In this episode, Matt Steinberg welcomes the Honorable Ruben Castillo, Chief Judge for the Northern District of Illinois (the third largest jurisdiction in the country) for a wide-ranging discussion. Judge Castillo shares his personal journey from growing up the son of two immigrants to being the first Hispanic federal judge in Illinois. He also discusses his views on the evolution of litigation and advocacy over his 25 years on the bench, as well as his perspective on employment litigation trends, the types of facts/evidence he is likely to find persuasive in employment-related litigation, and how lawyers can be more effective advocates (both inside and outside the courtroom). Matt also asks Judge Castillo about his involvement in criminal justice reform and his many other public outreach initiatives.

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Although much has been written about millennials, employers should also be focusing attention on the next generation of workers: Gen Z. In this intriguing episode, Matt Steinberg welcomes best-selling author and “generational expert” David Stillman to discuss the historical and cultural events which helped shape and define Gen Z – such as being parented by uber-competitive Gen Xers, living through the 2008 recession and growing up as smartphone “digital natives” with highly customizable and curated experiences. Matt and David also discuss the distinctive characteristics Gen Z is already displaying in the workplace, as well as best practices on how to recruit, retain, and manage Gen Z talent (HINT: VERY differently than millennials).

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To present a unique perspective on criminal history discrimination and “ban the box” laws, Matt Steinberg welcomes ConBody founder, Coss Marte. Many media outlets (including The New York Times, Forbes, NPR, Elle Magazine, Men’s Health and others) have chronicled Coss’ fascinating life story. While serving a seven-year prison sentence for dealing drugs, he created a workout regimen, which, after his release, he turned into a renowned national fitness brand. In their chat, Matt and Coss discuss Coss’s journey, his personal and professional views surrounding criminal history discrimination in the workplace (and his involvement with various governmental task forces in this space), the important and nuanced legal/business/social issues surrounding “ban the box” laws, ConBody’s culture of “having your employees’ backs,” and Coss’ perspective on successfully scaling an entrepreneurial venture.

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In this unique discussion, Matt welcomes Dr. Agustin Arbulu to discuss his agency’s enforcement and education/outreach programs throughout Michigan, his commitment to achieving “equity” in workplaces (beyond just diversity and inclusion), the many nuanced and important issues surrounding race discrimination in the workplace, the Flint water crisis, how Michigan is protecting LGBTQ rights on a state/local level and how technological and other innovation is impacting Michigan employers and (re)shaping Michigan’s dynamic economy.

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In this episode, you can hear Matt’s recent NYC panel discussion moderated by Solon Barocas, Ph. D. (Cornell University Assistant Professor & Co-Founder of Fairness, Accountability + Transparency in Machine Learning) and featuring panelists Adam Klein (Deputy Managing Partner – Outten & Golden); Eric Dunleavy, Ph.D. (Director of Personnel Selection & Litigation Support Services – DCI Consulting) and Kelly Trindel, Ph.D. (Head of Science + Diversity Analytics).

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In this episode, Matt welcomes David Sherwyn, Professor of Law at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration & Director of Cornell’s Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor & Employment Relations, to discuss many of the cutting-edge employment law/HR issues currently facing the hospitality industry. Among other things, Matt and David cover: (a) the various legal, business, and operational questions surrounding “tipped” workforces; (b) the overlay, if any, between tipping and harassment, and the future of tipping generally; (c) why innovation and technology is continuing to disrupt the hospitality sector and redefine the nature of hospitality work; (d) the United States Supreme Court’s recent Epic Systems decision (upholding mandatory arbitration and class action waivers) and why David believes strongly that, for both employers and employees, non-class arbitration is preferable to litigation; and (e) best practices for all employers based upon lessons learned from the hospitality sector.

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Matt welcomes long-time Akerman colleague and friend Samantha Abeysekera to discuss the “Stop Sexual Harassment In NYC Act” and whether other jurisdictions will adopt similar legislation mandating sex harassment training. Matt and Sam also offer broader insights on how all employers can design authentic training programs that will resonate with their employee populations and align with company culture.

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In this freewheeling episode, Matt welcomes a handful of kids, ages 4 ½ - 14, who visited Akerman’s NYC office last week for “Bring Your Kids To Work Day.” Matt’s exchanges with these awesome kids will not only make you smile, but also provide some interesting insights into your next generation(s) of employees. Enjoy!

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Matt welcomes renowned attorney/litigator James Esseks, the Director of ACLU's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & HIV Project, for an important conversation about promoting LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace. This candid discussion focuses on the importance of appropriate and sensitive language and terms in the LGBTQ community, how society’s increasing acceptance of gay marriage has cascaded into greater sensitivity around LGBTQ workplace rights, and various thoughtful employment practices related to the transgender and gender non-binary community. James also discusses several significant ACLU litigations involving LGBTQ discrimination and religious liberty defenses.

http://www.akerman.com/podcasts/disclaimer/workedup.html

In this episode, Matt Steinberg welcomes Karla Muniz, Senior Director of Human Resources for Florida Hospital (25,000 employees throughout Central Florida), to discuss the importance of purposefully creating meaningful employee culture -- starting at the employee recruiting phase and continuing throughout the employment relationship. Karla also describes the innovative and unique ways in which Florida Hospital facilitates organic (and fun!) interactions across a multitude of diverse employees, incorporates “Just Culture” principles into personnel decisions and provides all employees, regardless of job title, with great visibility into the holistic operation of the business (and why this matters). Finally, Karla and Matt predict how corporate culture may change (and be tested!) by the next generation of remote workers.

http://www.akerman.com/podcasts/disclaimer/workedup.html