The Rational Workforce
Common sense insights into the completely irrational world of work. The Rational Workforce is a place dedicated to looking at the news, people, policies, and programs that are shaping today’s world of work in a way that strips away the jargon and pushes back on political correctness.
Episodes
March 3, 2026 • 22 mins
Let's face it - some people are just addicted to getting offended by everything, whether it impacts them or not.
BUT... I think they're increasingly in the minority.
Everywhere you look - politics, entertainment, pop culture - there are signs that Outrage, Inc. may be on the way out.
This episode takes a look at some of the early indicators that, despite the odds, joy, hope, and levelheadedness just might be staging a comebac...
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March 2, 2026 • 22 mins
Let's face it - some people are just addicted to getting offended by everything, whether it impacts them or not.
BUT... I think they're increasingly in the minority.
Everywhere you look - politics, entertainment, pop culture - there are signs that Outrage, Inc. may be on the way out.
This episode takes a look at some of the early indicators that, despite the odds, joy, hope, and levelheadedness just might be staging a comebac...
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Watch
Mark as Played
February 11, 2026 • 19 mins
Tired of AI ghosting your job applications and being treated like garbage during your job search?
In 2026, workers are fighting back!
Some major class-action lawsuits against HR tech vendors, exposing hidden biases and secret scoring that reject qualified candidates (especially over 40) without a fair shot.
Discover how these cases could level the playing field, why employers are scrambling, and real options like going indepe...
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Mark as Played
January 3, 2026 • 30 mins
2025 is now in the rear-view mirror, and not a moment too soon.
It has been a rough year for the workforce, but I think 2026 will mark a turning point. There are plenty of changes still looming on the horizon, but employers and HR may have overplayed their hand on multiple fronts.
This is the year when I think workers have an amazing opportunity to step up, speak up, and show up in a way that will put them back into the drivers...
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October 22, 2025 • 31 mins
What happens when you mix EPCOT, a college grad, a Gen X dad, and a whole lot of unsolicited opinions about work, life, and figuring things out? You get this video.
We took a father-daughter day trip to EPCOT (because where else do you have deep conversations about burnout, ambition, and impostor syndrome?), and decided to flip the script on our usual content.
This one’s a little different from the usual Rational Workforce videos...
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August 28, 2025 • 13 mins
Why are brands torching their identities in the name of progress? In this episode of The Rational Workforce, we unpack the Sydney Sweeney/AEO campaign, Cracker Barrel’s botched rebrand, and the rise of outrage marketing. Who benefits? Who pays? And what does it say about the state of DEI, branding, and the workforce caught in the middle?
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August 17, 2025 • 11 mins
We all feel it:
The sting of being overlooked.
The rush to defend ourselves.
The quiet resentment after a meeting or message that just didn’t sit right.
But here’s the hard truth:
Not every reaction points to injustice.
Sometimes it’s not them... it’s your ego.
Today's episode presents a practical framework to help you decode what you’re feeling at work and why.
It’s not therapy and it’s not fluff. It’s discernment for leaders, ...
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Mark as Played
August 7, 2025 • 10 mins
In a legal settlement that feels like it has been a long time coming, actress Gina Carano and Disney seem to have settled their differences.
In today's episode, we give you a quick recap of the news and the events that got us here, and discuss how this could have broader implications for workers everywhere.
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August 5, 2025 • 10 mins
How did layoffs become the new executive flex?
In this episode of The Rational Workforce, we unpack a disturbing new trend: corporate leaders turning mass layoffs into bragging rights. What used to be a last resort is now a flex... and workers are paying the price.
From the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of C-suite callousness to a look back at some amazing examples of REAL leadership, this is a brutally honest exploration of wha...
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July 24, 2025 • 7 mins
Stephen Colbert isn’t losing his show because of politics.
He’s losing it because declining viewership and $40M in losses don’t lie.
(But sure, let’s blame Trump.)
In this episode, we torch elite bubble logic, examine who actually pays the price when shows fail, and remind the overpaid and underperforming: welcome to the real world.
Viewer discretion advised (especially if your safe space has WiFi).
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July 21, 2025 • 4 mins
The Coldplay Kiss Cam moment has been clipped, memed, stitched, dunked-on, and dissected to death, so I’m not here to recap it.
