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In episode 136, Coffey talks with Michael Sherrod about the impact of artificial intelligence on business strategy and management. They discuss how old news media’s failure to adapt their business model to the digital age may be a predictor of how businesses succeed or fail with the advent of artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies; how organizational structures are changing to more quickly adapt to digital transformations; younger workers’ expectations that businesses incorporate new technologies; why business leaders should begin integrating artificial intelligence into their business strategies; using technology to replace workers; and companies’ ethical responsibilities to workers whose jobs are disrupted by new technologies. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—bulletproof background checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. This episode is pre-approved for .5 hour HR (Business) recertification credit for HRCI-certified professionals and .5 professional development credit for SHRM-certified professionals. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Michael Sherrod is currently the William M. Dickey Entrepreneur in Residence at TCU’s Neeley School of Business. He began his career by starting a magazine publishing company right out of grad school. Over a few years he added 7 additional media properties to the original magazine. He transitioned from the print world into the online world in 1985 when he helped manage Star-Text, a video-text news service at the Star-Telegram, owned at the time by CapCities/ABC. In his career Michael has founded or co-founded 19 companies, including Black Dove Media, DigitalCity.com, AOL Local, Examiner.com and the AddLibra Corporation. Additionally, he has served in senior management roles and started new companies inside CapCities/ABC, AMR Information Services, AOL, Ancestry.com, and The Anschutz Companies. In 2010, he served as the first Publisher of The Texas Tribune (https://www.texastribune.org), a non-profit, non-partisan media site covering Texas government, politics, and public policy and was a founding board member. Michael is the immediate past Chair of the Board of the Urban Library Council, Past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Kinsey Institute, the world’s leading research institute for sex, gender and reproduction, and a former board member of the Craigslist Foundation. He also serves as board member, advisor and investor to a number of online organizations in Texas and around the world. Michael is an author and frequent speaker on online, cultural, business issues and how they will impact the near and mid-term future. Michael holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, where he studied in the interdisciplinary Great Books Program, an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia and an EMBA from The Neeley School of Business at TCU. Michael Sherrod can be reached at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-sherrod-1688611/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrep

In episode 135, Coffey talks with David Aspinall about embracing neurodiversity in the workplace. They discuss how auticon is a demonstration that neurodiverse individuals bring unique value propositions to employers; underemployment in the neurodivergent workforce; how employers can prepare their team to engage with neurodiverse peers; the benefits of having a diverse organization in terms of work culture; the challenges neurodiverse applicants might face during the recruiting process; and whether employers should have different expectations around communication, conduct, and performance when hiring neurodivergent talent. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: David has served as CEO of auticon US since 2020. He is responsible for overseeing the further market development of auticon in the U.S. to create more job opportunities for autistic professionals in the technology space. Prior to joining auticon, David was an executive in a Fortune 10 brand at AT&T, where he spent nearly 12 years, including time leading the telecommunication giant’s Canadian operations. He also served as Regional President, South for Sprint in Texas. More recently, David worked as an operating executive with various private equity firms specializing in scaling businesses and revenue growth. David holds an MBA from Texas Christian University M.J. Neeley School of Business and a BA with Honors from The University of Sheffield. He is the 2022-23 Member Engagement Officer for YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization), a global organization of 30,000 members across 142 countries. David Aspinall can be reached at: https://www.auticon.us  https://www.linkedin.com/in/diaspinall About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council. Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know. Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize the value of neurodiverse individuals as talent resources. 2. Identify strategies to foster inclusion and support neurodiverse employees. 3. Explore the benefits and challenges of integrating neurodiverse talent into organizations.

In episode 134, Coffey talks with Suzanne Brown about the importance of embracing a balance-friendly workplace. They discuss the meaning of work-life balance; the distinction between balance and integration; the impact of individuals’ priorities in defining work-life balance; the impact of the pandemic on employees’ expectations; employers’ role in creating a balance-friendly environment; evaluating the financial benefit of balance-friendly strategies; the impact of remote work; and how employers can develop policies to enhance work-life balance. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.  If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.  About our Guest: Suzanne Brown is a fractional CMO and work-life balance speaker, consultant, and award-winning author of the Mompowerment books. She empowers companies and working moms and dads to think differently about balance and take action. She uses her own experience and extensive research as well as tips, insights, and advice from interviews with more than 110 professional working moms.  Suzanne is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and her insights appear in major publications such as Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Real Simple, Parents magazine, and Forbes.  She’s been interviewed on more than 45 podcasts, and she’s done a TED talk on creating more professional part-time roles for working mothers. She's got an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. Suzanne, her husband, and their two active young boys live in Austin, TX. Suzanne Brown can be reached at: https://www.mompowerment.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/oksuzi  https://www.facebook.com/Mompowerment  https://www.instagram.com/Mompowerment  About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year.  Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council. Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know. Learning Objectives:  1. Define work-life balance. 2. Evaluate the financial benefits and challenges of implementing a balance-friendly workplace. 3. Explore strategies for implementing policies to enhance work-life balance.

