December 18, 2025 • 47 mins
Start with a candid reality check: the leading HR association just lost a racial discrimination and retaliation case, and the verdict wasn’t small. We unpack what an $11.5M judgment against SHRM means for credibility, compliance, and the daily work of HR practitioners who’ve been told to trust the “authority” voice on fairness and DEI. If the standard-bearer fails its own standard, how should we rethink where we place our time, money, and learning?
We walk through the essentials: what the plaintiff alleged, how the court weighed treatment and retaliation, and why the optics of a hard push to appeal could prolong pain without repairing trust. Then we get practical. If dues and big-tent conferences aren’t delivering real value, how do we build a better PD stack? We talk labor and employment law briefings, focused workshops, and choosing events that sharpen practice rather than inflate brand. Expect an unvarnished lens on HR keywords that matter right now—DEI credibility, retaliation risk, workplace investigations, and organizational accountability.
To lighten the load, we run an AI-assisted tour of our own year: weaponized incompetence finally clicking for teams, HR through pop culture that teaches better than white papers, and a grab bag of unhinged workplace moments we handled with restraint. We also call time on rage-bait content and the algorithm that rewards outrage more than insight. Our answer isn’t performative—just better habits, clearer choices, and PD that respects your attention.
If you care about ethical HR, compliance that actually works, and professional development that pays off, this one’s for you. Hit follow, share with a colleague who needs a sanity check, and leave a short review telling us where you’re investing your learning next.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:02):
Had you actually read the email, you would know
that the podcast you are aboutto listen to could contain
explicit language and offensivecontent.
These HR experts' views are notrepresentative of their past,
present, or future employers.
If you've ever heard, my manageris unfair to me, I need you to
reset my HR portal password, orgonna ride up my employee for
(00:25):
crying too much.
SPEAKER_01 (00:27):
Welcome to our little table.
Welcome to HHHR.
SPEAKER_00 (00:49):
So, anyways, welcome to JDHR, the podcast by two HR
professionals who want to helpyou get through the workday by
saying everything you'rethinking, but say it out loud.
I'm Warren.
I'm Cece.
Alright, so we lied to you thelast episode.
We we said we were gonna recordtwo weeks ago, which we didn't,
(01:10):
my fault, and then we were gonnatake the rest of the winter off
and start in January.
But since we didn't record twoweeks ago, we wanted to get
something out there to you.
And so here we are.
Yay!
SPEAKER_04 (01:22):
So just when you think we're gonna zig, wig zag.
SPEAKER_00 (01:26):
Yeah.
What it what from Game ofThrones zigzag, Brandon.
Was it Brandon?
SPEAKER_04 (01:32):
I don't know.
I never watched Game of Thrones.
SPEAKER_00 (01:35):
You didn't.
Oh that's your wintertimeassignment watching Game of
Thrones.
I thought that would have beenright up your alley.
Anyways, yeah, that's you gottayou gotta I've been picking up
some of the things you watch.
You gotta you gotta go throughGame of Thrones.
SPEAKER_03 (01:51):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (01:53):
Are you into sci-fi fan?
Yeah, sci-fi, but fantasy worldlike Lord of the Rings and
things like that.
It's not quite Lord of the Ringsas well.
SPEAKER_04 (02:01):
Yeah, I did not like Lord of the Rings, but I I I
heard about it.
I I guess I could like it.
I'll try it.
I'll try it.
SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
When when I worked with Patrick and others, we
because it uh Game of Thrones, Ithink, came on on Sunday nights,
and I didn't subscribe to HBO,and so I had to procure it
elsewhere, which would usuallymean either late night Sunday or
Monday.
So the the the code word wealways say is did if when you
(02:30):
walked in, did you do yourhomework?
Did you do your homework?
If if because the whole office,the whole HR team was watching
it into it, and we would spendlike Monday morning was work 50%
and Game of Thrones 50%.
That made it a lot of fun makinga shared event across everybody
and things like that.
So yeah, I uh we did that.
(02:52):
We uh that was that was goodtimes.
But there is a little bitgratuitous sex, if that's not
your thing, then yeah, that andstuff like that.
But it's it's a it's uh one ofmy top shows.
Even I Dawn, who hates fantasytype of anything fantasy genre,
liked Game of Thrones, so thatthat might give it a a leg up,
(03:13):
but she really disliked the theall the the sex stuff in it.
But anywho.
SPEAKER_04 (03:19):
Yeah, I'll probably watch it.
I'm I I don't know.
I'll give it a try.
I'm I'm down to give anything atry before I blindly hate
something.
SPEAKER_00 (03:27):
You don't hate it.
I don't think you'll hate it.
It may not be your your cup oftea, but I doubt you'll hate it.
I hope yeah.
Oh, I'll probably love it.
But I think my wife and I haveprobably seen it three or four
times all the way through.
So yeah.
I've been trying to keep this atthe beginning, so I want to
thank our Patreon contributors,Allie, the original Jaded HR
(03:48):
Rockstar, Bill and Mike.
So I so yeah, thank you.
Because our bill for therecording comes up, and y'all's
combined annual contributionslet me pay for that without
letting my wife know.
Yay! So, how is your wintergoing weather-wise out there in
(04:08):
the Midwest?
SPEAKER_04 (04:09):
I'm gonna show you how my winter's going.
SPEAKER_00 (04:12):
I I see your Snuggie thing there.
SPEAKER_04 (04:15):
This is not a Snuggie.
This is this is a full-on, likeultra-large hoodie.
It's like better than a Snuggie.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
Yeah, is it closes?
SPEAKER_04 (04:26):
Yes, because remember, the Snuggie only
covered the front.
It was like a blanket with youknow, it's the blanket with
arms.
This is like um this is like ablanket that's a hoodie, and it
is the best.
But we got hit with like four orfive inches of snow on Saturday
night, and it was like what'dthey say?
They said on Saturday at 12,like we were gonna start to see
(04:50):
the snow.
I went to Kroger that morning,the grocery store, and it was a
freaking madhouse.
It was snowmageddon.
Everyone was getting their milkand their bread.
SPEAKER_00 (05:01):
Oh yes.
SPEAKER_04 (05:03):
And and uh for some reason they're also there to get
their chuck roasts because Iguess everyone thought the
weather was dropping, so theymight as well go make a nice
chuck roast.
So I don't know, it was like itwas insane, but it was a nice
weekend because I just got tosit in the house.
I didn't even have to leave thehouse.
It was great.
SPEAKER_00 (05:21):
See, this winter has been crazy for northeastern
North Carolina.
I'm on the coast, so you know, Imentioned in January we got that
eight inches of snow, which hasnever happened here.
Well, not never, but it's been avery, very long time.
Since October, we've had foursnowfalls here.
Uh and each time we've had snow,the next day it's like 60
(05:42):
degrees.
So Saturday we no, Friday we haduh what the one of these days we
had, I don't know, the days areall blue, we had snow.
I was driving home in ashitstorm of of snow, and the
next day it was like 60 degrees.
And then this weekend, Saturdaywas yeah, Saturday was really
(06:03):
nice.
I was I went outside to do somework.
I'm all bundled up andeverything.
I go outside and it's warm.
And I'm like, oh wow.
So uh but yesterday we got snowagain, and we've had
accumulation in our area.
Not when I say accumulation, I'mtalking an inch or less.
But accumulate that's a lot forour area.
We can go years without seeing asingle snowflake.
Something really crazy is goingon right now.
(06:24):
I'm looking at my temperature,it's 25 degrees outside.
When I went out to work thismorning, it was 12 degrees.
I'm like, somebody's got thisconfused.
I'm not North Dakota, I'm inNorth Carolina.
Please keep this weather way upnorth where it belongs.
This is not the way it's justit's been so crazy, this
weather.
(06:44):
I'm thinking, it it's this isonly the beginning of the year.
The beginning winter isn'ttechnically here yet.
We got another week to go.
SPEAKER_04 (06:52):
It's it happened so fast.
It got so cold.
It was seven degrees today.
So yeah.
Wow.
I didn't have I left that I leftthe house to go drop the baby
off at daycare and then my ordaycare with my parents, I
should say.
And then, you know, Mr.
CC picked her up on the wayhome, and I didn't leave the
house since then.
It was great.
SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
Perfect.
Yeah, I I'm just I'm over thisthis weather.
SPEAKER_04 (07:17):
I like it.
I like it not now.
Like I I like it in January whenI'm all peopled out from the
holidays and I don't want toleave the house.
So then it like snows, and I'mlike, oh, the weather's so bad,
I have to stay in tonight.
That's that's when I like it.
So as long as it stays like thisin January, it's my hibernation
(07:38):
month.
SPEAKER_00 (07:39):
Okay.
I'll I'll take it.
I I'm just and then again, theend of this week, right now,
like I said, my my computer'sshowing 25 degrees outside, and
but it we're gonna be in theupper 50s uh by the weekend,
which I'm I'm looking forwardto.
So I have things to do, but uhyeah, it's that's a little bit
crazy.
SPEAKER_04 (07:58):
So it just sucks right now because I don't I
don't know if I told you this,but basically everyone's
birthdays are also in December.
So so it's like we do and wealso celebrate all the holidays.
So we have it starts with mymom's birth.
Well, this year it started withHanukkah, and then it's my mom's
birthday this week, and then Mr.
Cece's birthday, and then andthen we have Christmas, and then
(08:23):
there's like all the Christmasholiday parties.
So we're doing like he has awork dinner tomorrow, so we're
going to that, and then it'sjust it's like one thing every
single day of the week.
So that's why by January I'mlike, I'm done.
I'm gonna sit in my oversizedhoodie blanket and no one talked
to me.
SPEAKER_00 (08:42):
Go away.
Go away.
Uh I I I can't blame you.
And I yeah, December has beencrazy.
I I had to go to out of town fora work trip, and then I so the
it was a the work Christmasparty.
So we do that up north, and thenthe next day is my fraternity
(09:03):
Christmas party.
It's always the work one'salways the first Friday and
Saturda in December, and thefraternity one is always the
first Saturday in December.
So it's like drive, you know,all the way from way up north,
and where it was snowing its assoff the whole time there,
driving up there and drivingback, and then going to
Greenville to to that, and thenyeah, just a lot of a lot of,
(09:27):
and then the other office of theother our local Virginia Beach
office party was on the 12th,and it's just it's just too
much.
