Traci sits down with Chris Hamilton, a benefits consultant who specializes in helping employers cut through the noise of rising healthcare costs, to dig into what's really driving the hardest insurance market in 15 years. 

If you sat through open enrollment this year wondering why insurance premiums jumped 20% when you thought it would be single digits, this episode reveals why—and what you can actually do about it.

Chris walks through the misaligned incentives that make traditional insurance companies profit when your costs rise, exposes waste hiding in your current plan (like medications available for $300 being charged at $1,000), and breaks down why Wells Fargo and Johnson & Johnson ended up in fiduciary duty lawsuits over benefits decisions. 

But the real value is the concrete timeline and strategy for what to do starting this month—not waiting until August—to completely reshape your 2026 renewal and actually improve coverage while reducing costs.

Contact Information:

Connect with Chris Hamilton: Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | The Insider Playbook

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Traci shares an exciting update about the podcast's production plans for 2026.

What You'll Hear:

• A peek at the production schedule and what's planned for the coming months

• Why Policy Pulse episodes will return in the summer with new content

• An invitation to share what topics and guests you want to hear about

• A sneak peek at next week's episode on insurance and benefits

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci 

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This episode unpacks the real danger of a female-dominated profession being policed through male eyes, the seismic shift happening with NLRB independence, and what HR leaders need to prepare for as workplace regulation becomes a political ping-pong ball. Bryan breaks down why the next few years will be anything but predictable for your compliance calendar.

What We Cover

– The Michigan firefighter bra inspection case and why "professionalism" is being weaponized to keep workplaces male-dominated

 – Why this case matters even though it shouldn't exist—and how past court rulings could doom the firefighter's lawsuit

 – The NLRB's loss of independence and what it means when presidents can fire board members at will

– How decades of stable labor policy will now swing with every election cycle 

– The real difference between independent agency oversight and direct presidential control 

– Why rapid policy reversals in employment law will crush compliance predictability 

– Union membership trends: will the NLRB chaos actually drive more unionization or accelerate decline? 

– Bryan's three bold bets for 2026: AI implementation, AI discrimination issues, and te blue state/red state divide 

– The impossibility of creating one handbook that works across incompatible state laws 

– Why HR is the only department in the room protecting the human impact of business decisions

Connect with Bryan here: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanjohndriscoll/⁠

Connect with Traci here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

⁠ 

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci sits down for a solo catch-up to address the elephant in the room: the influx of obviously AI-generated resumes and job applications flooding inboxes. Plus, this is our last episode of 2025, so you won't want to miss this episode!

What starts as a cautionary tale about resume fraud becomes a deeper conversation about reputation, confidence, and why the "spray and pray" approach to your career is actually costing you more than it saves.

Whether you're tempted to let AI write your resume from scratch, use automated job application services, or lean on generative tools during interviews, this episode challenges the all-or-nothing thinking that's driving so many job seekers to compromise their credibility before they even get in the door.

What We Cover:

– The telltale signs of AI-generated resumes (generic language, zero personality, missing data points)

– Why perfect keyword matching actually hurts your chances despite what you think about ATS systems

– The reputation damage that never really goes away in smaller industries

– The interview nightmare scenario: claiming experience you don't actually have

– How one hiring manager caught a candidate using AI mid-interview (spoiler: the camera angle was a dead giveaway)

– Why automated job application services are just spray-and-pray without the actual effectiveness

– The difference between using AI as a prep tool versus letting AI replace your thinking entirely

– How to leverage AI ethically—workbook prep, question practice, resume critique—without faking your way through applications

– The real thing that lands jobs: being prepared, being specific, being YOU

– The competitive job market pressure that's driving candidates to abandon authenticity

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

For resume support, interview prep, or career coaching, reach out: https://hrtraci.com/career-services 

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Join Traci and Emily Erstad, author of It's Not That Deep, regional operations strategist, executive director in hospice, and soulful leadership coach, as they explore how to break free from the mental loops that keep us stuck—and still lead with heart.

Spoiler alert: Being a deep thinker and deep feeler is a gift, but staying there indefinitely is the problem.

Emily unpacks why so many high-achieving leaders and HR professionals get trapped in what she calls the "doom loop"—where perfectionism, overthinking, and taking ourselves too seriously becomes the very thing that blocks our progress. You'll discover how to leverage emotional intelligence without letting it become an excuse for avoiding accountability, and why boundaries and vulnerability aren't opposites—they're both essential to building trust.

