The Workplace Minute from the HR Happy Hour Media Network
About
The Workplace Minute powered by H3 HR Advisors, was developed as a “Flash Briefing” Skill for Amazon “Alexa” devices. Two to three times a week get a quick 2 – 3 minute update on important news impacting the world of work, workplace technology, the labor market and more. The show is hosted by Steve Boese and Trish Steed of H3 HR Advisors.
Episodes
- New Data on Living Wages in America Raises Tough Questions for Employers
The Workplace Minute discusses new Dayforce research showing fewer full-time US workers can afford basic needs compared to previous years. The episode examines widening gaps by gender, race, and job type, and considers the implications for…
- Toxic Bosses Are Driving Burnout, Turnover, and Silence at Work
This episode of The Workplace Minute shares new data from The Harris Poll indicating that a majority of workers report experiencing toxic managerial behaviors such as favoritism and micromanagement. The discussion explores the impact of to…
- Half the Workforce Is Breaking Down: An Update on Employee Mental Health
This episode of The Workplace Minute updates on employee mental health, citing a workforce under pressure from AI anxiety, political uncertainty, and burnout. It also addresses the disconnect between provided mental health support and empl…
- The Next Phase of AI at Work: From Copilots to Agents
This episode discusses the shift in AI at work from generative AI and workflow automation to agentic AI systems. It explores what this evolution means for HR leaders, business executives, and the future of enterprise software, drawing on i…
- Why AI Isn’t (Yet) Delivering Results at Work
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses why AI isn’t delivering results at work. It covers the challenges of AI adoption, employee engagement, and manager burnout, and what HR and business leaders need to do differently.
- Relocation Reality Check: Starbucks Workers Hesitant to Leave Seattle
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores Starbucks workers' hesitancy to relocate from Seattle to Nashville. The discussion highlights challenges companies may face with forced relocations, especially concerning employee job security…
- Cutting Benefits, Losing Trust: What Deloitte’s Move Means for Employers
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses Deloitte's reported decision to cut various employee benefits, including parental leave and paid time off. The discussion focuses on how such cuts can negatively affect employee morale and tru…
- The Truth About California’s Fast Food $20 Per Hour Wage Law
This episode of The Workplace Minute analyzes the impact of California's $20 per hour minimum wage law for fast food workers. It examines the real-world effects on jobs, prices, and the broader economy, based on data collected more than a…
- A Story About Return to Office Mandates, Layoffs, and Age Discrimination
This episode of The Workplace Minute examines lawsuits against AT&T concerning age discrimination, return-to-office mandates, and relocation policies that allegedly impacted older workers. It also covers CEO John Stankey's comments about n…
- AI at Work: Job Disruption Is Real, But It’s Not What You Think
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores the disconnect between headlines about AI replacing workers and data from economists. It discusses how past technological innovations have reshaped work and what current labor market signals su…
- Supporting Working Mothers: The Law That Changes the Conversation
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). It covers what the PWFA is, why it was created, its implications for workers and employers, and compliance for HR teams.
- Why Square’s New AI Manager Should Get HR Leaders’ Attention
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores Square's new ManagerBot, an agentic AI designed to manage key business functions, and its potential impact on HR and traditional workforce management systems. The discussion connects this devel…
- The Job Market Looks Strong… So Why Does It Feel So Weak?
This episode of The Workplace Minute examines the latest JOLTS report statistics on job openings, hiring trends, quit rates, and layoffs. It also discusses worker confidence and potential scenarios for the 2026 job market.
- Confidence Is Cracking in the U.S. Job Market
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses new data indicating a decline in US worker confidence and an increase in job market pessimism. It explores the implications of these trends for HR leaders, employers, and employees navigating…
- The Hidden Work Impact of Pet Caregiving
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses how pet caregiving influences employee experience. It also covers the data, workplace impact, and considerations for HR leaders regarding workers who care for pets.