I'm uh I'm I'm burnt out andit's not even Christmas yet.
SPEAKER_04 (09:40):
Nice.
SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (09:42):
I need to, you just reminded me, we have I guess the
virtual version of a holidayChristmas party.
We're having like a ugly sweaterlike Zoom or something happening
with the HR team.
It's like our monthly HR call,but we're doing like ugly
sweaters and Christmas stuff,and I just realized that I need
to figure something out, and Ineed to figure something out
(10:05):
fast because it's coming up onThursday, and I don't know about
you, but Amazon is takingforever to get things here, like
for me at least.
SPEAKER_00 (10:15):
Well, I live out in the sticks, and we don't get to
there is no two-day deliverywith Amazon here.
SPEAKER_05 (10:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (10:21):
Like five days is the norm for us, but strange.
Home Depot, Target, they'll getit to you in two days, but
Amazon doesn't was not, butthat's that's you know, we we've
learned to live with that.
SPEAKER_04 (10:34):
Yeah.
Well, I'm spoiled.
I get a lot of things eithersame day or overnight because we
have a distribution center.
SPEAKER_00 (10:40):
So yeah, it's we need one of those.
Jeff Bezos, if you're listening,we need uh we need one in
northeastern North Carolinacloser to my house.
SPEAKER_04 (10:51):
I heard something interesting and funny.
You just talked about JeffBezos.
So I heard that, like, rememberQVC?
SPEAKER_00 (10:59):
Yeah, yeah.
They were headquartered not toofar from us.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (11:03):
Okay.
So apparently QVC is making somekind of a comeback because
people like they have decentdeals on things, but apparently
people are tired of giving JeffBezos money.
So it's a whole thing on liketrying to find other ways to per
like it's probably let's go backto the way things were.
SPEAKER_00 (11:22):
Let's go back to 1980 and get all drunk in our
pajamas and watch TV ofsenseless gar oh, honestly, that
sounds like a time.
Actual parties where they watchQVC and mock the people and and
things like that, because it wasoh, isn't this, you know,
(11:43):
replica plate of you know thebattle of 1812 or whatever it
is?
I love it.
Isn't this a wonderful thing?
And it can be yours for threeeasy payments of$9.99.
But there's only 3,000 of themleft, so you better call it.
SPEAKER_04 (11:57):
You've got to act fast.
SPEAKER_00 (11:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (12:00):
How about this beautiful cubic zirconia?
Yeah, pendant for five easypayments of$23.99.
SPEAKER_00 (12:08):
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
I don't know if they wereheadquartered in this area, but
they had a lot of locations.
I kind of think they were, but II I don't remember that far
back.
So you're doing what?
Anyways, so that's fun.
But so we I think we have twotopics for today.
(12:28):
I think we'll start with aserious one.
Uh, and I know very little aboutthis, so I'm gonna be relying on
CC a lot for the update of theSherm lawsuit, the conclusion.
And that I thought it was gonnabe a longer lawsuit.
I thought it was gonna be likeweeks and weeks, but it seemed
to happen, everything happenedpretty darn quickly.
SPEAKER_04 (12:48):
It was, and I that's why I'm like, I'm I'm curious
I'm curious about all thethings.
But uh apparently, yeah, soSherm lost uh bad in their
lawsuit, and I don't know, bad,but I think it's bad.
11.5 million dollars was part ofthe verdict to go to the I guess
it's the plaintiff, I thinkthat's what I'm saying.
(13:09):
Yep, there you go.
I I I can say things in law, butapparently it just kind of broke
down to this individual.
Her name was Rahab Mohammed.
I'm really sorry if I butcheredthat, but it was over racial
discrimination.
So she is a black Egyptianinstructional designer, and she
(13:29):
alleged that she was treatedless than favorably in
comparison to her whitecolleagues, and was retaliated
against when she raisedcomplaints.
I had read somewhere, and Imight have misread it, but I
think it went all the way up toJohnny C.
Taylor as far as the complaintswent.
SPEAKER_00 (13:49):
I've seen something to that extent too.
SPEAKER_04 (13:52):
Yeah, so apparently sh those complaints went all the
way up to him.
And so yeah, so they came backand said, I guess there was
enough there there for them tosay, nope, Sherm is in the
wrong.
So they awarded her.
So go off.
Even you know, even when you'relike the a professional
(14:15):
affiliated group, you too canyou know get caught up in this.
Yeah, you could screw the pooch.
SPEAKER_00 (14:23):
I you know, I I I we were talking off air that I'm
about a month behind at least onmy podcast.
And so the Bessies were doing areally good job covering this
with Ashley, and they were evenmentioned in the lawsuit in some
of the pretrial briefings thatyou know and things.
So listen to the Bessies, youcan see all that.
But I I have not listened to theepisode, any of the episodes
(14:46):
since the verdict came out.
So I need to get myself a littlebit caught up as I think that's
gonna be great.
I and uh going back to some ofthe pretrial stuff, they were
trying to get Sherm's uhposition as the leader and
authority of all things HR notincluded in the trial.
And the judge said, hell no, tothat, because you you're you're
(15:08):
becoming uh uh an HR shit show,then uh you're you're whatever
you want to say is you you can'tsay that you're not an HR
professional organization whenthat's what you are to to do
this.
So that was that was a reallyinteresting, I thought.
So do I I don't know.
(15:29):
I've uh we're obviously not thebiggest Sherm fans on this
episode, and I've even asked whowhat organization is gonna
replace Sherm because thereneeds to be something else out
there, something better thatactually represents the the
practitioners of HR.
And is this gonna potentiallylead uh to the to the end of
(15:51):
Sherm?
But I do of the few things I'veseen on this, I saw Johnny C.
Taylor said they're gonna appealthis to the highest level.
And so, you know, this thislady, you know, this happened
like five or six years ago, ifeven longer, these allegations,
and when she got terminated.
So these things don't movequickly, and they're gonna drag
(16:11):
it out further and further byappeals and appeals and things
like that.
So uh yeah, I I uh is this gonnamean the end of JCT?
Is it gonna be the end of Sharm?
I I I I can't see HRprofessionals wanting to back
and support an organization thatis blatantly guilty of the
(16:35):
things that they uh profess tobe experts in.
SPEAKER_03 (16:39):
And yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (16:41):
I don't know.
It it's gonna it's gonna be someinteresting times for Sharm.
It it really is.
SPEAKER_04 (16:47):
I think the irony that they pulled they were
trying to pull back a little biton DEI and all that kind of
stuff, trying to rebrand it.
And I'm like, that's this is theyear that you're gonna get
slammed with a lawsuit.
Like, that's for me ironic.
SPEAKER_00 (17:06):
Yeah.
Yeah, it it it it I don't know,there's there's just so much
there there.
SPEAKER_04 (17:13):
Yeah, there really is.
It's just so funny.
I mean, I I I don't doubt thatthey're gonna appeal it.
I don't that's a lot of money,so of course they're gonna try
to.
Yeah, it it's crazy, but uh Idon't know, and I like I said,
I'm not I'm not on the HRHRside, I'm on the the talent and
learning side.
But I do remember like being onHR teams where we would have
(17:35):
situations where there would bea lawsuit or something.
I I feel like if there wasn'treally anything there, maybe
there'd be like a settlement.
Like if there was somethingthere, maybe they would just do
a settlement.
But no, this was like courts,and the courts found something,
and the courts were like, okay,there's like there's definitely
(17:58):
something that had happened, andthere was enough evidence that
something had happened thatyeah, now they're liable.
SPEAKER_00 (18:05):
Yeah, and they tried to get it thrown out multiple
times in multiple ways, and thejudge said, Oh no, you know, the
the judge was sort of you knowready to to you know not let
Sherm try and steamroll them.
So I I think that's prettyinteresting overall.
It I I want to see what theblowback of all this is, and I
(18:26):
think at some point Sherm'sgonna just have to say, you
know, okay, we'll we'll eat thisone and you know your membership
dues will go up.
So we can pay for for this andall the other wonderful things
Sherm does.
SPEAKER_04 (18:41):
So the next the next conference is gonna be like way
more expensive than before.
Instead of$1,400, it's gonna be$1,700.
SPEAKER_00 (18:51):
Well, I had sort of my annual along with my review,
my annual planning meeting withmy boss.
And yeah, you know, I went tothe Virginia State Sherm
conference this year, and she'sasked me what uh about my
professional development goalsand things like that.
And I told her, look, I'm notdoing Sherm State again.
I I said I will support myassistant 100% in doing that for
(19:13):
them, do it letting her go andshe can make her own decision.
But I I I I'll find other waysto to get my continuing
education and and stuff.
I'll I'll go to some, you know,there's several law firms in the
area which do excellent laborand employment law things, and
that's what I I really prefer todo.
So I I told her that's why I'dlike to spend my professional
(19:36):
development funding on versusthe state Sherm.
But like I said, I'll support myassistant a thousand percent if
she that's what she wants to do.
So yeah.
So what I had in mind was doinga retrospective show.
All the shows do retrospectiveshows for this time of year,
looking back at the year.
(19:57):
So because I'm lazy, I asked, orfriend at ChatGPT to tell me
give me a list of the bestepisodes of Jaded HR for 2025.
Also include the the top top 10moments of the year the what
have I lost my spot the the topepisodes of the year what
(20:19):
ChatGPT I thought were the bestepisodes of the year and some of
the funniest moments of theyear.
So I fed it our RSS feed withthe that has the transcripts and
see what it said.
So well first is there anyepisode that stood out to you as
a better episode a more funepisode or just one that stands
(20:43):
out for you?
SPEAKER_04 (20:46):
I I'm gonna say I tend to really enjoy the
episodes where we did the officethat we should probably pick
back up again.
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00 (20:56):
I do like the office episodes we do need to pick that
back up I don't know any ofthose have been fun for me.
SPEAKER_04 (21:02):
Why what about you?
Well yeah what about you?
