8

    Episode 74 - Three Things Great Leaders Are Doing Right Now (Hint: They're Not "Soft")

    Labor Day is behind us. The air is shifting. And so must our leadership. This season isn't just about pumpkin spice and back-to-school energy — it's a powerful moment of renewal. A reset. A chance to return to what actually moves the needle for your people. Here are 3 leadership fundamentals we're doubling down on this fall: 1️⃣ Human-Based Leadership Your people aren't resources. They're humans. Lead with empathy, curiosity, and presence. Show up as a person first — and watch trust follow. 2️⃣ "Spontaneous Planned" Check-Ins Yes, that's intentional. Block the time — then make it feel organic. Ask real questions. Listen without an agenda. These moments build loyalty no policy ever could. 3️⃣ Expressing Gratitude — Out Loud Not in a Slack emoji. Not in an annual review. Right now. Directly. Specifically. Gratitude is a leadership accelerator, and your team is starving for it. 🚨 Let's be clear: These aren't "soft skills." These are leadership imperatives. The best leaders don't wait for January to reset. They start NOW. 🔥 What are YOU focusing on this fall? Drop it below. 👇 #leadership #empathy #gratitude #LikeABoss #HR

    Episode 74 - Three Things Great Leaders Are Doing Right Now (Hint: They're Not "Soft")

  7. Sep 7

    Episode 73: Stop Ghosting Candidates. Start Winning Talent

    .Why keeping candidates in the dark is killing your employer brand. ☠️ We've all lived it. The interview ends, and then… nothing. Radio silence. 😶🔇No callback. No update. No respect.The recruiter ghosts. The hiring manager's promises evaporate. The organization disappears. You're confused, frustrated, and frankly — insulted.This is not a minor inconvenience. It's a brand-damaging, trust-destroying failure — and it's 100% avoidable.In this week's Like A Boss episode 🎬, I break down why poorly managed interview communication is costing organizations top talent and outline 4️⃣ practical steps every hiring team must implement immediately:1. Explain Next Steps 🪜 Tell candidates exactly what happens after they walk out the door. No ambiguity.2. Set a Realistic Timeline ⏳ Give a specific window — and make it honest, not aspirational.3. Honor That Timeline ✅ If you said Friday, deliver by Friday. Period. Your credibility depends on it.4. Communicate Your Decision — Fast 🗣️ Yes or no, say it promptly. Silence is never neutral — it's negative.Bottom line: Candidate experience IS employer branding. Every interaction — including the ones after the interview — shapes your reputation in the market. The companies winning the talent war aren't just offering better comp. They're offering better communication.🔑 Transparency isn't optional. It's competitive advantage.Thank you for watching, commenting, and sharing. Let's raise the bar together. 🙏💬 What's the longest you've waited for post-interview feedback? Drop it below. ⬇️Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute #Leadership #LikeABoss #Hiring #HR #JobSearch

    Episode 73: Stop Ghosting Candidates. Start Winning Talent

  8. Aug 24

    Episode 25 Repost - There Are Two Kinds Of People In The World - Those Who Struggle and Liars

    For so many of us, this time of year represents a period of transition. A child starting kindergarten and taking the bus for the first time. 🎒 An employee taking on a new role and more challenging responsibilities. 💼 A caregiver’s renewed focus and crystallized sense of purpose.💡 For me, last year, it was sending my daughter, Maddie, off to her freshman year of college. 😢 I've spoken with so many people recently about how this feeling of the unknown can bring with it an intense sense of nervousness. Apprehension. Fear. Given this dialogue, I decided to repost the video (and text) I shared about my own mental health struggles and the importance of realizing what my friend, Andrew Abramowitz, so empathetically told me: There are two kinds of people in the world, those who struggle and liars. Friends - please know that I am here for you in moments of need. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am struggling. And, while my concerns certainly and thankfully are not "life and death," they meaningfully have been impacting my life. Throughout my career, I have used countless posts and videos and keynotes and articles to talk about how important is for leaders to ensure that their people are okay. 🫶 Or, just as importantly, that leaders make clear to those people that it's okay to not be okay. 🥹 And lately, I haven't been okay. This week's Leadership Video is very personal and I hope you are accepting of that. 🙏 In it, I discuss how crucial it is for all of us to engage in self-care. For all of us to reach out for help when it's needed. For all of us to understand that there are two kinds of people in the world, those who struggle and liars. Thank you in advance for your watching, for your commenting and your sharing. More than that, thank you for your kindness. ❤️ #mentalhealth #college #empathy #mentalhealthawareness #leadership

    Episode 25 Repost - There Are Two Kinds Of People In The World - Those Who Struggle and Liars
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

An empathy-driven podcast providing essential and practical guidance on how most effectively to lead your team. Be the leader that your people need and that you want to be, all while focusing on transparency, kindness and meeting others where they are. Embrace new techniques, ensure compliance with the law and emerge with great results. Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year. Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882 mcohen@duanemorris.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12 https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html Pronouns: he/him

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