In episode 133, Coffey talks with Peter Cappelli about the consequences of employees experiencing too much psychological safety. They discuss the difference between the popular and the academic definitions of psychological safety; how psychological safety is measured; the correlation between psychological safety and job performance; why an above-average sense of psychological safety might damage performance; and the importance of accountability and compliance when building a psychologically-safe workplace. Link to the Harvard Business Review article: Can Workplaces Have Too Much Psychological Safety? Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Peter Cappelli is the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School and Director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources. He is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA, served as Senior Advisor to the Kingdom of Bahrain for Employment Policy from 2003-2005, was a Distinguished Scholar of the Ministry of Manpower for Singapore, and was Co-Director of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce from 1990-1998. He was recently named by HR Magazine as one of the top 5 most influential management thinkers, by NPR as one of the 50 influencers in the field of aging, and was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources. He received the PRO award from the International Association of Corporate and Professional Recruiters for contributions to human resources, the Michael Losey Award fro Research Contributions from the Society for Human Resource Management, and an honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Liege in Belgium. He is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal and writes a monthly column for HR Executive magazine. His work on performance management, agile systems, and hiring practices, and other workplace topics appears in the Harvard Business Review. His most recent book is Our Least Important Asset: How a Relentless Focus on Finance and Accounting is Bad for Employees and Business. Peter Cappelli can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-cappelli-14936a3/. About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council. Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know. Learning Objectives:  1. Differentiate popular and academic definitions of psycho

In episode 132, Coffey talks with Patrick Richter about HR news from January, including the Department of Labor’s new contractor rule and discrimination settlements. They discuss the Department of Labor’s final regulation concerning classification of independent contractors, which takes effect on March 11th and whether it will really impact employers; Perdue Foods’ settlement of a lawsuit regarding accommodations under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Americans with Disabilities Act; Walmart's settlement for denying a promotion to a mother; whether and when employers can consider someone's parental status; and how companies can avoid the costly consequences of non-compliance. Links to stuff they talked about are on our website at https://goodmorninghr.com/EP132 and include the following topics: - New independent contractor rule signals a busy year for compliance - Final Rule: Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act - How Brokers Can Preserve Independent Contractor Status - Freelancers Challenge New Independent Contractor Rule in Court - Perdue settles claim HR department put pregnant employee on involuntary leave - Complaint here - Walmart settles sex discrimination lawsuit, agrees to $60,000 payout and policy changes - Walmart to pay $60K over claim it did not promote woman with young children - Noncompliant workers are a $1.6M liability, study shows Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Patrick is an experienced mediator, litigator, and employment attorney with expertise ranging from first chair trial lawyer to advisor on mergers and acquisitions to counselor on the full spectrum of day-to-day HR issues.  As an employment lawyer, he has significant experience representing employers and employees with wage & hour issues, class and collective actions, and intellectual property and trade secret issues, including non-disclosure agreements and covenants not to compete—both in the drafting and preparation of the underlying agreements as well as litigation and appeals. HE also has considerable experience with matters before the National Labor Relations Board and in assisting employers with union avoidance. Apart from employment-related matters, He is a certified mediator, and has significant experience with non-patent intellectual property litigation, commercial litigation, and corporate transactions -including mergers and acquisitions and venture capital investments. No matter the issue -- from sensitive employee termination issues, to high-level harassment investigations, to protection of trade secrets -- he partners with his clients to help them achieve their business objectives while minimizing legal risks and obstacles. Patrick Richter can be reached at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-richter-986b19/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited b