SPEAKER_00 (21:04):
I like the office episodes I'm trying to see what
else uh I was looking throughthe list here of some of the top
episodes I I like the weaponizedand competence episode that's
one of the ones ChatGPT pickedout strangely enough I like to
we only had one guest thisentire year we Bill our Patreon
(21:25):
supporter that was the onlyguest we we had all year which
is is sort of strange but ityeah just schedules are not
working well to for coordinatingguests but his episode with you
know the the rubbing one out inthe bathroom one was pretty darn
good oh that was hilarious I'mtrying to to think of that so oh
(21:47):
this is a you know sort of goingback to the office good old days
recognizing when you're livingyour best work life you know we
were talking about that thatepisode I thought I like that
episode but you've mentioned itseveral times we're we're not as
jaded as we used to be we're notbeing as snarky or what have you
as we used to be but I could Icould I've I've had some things
(22:10):
that I would love to sharehappen but I'm I'm just not
going to not going to share thatsport that's not for public
consumption and things likethat.
So anyways so here are the top10 moments of 2025 according to
Chat GBT so I'll start at number10 doing David Letterman's side
(22:31):
nice resume rescue the neveragain mental blacklist they
chose it because it demiss itdemystifies hiring without
cruelty right we weren't cruelin that hugely cliffable it says
and this early year episodestill aged very well is what it
says number nine from AWS outageto HR snark crisis reveals
(22:57):
culture why it works techfailure and leadership mirror it
shows HR's invisible laborclearly I don't know what that
means either a clean blend ofcurrent events and timeless
insight rage bait when companiesfailed claim to eliminate HR
calling out engagement farmingthat wench I forgot about her oh
(23:22):
okay I meant to bring this up wehaven't really talked you know
we did one episode a month agowe haven't done a lot of talking
I saw her on Fox News the otherday in her I forget the name of
her company but I recognized thename and it took me a little bit
as I was watching walking by theTV monitor I was like why do I
know that name why do I knowthat name and I you know I
(23:43):
couldn't hear what she wassaying but she was on there
again.
So she's making a profession outof being stupid things she's
making a profession out ofsaying outrageous things
apparently and getting herselfcontinually to be can I just say
I am I am over the rage baitculture.
SPEAKER_04 (24:01):
I am so over it and if that's your marketing like
idea and if that's your businessplan that you're just gonna be
like I am so not interested Iwill definitely spend my money
elsewhere.
I think it's so like as far asmarketing goes that is just
lazy.
So go do better.
SPEAKER_00 (24:23):
Well I I think AI is I'm sitting here cheating using
AI to find me what to do with myepisodes I didn't do any
homework AI is really becomingthe end of certain things like
all these clips and I I'm I'mreally going to make my New
Year's resolution to give upsocial media this year finally
and for good.
(24:43):
Because you go through itdoesn't matter I'm only on to
Facebook and Instagram and my mygrandfather taught me this or a
New York City bartender taughtme if it's if your thing starts
with whoever taught me this Iknow you're coming up with
complete garbage that nobodyreally cares about.
Just like I was this this manyyears old when I learned or I
was today years old.
SPEAKER_04 (25:04):
Oh if I see something that starts with I was
today years old I'm likestarting to get raged on on this
I the other one I hate is whenthey're like oh HR hates this
one trick and then you likeclick into it and it's like how
to do a behavioral interview.
SPEAKER_00 (25:20):
Like I hate it or I'm an HR professional and I
think whatever you know the HRprofessional is how many years I
have 25 years of experience andI whatever.
Those get me and I think it'sall because of AI and people are
trying to figure out the ortrying to work the algorithm and
things like that.
SPEAKER_04 (25:39):
So well the algorithm that's a TikTok
algorithm and it's the TikTokalgorithm has learned that both
negative reaction and positivereaction are both good things.
So the algorithm actually Ithink it's I could be wrong but
I think it's the TikTokalgorithm that is solely
responsible for the whole ragebait as it is now like today.
(26:02):
Like there's always been ragebait like but as it is today
it's yeah that's TikTok's fault.
SPEAKER_00 (26:08):
Oh speaking of TikTok I don't know if it's
related or not I think I'vesingle handedly killed the whole
6-7 thing on Saturday by myself.
Here's how my son comes home andwe're talking and at some point
he goes hey well how are youdoing I said 6'7 and so when a
(26:29):
50 some year old guy says thatto something it's like he's
spreading the word oh this hasgot to be done now or done my
dad said 6'7 when I asked howhe's doing my wife just my wife
had no clue about it and so yeahshe had no clue what we talk
about but my son didn't think itwas funny but I did so when he
(26:51):
doesn't think something's funnythat makes it even funnier for
me.
SPEAKER_04 (26:55):
Honestly I stand by this that's what killed Facebook
Facebook was awesome when it wasonly people like in college
because you had to have a backin the day you had to have like
a college like an EDU emailbecause like it was only for
people in college and then thengrandma got on and then it just
killed Facebook I can't disagreewith that.
SPEAKER_00 (27:19):
So anyways that was that was what we went off some
tangents which we're great atdoing so good at that so good.
ChatGPT's number seven episodeweaponized incompetence when the
phrase finally clicks why itsticks turns a buzzword into a
usable diagnostic listens andlisteners immediately recognize
(27:40):
their coworkers and it'sextremely practical.
That's so funny number six thisis why we can't have nice things
episode one bad actor ruinseverything why it resonates
universal HR truth explainspolicy bloat rather better than
any white paper ever could boy Ican't speak and rage plus
(28:02):
resignation and perfect balancenumber five HR through pop
culture diversity day disasterwhy it lasts pop culture and
real HR consequences stillpainfully relevant and perfect
training by contrast episodenumber four Sherm's blueprint
(28:23):
for an overpriced dumpster firewhy it lands final evolution of
the Sherm critique arc and youknow we we dumped on Sherm quite
a lot this year.
Steps like we did earlier to behonest exactly it's low-hanging
fruit it really is stopexpecting better and start
(28:45):
explaining why it matters iswhat it says and cathartic for
HR practitioners number threethe creepster diaries creepy
behavior in plain sight that wasinsane uncomfortable but
necessary it perfectly capturesHR's we see it but can we prove
(29:06):
it trap oh no that means darkserious and handled with rest we
handled it with restraint.
Oh wow good for us on us I I Ithink that is the episode we did
this year that has scarred methe most I don't I don't want to
I don't want to know what peopleare writing in their freedom
journaling scarred that that wasnumber three number two the good
(29:36):
old days realizing them whileyou're living them why it hits
rare emotional honesty from theHR hosts yeah rare emotional
honesty it speaks directly tomid-career burnout without
nihilism and quietly profoundeasily re-listenable so quietly
(29:59):
profound I I think that's gonnabe my new tagline quietly
profound quietly profound yeahno I'm I was thinking about that
the other day actually I I Istill feel the same way I'm
still in the good days so we'restill chugging along man we're
enjoying it I I I had inaddition I mentioned I had my
(30:22):
review well talking about myprofessional development for
next year where I had my annualreview and I I was just you know
I I have a very good openrelationship my boss I said I'm
not a you know me I'm not abrown noser but I love it here
and I said I I in my place thisis where I belong and I said you
know I I I can't imagine myselfbeing anywhere else so that was
(30:45):
that was our part of ourconversation but and she knows
I'm not a brown noser so yeahbut I and I I just I feel weird
saying things like that but it'sthe honest truth.
SPEAKER_04 (30:54):
So yeah it does feel weird sometimes but at the same
I'm like and then I'm thinkingon the other end of it like how
your manager probably felthearing that it probably felt
really good.
SPEAKER_00 (31:05):
So say it more tell your boss how you how you feel
positively every week yeah andthe number one episode according
to chat GPT and you knowhonestly the download numbers on
this one sucked but it's theirnumber one episode you won't
believe who's on your payrollwhy it wins oh yeah real world
(31:29):
stakes HR sudden suddenlybecomes mission critical and not
overhead and it redefines theonboarding and trust for more
modern workplaces.
So that was ChatGPT said thatwas our number one episode for
2025.
SPEAKER_04 (31:45):
Well good good for us.
SPEAKER_00 (31:46):
I actually like that episode that was horrifying I
did too honestly the downloadsnumbers were horrible I there's
no two ways about it.
I haven't looked at it re so I'mgonna pull it up as we're
speaking so if you if you'relistening to this and haven't
listened to that it is it's itwas our last recorded episode
(32:07):
November 20th and here we arealmost a month later yeah we
normally get more downloads in asingle day than that has in
basically a month on thatepisode.
So but also I will say OctoberNovember December are usually
every year it's very cyclicalyou can see the downloads are
(32:28):
lower this time of year.
SPEAKER_04 (32:30):
I was gonna say maybe ChatGPT liked that topic
because it was an AI bot talklike and we were talking about
AI bots.
SPEAKER_00 (32:40):
I mean it just it resonated with it the most yeah
maybe maybe yeah there there aresome episodes we get within
hours have more uh downloadsthan that has in the entire the
month that's practically monththat's been up which isn't it
crazy because I think of likethe whole thing of the fake
(33:00):
employees and where we're goingand I'm like it shouldn't
shouldn't that be more of abigger thing and maybe it isn't
a big thing.
Maybe that's justsensationalized but at the same
time I'm like no I know acompany right now that's dealing
with it like 30 fake employeesall have access to their shit
like why aren't we why aren't wemaking a bigger deal of this
yeah I I I think I think it'sone of the things that's
(33:24):
probably happening and morecompanies are realizing it but
they're not they're not puttingoh look at us we have we got
caught with having 30 fakeemployees.
SPEAKER_04 (33:33):
That is very true because like I said I'm not
supposed to know what I know andit's hugely confidential.
So it's and again it is not thecompany I work for it is not it
is the company of a friend butI'm just saying like that is
yeah they I don't I think you'reright.
I think it's happening more andmore but no one wants anyone to
know.
SPEAKER_00 (33:52):
Yeah I I I I can see that happening.
Yeah so one of the questions Iasked Chat GPT were what were
the funniest episodes of theyear?
SPEAKER_04 (34:04):
Let's see robot do you have a sense of humor?
