Employco USA's HR Podcast
Business & Finance
About
Employco’s HR podcast offers listeners valuable insight into employment-related topics. In a roundtable format, Employco’s executive team discusses current legislative and strategic issues related to all areas of human resources. Topics range from labor law compliance, recruitment, employee engagement, retention, compensation and benefits, and employee relations.
Episodes
- 6 Tips for Companies to Avoid HR-Related AI Scams
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, it’s also creating new risks for employers. In this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss how AI is being used in workplace scams, including phishing attempts, fraudulent job cand…
- Learning and Development Trends to Monitor in 2026
As workforce dynamics continue to shift, organizations investing in employee development are better positioned to compete. In this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss how employers can strengthen internal talent, adapt to evo…
- Workplace Safety w/Josh Loudermilk
In this month’s HR Podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason are joined by special guest Josh Loudermilk, who oversees Loss Control and Client Relations at Employco, to discuss workplace safety and OSHA compliance. They explore how employers can redu…
- 5 Attraction and Retention Trends to Monitor in 2026
In this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss key attraction and retention trends shaping the workforce in 2026. They explore the continued growth of the gig economy, the expanding role of artificial intelligence, employee burn…
- AI in the Workplace
In this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss how artificial intelligence is being used across organizations and what employers should focus on as adoption grows. They cover the importance of employee training and upskilling, h…
- The Future of Hybrid Work
In this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss how hybrid work is evolving and why now is a good time for employers to review their policies and programs for 2026. They highlight Gallup findings showing that hybrid work remains…
- 2025 Midyear HR Trends to Monitor
In this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason explore six key workplace trends shaping the second half of 2025. From ongoing challenges in attracting and retaining talent to the growing influence of AI, they break down what’s driving c…
- Employee Engagement Tips for Small Businesses
In this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason share practical ways small businesses can boost employee engagement. With retention and productivity more important than ever, they explore how communication, recognition, and thoughtful fe…
- Unlimited PTO
In this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason dive into the growing trend of Unlimited PTO. They explore the pros and cons employers should consider, including administrative ease, employee perceptions, legal payout obligations, and th…
- Performance Improvement Plan Best Practices
Struggling with employee performance issues? In this episode, Rob, Scott, and Jason break down best practices for implementing a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). Learn how a PIP differs from a standard performance review, key elements t…
- Understanding Why Employees Leave and Why They Stay
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month’s HR podcast as they explore employee retention and turnover in today's workforce. This episode unpacks key insights from a recent survey highlighting a significant disconnect between employee and e…
- Navigating Health Insurance Renewals
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month’s HR podcast as they break down critical topics surrounding benefits, renewal increases, and open enrollment. With renewal rates climbing for the third consecutive year, they explore strategies comp…
- Politics In The Workplace
In this month's HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason delve into the complex issue of politics in the workplace. With the election season in full swing, many employees find themselves caught in political conversations they’d rather avoid. The…
- Best Practices For Workplace Drug Testing
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month's HR podcast as they dive into best practices for workplace drug testing. In this episode, they cover the alarming increase in drug test cheating and the growing positivity rates in office environme…
- Navigating the New Non-Compete Ban
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month’s HR podcast as they unpack the FTC's ban on non-compete agreements, set to take effect on September 4th. They go over the specifics, some exceptions and caveats, required actions for compliance, em…
- Navigating “Watch Me Get Fired” Videos
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month’s HR podcast as they discuss "Watch Me Get Fired" videos, a growing concern for employers nationwide. They explore what they are, best practices to follow, some of the legal implications, helpful te…
- Responding to an EEOC Charge of Discrimination
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month’s HR podcast as they discuss what happens when a business receives an EEOC charge of discrimination. They go over some best practices and employer guidance, from the moment the complaint arrives in…
- DOL’s New Independent Contractor Rule
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month’s HR podcast as they delve into the latest developments in employment regulations. In this episode, they unpack the Department of Labor's new independent contractor rule, set to take effect on March…
- Bored at Work and Trends to Monitor in 2024
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month’s HR podcast as they discuss workplace boredom and the key trends shaping HR practices in 2024. They take a look at a recent SHRM survey that revealed nearly 70% of employees feel disengaged or bore…
- New Form I-9 and Changes Coming in 2024
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason in this month's HR podcast as they delve into the details of the new Form I-9, a critical component of the hiring process. They also highlight HR and employment changes set to roll out in 2024. The new Form I-9 i…
- Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act
Welcome to this month's HR podcast with Rob, Scott, and Jason, where we dive into changes brought by the Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act, scheduled to take effect on January 1st, 2024. In this episode, we break down some of the key…
- WFH Survey Insights & Open Enrollment Tips
Welcome to this month's HR podcast with Rob, Scott, and Jason. In this episode, we review the findings from our Work from Home survey, where we surveyed 3,000 business owners from a variety of states. We discuss the shifting landscape of o…
- Navigating Performance Management
Welcome to this month's HR podcast with Rob, Scott, and Jason. As we approach the end of the year and Q4, we're diving into a hot topic that's on every HR professional’s mind: Performance Management. In this episode, we explore the crucial…
- Golf and HR w/Amy Alcott
On this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason are joined by world champion golfer Amy Alcott, Employco's Golf Ambassador, and business development expert John Carr. They discuss a few HR insights while Amy shares some great golf storie…
