On January 17, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill into law (A3451/S2950) that significantly amends the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA). The new rules, which take effect on July 17, 2026, will expand the employers covered under the NJFLA and the employees eligible for job-protected leave.

In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter trade the drama of reality TV for the real-life stakes of employee separations, using shows like The Bachelor, The Great British Bake Off, Top Chef, and The Voice as a lens to discuss layoffs, terminations, and RIFs. Joined by Lauren Tilashalski, senior associate general counsel at Global Payments, they unpack how employers can move beyond “gut feel” eliminations to legally compliant, people-centered processes. The conversation highlights how thoughtful planning, clear messaging, and empathy can turn a potential PR and morale crisis into a more orderly transition for both departing employees and those who remain. Tune in to learn how to balance legal risk, business needs, and human impact once the “final rose” has been handed out in your workplace.

In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter are joined by Meg Kelsey, director of the Center for Global Justice at Regent University School of Law, to explore how human trafficking and forced labor can be hiding in plain sight in today’s workplaces and supply chains. Using a storyline from the Emmy Award‑winning medical drama The Pitt as a jumping‑off point, they unpack the laws prohibiting human trafficking that employers need to know about, break down common red flags employers might miss, and discuss why vulnerable workers are especially at risk. Tune in for practical guidance on implementing trauma‑informed HR practices, strengthening supply chain due diligence, and empowering your organization to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking.

In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter use the Netflix hit America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as a lens to examine best practices in providing effective employee feedback. Joined by Ann Hart, vice president of human resources at ampliFI Loyalty Solutions, they unpack what the show gets right — and wrong — about challenging performance discussions, from high-stakes cuts from the team to real-time coaching.

For more than 160 years, the False Claims Act (FCA) has been the federal government’s primary tool to combat fraud. In 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) underscored just how powerful — and profitable — the FCA can be, announcing a record-shattering $6.8 billion in government recoveries driven largely by health care fraud cases. Now, the Trump administration is using the FCA as a tool to eliminate what it considers to be illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The question companies should be asking moving into 2026 is whether failure to comply with the Trump administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws presents a new level of risk. Indeed, a new frontier of potential liability under the FCA — with its treble damages and potentially astronomical statutory penalties — may become the future of enforcement.

Philadelphia employers should review their criminal background investigation practices and procedures in light of recent amendments to Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance (FCRSS) that took effect on January 6, 2026, after being signed into law on October 8, 2025.

In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter revisit Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to unpack what corporate governance means for today’s workplace. Joined by Richard Gerakitis, senior advisor at the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta and former Troutman Pepper partner, they explore how boards, committees, and leadership set the tone through accountability, transparency, and integrity. Using Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley as examples, they examine how bias can undermine even the best‑designed systems and when “moral discretion” might justify bending the rules to protect the vulnerable. The conversation also touches on emerging issues, such as AI oversight, and the critical role HR plays in culture, compliance, and risk management. Tune in for practical insights on how thoughtful governance can turn ethical challenges into opportunities for trust and long‑term stability.

New York enacted several new employment laws that went into effect at the end of 2025 or will take effect in early 2026. These laws include a prohibition on employment promissory notes as a condition of employment, increases to the minimum wage and exempt salary threshold, a codification of disparate impact discrimination, and the prohibition on the use of credit checks for employment purposes. In addition, New York City expanded its Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) in several key respects. These collectively add a considerable burden on employers with employees in New York but, if steps are taken to meet or sidestep these new laws, companies can avoid needlessly exposing themselves to workplace liability.

Last month, in Hailey Boyd et al. v. The Boston Beer Co., Inc., D. Mass. 1:25-cv-13618, two former brewery representatives of the Boston Beer Company (Boston Beer) initiated a putative class action for alleged violations of the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (MNAA or the Act). The plaintiffs contend that Boston Beer’s noncompete agreements violate the Act’s requirement that noncompetes be supported by “garden leave” payments or other “mutually agreed consideration.” The case may finally provide guidance as to what “or other mutually agreed consideration” suffices to enforce a noncompete agreement in Massachusetts.

In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter use the film Inception as a springboard to unpack the very real world of corporate espionage and trade secret theft. Joined by Troutman Pepper Locke partner and former Hiring to Firing co-host Evan Gibbs, co-chair of the firm’s Corporate Espionage Response Team, they examine how insider threats arise in the workplace, the surge in trade secret litigation, and the high‑stakes emergency injunctions that can follow. The conversation offers practical guidance on onboarding and offboarding employees, tightening data security, and training managers to spot red flags before confidential information walks out the door. Tune in to learn how to protect your organization from data theft and avoid becoming the unwitting beneficiary — or victim — of corporate espionage.