🗳️ Midterms are almost here. Is your workplace ready?

My new Like A Boss Podcast 🎙️ just dropped, and it's for every leader who wants to get through the upcoming election season without the chaos and drama. 😅 Here are the three things you need to know:

1️⃣ Know the voting leave laws ⏰📋 Many states require time off to vote, and some require it to be paid. Check the rules where your people work before Election Day, not after! ✅

2️⃣ Handle political talk like a pro 💬🤝 Debates at the coffee machine ☕ can heat up fast 🔥! Set clear, respectful expectations, apply your policies consistently, and keep the focus on the work.

3️⃣ Make sure employees feel supported and secure 💙🛡️ Elections can be stressful 😰 Check in with your team, encourage respect across the aisle 🐘🫏, and make sure everyone knows they belong, no matter how they vote.

Leading through election season takes more than good intentions. It takes a plan 🧠💡. I hope you’ll watch the full video 🎥 to get practical tips you can use right away!

👇 How is YOUR team getting ready? Tell us in the comments!

@duanemorris #politics #midterms #hr #employmentlaw #election

🎬 Leaders and HR professionals, we need to talk about excuses. 👀

Whether your team works in the office 🏢 or from home 🏠, one thing hasn't changed: your people need to know how they're doing. 📈Good documentation ✍️ and real empathy 💛 are two of your best tools for strong employee relations and for staying out of litigation. ⚖️

So why do so many managers skip them? 🤔In today’s video, I break down the 5 excuses I hear most often and discuss why they simply cannot stand 🚫 :

⏰ I don't have time.

🪄 If I leave it alone, it'll get better on its own.

🥊 I detest conflict.

🧨 I'm worried it might lead to a claim.

🙈 Out of sight, out of mind.

None of these has ever worked, and none ever will. 🙅 Our failure to lead inevitably and almost invariably leads to those employee relations concerns and, worse, litigation.

✅Here's the bottom line 🎯: the "how" of performance management doesn't matter until leaders understand the why, so we better be talking about both! 🔑

▶️ Watch now, then share in the comments which excuse you hear most! 👇

Millions of talented women are going through perimenopause and menopause right now, often in silence. 🤐 When workplaces don't respond, the cost is lost talent 📉, legal risk ⚖️, and a culture that leaves people out. 💔

At its core, this is a women's issue 💜. Building a culture that supports women, and keeping up with the ever-changing law, is everyone's responsibility. 🌍🤝

In my new Like A Boss Podcast 🎥, I cover the legal and workplace culture issues around menopause and perimenopause, and the 5 steps organizations and leaders must take:

1️⃣ Educate & Train 📚

2️⃣ Invest in Well-Being Support 🧘‍♀️

3️⃣ Offer Workplace Flexibility 🏡⏰

4️⃣ Embrace Employee Resource Groups 🫶

5️⃣ Know the Law (and the Changes) 🧑‍⚖️

🎤 I'm excited to be speaking at The M Factor 2 in Reno 🌄, brought to you by @MenoPalz 🌸. 🚀

👇 Please watch the video and tell me which steps your organization need most.

@duanemorris @menopalz #Menopause #Perimenopause #MenopauseAtWork #WorkplaceCulture #Leadership

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this post is personal. But the message is for every one of us. 💗

My mother-in-law, Marsha, had understandable reasons for waiting: fear, a full life, the hope that it was nothing. 💭 But cancer didn't wait, and we lost her. I'm sharing her story because I don't want it to be yours.

On the latest Like A Boss Podcast, I talk about why this matters 👇

🔍 Early detection saves lives. Book the screening. If something feels off, don't put it off. A checkup today could mean more years with the people you love.

👩‍🦰👨 This touches all of us. Breast cancer mostly affects women, and we need to keep showing up for them. But men can get it too, and they're often diagnosed later because nobody expects it. Every kind of cancer reaches into every home and every team.

🤝 Leaders, this is on us. Flexible time for appointments, strong benefits, and honest conversations aren't perks. They're how we take care of our people. Make it safe to say "I'm scared" or "I need a day." 🙌

Somewhere on your team, someone is putting off a checkup right now. A word from you might be the nudge they need. 🫶

🎙️ Please watch the full episode, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

In memory of Marsha. 🌸 We all have a Marsha.

@duanemorrisllp @americancancersociety #breastcancer #cancer #leadership #hr #breastcancerawarenessmonth

Preventing harassment at work isn't only HR's job. It's a leadership job. 💼 With everything happening in today's workplace, the way managers respond (or don't) can decide whether a situation gets fixed early or turns into a claim, a culture problem, or a headline. 📉

Every leader must follow the 5 Rs of harassment prevention: 👇

1️⃣ Refrain from inappropriate conduct 🙅🏾‍♀️ Your team takes its cues from you. Jokes, comments and "just kidding" moments set the standard for everyone.

