The latest episode of the HR Nightmares podcast took a deep dive into the role of workplace design in boosting employee well-being and productivity—because, as Lisa quipped, “If your office looks like a dungeon, don’t be surprised if morale’s in the basement.”

HR Nightmares’ guest, Rick Snyder, a furniture design guru, shared how thoughtful office design can alleviate common HR headaches, from privacy issues in open spaces to the hybrid work puzzle.

The episode spotlighted the rise of hybrid work—with 41% of U.S. companies operating hybrid, 34% fully remote, and 23% in-office only. The hosts, Lisa Leath, Beth Looney and Amy Conway emphasized that a “room with a view” isn’t just a perk; it’s a productivity driver. Creating spaces for collaboration, individual work, and community gathering is key to fostering connection and camaraderie. Their advice? Get employee input during design—because no one wants to be stuck in a "cubicle farm" nightmare.

The conversation wrapped with a call to action to prioritize employee well-being—not just in spirit, but in seating. Ergonomic chairs are a must, since “if you’re going to have employees glued to their seats, at least make sure it’s a throne.” Companies were also urged to improve hybrid collaboration spaces, upgrade office furniture, and consider wellness areas to support mental health. As Lisa said in closing, “Design matters. It’s not just about where you work—it’s about how you feel while you’re there.”

In this episode of HR Nightmares, Lisa Leath and Beth Looney are diving into one of the most polarizing, yet unavoidable, challenges we face in the workplace: navigating sensitive situations around election season. As we get closer to election day, we see more political conversations, social media posts, and yes, even heated debates creeping into the workplace. So how do we as HR leaders manage this delicate balance? How do we protect our company culture, promote inclusivity, and support our employees—without letting politics divide us?

Join us and explore everything from handling political tensions in the office to managing social media activism, and even the potential for unconscious bias creeping into our decision-making processes during these turbulent times. This episode covers the tough, real-world scenarios that HR leaders and companies can’t afford to ignore. #hrnightmares #2024election

This week, the HR Nightmares crew tackled the legal spaghetti bowl that is non-compete agreements and the proposed FTC ban, and they brought in the big legal guns—Katie Greene from Michael Best. Lisa dove into the hot topics keeping employment lawyers and HR leaders up at night—non-compete bans, overtime thresholds, and employee classifications. She managed to make compliance sound almost exciting! Katie Greene from Michael Best chimed in with the latest on how courts are treating non-competes and the non-exempt/ overtime rollercoaster. Fun times ahead when those 2nd round January FLSA salary floor exemption changes hit!

In classic HR Nightmares style, the group offers some (semi-)comforting words to those recently canned. Lisa suggests turning your non-competes into "barely-competes" by keeping them specific and narrow—otherwise, see you in court. With remote work a norm, Katie and Lisa remind us that if your trade secrets are spilling out of Zoom calls, it's time to get serious about information security.

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