In episode 131, Coffey talks with Dr. Stevie Dawn about the impact of emotional intelligence on organizations. They discuss the definition of emotional intelligence; the difference between EI and EQ; how to measure emotional quotient and whether it is reliable; the correlation of EI and empathy; how to identify lack of EI in the workplace; approaching emotional intelligence as a learned ability; how to improve the EI in the workplace; how EI affects organizations and leadership; and codes of conduct in the workplace. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for three-quarters of a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Stevie Dawn Carter, PhD, is a passionate advocate for emotional intelligence, seamlessly blending academic expertise with her dynamic speaking and training efforts. With a Master’s in Sociology and a Doctorate in Leadership, Stevie's journey into the world of emotional intelligence was driven by a deep rooted commitment to understanding the intricacies of human dynamics and group interactions. Her academic pursuits laid the foundation for a career dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations. Throughout her career, Stevie has left an indelible mark on audiences worldwide, offering engaging and insightful presentations that draw from her years of academic study as well as varied work experience. Stevie's dynamic approach to speaking and training has made her a sought-after authority in the field, engaging audiences with her relatable stories and humor. In an ever-changing world, Stevie Dawn Carter's work continues to inspire and transform, guiding individuals and organizations toward greater emotional intelligence and success. Stevie Dawn can be reached at: https://www.empathix.nethttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drsteviedawncarterhttps://www.facebook.com/empathix.ushttps://www.instagram.com/empathix.us About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council. Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know. Learning Objectives: 1. Define emotional intelligence (EI) and differentiate it from emotional quotient (EQ) 2. Discover methods for measuring and improving emotional intelligence 3. Examine the impact of emotional intelligence on organizational culture, leadership, and workplace dynamics.

In episode 130, Coffey talks with Shani Dellimore Barrax about the state of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programs and who should be accountable for those programs. They discuss the definition of DEIB; understanding that each person’s various experiences “intersect” to create a unique individuals; “diversity” as a means rather than an end; equity through the four P's: policies, programs, practices and people; the difference between intersectionality vs. intersected identities; government and corporate trends away from Chief Diversity Officers; and the ADKAR model (awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement ) for change management. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Shani Dellimore Barrax (she/her/hers, formally Barrax Moore) is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner with more than 25 years of practical experience in organizational culture change and change leadership, training and development, strategic planning and execution, and coalition and capacity building. She serves as the Principal of Aurora Change Agency, a consulting firm partnering with organizations to create intentionally inclusive and humane cultures of belonging characterized by psychological safety, self-inquiry, and the freedom to innovate. A trained mediator, Cornell Certified Diversity Practitioner/Advanced Practitioner, Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator, and Prosci© Certified Change Management Practitioner, Shani has led and liaised with cross-functional teams across sectors - such as education, on-profit and professional associations, corporate entities and the arts - to increase individual and organizational capacities through change agency facilitation.  Her skills include integration of cultural humility and self-reflection into learning and development strategy through innovative curriculum design and delivery, data storytelling for strategic road mapping, application of academic theory to practice, and inclusive leadership development.  Shani spent several years in higher education, most recently as an Assistant Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of North Texas (UNT) where she led a learning and development team, planned and delivered the UNT Equity and Diversity Conference, managed employee resource groups and diversity and inclusion councils, and developed strategic partnerships for the university. At both UNT and Tarrant County College District, a community college where she served as the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, she led an institution-wide campus inclusion climate survey and strategic planning process leading to institutional diversity and inclusion infrastructure. She served in a similar capacity for Vizient, a for profit health care performance improvement company where she led an emerging diversity and inclusion team and partnered with key stakeholders such as human resources to enhance policies and practices.  Her thought leadership includes piloting INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine’s Women of Color Need Courageous Allies In the Academy Series, and partners with Viewfinder Campus-wide Climate Surveys for higher education data collection and analysis services. Her Coursera titled Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Essentials has become an international resource for DEIB capacity-building. A sought-after keynote speaker, facilitator, and presenter at numerous conferences events, and organizations, her thought leadership contributions include the NAIS publication Diver

