In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!, hosts Paul Edwards and Jennie McLaughlin delve into the recent FTC ruling on non-compete clauses. While this could herald significant changes for employment contracts nationwide, there's no need to panic just yet. Paul and Jennie break down the details of the ruling, emphasizing that it won't take effect immediately and discussing potential legal challenges that could delay its implementation. This episode is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the future of non-competes and seeking clarity amidst the unfolding legal landscape!

Let’s delve into a scenario that could happen to any of us in the professional world. We've all seen them by now—the secret Zoom video recordings of a large company firing a remote employee via call go viral. Secretly recording a conversation raises privacy issues, and, once again, a crazy ruling by the NLRB last year states that eavesdropping on employers by employees is legal under federal law. When recordings get released in the wild, it is never good for the employer. We discuss how the employer tried to mitigate the negative impact by responding and how that can worsen things. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED LARGE corporation problem; it impacts small businesses, too.

So, what could you do when this happens to you? Gain insights from the seasoned perspectives of Paul Edwards and Elijah Newsome, our Social Media Strategist, as they break down best practices around negative reviews in this week's episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!

Today, we're talking about the importance of privacy and email addresses for your employees, inspired by a chiropractic office that got locked out of their website by an employee who was demanding a ransom. Allowing employees to use their personal email addresses for various business activities sets you up for trouble in more ways than we can list... Giving your employees company emails solves so many problems. Let's talk about it and how those emails can protect you and your business in this week's episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! with Paul Edwards and guest Ally Dagnino.

In this week's episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! Discover why talented employees often find themselves in management positions for which they might not be suited and the unintended consequences that can arise from such decisions. Paul Edwards and CeCe Wilson sit down to dissect the reasons behind these common practices, shedding light on the importance of recognizing different skill sets essential for effective management. Whether you're running a burgeoning startup or steering a large enterprise, understanding the Peter Principle and how to navigate its challenges is key to building a resilient and thriving work environment. Tune in and empower yourself with the knowledge to make smarter, more effective managerial decisions.

Recently, Dairy Queen was in the news because one of their manager's "corrective action" sent people to the hospital. As managers, sometimes, actually fixing the issue is something we all want to avoid for one reason or another - let's be honest, it can be exhausting (especially if it's an issue you've already addressed a million times). Getting through to your employees is hard, and we're all human. The most important thing to remember (other than the fact that poisoning your employees is NOT the way to go) is that you need to keep your emotional response in check and, as we always say, attack the problem, not the person. Listen to this week's episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! to hear Paul Edwards and Jennie McLaughlin talk about facing employee challenges head-on.

For this week’s episode, we are doing a re-release of one of our favorites (and one that is always highly requested!) Giving your employees in-house treatment as a benefit of employment is common, and a great way to increase employee retention! However, there are a lot of things to consider, especially when it comes to billing and how insurance carriers see things. Listen when Harley Hartliep and Paul Edwards sit down and talk about it in this week's episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!

Buckle in, managers and owners! It's time for the next "What the Hell Just Happened?!" In this episode, we answer two questions: one from the more than 10,000 HR questions the experts at CEDR receive each year and the second from one of our listeners. Our first question concerns an employee who corners their manager and wants more money: “Since I don't want or need your health insurance, I want the money, not the benefit.” This happens often, and we discuss why your answer should almost always be a resounding NO! Our second question concerns an employee who keeps making an unemployment claim during scheduled office closures and what the practice can do to prevent them. Keep those questions coming! Send them to podcast@wthjusthappened.com!

All employees fall somewhere on the skill versus will matrix, which is a tool that can help you objectively make tough decisions with employees. You have your ideal employees (those that can and will and those that can't and will), and then you have your less-than-ideal employees (those that can and won't and those that can't and won't). Have you ever stopped to think about where all of your employees land? From there, what to do with those that fall in the less-than-ideal category? Join Paul Edwards and CeCe Wilson in this week's episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! as they go over the skill vs. will matrix and how to decide when it's time to coach, train, or fire, depending on where each employee falls.