Send us a text

Welcome back to WTF is Business Casual, where HR consultants Jenny Levy and Sarah Bursten roast, rant, and reality-check the weird stuff that somehow passes for “normal” in the workplace.

This week we’re calling out all the things people still think are fine at work, but absolutely aren’t.

From awkward hugs to speakerphone oversharers, cubicles that look like dorm rooms, and the office “Happy Birthday” song no one actually enjoys, Jenny and Sarah break down what’s WTF-acceptable and what’ll get you side-eyed by HR.

WTF Moments & Hot Takes:

• Hugging at work. Friendly or lawsuit waiting to happen? (Hint: keep your hands to yourself.)
• Cubicle clutter. Your desk isn’t a daycare or a personal museum.
• Being BFFs with your boss. How “we’re just friends” turns into “why did HR call me in?”
• Reply All crimes. Stop hitting that button, Sally. Just. Stop.
• Forced birthday singing. Why workplace celebrations feel more like hostage situations.
• Speakerphone culture. If we can hear your conversation, it’s already gone too far.
• The unspoken workplace rules. The stuff you’ll never find in an employee handbook (but should).

Jenny and Sarah also unpack how corporate culture has shifted from “we dealt with it” to “I’m reporting you,” and why that might be both progress and a buzzkill.

Because let’s be honest. We can’t have nice things anymore.

Send us a text

Gen Z has officially entered the chat and corporate America isn’t ready.

Jenny and Sarah rip into the chaos (and low-key brilliance) of the newest generation in the workplace. Are they entitled job hoppers with no soft skills… or the only ones brave enough to call BS on burnout culture?

Spoiler: it’s complicated — and very, very human.

They unpack everything from Gen Z’s allergy to fake leadership to why they’ll quit faster than you can say “circle back.” Plus, the hosts drag every generation (including their own) through the mud for good measure.

You’ll get:

• The truth about Gen Z’s “bad attitude” and why it’s actually a boundary
• How pandemic schooling and parenting styles rewired workplace expectations
• Real talk on feedback, flexibility, and why managers need to grow up too
• The tension between “just do your job” and “I need meaning in my job”
• A mirror moment for HR pros who keep trying to lead with policies instead of people

Because every generation swears the next one’s the problem, but maybe Gen Z’s just the first one bold enough to say the quiet part out loud.

Hit play.
Laugh a little, cringe a lot, and maybe rethink how you talk about “kids these days.”

Send us a text

Employers love to say they support work-life balance and encourage you to take your PTO. But here’s the workplace reality: when employees actually unplug, they’re often seen as less committed, and less promotable. Welcome to the detachment paradox.

In this episode of WTF is Business Casual?!, Jenny and Sarah unpack the HR bias that rewards “always on” employees and punishes those who set healthy boundaries. It’s the messed-up cycle that fuels employee burnout, slows career growth, and leaves leaders scratching their heads about why people keep quitting.

Drawing from corporate HR experience, research from Harvard Business Review, and their own stories, the hosts get candid about how organizations really evaluate “commitment” at work—and why leaders need to rethink what performance looks like.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• Why workplace detachment (logging off, PTO, boundaries) helps performance but hurts promotions
• How unconscious HR bias still favors visibility and “green dot” culture over results
• Real stories of burnout, PTO guilt, and leaders who say “set boundaries” but expect 24/7 availability
• The generational clash over hustle culture, career growth, and work-life expectations
• What France’s “Right to Disconnect” law shows us about protecting employee wellbeing
• How commitment bias skews performance reviews and promotability decisions

Jenny and Sarah also get personal about their different leadership styles. One is wired to respond immediately, the other is comfortable letting things wait, and how those differences play out when managing clients, careers, and sanity.

If you’ve ever been penalized for taking a vacation, wondered why promotions go to the loudest hustlers, or debated whether “healthy boundaries” and “career growth” can actually co-exist in today’s workplace, this episode is for you.

We want your take. Have you seen the detachment paradox play out in your own company? Or caught yourself judging employees (or yourself) for unplugging? Share your story with us on Instagram @wtfisbusinesscasual.