remote workforce Archives - Business RadioX ®

Navigating HR Challenges, with Scott Mastley, Thread HCM

November 6, 2024 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Navigating HR Challenges, with Scott Mastley, Thread HCM

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Navigating HR Challenges, with Scott Mastley, Thread HCM (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 814)

In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray interviews Scott Mastley, Chief Human Relations Officer at Thread HCM. The discussion delves into Thread’s HR software and services, emphasizing their focus on efficiency, top-tier payroll technology, and unique HR consulting services. Scott shares his unconventional journey into HR, the importance of personal and proactive client relationships, and the evolving landscape of HR regulations, including multi-state compliance and remote work challenges. He also touches on trends like unlimited PTO and cannabis regulations, offering practical advice for business owners. Scott’s insights provide valuable guidance for small to medium-sized businesses looking to enhance their HR practices.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced by the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Scott Mastley, Chief Human Relations Officer, Thread HCM

Scott joined Thread in 2019 to develop and manage our HR Consulting services. Scott is a double Dawg with undergraduate and MBA degrees from UGA, and he is passionate about simplifying HR to support engagement.

Scott is interested in your challenges and enthusiastic about finding solutions and proactively preventing future issues. His confidence comes from 25 years of hands-on consulting, HR work, and leading HR teams with clients across multiple industries.

Thread HCM

Thread offers a way for businesses to make HR an advantage. The company believes in better workplaces, engaged employees, and peace of mind for the C-Suite.

At its core, Thread offers a top-tier technology platform that over 100,000 businesses trust and that serves over 5,000,000 employees. This all-in-one solution offers a superior approach to hiring, managing, and growing teams. With a scalable system and a variety of offerings, the iSolved platform is designed to grow alongside its clients.

Thread offers a partner relationship approach to working with clients, backed by quick, individualized service from a support team that is familiar with each business. The company believes time is valuable and doesn’t intend to waste any of it. Live response times and NPS Customer Satisfaction ratings are posted right on its website.

Lastly, Thread is a business like its clients. With a team of amazing people doing great work for their clients, Thread achieves success in turn. As a recipient of GPTW awards several years in a row, Thread aims to be a company its employees love and where candidates are eager to join. The company wants that same success for its clients and their teams too.

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Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
00:36 Guest Introduction: Scott Mastley from Thread
02:46 Scott’s Journey into HR
04:20 HR Consulting at Thread
07:10 Challenges in HR: Multi-State Regulations
12:19 Cannabis in the Workplace
15:13 Remote Workforces Post-Pandemic
16:17 Effective Communication in Remote Work
17:28 Maintaining Productivity and Connection
18:27 Hybrid Work Models and Their Benefits
21:31 Challenges of Unlimited PTO Policies
24:04 Upcoming Salary Threshold Changes
26:15 Client Success Stories and Services
29:22 Contact Information and Closing Remarks

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 800 shows and having featured over 1,200 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show welcomes a wide variety of business, non-profit, and community leaders to get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.

John Ray, Business RadioX - North Fulton, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors — **John Ray, Business RadioX – North Fulton, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors**

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.

Remote Work, Mandated Returns, and Reasonable Accommodations

December 19, 2023 by John Ray

Hall Booth Smith Podcast Network

Remote Work, Mandated Returns, and Reasonable Accommodations

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Remote Work, Mandated Returns, and Reasonable Accommodations (Litigators Lounge, Episode 2)

On this episode of Litigators Lounge, hosts Jackie Voronov and Shylie Bannon discuss the complex legal and workplace dynamics surrounding the return to office mandates currently making headlines. They explore cases, current events, and key laws, with an emphasis on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Jackie and Shylie tackle the debates around remote and hybrid work models, the impact on various industries, and the legal implications of accommodation requests associated with disabilities in the post-COVID world. Through detailed conversations and insights, they offer guidance for both employees and employers navigating these mandates. In the rapidly changing landscape of workplace norms, this episode provides valuable insights backed by legal expertise.

Litigators Lounge is underwritten and presented by Hall Booth Smith. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Topics in this Episode

00:01 Introduction to Litigators Lounge

01:02 Discussion on Return to Office Mandates

01:09 Legal Issues Raised by Return to Office Mandates

03:01 Impact of Remote Work on Different Industries

04:06 Accommodations for Disabilities in Post-COVID World

06:28 Impact of Return to Office Mandates on Protected Classes of Workers

06:53 Impact of Remote Work on Women in Workplace

08:56 ADA Accommodation Requests and State Equivalence

09:22 Legal Aspects of ADA and Remote Work

09:34 ADA Requirements for Employers

23:43 Guidance for Employers Navigating ADA Terrain

24:04 Challenges of Remote Work

33:19 Conclusion and Sign Off

About Litigators Lounge

Jackie Voronov and Shylie Bannon, attorneys at Hall Booth Smith who specialize in labor and employment law, are the hosts of the engaging podcast Litigators Lounge. Listen as they delve into the intricate world of workplace legal issues as they explore real-life examples, unpack legal scenarios, and offer expert insights to help organizations and employees navigate the ever-changing legal landscape. With engaging discussions, diverse viewpoints from expert guests, and an ample touch of humor, Litigators Lounge is the go-to source for in-depth analysis and expert advice on law and the workplace.