SPEAKER_00 (34:07):
Let's see so uh number number 10 was the good
old days and it it renames itsort of renames the episodes
knowing them you know as you goaging without denial humor
gentle self-awareness laughsfunny because it's accepted and
not fought so gentleself-awareness laughs that is
(34:29):
creepy as fuck number nine AWSoutage episode where we had to
record off schedule or I thinkwe missed the episode actually
put up a best of Deadpan Chaosunderstatement in comedy and
anyway HR fixed it.
(34:50):
Anyway HR fixed it Rage Bait theRage Bait episode mock
influencer cadence C A D E NCadence boy my reading is not
doing well y'all sorry you cantell I'm not reading from a
script when we do this because Iwe did a LinkedIn parody done
(35:11):
right and the impress theimpression is the joke and I
don't know what that is maybe Idon't know.
SPEAKER_04 (35:19):
Saty what are you talking about?
SPEAKER_00 (35:21):
Okay yeah I wish I knew number seven the funniest
episode number seven resumerescued dark recruiter humor
that's a forever note energy andquiet but brutal so this was
actually one of my more favoriteepisodes The Office called and
wanted their 1990s whatever thatthat title of that was oh yeah
(35:45):
The Office called your 1990smanagement style wants its
policy back is the full episodetitle.
It said shared trauma and comedyyou laugh before the phone the
hosts even finish theirsentences and familiarity equals
the punchline number sixweaponized incompetence
(36:06):
recognition humor a relief lastlaughter and listeners think
finally someone said it soweaponized incompetence other
other than rage bait weaponizedincompetence is the second thing
that'll get me going like yes Ihate it I will I will walk you
(36:27):
over to whatever I will show youI will sit with you I will hold
your hand and you will neverhave this excuse again now
number four was our and wetalked about it afterwards the
Encore episode of Spooky HRspooky spectacular and I I
really listening to it I Ididn't like our delivery and
(36:51):
that was Patrick and I seasonone our delivery was still very
stiff and not as as looseygoosey as we are now and things
like that but they cite oldtrauma becomes comedy why is
this still happening type humorand gallows laughs for veterans.
(37:11):
The the dumpster fire episode itsays faux enthusiasm equals
immediate teardown laughingthrough frustration and peak
jaded HR tone so yeah number twothe Cold Pellet Kiss Cam in
Costa Rica Oh I forgot aboutthat elite people are watching
(37:37):
it's petty observational yetunfiltered we were petty we were
freaking petty and it shows thatHR problems are just human
problems the number one funnyepisode of 2025 was a line of
coke then rub one out nervousdisbelief laughter absurdity
(38:00):
absurdity so high it shortcircuits professionalism and you
laugh because silence could beworse that was the most unhinged
episode that or I no I take thatback that was the most unhinged
story I've ever heard yeah I Idefinitely I definitely agree so
that's what ChatGPT tells uswere some of the the funniest
(38:25):
episodes the best episodes andthe funniest episodes of the of
the year.
So yeah I I think we had a agood year.
Down you know I mentioned thislast episode had very few
downloads but downloads arestill up overall for the year
and it's it's been a lot of fun.
Love to get more downloads soshare it with your friends
(38:46):
you've got to tell your friendsyou've got to leave ratings
reviews etc on your podcastplayer but tell people because
we do have some really goodthings in lenty twenty five and
I I hope to bring back theoffice episodes 2025 or 2026
yeah that's how burned out I amI want to go back and I'm only
(39:07):
drinking a well you can't see meis my camera's not working today
I'm only drinking drinking anorange crush so oh that's the
best yeah not but okay inGreenville North Carolina home
of East Carolina University isthe number one college bar in
the country year after year.
It's called SUP Dogs.
And they have this thing calleda SUP crush and this is crack it
(39:31):
it's legalized crack.
It's two jiggers of vodkafreshly squeezed half an orange
and then like seven up spritesomething like that a citrus
need drink.
It is the bomb and so I I gotupgraded a few games ago one of
my my friends is actually hashis own suite and he had an
(39:52):
extra ticket in a suite so I Iwent to sit with him and we're
up there and they have one ofthese subdog bars in the the
suite area and And oh I I had aof course I had a blast.
I loved uh his seats.
I wish I had just a tenth of thethe cost to afford the the the
income to be able to affordthose myself.
But anyways, we went to the barand I'm talking to the bartender
(40:14):
and I'm like as she's squeezingthe orange, she's getting it all
over.
I said, You must hate the smellof oranges when they're when you
go home and she goes, Oh, it'sthe worst, it's the worst.
She goes, The first you like it.
And anyways, I just casually wewe bought like six of them,
these sub crushes, and but weonly you can buy them in singles
or doubles, double the thevodka.
Yeah, and I said, You can makeit an extra heavy single, and
(40:36):
she I you can't see me.
I'm pouring the bottle upsidedown.
She looks away and goes, Oh, issomeone calling my name?
And she pours it into the bottleand uh pours it in, and I was
like, Oh, you're so cool.
And she got a she got a verynice tip for for that.
And my friends can't believe youjust ask her to tour it extra
heavy.
I'm like, What's she going todo?
The worst she's gonna do is say,Yeah, right, old dude.
SPEAKER_04 (40:56):
Yeah, worst she can say is now.
SPEAKER_00 (40:58):
Yeah, and you never know.
It was it was just a good oldtime there, so okay, yeah, yeah.
So yeah, I I kind of like thischat GPT, these answers.
I I would I want to hear fromyou.
What did you think, uh listener?
What is your favorite episode?
In our show notes, you can clicktext us, text the show, and
(41:18):
it'll sing send a text directlyto us through our podcast
provider.
Now, it isn't I can't reply toit because it goes through their
systems, and then I get it in mysystem, but it's cool, and I
will read them on air or in theshow notes.
There is a text number.
You can text us directly, and Iwill reply with that.
So yeah, I think 2025 was areally good year.
(41:39):
Looking forward to 2026.
And like I said, we've got someideas to to improve and some
things that we we want to hitharder, like the office episodes
and and things like that.
So now here's a question foryou.
Are you one to make New Year'sresolutions?
SPEAKER_04 (41:57):
No.
SPEAKER_00 (41:58):
No, okay.
SPEAKER_04 (42:00):
I am not.
I am one to have goals that Iwill set for the year, but I do
not make resolutions.
SPEAKER_00 (42:06):
Okay.
I I generally don't makeresolutions.
I can't say things like, I'mgonna lose weight, I'm gonna do
that.
And I know when I say I'm gonnado it, things like that, it it's
not gonna happen.
So my I am gonna try my hardestto give up social media.
It's just becoming dumpsterfires right now.
SPEAKER_04 (42:23):
Can I be honest?
I took off I took off Instagramand Facebook off my home screen,
like off my phone, but you canstill have it in your library,
but you have to like take acouple steps to get there.
Yeah.
Just taking it off my phonescreen, I'm like, I forget that
it's there, and I probably go onthose probably twice a week.
(42:45):
Okay.
Like just having it out of sightis the best thing.
SPEAKER_00 (42:50):
Yeah.
I I I can't disagree with that.
I actually went a while and hadjust completely took it off my
phone, so even if I wanted to, Icouldn't get it.
And I I went back and I don'tknow why I I went back and did
it, but yeah, we'll we'll seehow well I do with that.
But no, I I generally don't makeresolutions, but I do I do want
(43:11):
to except for I do want to getJaded HR's social media presence
going, is that I think that'llhelp.
But I say I've said thatforever, and I'm just the worst
at getting the social mediagoing with that.
So we will see if that happens.
So yeah, and any big plansbesides all the holiday
festivities y'all got going?
Any big plans for the upcomingfor the next couple weeks for
(43:34):
before we head into 2026?
SPEAKER_04 (43:36):
No, I'm taking like a week and a half off, maybe
like a week and a week and a fewdays.
So I am super excited to justtake time off and hang out at
home.
SPEAKER_00 (43:48):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um I'm the same way.
Classes are finished.
I got my ass kicked, but I cameout ahead of the game.
I'm really, really but I I'm mystress level is gonna hopefully
come down soon.
I'm taking a week off myself.
My daughter's flying in fromUtah.
My son just came in, as Imentioned, on Saturday.
So we'll have the whole familyhere.
(44:10):
I haven't seen my daughter intwo years, so it's gonna, or
not, she hasn't been here in twoyears.
I went last summer to Utah tovisit her, but it's gonna be
nice to have her and her hubbyhere and having some fun.
So yeah, I'm I'm really lookingforward to that.
And yeah, that's that's all I'vereally got.
So nice.
Thank you, all the listeners,for listening to us and and
(44:32):
putting up through some of ourbetter episodes and some of our
sucky episodes.
As I know there's been some onesas I'm editing, like, really?
Oh well.
SPEAKER_04 (44:41):
It happens.
SPEAKER_00 (44:42):
This wasn't our best.
This wasn't our best episode.
SPEAKER_04 (44:44):
We're human.
SPEAKER_00 (44:46):
Yeah.
But you know, that's happened inediting when I think something's
not our best, but when as mostI'm I'm easily a month behind on
my podcast or more, but then I las I'm doing the editing, I'm
thinking, uh, this one just sortof eh, whatever.
We'll publish it anyway.
There's never been one badenough to say I'm not going to
publish it that since you and Ihave recorded.
(45:06):
Yeah.
I know that Feathers and I justwe got to the point where we
just both looked at each other,this sucks.
Let's call it quits.
We suck.
Let's move on.
But no, we I haven't gotten tothat point.
But when I listened to it in thecar as a as a listener, not
through the think mind ofediting, yeah.
I'm like, oh okay, that thatturned out better than I
(45:27):
thought.
I was I was good.
So yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (45:31):
So we're just amazing, it's fine.
SPEAKER_00 (45:35):
Yeah, exactly.
So tell your friends how amazingwe are, and what are some of the
quotes ChatGPT said to us?
We are, gosh.
SPEAKER_04 (45:44):
Oh, I forget.
SPEAKER_00 (45:46):
Anyways, HR quiet but brutal.
We're quiet but brutal.
SPEAKER_04 (45:50):
We're quiet but brutal.
SPEAKER_00 (45:52):
Yeah, what else did it say?
I'm trying to oh, one of themwas smart, meta, and timely.
I don't think I mentioned thatone.
SPEAKER_04 (45:59):
Smart, meta, and timely.