In episode 129, Coffey talks with Corinne Spencer about the latest changes in California employment law. They discuss California’s Fair Chance Act regulations; who qualifies as an employer or employee under the FCA; the criminal history inquiry rules under the FCA; what employers are allowed to consider regarding criminal records; the challenge with individualized assessments; steps employers in California must take before utilizing an applicant’s criminal history; the importance of documentation; and how the FCA might apply to an out-of-state employer hiring talent from California. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. This episode is pre-approved for .5 hour HR (California) recertification credit for HRCI-certified professionals and .5 professional development credit for SHRM-certified professionals. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Corinne Spencer is a partner and the Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Corinne also spearheads the firm’s Environmental Law practice, including, but not limited to, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) matters. Prior to returning to Pearlman Brown & Wax, Corinne was counsel with Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard, & Smith, a national, full-service law firm listed among the AmLaw 100. Corinne is dedicated to representing and counseling clients in employment-related matters, including litigation, risk assessment, policy preparation, personnel decisions, and training. She represents employers in State and Federal Courts and appears before all state and federal employment-related agencies, including the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), Employment Development Department (EDD), and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Corinne’s practice encompasses single-party discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination cases, most often arising out of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), wage-and-hour class actions, and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) Representative Actions. She has defended numerous clients across all industries including food service, healthcare, sporting goods, and entertainment. In addition to conducting independent investigations of workplace misconduct, Corinne has extensive experience drafting law and motion, responding to discovery, taking, and defending depositions, and arguing substantive and dispositive motions. She also zealously advocates for employers and management in mediations, arbitrations, trial, and appellate courts. Most recently, Corinne successfully appealed to a trial court’s decision to deny a motion to compel arbitration. After Corinne argued the case before the California Court of Appeal, the decision issued in favor of her client, the employer, reversing the trial court’s decision with instructions the matter should be ordered to arbitration. Corinne Spencer can be reached at: https://www.pbw-law.com/professionals/partners/corinne-spencer https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinne-spencer-744a3825 https://www.linkedin.com/company/pearlman-brown-wax-llp  https://www.facebook.com/pearlmanbrownandwax About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recog

In episode 128, Coffey talks with Julia Gannaway about recent regulatory and legal items that all employers can learn from. They discuss Whole Foods’ wins in federal court and before a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge related to dress code enforcement and Black Lives Matter paraphernalia; a business owner who was alleged to have interfered with a Department of Labor wage and hour investigation, going so far as to retaliate against employees who cooperated with investigators; and an employer who settled an age discrimination suit for $90 million. Links to stuff they talked about are on our website at https://goodmorninghr.com/EP128 and include the following topics: - Judge dismisses Whole Foods workers' lawsuit over 'Black Lives Matter' masks - Whole Foods beats NLRB case over ban on Black Lives Matter apparel - Administrative Law Judge’s Decision (PDF) - Court Orders Haslett Healthcare Facility Owner Who Allegedly Threatened to Fire Employees for Cooperating with Investigation to Attend Anti-Retaliation Training - Consent Judgment and Order (PDF) - Exact Sciences to Pay $90,000 to Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Lawsuit Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Julia Gannaway is a 1991 graduate of Texas A&M with an economics degree and obtained her J.D. from the University of Houston in 1994. Her law firm – Ross, Gannaway, Clifton PLLC – dedicates itself solely to assisting employers. She advises clients on matters relating to federal and state agency investigations, conducts employer investigations, prepares and revises employer handbooks, and advises clients on pay matters including the FLSA and the Texas PayDay Act. She is a member of the Texas Bar College. Julia currently serves on the Fort Worth HR Board of Directors as Legal and Legislative Director. Julia can be reached at  https://rossgannaway.law  https://www.linkedin.com/company/rossgannawayclifton/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council. Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know. Learning Objectives: Understand when dress codes may or may not be implicated by the National Labor Relations Act.Implement training to avoid retaliation claims during federal investigations.Recognize language and behaviors that suggest age discrimination.

In episode 127, Coffey talks with Caroline Harrison about the challenges of being a multistate employer. They discuss the post-Covid growth in remote out-of-state employees; legal considerations for multistate employers; responding to the phenomenon of nomad employees; when companies are required to register and pay taxes as business in another state; noncompetes and other employment-related agreements; policies to help manage multistate employees; and complying with multiple states’ PTO and FMLA laws. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Caroline Harrison is the Managing Partner of the Fort Worth firm of Pham Harrison LLP.  As an attorney Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, she represents employers in disputes with former employees, and guides them through the sometimes-confusing arena of employment law. Her practice focuses on employment litigation and counseling.  Caroline is a frequent speaker on a variety of employment topics. Recently she was honored to receive the inaugural Private Practice Achievement award from the Texas A&M School of Law Alumni Association.  She is also a past Chair of the Texas Minority Counsel program and the current Chair of the Tarrant County Bar Association Women Attorney Section.  She assists employers in variety of areas, including anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, drafting and enforcing covenants not to compete and non-solicitation agreements, and protection of trade secrets.  She advises employers on the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Unemployment Compensation appeals, handling complex investigations into sensitive employment issues, Wage and Hour issues, and classification of employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). She provides counseling on complex issues including discipline, termination, harassment, investigations, effective employment practices, litigation avoidance and accommodation of disabilities. Caroline Harrison can be reached at  https://www.phamharrison.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-harrison-56062b1a/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/phamharrison/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council. Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the challenges faced by employers with out-of-state employees. 2. Research and develop out-of

