Workplace Wake-Up with Jen Shaw

Should You—or Shouldn’t You? Providing Employment References in California

Providing references sounds simple—but in California, it’s anything but. In this episode, Jen breaks down what the law actually protects, where employers get into trouble, and how to strike the right balance between helping former employees and protecting your organization. Done right, references don’t have to be risky.

Arrested — Now What? The Fair Chance Act and Hiring in 2026

An applicant’s background check shows an arrest or pending charge. What can you ask? What can you consider? And when does the Fair Chance Act apply? In this episode, Jen gives employers a clear, practical framework for navigating arrests and pending charges without violating California law — or creating unnecessary reputational risk.

Payroll is Not a Defense: Regular Rate Mistakes That Trigger Lawsuits

Think your payroll provider has wage-and-hour covered? Think again. From regular rate miscalculations to meal period premium errors and bonus mistakes, the most common violations are hiding in plain sight. In this episode, Jen walks through the technical payroll-related traps that still trip up California employers — and how to fix them before they cost you.

Handcuffs in Disguise: The Stay-or-Pay Agreements That Could Cost You

Training repayment agreements, claw-back provisions, and “stay bonuses” are under serious scrutiny in California. What looks like a smart retention strategy may actually be an unlawful penalty. In this episode, Jen breaks down what California now considers an illegal stay-or-pay agreement, where employers are crossing the line, and how to audit your existing contracts before a plaintiff’s lawyer does.

You Stay Out of Court Long Before There’s a Lawsuit

Most employment cases don’t start with a complaint — they start with culture. In this episode, Jen and Joe Beachboard dig into the foundational elements that determine whether an organization stays out of court: workplace culture, clear policies and procedures, consistent enforcement mechanisms, and leadership that understands when to escalate risk.

Learn why litigation prevention isn’t about reacting faster — it’s about building systems that make better decisions inevitable. Because court is rarely the result of one bad moment. It’s the result of structure — or the lack of it.

The Leader is the Risk: How Small Decisions Turn into Big Problems

Most employment lawsuits don’t start with a policy — they start with a manager’s off-the-cuff decision. In this episode, Jen discusses how well-intentioned leaders unknowingly create legal risk through inconsistency, over-sharing, and poor documentation. This is a practical conversation for HR pros who are tired of cleaning up preventable messes and want leaders to understand their real role in risk management.

Top 10 Lessons from the EmployersLawyer 2026 Employment Law Update Webinar

In this episode, Joe Beachboard and Jen dig into the top 10 takeaways from the EmployersLawyer webinar, Confidential California Employer Update: New Laws and Key Cases for 2026—and what they actually mean for California employers.

When the News Comes to Work: ICE, Minneapolis, and Managing Political Conversations in California Workplaces

News out of Minneapolis has reignited intense workplace conversations across the country — including in California. In this episode, Jen explains what California employers should and shouldn’t do when national events spark heated discussions at work, and how to manage free expression, safety, and harassment concerns without creating legal risk.

$103 Million and Counting: When Workplace Statistics Convince a Jury

A Los Angeles jury just sent Liberty Mutual Insurance a $103 million message—and it’s this: the numbers matter. Workforce statistics, age patterns, and data trends played a starring role in findings of age discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. In this episode, Joe Beachboard, co-founder of EmployersLawyer, joins Jen to unpack how the data—not just bad emails or rogue managers—helped fuel one of the largest age-discrimination verdicts in U.S. history, and what employers should take away from it.

Why You Must Update Your Employee Handbooks Every Year

An outdated employee handbook is one of the easiest ways for California employers to create unnecessary legal risk. In this episode, Jen explains why they should be reviewed and updated every year—and how the wrong language can cost employers in litigation. (Click here to participate in the February 11, 2026, complimentary live webinar, “Confidential California Employer Update: New Laws / Key Cases for 2026,” offered by EmployersLawyer.)