Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of WTF is Business Casual?!, Jenny and Sarah talk about the "peanut butter raise" debate that's been making the rounds in HR circles. A recent industry article predicts companies are about to ditch across-the-board raises in favor of rewarding top performers only, and Jenny and Sarah have some thoughts.

Spoiler: they don't think it's actually going to happen, and they've got a decade of compensation-cycle scar tissue to back it up.

From an executive team that wants to reward top performers but won't hold itself to the same standard, to the very real reason most managers would rather give everyone the same 3% than have an honest conversation about why someone didn't earn more — this one digs into why pay-for-performance sounds great in theory and falls apart the second a human has to deliver the message.

Oh, and there's also a foster dog, a pee-soaked shoe that's been migrating around someone's house for weeks, and a jewelry box that may or may not have met its end in the trash. Priorities.

Whether you're an HR pro, a manager who dreads comp season, or just someone who's ever gotten the exact same raise as the guy who does the bare minimum, you'll leave with:

Highlights:
[00:00] AI cold open
[02:16] Foster dog & pee-shoe saga
[07:22] Jewelry box mishap
[09:16] Topic: peanut butter raises
[11:08] The stats
[12:01] Why companies are pulling back
[13:24] Managers avoid pay talks
[16:39] Sponsor: HR Collective
[18:06] Exec accountability gap
[22:55] COL vs. COL vs. merit
[25:50] AI vs. human HR
[33:46] Bias & "top performer"
[36:12] The prediction

🎧 Hit play because nobody's getting a real raise until somebody learns to have an uncomfortable conversation.

Visit our website: RISE Human Resources

Book a call: 30 Min HR Consultation

Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

Send us Fan Mail

Most small business owners know they need HR support.

The problem is figuring out what level of support they actually need.

In this episode, Jenny and Sarah pull back the curtain on RiseHR's HR Collective and explain why they created it, who it's designed for, and how it helps Colorado small business owners get expert HR guidance without paying for a full-time HR professional.

They discuss the most common HR mistakes they see, why Colorado employment law is especially complex, and how small businesses can avoid costly compliance issues before they become expensive problems.

If you've ever wondered whether your business really needs HR support, this episode is for you.

• Misclassifying employees as salaried when they should be hourly
• Misclassifying employees as independent contractors
• Incorrect PTO policies
• Non-compliant sick leave practices
• Mishandling final pay requirements after termination
• Lack of documentation and recordkeeping
• Poorly written employee handbooks
• Relying on generic internet advice for Colorado-specific issues

The HR Collective is designed for:

• Colorado-based small businesses
• Employers with approximately 1–20 employees
• Business owners who want expert guidance without hiring full-time HR
• Companies looking for practical HR resources and compliance support
• Leaders who genuinely care about their people and culture

• RiseHR Collective:
• Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA):
• Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI):
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA):
• Employee Handbook Templates (available to HR Collective members)
• HR Compliance Resources and Training Library (available to HR Collective members)

Visit our website: RISE Human Resources

Book a call: 30 Min HR Consultation

Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when employees stop asking and start telling?

In this episode, Jenny and Sarah unpack a growing workplace trend they have been seeing with small business owners: employees announcing schedule changes, cutting their hours, demanding remote work, and assuming the answer will be yes.

The bigger issue is not employee boldness. It is leadership hesitation.

They dig into why so many leaders struggle to respond in the moment, how unclear expectations create bigger problems later, and why avoiding uncomfortable conversations often creates legal risk, resentment, and confusion across the team.

This conversation covers the real difference between being flexible and being run over.

In this episode, they cover:

• Why employees are increasingly telling leaders what they will do instead of asking
• The difference between a reasonable request and an unreasonable demand
• Why small business owners often struggle more with boundaries than corporate leaders
• How unclear expectations create confusion, inconsistency, and frustration
• Why avoiding hard conversations almost always makes the problem worse
• How to think through requests for schedule changes, reduced hours, and remote work
• What leaders should do before saying yes to a request tied to stress, family needs, or medical concerns
• Why documentation matters more than most leaders realize
• The role of boundaries, accountability, and clear communication in healthy workplaces

Visit our website: RISE Human Resources

Book a call: 30 Min HR Consultation

Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

Send us Fan Mail

A team gets invited to a "free" lunch with a consultant, and it ends up costing the company six months of peace.

Jenny and Sarah unpack a "WTF" moment where a simple midday meeting turned into a spiral of written statements, HR investigations, and a team that stopped speaking to each other. It’s a look at how a lack of curiosity and a surplus of ego can turn a minor oversight into a total relationship wrecking ball.

Spoiler: When leaders choose "investigation mode" before asking a single question, everyone loses.

They dive into the ripple effect of a leader who skipped the facts to go straight for the jugular, and a leader whose "I’d tell you if you sucked" management style left her team feeling like cogs in a machine.

In this episode, you’ll get:

• The Anatomy of "Lunch-Gate": How a tiny miss in communication led to half a year of resentment and "mechanical" one-on-ones.
• The Ego Trip: Why "hot and emotional" leadership is a recipe for collateral damage.
• The Power of the Non-Apology: Why it’s so hard for leaders to just say, "I forgot, and I’m sorry this landed on you."
• Assuming Negative Intent: How we "stack" stories in our heads until our bosses look like villains and our office doors stay closed.
• The Empathy Deficit: A reality check on why being "black and white" at the top leads to a very grey future for your culture.

Whether you’ve been thrown under the bus or you’re the one driving it, this episode is a mirror moment for anyone who’s ever forgotten that HR stands for Human Resources.

