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.

Join Traci and attorney Bryan Driscoll for this month's Policy Pulse episode covering the latest workplace regulations that demand your attention. Together they break down the DOL's new emergency pay ruling, a shocking discrimination lawsuit, California's pay transparency expansion, and Supreme Court cases that could reshape federal workplace regulation.

Spoiler alert: Emergency pay just became part of your overtime calculation headache, and California is done with fake pay ranges.

This episode unpacks how the Department of Labor now requires emergency and hazard pay to be included when calculating overtime rates, making your payroll significantly more complex. 

You'll also hear about the EEOC's lawsuit against a staffing firm that honored male-only hiring requests and why this puts all recruiters on notice. Discover how California's strengthened pay transparency law demands "good faith" ranges that include total comp, not theoretical maximums, plus why the Supreme Court's upcoming term could create wild policy swings for the NLRB and EEOC.

What We Cover:

– DOL's new emergency pay overtime requirement

– The staffing firm's male-only hiring lawsuit

– California's "good faith" pay range mandate

– Why vendor compliance doesn't absolve employer liability

– Supreme Court cases threatening independent agencies

– The ERISA fiduciary risks HR overlooks

Key Quote: "California now says you can't put in a job description what you could pay an employee. You have to put in the job posting what you will pay the employee." – Bryan Driscoll

Connect with Bryan Driscoll: 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.

Content Warning: This episode discusses pregnancy loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death. Please take care of yourself if these topics are sensitive or triggering for you.

This week, Traci tackles a topic that touches one in four pregnancies but remains largely invisible in workplace conversations: pregnancy and infant loss.

A longtime listener and HR professional reached out to share her powerful story of loss and resilience after losing her newborn son earlier this year. Through her experience, she’s seen how unprepared many workplaces are to support grieving parents—and she’s on a mission to change that. 

Her message is a call to action for HR leaders to bring more compassion, awareness, and humanity to how we support employees through unimaginable loss.

Spoiler alert: There's no federal requirement for bereavement leave in private employment, leaving a massive gap in support for grieving parents.

Traci reveals the three-stage support framework that actually works, explores state laws that lead the way, and shares why explicitly stating "reproductive loss" in policies makes all the difference.

What We Cover:

– The one-in-four reality: Why this is far more common than most realize and how that should reshape support

– The three-stage framework: Supporting employees before return, during transition, and once they're back

– Language that harms versus heals: What to avoid saying and what actually helps

– State laws leading the way: How California, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington provide reproductive loss leave

– Making loss explicit: Why stating "reproductive loss" in policies normalizes asking for support

Have thoughts on how your organization supports employees through loss, or want to share what's working in your workplace? Drop a comment on Spotify or YouTube and let us know. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

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

Griffin Cares Foundation- https://griffincaresfoundation.org/  - Provide support across the United States for those have experienced pregnancy or infant loss through events and virtual support groups.

Chasing Rainbows- https://chasingtherainbows.org/ - Provide online virtual support groups (6 days a week) to families that have experienced pregnancy and infant loss, infertility, and support for pregnancy following loss.

Sad Dads Club- https://saddadsclub.org/ - Community for loss dads. Provided the much-needed support to bereaved fathers, as they typically are less likely to reach out in traditional ways. They host online support groups, in person events and more.

Adalyn Rose Foundation- https://adalynrose.org/ - provide training for healthcare workers, remembrance carts, support groups, couples workshops , and community events raise awareness for pregnancy and infant loss.

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 Tan Moorthy, CEO of Revature and accomplished business leader with over three decades of experience in the global IT services industry.

After 23 years with Infosys—where he served as Executive Vice President across multiple functions including Head of Delivery Operations for US, Canada, and LATAM, Group Head of HR, and Global Head of Education—Tan now focuses on bridging the talent gap through workforce transformation. He's also a champion of sustainable development, having led UN work groups defining corporate metrics for Sustainable Development Goals.

Spoiler alert: That knowledge you're protecting isn't as proprietary as you think—and hoarding it might be the very thing keeping you from growing.

Tan reveals why learning at the speed of change is the only way to stay relevant, how upskilling existing employees delivers faster ROI than external hiring, and the three-pillar framework (education, engagement, exposure) that builds true competence. Plus, he shares the career-defining moment when a failed proposal taught him that content without communication means lost opportunities.

