WIRTW #764: the 'substack' edition
Introducing Authoritarian Alarm: A New Home for a Critical Conversation For the past 18+ years, I've written about the intersection of ...
Archive: June 2025
Without HR, you're not running a business. You're running a liability factory.
By Jon Hyman
"I want to be the first company without HR." That's the viral line from Jennifer Sey , who founded XX-XY Athletics in March 20...
PIPs are performance improvement plans, not employee termination plans
By Jon Hyman
The point of a performance improvement plan isn't to fire someone, it's to help them improve. It's right there is the name. But ...
I want my records back, records back, records back
By Jon Hyman
When you destroy the evidence that could justify a termination, don’t be surprised when a court refuses to take your side. That's the me...
WIRTW #763: the 'shiny and new' edition
By Jon Hyman
Our new website is live! I am excited to share that Wickens Herzer Panza has officially launched a completely redesigned website . Our goal ...
🚨 SCOTUS refused to extend Bostock—but it also didn't gut it. That matters, a lot.
By Jon Hyman
Yesterday, in U.S. v. Skrmetti , the Supreme Court held that states can constitutionally prohibit puberty blockers and hormone therapy for t...
FIFA gets a red card for its missing anti-discrimination stance
By Jon Hyman
FIFA says it has a zero-tolerance policy against racism and discrimination. But during this year's inaugural Club World Cup—in the Unite...
When immigration policy change overnight…
By Jon Hyman
What's an employer supposed to do when immigration policy shifts overnight? That's the question employers across the country are now...
A dog of a workplace lesson
By Jon Hyman
Last weekend, I got bit by the doggie mayor of Boston's Seaport . His name is Bennett . He's a 9-month-old golden retriever. And whi...
WIRTW #762: the 'cheers' edition
By Jon Hyman
🚨 BREAKING: The death of craft beer has been greatly exaggerated. According to a new 2024 economic impact study from the Ohio Craft Brewer...
The 6th nominee for The Worst Employer of 2025 is … The Terrible Trafficker
By Jon Hyman
HotHead Grabba is now officially in the hot seat. A 74-count indictment charges owner Hunter Segree and two managers with operating a tobac...
2.5 million reasons to avoid age discrimination
By Jon Hyman
"Younger and hungrier." That was the phrase executives at CrossCountry Mortgage allegedly used to describe the kind of people they...
Do you know the difference between legal and illegal interview questions?
By Jon Hyman
You're hiring. Great. You're asking illegal interview questions. Not so great. Most employers don't mean to cross the line in in...
The 5th nominee for The Worst Employer of 2025 is … The Predator Manager
By Jon Hyman
The EEOC has filed a lawsuit against Franchise Management LLC, the operator of over 20 Subway locations in the Beehive State, alleging that...
Inclusion isn't political #HappyPrideMonth🌈
By Jon Hyman
It's Pride Month. And it matters now more than ever. Ten years ago, a client fired me. Why? Because I suggested they add LGBTQ+ protecti...