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From NASA to Nordstrom: 10 Actionable Strategies to Fix Burnout and Bridge the Strategy-Execution Gap

What do NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Disney, and Nordstrom have in common? They’ve all turned to Betsy Lopez-Riley to navigate their biggest moments of reinvention. A senior transformation leader with over 20 years of experience, Lopez-Riley knows that big ideas only work when they work for the people executing them. Ahead of her sessions at SPARK HR 2026, HR […]

Can You Fire Employees Who Don’t Return FMLA Forms?

Q: If an employee takes sick leave but hasn’t completed and returned a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) form, can the employer lawfully terminate employment? Both employers and employees have responsibilities when FMLA-qualifying leave is involved, including timely notice and compliance with employer policies. To assess what happens when an employee takes potentially FMLA-qualifying […]

What Leaders Lose When They Hide Gen AI Truths

Transparency sits at the center of every successful Gen AI transformation. When leaders share clear milestones and plain outcomes, employees stop guessing and start participating. That participation matters because Gen AI spreads through daily decisions that managers rarely see. A steady flow of facts builds trust, keeps energy high, and turns adoption into a shared […]

HRDA Frankly Speaking: Adam Hickman on AI & Leadership

The world seems to be changing at a faster rate every single day, and employees taking the brunt of the change, and fearing for the future. Job loss is rampant, economic uncertainty looms around every corner, and no one truly knows if their same job will be around tomorrow. So, how do leaders guide their […]

Guns at Work: Keeping Employees Safe in Troubling Times

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), nearly two million American workers report experiencing some type of workplace violence annually. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), homicide accounted for nearly 9% of all on-the-job fatalities in 2023 (the most recent data available). Suicide accounted for another 5%. With civil […]

Leadership Magic: Adam Hickman on Guiding Employees in Today’s Age

The world seems to be changing at a faster rate every single day, and employees are taking the brunt of the change, and fearing for the future. Job loss is rampant, economic uncertainty looms around every corner, and no one truly knows if their same job will be around tomorrow. So, how do leaders guide […]

Nurses Aren’t Burned Out, They’re Being Burned by the System 

A growing body of workforce data is pointing to an uncomfortable truth. Nursing burnout is an active threat to workforce stability across healthcare. In a recent survey issued to registered nurses nationwide, 53% of respondents reported seriously considering leaving the profession at least once a month over a six-month period. This level of recurring intent to exit […]

Department of Labor Issues FLSA Guidance in Recent Opinion Letters

Earlier this year, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued opinion letters offering employers guidance regarding certain wage and hour matters under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). While these opinion letters are nonbinding, courts often defer to these letters when presented with similar issues. The letters also offer employers valuable insight into the DOL’s interpretation […]

Faces of HR: How Monique Mahler is Rewriting the Legal Leadership Playbook

Monique Mahler didn’t start her career in the C-Suite. She started at the front desk. Today, as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Snell & Wilmer, Mahler oversees the people strategy for a legal powerhouse spanning 17 offices across the U.S. and Mexico. But her journey from a receptionist at Baker Botts to a global HR […]

EntertainHR: Knives Out: The Mystery of the Independent Contractor 

Many of you are likely familiar with the popular whodunnit movie franchise, Knives Out. The latest film in the series, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, released on November 26, 2025. It is a spectacular mystery filled with action and laughs. It also made me ponder one of the ever-present “mysteries” in the modern workplace, independent contractors.  The Knives […]