I am here to ask a more uncomfortable question: Why did it go this viral, this fast, and with this much venom?
Here’s the hard truth: Most workers don’t exactly see the C-suite as sympathetic figures, so when a CEO and CHRO get caught (literally) in an ethics breach, it doesn’t just go viral… it turns in...
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Mark as Played
July 18, 2025 • 11 mins
1300 State Department layoffs = media meltdown.
9,000 Microsoft + 10,000 Intel cuts = crickets.
Why does the media weep for bureaucrats while ignoring tens of thousands of private sector workers getting the axe? Why are layoffs only tragic when it fits a narrative?
In this episode of The Rational Workforce, we break down:
- The media’s double standard on layoffs
- The shady history of the State Department’s Global Engagemen...
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July 10, 2025 • 11 mins
Intel’s cutting 10,000 jobs. Microsoft just axed 9,000 more. The Wall Street Journal says work-life balance is “overrated,” and companies everywhere are hiring for burnout hours like it’s 2019.
In this episode of The Rational Workforce, I break down why your boss is suddenly allergic to “mental health days,” how the job market turned into a ghost town, and why it pays (literally) to stay sharp — even if it means grinding harder th...
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May 14, 2025 • 10 mins
Celebrities get PR teams. Regular workers get pink slips.
In this episode of The Rational Workforce, we explore why the same off-the-clock behavior leads to drastically different outcomes depending on who you are — and who’s watching.
We unpack the real-life stories of:
• A tech exec allegedly caught keying a Tesla
• A state worker who damaged six cars and kept his job
• Hollywood stars who posted controversial content — and ei...
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Mark as Played
May 3, 2025 • 12 mins
They laid you off. Now they want you back.
Today we’re diving into the Wall Street Journal’s latest gem: “The Company That Laid You Off Wants You Back. What Do You Say?”
Short answer? “It depends.”
Long answer? Hit play.
We’re breaking down the financial, emotional, and ethical dynamics of returning to a company that just kicked you to the curb. From power imbalances to pension pipe dreams, we’ll talk about:
- When going back ...
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Mark as Played
April 26, 2025 • 8 mins
For years, we told young people: work hard, stay out of trouble, pick a practical major... and the jobs will follow.
But the world of work changed, and nobody updated the manual.
In this video, we dig into why the deck feels stacked against Gen Z, how AI is reshaping the entry-level job market before new grads even get a chance to compete, and why this isn’t just “kids today” being lazy or entitled.
It’s the system itself that's ...
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March 17, 2025 • 11 mins
Meet the employee every company regrets: the narcissist who puts their career on the line and drags the brand right down with it.
This time, it’s Rachel Zegler and Disney’s Snow White mess.
A $400M disaster in the making, leaving workers, theaters, and toy shelves screwed.
Click to see how one rogue voice can ruin it for everyone.
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Mark as Played
March 7, 2025 • 12 mins
Your Desk, Their Dogma
It started with the elections. It kicked-up a notch during the inauguration. But the Trump/Zelenskyy meeting finally broke them.
An ASTOUNDING number of HR pros, executives, and managers openly voiced their disdain for Trump and his supporters... so how are conservatives supposed to get a fair shake at those companies if they don't pass the political purity test?
In an environment where we've been told f...
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February 25, 2025 • 20 mins
Mass federal layoffs. Media outrage. Musk’s five-bullet accountability demand. Is this long-overdue efficiency—or something more?
In this episode of The Rational Workforce, we break down the real impact of these cuts, the private sector reality no one’s talking about, and why America’s $36 TRILLION debt means the pain isn’t over.
00:00 - Intro
01:02 - Federal terminations recap
03:16 - Media response
04:50 - Private sector layoff...
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Mark as Played
February 3, 2025 • 10 mins
Promises made. Promises kept.
Whether you love it or hate it, Trump hit the Oval Office with a head full of steam and a stack of Executive Orders.
Several of those EOs will impact Federal workers, and, by extension, set some precedent for the private sector as well.
In today's episode, we take a look at Return to Work and DEI policies and how Trump's changes could impact you.
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Mark as Played
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