2️⃣ Report all complaints to HR 📣🧑🏻‍💼 Don't filter them, judge them or try to handle them quietly on your own. If you hear it, pass it on to HR, even if the employee asks you to keep it to yourself.

3️⃣ Respond proactively, even without a complaint 👀👨🏿‍💼 Silence doesn't mean everything is fine. If you see or hear something, deal with it.

4️⃣ Remedy the inappropriate behavior 🛠️👩🏼‍💼 Take prompt action that fits the problem. Make sure the behavior stops and doesn't come back.

5️⃣ Refrain from retaliation 🛡️🧕🏽 Protect the people who speak up, including witnesses. Retaliation claims are often easier to prove than the original complaint, and they can cost more.

The business case: Strong leaders lower legal risk, keep good people and build trust. 🤝🏾🤝🏻

Practical tip: Train your managers on the 5 Rs every year and ask them to show how they apply them, not just attend the session. 💬 Your leaders are key to prevention, correction and positive workplace culture! 👩🏻‍🦱👨🏽‍🦲👩🏿‍🦳

@duanemorris #Leadership #HarassmentPrevention #EmploymentLaw #HR #WorkplaceCulture

@The University of Michigan💙💛 just made a bold move: all 2027 incoming freshmen of their School of Literature, Science and the Arts will take their first-semester classes pass/fail. Why? Because easing the pressure upfront helps people thrive long-term. 💡

That same principle applies to our workplace. Psychological safety isn't a buzzword — it's the foundation for how we show up, grow, and do our best work. Here are three ways we're making it real for every new team member: 👇

1️⃣ Start Strong on Day One: Mental health resources and expectations are woven into onboarding materials, handbooks, and every early communication. No one should have to go looking for support — it meets you where you are and it MUST be clear on Day 1! 📋💬

2️⃣ Leadership Walks the Talk: Our leaders should mention well-being in a formal welcome speech (live or recorded). But that cannot be it. They speak must speak about it consistently — at kickoffs, in team meetings, and in 1:1s. Mental health is a core value, not a platitude. 🗣️💪

3️⃣ Embrace Equity in Mental Health: Everyone's experience is different. New employees must appreciate that we're committed to meeting people where they are — across backgrounds, identities, and needs — because equitable support is real support. 🤝🌍

The common thread? Consistency between words and action. Not performative. Genuine and concrete. Because when people feel safe, they do extraordinary things. 🌱🔥

@Duane Morris LLP @SHRM #umich #mentalhealthmatters #WorkplaceCulture #leadership #mentalhealth

Three tricky return-to-work scenarios HR, managers and counsel need to know. 🔥👇

1️⃣ FMLA runs out, but they need more time off. Don't just say "see ya" 🙅‍♀️. The ADA and FMLA act in conjunction with each other and the ADA might require additional leave as a reasonable accommodation 🛡️. FMLA ending ≠ conversation over ❌. Know where one law stops and the other kicks in ⚖️🔄.

2️⃣ You find out they broke the rules… while they're on leave. Plot twist 😲: the misconduct happened BEFORE leave started. You CAN act on it 💪 — FMLA protects leave, not prior bad behavior 🚫. Just make sure you'd discipline ANY employee the same way ✅. Documentation becomes CRUCIAL. 📝🗂️

3️⃣ Disciplining them the SECOND they walk back in. Timing is everything ⏰. If a write-up lands on Day 1 back, the timing alone can raise questions 🚩 — even when the concern is legitimate. Best practice? Build your paper trail early 📋, stay consistent across the team 🤝, and make sure the decision was already in motion before the return. Smart timing = smart HR 🎯💡.

💡🔑 Bottom line: FMLA is full of landmines 💣. Stay consistent ✅, document like your career depends on it 📝 (because it might 😅), and loop in counsel BEFORE you act 🏛️⚠️.

Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute #LikeABoss #fmla #leadership #hr

Labor Day is behind us. The air is shifting. And so must our leadership.

This season isn't just about pumpkin spice and back-to-school energy — it's a powerful moment of renewal. A reset. A chance to return to what actually moves the needle for your people.

Here are 3 leadership fundamentals we're doubling down on this fall:

1️⃣ Human-Based Leadership Your people aren't resources. They're humans. Lead with empathy, curiosity, and presence. Show up as a person first — and watch trust follow.

2️⃣ "Spontaneous Planned" Check-Ins Yes, that's intentional. Block the time — then make it feel organic. Ask real questions. Listen without an agenda. These moments build loyalty no policy ever could.

3️⃣ Expressing Gratitude — Out Loud Not in a Slack emoji. Not in an annual review. Right now. Directly. Specifically. Gratitude is a leadership accelerator, and your team is starving for it.

🚨 Let's be clear: These aren't "soft skills." These are leadership imperatives.

The best leaders don't wait for January to reset. They start NOW. 🔥

What are YOU focusing on this fall? Drop it below. 👇

#leadership #empathy #gratitude #LikeABoss #HR