What We Cover:

• The proposal that changed everything – How losing a client deal due to poor communication skills sparked Tan's transformation into a lifelong learner and eventually led him to share a stage with Steve Ballmer

• Why comfort zones are career killers – The counterintuitive move from a successful business role into corporate HR that everyone warned against, and why it opened doors Tan never imagined

• The three pillars of competence – Breaking down how knowledge, skills, and attitude combine through education, engagement, and exposure to create lasting workforce transformation

• Learning at the speed of change – Why continuous learning isn't about getting ahead anymore—it's about staying in the same place you are now

• The upskilling advantage over external hiring – How investing in people who already know your systems, culture, and ecosystem delivers immediate productivity versus the ramp-up time new hires require

• Why knowledge hoarding backfires – The fundamental truth that if you don't share what you know, someone else will—and why giving more means getting more in return

• Mentorship as a two-way street – How working with Gen Z employees (or any generation different from yours) creates peer-to-peer learning that benefits both sides equally

• The innovation power of different perspectives – Why surrounding yourself with people who think like you guarantees stagnation, and how diverse viewpoints spark breakthrough ideas

• Building elastic teams that bend without breaking – How creating learning ecosystems helps organizations adapt through pandemics, economic shifts, elections, and technological disruption

  
  

Key Quote: "You've got to learn at the speed of change for you to stay in the same place that you are, let alone to run." – Tan Moorthy

Connect with Tan Moorthy: 

LinkedIn: Tan Moorthy 

Company: Revature

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 Kelly McGinnis, certified Gottman educator, emotion coach, and CEO of Incredible Family—an organization committed to unleashing potential in working parents through developing strengths.

With over 20 years of experience educating and empowering families, Kelly shares her own journey through the abrupt transition to motherhood with three daughters and how it ignited her passion for helping working parents thrive without choosing between career and family.

Spoiler alert: The odds are stacked against working parents—but there's a science-backed way to flip the script.

Kelly reveals why our brains are hardwired for negativity, the shocking happiness curve research that shows when life satisfaction hits rock bottom, and the one simple strategy organizations can implement that creates ripple effects across engagement, productivity, and retention.

Plus, she shares a powerful story about how unlocking one mom's hidden strength not only kept a valuable employee from leaving but sparked an entirely new mentorship program.

What We Cover:

• The "motherhood penalty" and why becoming a parent happens at the worst possible career moment

• Why happiness levels plummet when we become working parents (and what causes that dip)

• How to break the negativity cycle by shifting to a strengths-based philosophy

• The dual reality principle: Why two contradictory things can be true at once

• Why working parents make exceptional leaders (hint: parenting and leadership run parallel)

• The research-backed reason community is the #1 way to support working parents

• How to navigate the return-to-work transition and view parenthood as a series of transitions

• The "pebble in the pond" impact: How small shifts create massive organizational change

  
  

Key Quote: "Culture will emerge 'by design or default,' and organizations end up paying the price either way. You can invest intentionally upfront or deal with costly damage control later." – Kelly McGinnis

FREE GIFT: Email Kelly at [email protected] and mention this podcast to receive a free code for the parent strengths assessment!

Connect with Kelly:

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-mcginnis-ifi 

Website: incrediblefamily.com  

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 Scott Shickler, one of the world's leading experts on mindset-based empowerment and CEO of Seven Mindsets.

Scott has interviewed billionaires, Olympic athletes, and celebrities (including an unforgettable three-hour dinner with Oprah Winfrey) to uncover what truly drives success.

Spoiler alert: It's not talent, luck, or connections. It's mindset.

Scott reveals the seven specific mindsets that separate high achievers from everyone else, why our brains come "factory-loaded" with limitation software, and how even the most successful people battle 30,000-50,000 automatic negative thoughts daily.

Plus, he shares his vision for transforming HR from "Human Resources" to "Human Success."