- The End of the HR App as We Know It? (And What Comes Next)
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores a potential shift in HR technology. It discusses how AI-driven orchestration layers may replace traditional HR apps, with AI agents becoming primary operators of work. Steve Boese examines what…
- The Hidden Cost of Student Loan Debt on Your Workforce
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores the impact of student loan debt on the workforce, including its effects on employee focus, productivity, and retention. The discussion covers new research, potential policy changes, and strateg…
- Gen Z, College Majors, and the Reality of Today’s Job Market
This episode explores new data regarding college majors, employment, and underemployment among recent graduates. It examines why traditional advice about choosing a major may no longer be sufficient for today's job market.
- Why Some Gen Z Candidates Are Bringing Their Parents to Job Interviews
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses the trend of Gen Z job candidates bringing their parents to job interviews. It explores the concept of “career co-piloting,” the current entry-level job market, and the impact of AI and econom…
- How AI is Disrupting the Hiring Process – and Threatening Recruiters
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses AI's impact on the hiring process. Steve Boese shares observations on how AI is transforming recruiting and what it suggests for the future of professional jobs.
- Designing the Workplace for People in the Age of AI
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores new research on how AI is impacting the workplace, highlighting the increasing importance of collaboration and human connection. It discusses why workplace design is crucial in the AI era and o…
- The Financial Crisis Facing American Workers
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses the financial challenges American workers face, such as living paycheck to paycheck and using retirement savings for current expenses. It also considers how employers can support employee fina…
- The Gender Pay Gap Still Persists – Stop Pretending it Doesn’t
This episode of The Workplace Minute features Steve Boese discussing the findings from Glassdoor’s Beyond the Gap: Women’s Compensation Report. He explores the persistence of pay disparities between men and women, examining historical root…
- AI Is Listening at Burger King and What That Says about Trust at Work
This episode explores the use of AI in employee monitoring, including conversation analysis and tracking. It discusses the impact of such tools on trust in the workplace and examines how employees and managers react to these technologies.
- AI Is Reshaping Work. But Who Owns the Consequences?
Steve Boese discusses the impact of AI on the workforce, focusing on AI-driven layoffs and job displacement. The episode examines how leaders view these changes and the implications for professionals, emphasizing accountability for workfor…
- The Workplace Is Political - Whether Leaders Like It or Not
In this episode, Steve Boese discusses how politics shapes identity, safety, and belonging at work. He explores why neutrality is becoming harder to maintain and how generational expectations are changing corporate silence.
- America’s Retirement Crisis Is Already Here
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses a national report indicating that many American workers are unprepared for retirement. It explores the reasons behind this crisis, including limited savings and uneven access to workplace plan…
- Workplace Safety Is Leadership, Not Compliance
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores how declining workplace safety inspections raise questions about oversight and responsibility. It emphasizes that workplace safety should be treated as a core driver of trust, stability, and lo…
- Your DEI Programs May Now Be Legal Risks
This episode of The Workplace Minute examines how DEI programs are becoming legal risks, highlighting a lawsuit against Coca-Cola concerning a women-only workplace event. It discusses the shifting enforcement priorities of the EEOC and the…
- Elder Care and the Jobs We’re Asking People to Do
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores the elder care sector, focusing on the challenges faced by care workers and potential solutions. It also addresses how organizations can support employees who are managing elder care responsibi…
- Love Sometimes Stinks. When it Does, Should You Get the Day Off?
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores the idea of employees taking time off for heartbreak, examining how breakups affect work performance and considering if employers should offer such leave.