SPEAKER_00 (46:02):
Yeah, so yeah, we're oh this was it.
This was the good one.
Quietly Profound.
That's gonna be part of thetitle for this episode.
Quietly Profound.
SPEAKER_04 (46:11):
So Quietly Profound.
SPEAKER_00 (46:14):
So you can be quietly profound too.
Join us on Patreon, give us somesupport, Libreview.
Let's thank Andrew Copa, thevoice artist, and the theme song
is Double the Devil.
And with that, I will say, asalways, I'm Warren.
I'm CeCe.
And we will see you in January,or probably the first or second
(46:35):
week in January.
Stay tuned, we'll let you know.
And we're here helping yousurvive HR one what the fuck
moment at a time.
SPEAKER_04 (46:42):
See you next year.
Had you actually read the email, you would know
that the podcast you are aboutto listen to could contain
explicit language and offensivecontent.
These HR experts' views are notrepresentative of their past,
present, or future employers.
If you've ever heard, my manageris unfair to me, I need you to
reset my HR portal password, orgonna ride up my employee for
(00:25):
crying too much.
SPEAKER_01 (00:27):
Welcome to our little table.
Welcome to HHHR.
SPEAKER_00 (00:49):
So, anyways, welcome to JDHR, the podcast by two HR
professionals who want to helpyou get through the workday by
saying everything you'rethinking, but say it out loud.
I'm Warren.
I'm Cece.
Alright, so we lied to you thelast episode.
We we said we were gonna recordtwo weeks ago, which we didn't,
(01:10):
my fault, and then we were gonnatake the rest of the winter off
and start in January.
But since we didn't record twoweeks ago, we wanted to get
something out there to you.
And so here we are.
Yay!
SPEAKER_04 (01:22):
So just when you think we're gonna zig, wig zag.
SPEAKER_00 (01:26):
Yeah.
What it what from Game ofThrones zigzag, Brandon.
Was it Brandon?
SPEAKER_04 (01:32):
I don't know.
I never watched Game of Thrones.
SPEAKER_00 (01:35):
You didn't.
Oh that's your wintertimeassignment watching Game of
Thrones.
I thought that would have beenright up your alley.
Anyways, yeah, that's you gottayou gotta I've been picking up
some of the things you watch.
You gotta you gotta go throughGame of Thrones.
SPEAKER_03 (01:51):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (01:53):
Are you into sci-fi fan?
Yeah, sci-fi, but fantasy worldlike Lord of the Rings and
things like that.
It's not quite Lord of the Ringsas well.
SPEAKER_04 (02:01):
Yeah, I did not like Lord of the Rings, but I I I
heard about it.
I I guess I could like it.
I'll try it.
I'll try it.
SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
When when I worked with Patrick and others, we
because it uh Game of Thrones, Ithink, came on on Sunday nights,
and I didn't subscribe to HBO,and so I had to procure it
elsewhere, which would usuallymean either late night Sunday or
Monday.
So the the the code word wealways say is did if when you
(02:30):
walked in, did you do yourhomework?
Did you do your homework?
If if because the whole office,the whole HR team was watching
it into it, and we would spendlike Monday morning was work 50%
and Game of Thrones 50%.
That made it a lot of fun makinga shared event across everybody
and things like that.
So yeah, I uh we did that.
(02:52):
We uh that was that was goodtimes.
But there is a little bitgratuitous sex, if that's not
your thing, then yeah, that andstuff like that.
But it's it's a it's uh one ofmy top shows.
Even I Dawn, who hates fantasytype of anything fantasy genre,
liked Game of Thrones, so thatthat might give it a a leg up,
(03:13):
but she really disliked the theall the the sex stuff in it.
But anywho.
SPEAKER_04 (03:19):
Yeah, I'll probably watch it.
I'm I I don't know.
I'll give it a try.
I'm I'm down to give anything atry before I blindly hate
something.
SPEAKER_00 (03:27):
You don't hate it.
I don't think you'll hate it.
It may not be your your cup oftea, but I doubt you'll hate it.
I hope yeah.
Oh, I'll probably love it.
But I think my wife and I haveprobably seen it three or four
times all the way through.
So yeah.
I've been trying to keep this atthe beginning, so I want to
thank our Patreon contributors,Allie, the original Jaded HR
(03:48):
Rockstar, Bill and Mike.
So I so yeah, thank you.
Because our bill for therecording comes up, and y'all's
combined annual contributionslet me pay for that without
letting my wife know.
Yay! So, how is your wintergoing weather-wise out there in
(04:08):
the Midwest?
SPEAKER_04 (04:09):
I'm gonna show you how my winter's going.
SPEAKER_00 (04:12):
I I see your Snuggie thing there.
SPEAKER_04 (04:15):
This is not a Snuggie.
This is this is a full-on, likeultra-large hoodie.
It's like better than a Snuggie.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
Yeah, is it closes?
SPEAKER_04 (04:26):
Yes, because remember, the Snuggie only
covered the front.
It was like a blanket with youknow, it's the blanket with
arms.
This is like um this is like ablanket that's a hoodie, and it
is the best.
But we got hit with like four orfive inches of snow on Saturday
night, and it was like what'dthey say?
They said on Saturday at 12,like we were gonna start to see
(04:50):
the snow.
I went to Kroger that morning,the grocery store, and it was a
freaking madhouse.
It was snowmageddon.
Everyone was getting their milkand their bread.
SPEAKER_00 (05:01):
Oh yes.
SPEAKER_04 (05:03):
And and uh for some reason they're also there to get
their chuck roasts because Iguess everyone thought the
weather was dropping, so theymight as well go make a nice
chuck roast.
So I don't know, it was like itwas insane, but it was a nice
weekend because I just got tosit in the house.
I didn't even have to leave thehouse.
It was great.
SPEAKER_00 (05:21):
See, this winter has been crazy for northeastern
North Carolina.
I'm on the coast, so you know, Imentioned in January we got that
eight inches of snow, which hasnever happened here.
Well, not never, but it's been avery, very long time.
Since October, we've had foursnowfalls here.
Uh and each time we've had snow,the next day it's like 60
(05:42):
degrees.
So Saturday we no, Friday we haduh what the one of these days we
had, I don't know, the days areall blue, we had snow.
I was driving home in ashitstorm of of snow, and the
next day it was like 60 degrees.
And then this weekend, Saturdaywas yeah, Saturday was really
(06:03):
nice.
I was I went outside to do somework.
I'm all bundled up andeverything.
I go outside and it's warm.
And I'm like, oh wow.
So uh but yesterday we got snowagain, and we've had
accumulation in our area.
Not when I say accumulation, I'mtalking an inch or less.
But accumulate that's a lot forour area.
We can go years without seeing asingle snowflake.
Something really crazy is goingon right now.
(06:24):
I'm looking at my temperature,it's 25 degrees outside.
When I went out to work thismorning, it was 12 degrees.
I'm like, somebody's got thisconfused.
I'm not North Dakota, I'm inNorth Carolina.
Please keep this weather way upnorth where it belongs.
This is not the way it's justit's been so crazy, this
weather.
(06:44):
I'm thinking, it it's this isonly the beginning of the year.
The beginning winter isn'ttechnically here yet.
We got another week to go.
SPEAKER_04 (06:52):
It's it happened so fast.
It got so cold.
It was seven degrees today.
So yeah.
Wow.
I didn't have I left that I leftthe house to go drop the baby
off at daycare and then my ordaycare with my parents, I
should say.
And then, you know, Mr.
CC picked her up on the wayhome, and I didn't leave the
house since then.
It was great.
SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
Perfect.
Yeah, I I'm just I'm over thisthis weather.
SPEAKER_04 (07:17):
I like it.
I like it not now.
Like I I like it in January whenI'm all peopled out from the
holidays and I don't want toleave the house.
So then it like snows, and I'mlike, oh, the weather's so bad,
I have to stay in tonight.
That's that's when I like it.
So as long as it stays like thisin January, it's my hibernation
(07:38):
month.
SPEAKER_00 (07:39):
Okay.
I'll I'll take it.
I I'm just and then again, theend of this week, right now,
like I said, my my computer'sshowing 25 degrees outside, and
but it we're gonna be in theupper 50s uh by the weekend,
which I'm I'm looking forwardto.
So I have things to do, but uhyeah, it's that's a little bit
crazy.
SPEAKER_04 (07:58):
So it just sucks right now because I don't I
don't know if I told you this,but basically everyone's
birthdays are also in December.
So so it's like we do and wealso celebrate all the holidays.
So we have it starts with mymom's birth.
Well, this year it started withHanukkah, and then it's my mom's
birthday this week, and then Mr.
Cece's birthday, and then andthen we have Christmas, and then
(08:23):
there's like all the Christmasholiday parties.
So we're doing like he has awork dinner tomorrow, so we're
going to that, and then it'sjust it's like one thing every
single day of the week.
So that's why by January I'mlike, I'm done.
I'm gonna sit in my oversizedhoodie blanket and no one talked
to me.
SPEAKER_00 (08:42):
Go away.
Go away.
Uh I I I can't blame you.
And I yeah, December has beencrazy.
I I had to go to out of town fora work trip, and then I so the
it was a the work Christmasparty.
So we do that up north, and thenthe next day is my fraternity
(09:03):
Christmas party.
It's always the work one'salways the first Friday and
Saturda in December, and thefraternity one is always the
first Saturday in December.
So it's like drive, you know,all the way from way up north,
and where it was snowing its assoff the whole time there,
driving up there and drivingback, and then going to
Greenville to to that, and thenyeah, just a lot of a lot of,
(09:27):
and then the other office of theother our local Virginia Beach
office party was on the 12th,and it's just it's just too
much.
I'm uh I'm I'm burnt out andit's not even Christmas yet.
SPEAKER_04 (09:40):
Nice.
SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (09:42):
I need to, you just reminded me, we have I guess the
virtual version of a holidayChristmas party.
We're having like a ugly sweaterlike Zoom or something happening
with the HR team.
It's like our monthly HR call,but we're doing like ugly
sweaters and Christmas stuff,and I just realized that I need
to figure something out, and Ineed to figure something out
(10:05):
fast because it's coming up onThursday, and I don't know about
you, but Amazon is takingforever to get things here, like
for me at least.