What We Cover:

• Why Oprah says mindset is "over everything" (even with all her resources and opportunities)

• Richard Branson's surprising regrets and why he'd "dream bigger" despite owning 400 companies

• The "one inch higher" challenge that reveals how we limit our own potential

• How to identify and flip your "ANTs" (Automatic Negative Thoughts)

• Why Scott returned as CEO after his company's culture shifted away from mindset-based practices

• The revolutionary MQ (Mindset Quotient) that measures how your mindsets compare to world-class achievers

  
  

Key Quote: "Your mindsets matter. They determine the quality of your life at home, at school, and in the workplace." – Scott Schickler

FREE GIFT: Take Scott's MQ assessment and access your personal AI mindset coach at meetmq.com (use code: HUMAN)

Connect with Scott here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-shickler-6b5575b0/

Website: sevenmindsets.com

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.

In this month's Policy Pulse episode, Traci and Bryan explore the increasingly complex landscape of HR compliance across U.S. states and cities. With federal deregulation on one side and stricter state-level laws on the other, HR professionals are feeling the squeeze.

They discuss how employers can stay compliant with an evolving "patchwork" of laws—from pay transparency and AI in hiring to hyperlocal handbook requirements.

Plus, they tackle the ever-relevant topic of free speech in the workplace: what you can say, what you should say, and what might get you fired.

This episode is essential listening for any HR leader navigating multi-state operations, remote workforces, and the realities of a lean HR team.

What We Cover:

• How state-specific laws are reshaping HR practices
• When to use addendums vs. separate employee handbooks
• The compliance pitfalls of national job postings
• What "free speech" really means at work (hint: it’s not what you think)
• Why documentation is everything—and when it's better not to write things down

Key Quote:

“Say it, forget it. Write it, regret it.” — Traci (quoting Dorinda Medley, a RHONY legend)

Got a question for Bryan & Traci for an upcoming episode? Email Traci at [email protected]

In this deeply moving and eye-opening episode, Traci sits down with Matthew Megson, an HR professional and mental health advocate, to discuss how HR leaders can better support employees navigating mental health challenges. 

With over 21 years in the field and personal experience living with bipolar disorder, Matthew brings a unique dual perspective, both as someone who has created accommodations and as someone who has needed them.

Together, Traci and Matthew explore the critical need for empathy, the dangers of stigma, and practical strategies for handling mental health disclosures in the workplace. 

This conversation touches on suicide prevention, legal considerations, and how to balance organizational needs with human needs, making it a must-listen for anyone in people leadership.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions about mental health, suicide prevention, and personal struggles. Please take care while listening.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 for free, confidential support anytime.

Connect with Matthew Megson here:

Website: Accommodation Analyzed

LinkedIn: Matthew Megson on LinkedIn

Connect with Traci:

⁠https://linktr.ee/HRTraci

Chapters:⁠

00:00 - Intro & Episode Overview

01:45 - Meet Matthew Megson

03:00 - Personal Story: Bipolar Diagnosis & Disclosures

08:30 - Where HR Often Gets It Wrong

14:00 - The Role of Empathy in HR

20:00 - Supporting Employees in Remote Environments

26:00 - What Employees Should Know Before Disclosing

31:00 - Building Better Accommodation Processes

33:00 - Where to Learn More from Matthew

If you found our discussion insightful, we'd like you to take a moment to rate our podcast. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners who are passionate about these topics. You can also leave a review and tell us what you loved or what you'd like to hear more of—we're all ears!

Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

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 on Bringing the Human Back to Human Resources, we’re talking about what it really means to be the “shield” in HR, and how to protect yourself from burnout while doing it.

Traci is joined by Lindsey Carnick, psychotherapist and founder of Onward Psychological Services, to unpack the emotional weight of HR, especially when you’re stuck between the needs of your company and the needs of your people.

With years of experience supporting high-stress professionals, Lindsey brings clarity, compassion, and a few unforgettable analogies (hello, cereal and climate!) to help HR leaders and people managers navigate stress without drowning in it.

Whether you’re rethinking your boundaries, looking for coping strategies, or wondering why work suddenly feels heavier than it should. This conversation will help you take a deep breath and start where you are.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why HR professionals often act as emotional “shields” in the workplace
• The difference between empathy and sympathy (and why it matters)
• How to support others without absorbing their emotions
• When it's time to leave a role or organization, and how to know if it’s a “weather” or “climate” issue
• Why alignment between your personal values and your company’s values is non-negotiable

Connect with Lindsey Carnick here:

Website: onwardpsychservices.com

Instagram: @OnwardPsychServices 

LinkedIn: Lindsey Carnick 

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.