What We Cover:

– The doom loop that keeps deep thinkers trapped in unproductive cycles

– Perfectionism as a self-diminisher and team drainer

– Trauma dumping versus authentically sharing hard things

– Why "triggered" has replaced actual disagreement and conversation

– Setting boundaries without sacrificing your authenticity or kindness

– The difference between over-empathy and strategic compassion in leadership

– Culture is about knowing your team's limits, not pizza parties

– Using vulnerability strategically to build trust and transparency

– The next frontier in leadership: moving beyond "emotions are valid" to action

– Observation and reflection as the antidote to reactive leadership

Key Quote: "You are important, but you're not that important. You're adding a lot of responsibility to yourself that's so unnecessary, and it's just going to drive you nuts. And you being driven nuts is not productive." – Emily Erstad

Connect with Emily Erstad:

Website: https://eepublications.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsnotthatdeep_author/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-erstad-m-a-ccc-slp-381346135/

Book: It's Not That Deep  

Connect with Traci here:

https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci sits down with Dr. Greg Giuliano, founder of GA Ultra Leadership and executive coach to senior leaders worldwide. For nearly 30 years, Greg has been helping leaders understand that the way they lead directly impacts whether people show up engaged or just show up.

Spoiler alert: That micromanaging leader you're frustrated with? Their anxiety is driving every decision—and you're probably doing the exact same thing to your team without realizing it.

Greg unpacks why leaders accidentally slip into command and control despite genuinely wanting to empower their teams, and shares the coaching framework that transforms how managers lead. He reveals the drama triangle that plays out in every workplace, explains why anxiety masquerades as micromanagement, and gives leaders the tools to shift from managing and telling to coaching and empowering.

What We Cover:

– The drama triangle that runs every workplace

– Why micromanagement is anxiety wearing a business suit

– The mama bird trap leaders fall into

– Coaching versus telling and why one actually works

– How to create your own team culture inside a broken system

– The question that reveals what kind of leader you really want to be

– Why the post-pandemic workforce won't tolerate command and control

– How to actually make the shift from managing to coaching

– The 10-minute framework that proves coaching isn't complicated

– When you stop coaching and start managing instead

Key Quote:

"My job is to empower these people and the best way to empower people is to coach them." – Dr. Greg Giuliano

Connect with Dr. Greg Giuliano:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/greg-giuliano 

Podcast: Ultra Leadership (new video every week) 

Website: ultraleadership.com

Books: Coaching for a Change, The Next Normal, Ultra Leadership, The Hero's Journey

Connect with Traci here:

https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci connects with Renaud Delaquis, Head of Product Marketing at Coastline Academy, the nation's largest driving school scaling across 500+ cities.

Spoiler alert: What if your biggest hiring problem was actually a revenue problem in disguise?

When Renaud noticed a tiny dip in quality metrics—just 1%—he could've ignored it. Instead, he discovered something most marketing leaders never see: the direct correlation between who you hire and what your customers experience. That realization led him to partner with recruiting and completely rethink how Coastline attracts, screens, and retains driving instructors.

What We Cover:

– The moment a marketing leader realized recruiting was his problem too

– Why a 1% quality drop led to an entirely new hiring system

– How to find people who don't know they want the job

– The personality trait that actually predicts success (and it's not what you think)

– Turning your best employees into organic brand ambassadors

– Making the business case to leadership with numbers that stick

– Why happy employees are literally your greatest product

Key Quote:

"The best product that you have are happy employees. When you invest in your best product, your employees, all of your other products will totally start to rise to the occasion." – Renaud Delaquis

Connect with Renaud Delaquis:

Website: https://www.instagram.com/coastlineacademy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastlineacademyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/coastlineacademyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPruykTxAWpwh8i1GK-U1kA

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coastline.academyRenaud on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaud-delaquis/

Connect with Traci here:

https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This month's Policy Pulse episode with Traci and co-host Bryan Driscoll is packed with the compliance updates every HR leader needs heading into 2026. With new EEOC leadership officially in place, federal enforcement is shifting, state protections are becoming more critical, and workplace culture decisions are getting harder to navigate.

Spoiler alert: You're about to feel major whiplash as protections from the past four years (DEI initiatives, pregnancy accommodations, gender identity policies, and more) face rollbacks. But state laws might be your lifeline.

This conversation covers everything from DEI audits and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to religious and gender identity protections, reverse discrimination claims, and a cultural reality check about office returns.

You'll hear why one company's Halloween costume mishap revealed their broken culture, what managers actually need to know about anti-harassment training, and the single question every HR leader should ask before mandating people back to the office.

Plus, Bryan walks through the most pressing questions he's getting from clients right now about navigating these changes without losing employee trust.