SPEAKER_00 (10:15):
Well, I live out in the sticks, and we don't get to
there is no two-day deliverywith Amazon here.
SPEAKER_05 (10:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (10:21):
Like five days is the norm for us, but strange.
Home Depot, Target, they'll getit to you in two days, but
Amazon doesn't was not, butthat's that's you know, we we've
learned to live with that.
SPEAKER_04 (10:34):
Yeah.
Well, I'm spoiled.
I get a lot of things eithersame day or overnight because we
have a distribution center.
SPEAKER_00 (10:40):
So yeah, it's we need one of those.
Jeff Bezos, if you're listening,we need uh we need one in
northeastern North Carolinacloser to my house.
SPEAKER_04 (10:51):
I heard something interesting and funny.
You just talked about JeffBezos.
So I heard that, like, rememberQVC?
SPEAKER_00 (10:59):
Yeah, yeah.
They were headquartered not toofar from us.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (11:03):
Okay.
So apparently QVC is making somekind of a comeback because
people like they have decentdeals on things, but apparently
people are tired of giving JeffBezos money.
So it's a whole thing on liketrying to find other ways to per
like it's probably let's go backto the way things were.
SPEAKER_00 (11:22):
Let's go back to 1980 and get all drunk in our
pajamas and watch TV ofsenseless gar oh, honestly, that
sounds like a time.
Actual parties where they watchQVC and mock the people and and
things like that, because it wasoh, isn't this, you know,
(11:43):
replica plate of you know thebattle of 1812 or whatever it
is?
I love it.
Isn't this a wonderful thing?
And it can be yours for threeeasy payments of$9.99.
But there's only 3,000 of themleft, so you better call it.
SPEAKER_04 (11:57):
You've got to act fast.
SPEAKER_00 (11:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (12:00):
How about this beautiful cubic zirconia?
Yeah, pendant for five easypayments of$23.99.
SPEAKER_00 (12:08):
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
I don't know if they wereheadquartered in this area, but
they had a lot of locations.
I kind of think they were, but II I don't remember that far
back.
So you're doing what?
Anyways, so that's fun.
But so we I think we have twotopics for today.
(12:28):
I think we'll start with aserious one.
Uh, and I know very little aboutthis, so I'm gonna be relying on
CC a lot for the update of theSherm lawsuit, the conclusion.
And that I thought it was gonnabe a longer lawsuit.
I thought it was gonna be likeweeks and weeks, but it seemed
to happen, everything happenedpretty darn quickly.
SPEAKER_04 (12:48):
It was, and I that's why I'm like, I'm I'm curious
I'm curious about all thethings.
But uh apparently, yeah, soSherm lost uh bad in their
lawsuit, and I don't know, bad,but I think it's bad.
11.5 million dollars was part ofthe verdict to go to the I guess
it's the plaintiff, I thinkthat's what I'm saying.
(13:09):
Yep, there you go.
I I I can say things in law, butapparently it just kind of broke
down to this individual.
Her name was Rahab Mohammed.
I'm really sorry if I butcheredthat, but it was over racial
discrimination.
So she is a black Egyptianinstructional designer, and she
(13:29):
alleged that she was treatedless than favorably in
comparison to her whitecolleagues, and was retaliated
against when she raisedcomplaints.
I had read somewhere, and Imight have misread it, but I
think it went all the way up toJohnny C.
Taylor as far as the complaintswent.
SPEAKER_00 (13:49):
I've seen something to that extent too.
SPEAKER_04 (13:52):
Yeah, so apparently sh those complaints went all the
way up to him.
And so yeah, so they came backand said, I guess there was
enough there there for them tosay, nope, Sherm is in the
wrong.
So they awarded her.
So go off.
Even you know, even when you'relike the a professional
(14:15):
affiliated group, you too canyou know get caught up in this.
Yeah, you could screw the pooch.
SPEAKER_00 (14:23):
I you know, I I I we were talking off air that I'm
about a month behind at least onmy podcast.
And so the Bessies were doing areally good job covering this
with Ashley, and they were evenmentioned in the lawsuit in some
of the pretrial briefings thatyou know and things.
So listen to the Bessies, youcan see all that.
But I I have not listened to theepisode, any of the episodes
(14:46):
since the verdict came out.
So I need to get myself a littlebit caught up as I think that's
gonna be great.
I and uh going back to some ofthe pretrial stuff, they were
trying to get Sherm's uhposition as the leader and
authority of all things HR notincluded in the trial.
And the judge said, hell no, tothat, because you you're you're
(15:08):
becoming uh uh an HR shit show,then uh you're you're whatever
you want to say is you you can'tsay that you're not an HR
professional organization whenthat's what you are to to do
this.
So that was that was a reallyinteresting, I thought.
So do I I don't know.
(15:29):
I've uh we're obviously not thebiggest Sherm fans on this
episode, and I've even asked whowhat organization is gonna
replace Sherm because thereneeds to be something else out
there, something better thatactually represents the the
practitioners of HR.
And is this gonna potentiallylead uh to the to the end of
(15:51):
Sherm?
But I do of the few things I'veseen on this, I saw Johnny C.
Taylor said they're gonna appealthis to the highest level.
And so, you know, this thislady, you know, this happened
like five or six years ago, ifeven longer, these allegations,
and when she got terminated.
So these things don't movequickly, and they're gonna drag
(16:11):
it out further and further byappeals and appeals and things
like that.
So uh yeah, I I uh is this gonnamean the end of JCT?
Is it gonna be the end of Sharm?
I I I I can't see HRprofessionals wanting to back
and support an organization thatis blatantly guilty of the
(16:35):
things that they uh profess tobe experts in.
SPEAKER_03 (16:39):
And yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (16:41):
I don't know.
It it's gonna it's gonna be someinteresting times for Sharm.
It it really is.
SPEAKER_04 (16:47):
I think the irony that they pulled they were
trying to pull back a little biton DEI and all that kind of
stuff, trying to rebrand it.
And I'm like, that's this is theyear that you're gonna get
slammed with a lawsuit.
Like, that's for me ironic.
SPEAKER_00 (17:06):
Yeah.
Yeah, it it it it I don't know,there's there's just so much
there there.
SPEAKER_04 (17:13):
Yeah, there really is.
It's just so funny.
I mean, I I I don't doubt thatthey're gonna appeal it.
I don't that's a lot of money,so of course they're gonna try
to.
Yeah, it it's crazy, but uh Idon't know, and I like I said,
I'm not I'm not on the HRHRside, I'm on the the talent and
learning side.
But I do remember like being onHR teams where we would have
(17:35):
situations where there would bea lawsuit or something.
I I feel like if there wasn'treally anything there, maybe
there'd be like a settlement.
Like if there was somethingthere, maybe they would just do
a settlement.
But no, this was like courts,and the courts found something,
and the courts were like, okay,there's like there's definitely
(17:58):
something that had happened, andthere was enough evidence that
something had happened thatyeah, now they're liable.
SPEAKER_00 (18:05):
Yeah, and they tried to get it thrown out multiple
times in multiple ways, and thejudge said, Oh no, you know, the
the judge was sort of you knowready to to you know not let
Sherm try and steamroll them.
So I I think that's prettyinteresting overall.
It I I want to see what theblowback of all this is, and I
(18:26):
think at some point Sherm'sgonna just have to say, you
know, okay, we'll we'll eat thisone and you know your membership
dues will go up.
So we can pay for for this andall the other wonderful things
Sherm does.
SPEAKER_04 (18:41):
So the next the next conference is gonna be like way
more expensive than before.
Instead of$1,400, it's gonna be$1,700.
SPEAKER_00 (18:51):
Well, I had sort of my annual along with my review,
my annual planning meeting withmy boss.
And yeah, you know, I went tothe Virginia State Sherm
conference this year, and she'sasked me what uh about my
professional development goalsand things like that.
And I told her, look, I'm notdoing Sherm State again.
I I said I will support myassistant 100% in doing that for
(19:13):
them, do it letting her go andshe can make her own decision.
But I I I I'll find other waysto to get my continuing
education and and stuff.
I'll I'll go to some, you know,there's several law firms in the
area which do excellent laborand employment law things, and
that's what I I really prefer todo.
So I I told her that's why I'dlike to spend my professional
(19:36):
development funding on versusthe state Sherm.
But like I said, I'll support myassistant a thousand percent if
she that's what she wants to do.
So yeah.
So what I had in mind was doinga retrospective show.
All the shows do retrospectiveshows for this time of year,
looking back at the year.
(19:57):
So because I'm lazy, I asked, orfriend at ChatGPT to tell me
give me a list of the bestepisodes of Jaded HR for 2025.
Also include the the top top 10moments of the year the what
have I lost my spot the the topepisodes of the year what
(20:19):
ChatGPT I thought were the bestepisodes of the year and some of
the funniest moments of theyear.
So I fed it our RSS feed withthe that has the transcripts and
see what it said.
So well first is there anyepisode that stood out to you as
a better episode a more funepisode or just one that stands
(20:43):
out for you?
SPEAKER_04 (20:46):
I I'm gonna say I tend to really enjoy the
episodes where we did the officethat we should probably pick
back up again.
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00 (20:56):
I do like the office episodes we do need to pick that
back up I don't know any ofthose have been fun for me.
SPEAKER_04 (21:02):
Why what about you?
Well yeah what about you?
SPEAKER_00 (21:04):
I like the office episodes I'm trying to see what
else uh I was looking throughthe list here of some of the top
episodes I I like the weaponizedand competence episode that's
one of the ones ChatGPT pickedout strangely enough I like to
we only had one guest thisentire year we Bill our Patreon
(21:25):
supporter that was the onlyguest we we had all year which
is is sort of strange but ityeah just schedules are not
working well to for coordinatingguests but his episode with you
know the the rubbing one out inthe bathroom one was pretty darn
good oh that was hilarious I'mtrying to to think of that so oh
(21:47):
this is a you know sort of goingback to the office good old days
recognizing when you're livingyour best work life you know we
were talking about that thatepisode I thought I like that
episode but you've mentioned itseveral times we're we're not as
jaded as we used to be we're notbeing as snarky or what have you
as we used to be but I could Icould I've I've had some things
(22:10):
that I would love to sharehappen but I'm I'm just not
going to not going to share thatsport that's not for public
consumption and things likethat.