Hit play. Bring your own lunch—just make sure you run it by the head honcho first.

Visit our website: RISE Human Resources

Book a call: 30 Min HR Consultation

Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

Send us Fan Mail

Rebroadcast: It’s graduation season, and we’re dusting off one of our all-time fan favorites! Whether you’re tossing your cap, building a team, or guiding the next generation, this episode is essential listening for navigating the transition from campus to career.

______

Gen Z has officially entered the chat and corporate America isn’t ready.

Jenny and Sarah rip into the chaos (and low-key brilliance) of the newest generation in the workplace. Are they entitled job hoppers with no soft skills… or the only ones brave enough to call BS on burnout culture?

Spoiler: it’s complicated — and very, very human.

They unpack everything from Gen Z’s allergy to fake leadership to why they’ll quit faster than you can say “circle back.” Plus, the hosts drag every generation (including their own) through the mud for good measure.

You’ll get:

• The truth about Gen Z’s “bad attitude” and why it’s actually a boundary
• How pandemic schooling and parenting styles rewired workplace expectations
• Real talk on feedback, flexibility, and why managers need to grow up too
• The tension between “just do your job” and “I need meaning in my job”
• A mirror moment for HR pros who keep trying to lead with policies instead of people

Because every generation swears the next one’s the problem, but maybe Gen Z’s just the first one bold enough to say the quiet part out loud.

Hit play.
Laugh a little, cringe a lot, and maybe rethink how you talk about “kids these days.”

Visit our website: RISE Human Resources

Book a call: 30 Min HR Consultation

Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

Send us Fan Mail

This week, Jenny and Sarah break down one of the most misunderstood workplace complaints:

“You lack initiative.”

But what does that actually mean?

Because to employees, it often sounds like:
Work more. Stay later. Do extra. Don’t get paid for it.

And to leaders, it usually means something completely different.

This episode unpacks the gap between those two interpretations—and why it’s creating frustration on both sides.

Using simple, real-world scenarios, they show the difference between task-based thinking and outcome-based thinking, and why that shift is what leaders are actually looking for.

They also get into where things go wrong: unclear expectations, over-structured environments, and managers who forget they need to teach—not just expect.

And yes… the Gen Z stare makes an appearance.

What’s inside this episode:

[00:00] What leaders mean when they say “initiative”
[03:00] The viral example that perfectly explains task vs. outcome thinking
[06:20] Why employees hear “initiative” as unpaid extra work
[08:45] The role leaders play in setting clear expectations (“paint it done”)
[10:00] How school and parenting shape workplace behavior
[12:30] When initiative goes too far (and hurts your reputation)
[15:30] The “Gen Z stare” and what it really signals
[18:30] Interpersonal conflict: handle it yourself or escalate?
[22:00] The difference between tattling and professional communication
[24:45] Why managers hate the “boomerang” problem
[27:30] Problem-solving: don’t bring just problems—bring thinking
[31:00] When leaders say they want solutions but reject all of them
[33:30] Why none of this is easy—and how it gets better over time

This episode is about clarity. Because most people aren’t failing due to lack of effort.

They’re failing because no one clearly defined what “good” actually looks like.

Visit our website: RISE Human Resources

Book a call: 30 Min HR Consultation

Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

Send us Fan Mail

This week, Jenny and Sarah follow a strange rabbit hole that started with a podcast about the history of meth.

Yes, really.

The episode explored how stimulants were once used to push soldiers, pilots, and workers to stay awake longer and produce more. And it sparked a bigger question: why has the workplace always been obsessed with squeezing more productivity out of humans?

More with less.
Work harder.
Sleep less.
Grind.

Sound familiar?

What’s inside this episode:

[03:30] The surprising history of productivity drugs and why they were originally used
[06:45] Why workplaces have chased “more with less” for decades
[10:20] The Uber leadership philosophy that openly promotes grind culture
[15:10] When transparency about workload actually helps employees self-select out
[18:40] The dangerous expectation that employees should care as much as founders
[21:15] The difference between working hard and sacrificing your entire life to work
[24:30] Why “work as hard as I do” is a flawed leadership mindset
[27:00] The reality of corporate workloads and why “more with less” usually means something else gets dropped
[30:15] The two leadership lessons every company should take from this conversation

This episode isn’t about avoiding hard work.

It’s about being honest about what work actually demands, and remembering that the people doing it are human.

Visit our website: RISE Human Resources

Book a call: 30 Min HR Consultation

Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual

Send a text

This week, Jenny and Sarah lean into the weird.

They kick it off with an AI interview note-taker that accidentally sent a candidate the hiring team’s unfiltered commentary about other applicants. Yes, really. Including the not-so-flattering parts. It’s a cautionary tale about AI tools, privacy, and why you should absolutely lock down your settings.

They also get into:

• Employees being “forgotten” but still collecting paychecks
• Why keeping money you know you shouldn’t have never ends well
• The awkward rise of team lunch contributions and workplace gift pressure
• Companies letting employees pull paychecks “on demand”
• And the employee who asked a wildly off-topic sustainability question in an all-hands meeting… and was quietly gone weeks later

The throughline? Just because you can say something doesn’t mean you should. Just because AI spits something out doesn’t mean it’s true. And just because nobody noticed doesn’t mean it won’t catch up to you.

There’s humor. There’s mild outrage. There’s a reminder to make good choices.

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting thinking, “WTF is happening right now?” this one’s for you.

And if you’ve got your own workplace WTF moment, send it in. We’ll keep it anonymous.

Visit our website: RISE Human Resources

Book a call: 30 Min HR Consultation

Follow us on Instagram: WTF is Business Casual