- Tips for Making Performance Reviews as Painless as Possible
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason tackle the challenge of making performance reviews less painful and more productive. Discover valuable tips, such as training supervisors on effective review techniques, fostering open commu…
- EEOC Charges Rising, Employee Burnout, and AI
Join Rob, Scott, and Jason on this month’s HR podcast as they discuss rising EEOC charges, employee burnout, and the impact of AI. They review the 20% surge in EEOC charges, key claims, pending cases, hearings, settlements, and practical t…
- Stay Interviews
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason take a look at stay interviews in the workplace. They discuss what they entail, the cost of recruiting and onboarding, the importance of retention and culture, showing employees you care, ac…
- Payroll Trends and Complications w/Gerri LeCompte
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason are joined by special guest Gerri LeCompte, our Vice President of Payroll Services, who has been with Employco for over 20 years. They discuss current payroll trends, from remote workers and…
- ChatGPT In The Workplace
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason take a look at ChatGPT. They discuss some background details, the pros and cons, how it relates to HR and businesses, how accurate the data is, some of the drawbacks, use case scenarios for…
- Leadership w/Special Guest J.J. Cummings
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason are joined by retired Navy Captain J.J. Cummings (Leadership Consultant). J.J. shares a number of leadership insights from his experience as a Naval advisor for the film Top Gun: Maverick to…
- Reviewing 2022’s Top HR Issues and Looking Ahead in 2023
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover some of the top HR issues from 2022 and look ahead in 2023. They discuss the vaccine mandate, supreme court rulings, no proposed overtime rule, large company layoffs, quiet quitting, D…
- Leadership Development and 2023 Outlook w/Scott Robinson
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason are joined by special guest Scott Robinson (Managing Director of Robinson Resource Group and Founder of SearchWorks, LLC) to discuss leadership development and their outlook for 2023. They t…
- End of Year HR Topics
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover a variety of year-end HR topics. They discuss health insurance, renewal rates, open enrollment, cost containment, employee reviews, the importance of periodic conversations, supervisor…
- Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover independent contractors vs employees and what to look out for on the employer side. They discuss what the key differences are, tax liabilities, penalties, taking each situation on a ca…
- Trade Shows – Where We’re at Now and a Look into the Future
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason are joined by special guest Rob West (Vice President of Operations for Sho-Link) to discuss trade shows – where we’re at now and a look into the future. They touch on the big recovery, more…
- The HR Side Of Inflation
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason (via phone) cover the HR side of inflation. They discuss current stats, today’s cost of doing business, high turnover, midyear pay increases, having to increase the cost of products being so…
- The HR Side of Preparing for a Recession
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover the HR side of preparing for a recession, “we’d rather be out in front of it than be behind it.” They discuss recent stats and figures, triggering effects, wages not keeping up with in…
- LGBTQ Workplace Best Practices
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover LGBTQ workplace issues. They discuss historical events, workplace discrimination, diversity and inclusion training, company policies and handbooks, anonymous employee surveys, and more…
- The HR Side of Scaling Your Business
Revenue growth and advertising are most often major concerns when scaling a business, but what about the HR and employment aspects? On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover the HR side of scaling your business. They discuss d…
- Mental Health in the Workplace
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover mental health in the workplace. They discuss a recent SHRM survey that outlines where businesses stand on support, work related stress, recommendations and tips for employers, mental h…
- Trade Shows - It’s Great to Be Back!
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason are joined by special guest Don Svehla (founder and publisher of Exhibit City News) to discuss trade shows back in action. They touch on the strong turnaround, the adaptability of the indust…
- Relationships in the Workplace
On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss relationships in the workplace. They cover recent news stories, pandemic relationship stats, reviewing your handbook, putting company policies in place, the importance of employee commu…
- Upcoming Changes for Employers in 2022
On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss upcoming changes for employers in the new year. They cover minimum wage updates for various states and cities, new 401(k) contribution limits, the Illinois Secure Choice plan, employee…
- Health Insurance Renewals
On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss health insurance renewals. They cover new rates for 2022, stories of high increases, the effects of COVID-related claims, recommendations for employers on how to save money (from plan d…
- Jobs: Where Are the People?
On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason break down the latest jobs report. They discuss jobless claims, labor shortages, why employees are changing careers, recommendations for employers to recruit employees, corporate culture, flexi…
- The Current State of the Food Industry
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason with special guest Cary Miller (Vice President of Food Industry News) discuss the current state of the food industry. They touch on COVID protocol questions (testing, masks, vaccines), CDC g…
- Biden's Executive Order and Topgolf's Biometric Settlement
On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover some recent topics, including – President Biden's executive order on promoting competition as well as Topgolf's biometric privacy lawsuit. They discuss curtailing non-compete agreements,…
- Getting in the Zone as You Return to Work
On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason with special guest Jim Fannin (America’s ZoneCoach®) discuss getting in the zone mindset as you return to the workplace, in-office or remote. They touch on what the zone is and how it applie…
- Recruiting Challenges
On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover recruiting challenges in the current employment landscape. They discuss unemployment benefits, competitor wages, career changes, signing bonuses, employee referrals, virtual job fairs, hy…
- Can You Ask Employees if They’ve Been Vaccinated?
On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover if employers are allowed to ask employees if they’ve been vaccinated. They discuss the EEOC’s stance, tips on how to ask responsibly, what documentation to ask for, confidentiality, keepi…