So anyways so here are the top10 moments of 2025 according to
Chat GBT so I'll start at number10 doing David Letterman's side
(22:31):
nice resume rescue the neveragain mental blacklist they
chose it because it demiss itdemystifies hiring without
cruelty right we weren't cruelin that hugely cliffable it says
and this early year episodestill aged very well is what it
says number nine from AWS outageto HR snark crisis reveals
(22:57):
culture why it works techfailure and leadership mirror it
shows HR's invisible laborclearly I don't know what that
means either a clean blend ofcurrent events and timeless
insight rage bait when companiesfailed claim to eliminate HR
calling out engagement farmingthat wench I forgot about her oh
(23:22):
okay I meant to bring this up wehaven't really talked you know
we did one episode a month agowe haven't done a lot of talking
I saw her on Fox News the otherday in her I forget the name of
her company but I recognized thename and it took me a little bit
as I was watching walking by theTV monitor I was like why do I
know that name why do I knowthat name and I you know I
(23:43):
couldn't hear what she wassaying but she was on there
again.
So she's making a profession outof being stupid things she's
making a profession out ofsaying outrageous things
apparently and getting herselfcontinually to be can I just say
I am I am over the rage baitculture.
SPEAKER_04 (24:01):
I am so over it and if that's your marketing like
idea and if that's your businessplan that you're just gonna be
like I am so not interested Iwill definitely spend my money
elsewhere.
I think it's so like as far asmarketing goes that is just
lazy.
So go do better.
SPEAKER_00 (24:23):
Well I I think AI is I'm sitting here cheating using
AI to find me what to do with myepisodes I didn't do any
homework AI is really becomingthe end of certain things like
all these clips and I I'm I'mreally going to make my New
Year's resolution to give upsocial media this year finally
and for good.
(24:43):
Because you go through itdoesn't matter I'm only on to
Facebook and Instagram and my mygrandfather taught me this or a
New York City bartender taughtme if it's if your thing starts
with whoever taught me this Iknow you're coming up with
complete garbage that nobodyreally cares about.
Just like I was this this manyyears old when I learned or I
was today years old.
SPEAKER_04 (25:04):
Oh if I see something that starts with I was
today years old I'm likestarting to get raged on on this
I the other one I hate is whenthey're like oh HR hates this
one trick and then you likeclick into it and it's like how
to do a behavioral interview.
SPEAKER_00 (25:20):
Like I hate it or I'm an HR professional and I
think whatever you know the HRprofessional is how many years I
have 25 years of experience andI whatever.
Those get me and I think it'sall because of AI and people are
trying to figure out the ortrying to work the algorithm and
things like that.
SPEAKER_04 (25:39):
So well the algorithm that's a TikTok
algorithm and it's the TikTokalgorithm has learned that both
negative reaction and positivereaction are both good things.
So the algorithm actually Ithink it's I could be wrong but
I think it's the TikTokalgorithm that is solely
responsible for the whole ragebait as it is now like today.
(26:02):
Like there's always been ragebait like but as it is today
it's yeah that's TikTok's fault.
SPEAKER_00 (26:08):
Oh speaking of TikTok I don't know if it's
related or not I think I'vesingle handedly killed the whole
6-7 thing on Saturday by myself.
Here's how my son comes home andwe're talking and at some point
he goes hey well how are youdoing I said 6'7 and so when a
(26:29):
50 some year old guy says thatto something it's like he's
spreading the word oh this hasgot to be done now or done my
dad said 6'7 when I asked howhe's doing my wife just my wife
had no clue about it and so yeahshe had no clue what we talk
about but my son didn't think itwas funny but I did so when he
(26:51):
doesn't think something's funnythat makes it even funnier for
me.
SPEAKER_04 (26:55):
Honestly I stand by this that's what killed Facebook
Facebook was awesome when it wasonly people like in college
because you had to have a backin the day you had to have like
a college like an EDU emailbecause like it was only for
people in college and then thengrandma got on and then it just
killed Facebook I can't disagreewith that.
SPEAKER_00 (27:19):
So anyways that was that was what we went off some
tangents which we're great atdoing so good at that so good.
ChatGPT's number seven episodeweaponized incompetence when the
phrase finally clicks why itsticks turns a buzzword into a
usable diagnostic listens andlisteners immediately recognize
(27:40):
their coworkers and it'sextremely practical.
That's so funny number six thisis why we can't have nice things
episode one bad actor ruinseverything why it resonates
universal HR truth explainspolicy bloat rather better than
any white paper ever could boy Ican't speak and rage plus
(28:02):
resignation and perfect balancenumber five HR through pop
culture diversity day disasterwhy it lasts pop culture and
real HR consequences stillpainfully relevant and perfect
training by contrast episodenumber four Sherm's blueprint
(28:23):
for an overpriced dumpster firewhy it lands final evolution of
the Sherm critique arc and youknow we we dumped on Sherm quite
a lot this year.
Steps like we did earlier to behonest exactly it's low-hanging
fruit it really is stopexpecting better and start
(28:45):
explaining why it matters iswhat it says and cathartic for
HR practitioners number threethe creepster diaries creepy
behavior in plain sight that wasinsane uncomfortable but
necessary it perfectly capturesHR's we see it but can we prove
(29:06):
it trap oh no that means darkserious and handled with rest we
handled it with restraint.
Oh wow good for us on us I I Ithink that is the episode we did
this year that has scarred methe most I don't I don't want to
I don't want to know what peopleare writing in their freedom
journaling scarred that that wasnumber three number two the good
(29:36):
old days realizing them whileyou're living them why it hits
rare emotional honesty from theHR hosts yeah rare emotional
honesty it speaks directly tomid-career burnout without
nihilism and quietly profoundeasily re-listenable so quietly
(29:59):
profound I I think that's gonnabe my new tagline quietly
profound quietly profound yeahno I'm I was thinking about that
the other day actually I I Istill feel the same way I'm
still in the good days so we'restill chugging along man we're
enjoying it I I I had inaddition I mentioned I had my
(30:22):
review well talking about myprofessional development for
next year where I had my annualreview and I I was just you know
I I have a very good openrelationship my boss I said I'm
not a you know me I'm not abrown noser but I love it here
and I said I I in my place thisis where I belong and I said you
know I I I can't imagine myselfbeing anywhere else so that was
(30:45):
that was our part of ourconversation but and she knows
I'm not a brown noser so yeahbut I and I I just I feel weird
saying things like that but it'sthe honest truth.
SPEAKER_04 (30:54):
So yeah it does feel weird sometimes but at the same
I'm like and then I'm thinkingon the other end of it like how
your manager probably felthearing that it probably felt
really good.
SPEAKER_00 (31:05):
So say it more tell your boss how you how you feel
positively every week yeah andthe number one episode according
to chat GPT and you knowhonestly the download numbers on
this one sucked but it's theirnumber one episode you won't
believe who's on your payrollwhy it wins oh yeah real world
(31:29):
stakes HR sudden suddenlybecomes mission critical and not
overhead and it redefines theonboarding and trust for more
modern workplaces.
So that was ChatGPT said thatwas our number one episode for
2025.
SPEAKER_04 (31:45):
Well good good for us.
SPEAKER_00 (31:46):
I actually like that episode that was horrifying I
did too honestly the downloadsnumbers were horrible I there's
no two ways about it.
I haven't looked at it re so I'mgonna pull it up as we're
speaking so if you if you'relistening to this and haven't
listened to that it is it's itwas our last recorded episode
(32:07):
November 20th and here we arealmost a month later yeah we
normally get more downloads in asingle day than that has in
basically a month on thatepisode.
So but also I will say OctoberNovember December are usually
every year it's very cyclicalyou can see the downloads are
(32:28):
lower this time of year.
SPEAKER_04 (32:30):
I was gonna say maybe ChatGPT liked that topic
because it was an AI bot talklike and we were talking about
AI bots.
SPEAKER_00 (32:40):
I mean it just it resonated with it the most yeah
maybe maybe yeah there there aresome episodes we get within
hours have more uh downloadsthan that has in the entire the
month that's practically monththat's been up which isn't it
crazy because I think of likethe whole thing of the fake
(33:00):
employees and where we're goingand I'm like it shouldn't
shouldn't that be more of abigger thing and maybe it isn't
a big thing.
Maybe that's justsensationalized but at the same
time I'm like no I know acompany right now that's dealing
with it like 30 fake employeesall have access to their shit
like why aren't we why aren't wemaking a bigger deal of this
yeah I I I think I think it'sone of the things that's
(33:24):
probably happening and morecompanies are realizing it but
they're not they're not puttingoh look at us we have we got
caught with having 30 fakeemployees.
SPEAKER_04 (33:33):
That is very true because like I said I'm not
supposed to know what I know andit's hugely confidential.
So it's and again it is not thecompany I work for it is not it
is the company of a friend butI'm just saying like that is
yeah they I don't I think you'reright.
I think it's happening more andmore but no one wants anyone to
know.
SPEAKER_00 (33:52):
Yeah I I I I can see that happening.
Yeah so one of the questions Iasked Chat GPT were what were
the funniest episodes of theyear?
SPEAKER_04 (34:04):
Let's see robot do you have a sense of humor?
SPEAKER_00 (34:07):
Let's see so uh number number 10 was the good
old days and it it renames itsort of renames the episodes
knowing them you know as you goaging without denial humor
gentle self-awareness laughsfunny because it's accepted and
not fought so gentleself-awareness laughs that is
(34:29):
creepy as fuck number nine AWSoutage episode where we had to
record off schedule or I thinkwe missed the episode actually
put up a best of Deadpan Chaosunderstatement in comedy and
anyway HR fixed it.
(34:50):
Anyway HR fixed it Rage Bait theRage Bait episode mock
influencer cadence C A D E NCadence boy my reading is not
doing well y'all sorry you cantell I'm not reading from a
script when we do this because Iwe did a LinkedIn parody done
(35:11):
right and the impress theimpression is the joke and I
don't know what that is maybe Idon't know.
SPEAKER_04 (35:19):
Saty what are you talking about?