In episode 126, Coffey talks with Matt Williams about building a strategic HR operation. They discuss the spectrum between transactional and strategic HR; how AI will continue to make HR more efficient; the future of transactional HR roles; the impact of outsourcing transactional HR tasks; the importance of understanding the business; the importance of being involved with company peers outside of HR; how to avoid “no” and explore solutions and alternatives; developing business cases for HR initiatives; the value of coaches (like Matt) for HR professionals; and how HR professionals can challenge the norm for the better of the organization. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. This episode is pre-approved for .5 hour HR (Business) recertification credit for HRCI-certified professionals and .5 professional development credit for SHRM-certified professionals. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Matt has an extensive background in assisting mid to C-level executives and their teams improve their results by developing the skills and competencies necessary to ensure individual, team and organizational success. He brings direct operating experience coupled with a depth of coaching experience that provides the foundation for successful executive and team development. As an executive coach, one of his specialties is helping executives gain clarity around issues quickly for the development and execution of strategies that bring about individual and team results. The approach, a blend of solutions-focused and cognitive behavioral coaching styles, challenges established leaders, and those in transition, to reach for both near term results and transformational growth. Matt’s background includes both corporate and entrepreneurial experiences including technical, sales and leadership roles at Hewlett Packard, turnaround experience in the mid market and the founding, leading and successful sale of a medical technology firm. He has worked with individuals and teams at United Healthcare, ExxonMobil, Memorial Hermann, McCarthy Building and others. Matt Williams can be reached at https://www.EpiphanyProfessional.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwilliamspcc https://twitter.com/EpiphanyCoach https://www.facebook.com/DevelopInsights https://www.instagram.com/epiphanyprofessional About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council. Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know. Learning Objectives 1. Differentiate between transactional and strategic HR practices. 2. Create a strategic HR culture focused on solving pr

In episode 125, Coffey talks with Dr. Robyn Short about workplace mediation as a constructive approach to resolving conflicts. They discuss workplace mediation as conflict resolution tool; the cost of mediation vs. the cost of ignoring conflict; the role of HR in internal mediations; key aspects of a mediation program; what a mediation process looks like; preserving confidentiality in mediation; developing the skills necessary to facilitate a successful mediation; and how mediation works in remote work environments. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for one recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Dr. Robyn Short is an organization systems design consultant, peace-building trainer, and mediator with expertise in restorative practices and transformative mediation models. Dr. Short works with individuals, corporations, and nonprofit organizations in discovering the root causes of conflicts, so they may transform their relationships and create new and productive paths forward individually, as teams, and ultimately as an organization. She also works with community leaders and political and governmental leaders to develop initiatives for building sustainable peace in areas of historic conflict. In this capacity, she has been featured in news outlets internationally.  As the founder of three organizations, Dr. Short understands the challenges founder/CEOs face when operating at the intersection of passion and purpose. She is particularly interested in supporting leaders in creating purpose-driven organizations that are able to harness the benefits of our diverse workplaces by embedding dignity into all aspects of the business.  Dr. Short has completed Warriors for the Human Spirit training — a 60-hour training program led by Margaret Wheatley to support leaders in harnessing compassion and insight as they navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world. She is currently studying with Somatic Experiencing International to become a practitioner of the SE™ method — a body-oriented therapeutic model that helps heal trauma and other stress disorders.  Dr. Short is the author of four books and has served as an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University in the Master of Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution program, the Master of Leadership and Negotiation at Bay Path University, and the College of Innovation and Design at Texas A&M Commerce. She is a frequent guest lecturer at Pepperdine University's Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution and Creighton University's Master of Conflict and Dispute Resolution program. Dr. Short holds a Doctor of Liberal Studies degree with a focus in peace studies and systems design. She holds a Master of Art in Dispute Resolution from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University with a focus in 15th century European history. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Auburn University. Dr. Robyn Short can be reached at https://www.workplacepeaceinstitute.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/65553248 About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Mike has been recognized as an Entr