44% of employees say burnout is worse than it was five years ago. Yet most managers don't spot it until after it's already done damage. The signs are there — but only if you know what to look for. Journalist, Katie Nadworny, breaks down what HR leaders and managers can actually do: from the early warning signs to watch for, to the systemic fixes that stop burnout at the source — before it spreads.

The Latest includes a brief update on federal and state level news like EEOC Sues the Times, Tennessee Tightens Noncompetes, and Colorado Revises Its AI Law.

A $50 gift card for saving a company $1M/month. Are bad employee recognition programs driving your best people out the door? Here's what the data shows.

"Dear Ellie" is an advice column from a seasoned HR consultant. Read her advice for an HR pro struggling with a toxic manager.

HR professionals are the designated shock absorbers of organizational life. When the workforce is anxious, they steady it. When leaders make difficult decisions, they manage the fallout. When employees experience trauma (layoffs, restructuring, harassment, grief), HR is the first call. They carry the institutional weight of every person in the building. Often simultaneously. Often without acknowledgment. And almost always without a people strategy of their own.

The Latest includes a brief update on federal and state level news on DHS, the Supreme Court, DOL, Executive Order, and Federal Court decisions.

When an HR tech rollout fails, the software usually gets the blame. But in most organizations, the real issue is not the platform. It is alignment. Leadership, HR, managers, and operations are often not aligned on what the system is supposed to solve or how it will be used. Until that changes, even the best technology will underperform.

The Latest includes a brief update on federal and state level news like DOL rewrites contractor rules, states advance retirement and workplace mandates, and courts reset union and biometric liability.

If you work in HR in California, you are not just managing people. You are managing risk. And in 2026, that risk is evolving. What stands out about this year’s employment law changes is not just the volume. It is the direction. California is continuing to raise expectations around transparency, accountability, and how employers use technology in decision-making.