SPEAKER_00 (35:21):
Okay yeah I wish I knew number seven the funniest
episode number seven resumerescued dark recruiter humor
that's a forever note energy andquiet but brutal so this was
actually one of my more favoriteepisodes The Office called and
wanted their 1990s whatever thatthat title of that was oh yeah
(35:45):
The Office called your 1990smanagement style wants its
policy back is the full episodetitle.
It said shared trauma and comedyyou laugh before the phone the
hosts even finish theirsentences and familiarity equals
the punchline number sixweaponized incompetence
(36:06):
recognition humor a relief lastlaughter and listeners think
finally someone said it soweaponized incompetence other
other than rage bait weaponizedincompetence is the second thing
that'll get me going like yes Ihate it I will I will walk you
(36:27):
over to whatever I will show youI will sit with you I will hold
your hand and you will neverhave this excuse again now
number four was our and wetalked about it afterwards the
Encore episode of Spooky HRspooky spectacular and I I
really listening to it I Ididn't like our delivery and
(36:51):
that was Patrick and I seasonone our delivery was still very
stiff and not as as looseygoosey as we are now and things
like that but they cite oldtrauma becomes comedy why is
this still happening type humorand gallows laughs for veterans.
(37:11):
The the dumpster fire episode itsays faux enthusiasm equals
immediate teardown laughingthrough frustration and peak
jaded HR tone so yeah number twothe Cold Pellet Kiss Cam in
Costa Rica Oh I forgot aboutthat elite people are watching
(37:37):
it's petty observational yetunfiltered we were petty we were
freaking petty and it shows thatHR problems are just human
problems the number one funnyepisode of 2025 was a line of
coke then rub one out nervousdisbelief laughter absurdity
(38:00):
absurdity so high it shortcircuits professionalism and you
laugh because silence could beworse that was the most unhinged
episode that or I no I take thatback that was the most unhinged
story I've ever heard yeah I Idefinitely I definitely agree so
that's what ChatGPT tells uswere some of the the funniest
(38:25):
episodes the best episodes andthe funniest episodes of the of
the year.
So yeah I I think we had a agood year.
Down you know I mentioned thislast episode had very few
downloads but downloads arestill up overall for the year
and it's it's been a lot of fun.
Love to get more downloads soshare it with your friends
(38:46):
you've got to tell your friendsyou've got to leave ratings
reviews etc on your podcastplayer but tell people because
we do have some really goodthings in lenty twenty five and
I I hope to bring back theoffice episodes 2025 or 2026
yeah that's how burned out I amI want to go back and I'm only
(39:07):
drinking a well you can't see meis my camera's not working today
I'm only drinking drinking anorange crush so oh that's the
best yeah not but okay inGreenville North Carolina home
of East Carolina University isthe number one college bar in
the country year after year.
It's called SUP Dogs.
And they have this thing calleda SUP crush and this is crack it
(39:31):
it's legalized crack.
It's two jiggers of vodkafreshly squeezed half an orange
and then like seven up spritesomething like that a citrus
need drink.
It is the bomb and so I I gotupgraded a few games ago one of
my my friends is actually hashis own suite and he had an
(39:52):
extra ticket in a suite so I Iwent to sit with him and we're
up there and they have one ofthese subdog bars in the the
suite area and And oh I I had aof course I had a blast.
I loved uh his seats.
I wish I had just a tenth of thethe cost to afford the the the
income to be able to affordthose myself.
But anyways, we went to the barand I'm talking to the bartender
(40:14):
and I'm like as she's squeezingthe orange, she's getting it all
over.
I said, You must hate the smellof oranges when they're when you
go home and she goes, Oh, it'sthe worst, it's the worst.
She goes, The first you like it.
And anyways, I just casually wewe bought like six of them,
these sub crushes, and but weonly you can buy them in singles
or doubles, double the thevodka.
Yeah, and I said, You can makeit an extra heavy single, and
(40:36):
she I you can't see me.
I'm pouring the bottle upsidedown.
She looks away and goes, Oh, issomeone calling my name?
And she pours it into the bottleand uh pours it in, and I was
like, Oh, you're so cool.
And she got a she got a verynice tip for for that.
And my friends can't believe youjust ask her to tour it extra
heavy.
I'm like, What's she going todo?
The worst she's gonna do is say,Yeah, right, old dude.
SPEAKER_04 (40:56):
Yeah, worst she can say is now.
SPEAKER_00 (40:58):
Yeah, and you never know.
It was it was just a good oldtime there, so okay, yeah, yeah.
So yeah, I I kind of like thischat GPT, these answers.
I I would I want to hear fromyou.
What did you think, uh listener?
What is your favorite episode?
In our show notes, you can clicktext us, text the show, and
(41:18):
it'll sing send a text directlyto us through our podcast
provider.
Now, it isn't I can't reply toit because it goes through their
systems, and then I get it in mysystem, but it's cool, and I
will read them on air or in theshow notes.
There is a text number.
You can text us directly, and Iwill reply with that.
So yeah, I think 2025 was areally good year.
(41:39):
Looking forward to 2026.
And like I said, we've got someideas to to improve and some
things that we we want to hitharder, like the office episodes
and and things like that.
So now here's a question foryou.
Are you one to make New Year'sresolutions?
SPEAKER_04 (41:57):
No.
SPEAKER_00 (41:58):
No, okay.
SPEAKER_04 (42:00):
I am not.
I am one to have goals that Iwill set for the year, but I do
not make resolutions.
SPEAKER_00 (42:06):
Okay.
I I generally don't makeresolutions.
I can't say things like, I'mgonna lose weight, I'm gonna do
that.
And I know when I say I'm gonnado it, things like that, it it's
not gonna happen.
So my I am gonna try my hardestto give up social media.
It's just becoming dumpsterfires right now.
SPEAKER_04 (42:23):
Can I be honest?
I took off I took off Instagramand Facebook off my home screen,
like off my phone, but you canstill have it in your library,
but you have to like take acouple steps to get there.
Yeah.
Just taking it off my phonescreen, I'm like, I forget that
it's there, and I probably go onthose probably twice a week.
(42:45):
Okay.
Like just having it out of sightis the best thing.
SPEAKER_00 (42:50):
Yeah.
I I I can't disagree with that.
I actually went a while and hadjust completely took it off my
phone, so even if I wanted to, Icouldn't get it.
And I I went back and I don'tknow why I I went back and did
it, but yeah, we'll we'll seehow well I do with that.
But no, I I generally don't makeresolutions, but I do I do want
(43:11):
to except for I do want to getJaded HR's social media presence
going, is that I think that'llhelp.
But I say I've said thatforever, and I'm just the worst
at getting the social mediagoing with that.
So we will see if that happens.
So yeah, and any big plansbesides all the holiday
festivities y'all got going?
Any big plans for the upcomingfor the next couple weeks for
(43:34):
before we head into 2026?
SPEAKER_04 (43:36):
No, I'm taking like a week and a half off, maybe
like a week and a week and a fewdays.
So I am super excited to justtake time off and hang out at
home.
SPEAKER_00 (43:48):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um I'm the same way.
Classes are finished.
I got my ass kicked, but I cameout ahead of the game.
I'm really, really but I I'm mystress level is gonna hopefully
come down soon.
I'm taking a week off myself.
My daughter's flying in fromUtah.
My son just came in, as Imentioned, on Saturday.
So we'll have the whole familyhere.
(44:10):
I haven't seen my daughter intwo years, so it's gonna, or
not, she hasn't been here in twoyears.
I went last summer to Utah tovisit her, but it's gonna be
nice to have her and her hubbyhere and having some fun.
So yeah, I'm I'm really lookingforward to that.
And yeah, that's that's all I'vereally got.
So nice.
Thank you, all the listeners,for listening to us and and
(44:32):
putting up through some of ourbetter episodes and some of our
sucky episodes.
As I know there's been some onesas I'm editing, like, really?
Oh well.
SPEAKER_04 (44:41):
It happens.
SPEAKER_00 (44:42):
This wasn't our best.
This wasn't our best episode.
SPEAKER_04 (44:44):
We're human.
SPEAKER_00 (44:46):
Yeah.
But you know, that's happened inediting when I think something's
not our best, but when as mostI'm I'm easily a month behind on
my podcast or more, but then I las I'm doing the editing, I'm
thinking, uh, this one just sortof eh, whatever.
We'll publish it anyway.
There's never been one badenough to say I'm not going to
publish it that since you and Ihave recorded.
(45:06):
Yeah.
I know that Feathers and I justwe got to the point where we
just both looked at each other,this sucks.
Let's call it quits.
We suck.
Let's move on.
But no, we I haven't gotten tothat point.
But when I listened to it in thecar as a as a listener, not
through the think mind ofediting, yeah.
I'm like, oh okay, that thatturned out better than I
(45:27):
thought.
I was I was good.
So yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (45:31):
So we're just amazing, it's fine.
SPEAKER_00 (45:35):
Yeah, exactly.
So tell your friends how amazingwe are, and what are some of the
quotes ChatGPT said to us?
We are, gosh.
SPEAKER_04 (45:44):
Oh, I forget.
SPEAKER_00 (45:46):
Anyways, HR quiet but brutal.
We're quiet but brutal.
SPEAKER_04 (45:50):
We're quiet but brutal.
SPEAKER_00 (45:52):
Yeah, what else did it say?
I'm trying to oh, one of themwas smart, meta, and timely.
I don't think I mentioned thatone.
SPEAKER_04 (45:59):
Smart, meta, and timely.
SPEAKER_00 (46:02):
Yeah, so yeah, we're oh this was it.
This was the good one.
Quietly Profound.
That's gonna be part of thetitle for this episode.
Quietly Profound.
SPEAKER_04 (46:11):
So Quietly Profound.
SPEAKER_00 (46:14):
So you can be quietly profound too.
Join us on Patreon, give us somesupport, Libreview.
Let's thank Andrew Copa, thevoice artist, and the theme song
is Double the Devil.
And with that, I will say, asalways, I'm Warren.
I'm CeCe.
And we will see you in January,or probably the first or second
(46:35):
week in January.
Stay tuned, we'll let you know.
And we're here helping yousurvive HR one what the fuck
moment at a time.
SPEAKER_04 (46:42):
See you next year.
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