What We Cover

• New EEOC leadership and the anticipated rollbacks to DEI programs, pregnant workers protections, and gender identity policies

• Why auditing your DEI initiatives now isn't optional (it's survival)

• The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: expanded protections facing the axe and what state laws might save you

• Religious and gender identity conflicts: expect stronger protections for religious objections and narrower interpretations of gender identity

• When federal law disappears, state law is your safety net and some states have serious teeth

• The culture-killing move: mandating office returns without a legitimate business reason

• How convincing employees signals distrust and guarantees compliance theater instead of real engagement

• Why one Halloween costume revealed everything wrong with a company's culture

• Anti-harassment training for managers vs. company-wide training: why you need both and why most companies miss this

• The real question HR leaders should ask before sending that RTO mandate: would I come in for that reason?

  
  

Key Quote

"Your response or lack of response when someone crosses a line in your organization, that is your culture." - Bryan Driscoll

Connect with Bryan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanjohndriscoll/ 

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci welcomes Laura Tolhoek, founder and principal consultant at Essential HR, where she leads a team delivering clear, results-focused solutions to businesses facing HR challenges across Canada. With her CHRL designation and over 20 years of experience, Laura specializes in helping companies navigate the complex world of Canadian employment law.

Laura has built her career guiding managers through high-volume decision-making in fast-paced restaurant, food service, and retail environments.

Her expertise becomes critical when US-based companies attempt to expand north of the border using American HR practices—a mistake that can cost tens of thousands in severance.

Spoiler alert: That US employment contract you're using in Canada is probably null and void—and that might actually work in the employee's favor.

Laura breaks down why expanding into Canada makes strategic sense—from accessing highly educated workers at a 30-35% exchange rate discount to tapping salary ranges significantly lower than US metropolitan areas.

You'll also hear the critical legal pitfalls that can turn a cost-saving hire into an expensive nightmare, including the "dependent contractor" classification that's caught countless US companies off guard.

What We Cover:

– The Target Canada lesson – Why understanding operational and cultural differences before expansion matters, even for America's most successful retailers

– Why at-will employment doesn't exist in Canada – Termination without a strong contract can cost months of severance instead of weeks

– The contract clause that voids everything – One mention of drug testing invalidates your entire employment agreement

– Dependent contractors aren't subcontractors – If someone gets 75%+ of their income from you, courts may deem them an employee with back taxes, vacation, and overtime owed

– How to find strong mid-level managers for $60-80K CAD – The salary arbitrage that builds loyalty while expanding your talent pool

– Quebec's French-first requirement – Why Montreal expansion means understanding distinct cultural approaches to business

– The 18-month parental leave structure – How progressive family leave policies help balance workforce discrimination concerns

– Why employees always get the benefit of the doubt – Understanding Canada's employee-first legal system where courts consistently side with workers

Key Quote: "You can't get a subcontractor relationship clean in Canada. All is good till it's not. If your subcontractor gets more than 75% of their income from you, they're called a dependent contractor—and then the company says, 'You decide how much you think you owe them and we'll tell you if we think you're right.'" – Laura Tolhoek

Connect with Laura Tolhoek:

Website: essentialhr.ca

Instagram: @essentialhr.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-tolhoek/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/essential-hr-canada/

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This week, Traci welcomed Wendy Sherry, Chief Executive Officer for Global Health Benefits within International Health at Cigna Healthcare, overseeing healthcare delivery to more than 3,700 clients in over 250 countries.

With 30 years at Cigna spanning multiple leadership roles, Wendy is a strong advocate for inclusion and the advancement of women in leadership. She also serves as an advisor to Hello Heart and supports healthcare equity angels.

Spoiler alert: 50% of millennial women are experiencing perimenopause symptoms right now, and by 2030, three-quarters of the global workforce will be millennials or Gen Z—meaning this isn't a women's issue, it's a business imperative.

What We Cover

• The inclusive leadership philosophy
• What perimenopause actually does to your body
• 50% of millennial women have perimenopause symptoms
• Which states mandate menopause workplace protections
• Why this is a business imperative, not a nice-to-have
• The hidden cost of perimenopause stigma
• How Cigna connects employees to menopause specialists
• The talent war you're losing without these benefits
• What to ask your benefits provider tomorrow

Key Quote

"If all the good ideas come from me, we are in trouble. You need to have a team that in many ways is smarter than you in certain areas, because it's all about perspective." – Wendy Sherry

Connect with Wendy Sherry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-sherry/ 

Website: https://www.cignaglobal.com/employers/na 

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.