In 1997, Ohio launched its first school voucher program in Cleveland, which supporters claimed would allow students to escape the perils of attending schools in the underfunded Cleveland public school district. Since that time, the voucher system has been called unconstitutional as it cripples district schools by further limiting their finances. In today’s episode, we hear from two Ohio educators who provide a frontline look at vouchers today and life in the schools before vouchers.

On June 28, 2024, the United States Supreme Court ruled that courts may rely on their own interpretation of ambiguous environmental laws pertaining to clean water and air. Courts no longer have to defer to agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency to provide science- and evidence-based guidelines when interpreting these laws. The decision will likely have far-reaching impacts on policy and how we are able to address climate change and the need for clean water and air. In this episode, I look at the recent decision and consider what it means for us as a society.

The Affordable Care Act of 2010 provided employers and employees opportunities to reduce health insurance costs if employees participated in voluntary workplace wellness programs. However, voluntary participation came with a heavy and sometimes punitive reality for those who did not want to participate. So in 2022, AARP brought a lawsuit against Yale University alleging that Yale’s workplace wellness program actually amounted to a discriminatory involuntary requirement. In this episode, I look at ways to think about your workplace wellness program in light of the Yale settlement. I also walk through various legal provisions that may be useful in helping you structure an effective workplace wellness program that avoids alienating certain employees. As always, this is a conversation. I am not providing legal advice in this setting. For more information, please go to christelbesttraining.com.

In this episode, we continue our discussion with attorney and legal scholar Dr. Cecile De Villiers (Ep. 7) on the topic of religious freedom in the workplace in the US and South Africa.

South African attorney and legal scholar Dr. Cecile De Villiers and I explore the changing landscape of religious accommodations for employees in the workplace. As an employer, should it matter whether the religion "requires" certain behavior? What is "undue burden on the business”? Join us for what promises to be an informative and entertaining discussion.

Today's podcast will feature five new and different human resources legal questions and how I might answer them. If you have a quirky, funny, or otherwise interesting HR/legal question you want to ask, please submit it to christel@christelbesttraining.com.

Whether I am at the grocery store, the gym, or even a backyard barbecue, the conversation typically begins, "So you're an attorney? Well, I have a question for you, if you don't mind me my asking." At other times, I will be working with a client and they will start asking probing questions about their personal situation. Today, I want to share five questions that I thought you might find interesting, along with answers. Please note that I am not giving legal advice on this platform. If you want information about my trainings, please visit my website or contact me at christel@christelbesttraining.com

Now that the United States Supreme Court has rejected affirmative action programs in higher education, how will the chilling effect of this decision impact your DEI programs? In this episode, we look at the Supreme Court decision and the ensuing fallout. We also provide some best practices for framing your DEI programs."