- AI and the Productivity Trap
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores how AI, despite promises of saving time, may contribute to extended work hours and multitasking. Steve Boese discusses the implications for burnout and the responsibilities of leaders in shapin…
- The Caregiving Squeeze on American Women at Work
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses new research on the growing caregiving crisis, which is impacting women in the U.S. workforce and driving voluntary exits due to caregiving responsibilities. The episode explores the implicati…
- Super Bowl Monday is not an HR Emergency
This episode of The Workplace Minute addresses the claim that Super Bowl Monday causes significant lost productivity for employers. It examines why these studies are misleading and argues that workplace flexibility and viewing the Super Bo…
- How Year One Changed the Balance of Power at Work
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses how the first year of the second Trump administration impacted the balance of power between employers and employees. It covers topics such as return-to-office mandates, corporate layoffs, and…
- A Shift of Workplace Civil Rights in a New Political Era
The episode discusses a change in focus at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under a new administration. It explores what this means for HR and business leaders working on workplace fairness and inclusion, and how organizati…
- The Normalization of Layoffs and the Rise of Worker Burnout
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores the normalization of layoffs, even from profitable companies, and how this trend is affecting worker confidence and job security. The discussion covers the resulting fear and uncertainty among…
- The New Global War for Tech Talent
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses how Finland is recruiting American tech talent in fields like quantum computing and AI. The episode highlights the competitive threat this poses to American companies, as American tech workers…
- How Do You Show Up for Work in America Today?
Steve Boese discusses how the current environment in America impacts how people show up for work. The episode explores workplace trends, HR tech, and the responsibilities of managers and leaders in caring for their teams during stressful t…
- What Happens When AI Becomes the Gatekeeper to Work?
This episode of The Workplace Minute from the HR Happy Hour Media Network discusses the growing legal scrutiny facing AI-powered hiring tools. It breaks down legal cases against Workday and Eightfold, exploring their implications for HR le…
- The Alarming Divide Between Workers and Wealth in America
This episode of The Workplace Minute, hosted by Steve Boese, discusses new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics which reveals that U.S. workers are taking home less of the country's overall wealth than ever before.
- The Metaverse, Work, and a Very Expensive Lesson
This episode of The Workplace Minute explores the hype and eventual decline of the Metaverse as a workplace technology. It emphasizes the need for clear expectations and evaluation methods when adopting new workplace technologies.
- Research Suggests that CEOs are using “AI” as a Convenient Excuse for Old-Fashioned Cost-Cutting
This episode of The Workplace Minute shares research suggesting some CEOs are using AI as an excuse for cost-cutting measures. It discusses how AI and automation may not be the primary drivers of layoffs, but rather other factors that CEOs…
- Number of Americans with Multiple Jobs Hits a 25-Year High
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses the surge in the number of U.S. workers with multiple jobs due to the affordability crisis. It also offers five actionable suggestions for HR and business leaders to support these workers.
- Caregiving, Work, and the Employees Caught in the Middle
This episode of The Workplace Minute addresses the growing trend of caregiving in the workplace and its impact on employee well-being. It highlights the importance of integrating caregiver support into workplace policies and benefits.
- Solving a Worker Shortage with Better Pay and Benefits
This episode of The Workplace Minute features Steve Boese discussing how Walmart is addressing the shortage of commercial truck drivers. The approach includes raising wages, improving technology, and focusing on work/life balance for emplo…
- New Year, New Rules: The Biggest Workplace Laws Taking Effect in 2026
This episode of The Workplace Minute features Steve Boese discussing new workplace laws and regulations for 2026. Topics covered include minimum wage, WOTC uncertainty, and rules governing AI in hiring, along with preparations for HR leade…
- The Workplace Minute Rewind: What 2025 Taught Us About Work
This episode of The Workplace Minute features Steve Boese reviewing the key workplace topics and themes from 2025. Discussions include AI, job insecurity, worker burnout, and DEI.
- The American Jobs Outlook for 2026: Lessons from a Slowing Labor Market
This episode of The Workplace Minute features Steve Boese discussing the 2025 U.S. labor market and its impact on 2026 labor market trends, including employment, participation, and technology adoption.
- Rethinking Rewards: How Amtrak Redirected Executive Bonuses to Employees
This episode of The Workplace Minute discusses Amtrak's decision to redirect executive bonuses to frontline workers. The episode examines what this suggests about reward and bonus allocation in organizations.