Litigators Lounge is underwritten and presented by Hall Booth Smith. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Jackie Voronov, Partner, Hall Booth Smith

Jackie Voronov is a Partner in Hall Booth Smith’s office in Paramus, New Jersey, and she represents management in a wide variety of employment matters and litigates employment claims before administrative agencies and state and federal courts. Her clients include major hotels, retailers, shipping companies, assisted living facilities and nursing homes, manufacturers, and national fast-food franchisees.

Jackie’s litigation experience includes the defense of employers in single and multi-plaintiff actions on claims of wrongful discharge, sexual harassment, race, national origin, gender, disability and age discrimination, breach of contract, family medical leave, failure to accommodate, retaliation, wage/hour laws, and related tort claims. Jackie also works with her clients to prepare various employment agreements (including non-compete, confidentiality, independent contractor, and separation agreements). She has extensive experience before various administrative tribunals, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the State Division of Human Rights (SDHR), the Division of Civil Rights (DCR), and other state, federal, and local agencies.

In addition, Jackie frequently conducts management training for employers on a wide variety of employment law topics, such as:

EEO/anti-harassment
employee recruiting and hiring practices
family and medical leave
reasonable accommodations for disabilities and religion
preventing and investigating harassment, discrimination, and whistleblower claims
wage and hour compliance
discipline and termination of employees
privacy in the workplace

Jackie is regularly invited to speak nationally on best practices and other employment-related issues. Before joining Hall Booth Smith, she worked for one of the country’s largest law firms, where she defended employers in a wide range of labor and employment matters, including wage and hour class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), claims related to the New York State Human Rights Law (NSHRL), the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), and Title VII.

Jackie was selected for inclusion as a New Jersey Rising Star by Super Lawyers® for six consecutive years (2010-2016), which honors the top 2.5% of young lawyers in New Jersey.

Shylie Bannon, Partner, Hall Booth Smith

Shylie Bannon is a Partner in Hall Booth Smith’s Jacksonville, Florida, office. She also serves as Hiring Partner for the region of Florida, where she oversees associate attorney hiring endeavors. Prior to joining Hall Booth Smith, Shylie was a partner in both a multi-state, multi-specialty firm and a boutique practice.

At Hall Booth Smith, Shylie continues to represent physicians, mid-level providers, and health care providers in high-exposure medical negligence claims and in administrative proceedings before the Florida Department of Health. She also represents national retailers in high-exposure premises liability, negligent security, and transportation litigation with our National Trial Counsel team.

In addition to litigating matters involving personal injury and negligence, Shylie also represents management in all aspects of employment-related litigation arising from allegations of sex, disability, race, and pregnancy discrimination; whistleblower actions; and alleged violations of the National Labor Relations Act and Fair Labor Standards. She does so in administrative proceedings before both the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as in all of the state and federal courts in Florida. She also provides employment-related counsel to clients, helping them avoid employment-related litigation through the implementation of best employment, investigation, and risk management practices.

Shylie earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, cum laude, and graduated magna cum laude from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History.

Shylie volunteers with the Guardian Ad Litem program and supports child welfare advocacy efforts in Northeast Florida. She is also a Member of the Board for the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida.

About Hall Booth Smith, P.C.

Established in 1989, Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is a full-service law firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with regional offices strategically located throughout Georgia and the United States. Experienced across a wide range of legal disciplines, HBS prides itself on providing knowledgeable, proactive, client-specific counsel to individuals, domestic and international corporations, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

HBS possesses the legal knowledge, skill, and experience to meet their clients’ needs wherever they do business. HBS maintains the highest commitment to ethically and professionally serve their clients by providing the highest quality legal representation.

They deliver quality legal services in a variety of service areas. Experience across legal disciplines combined with a focus on the unique business or personal requirements of the client is the hallmark of the firm. Their clients receive the attention, expertise, and cost-effectiveness of a smaller law firm with the full-service and strong regional presence typical of a larger one.

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Disclaimer

Litigators Lounge is a production brought to you by Hall Booth Smith, PC. This podcast is published for the purposes of providing general information and education on topics which include those related to the law and legal issues, but the contents of the podcast do not constitute legal advice. Listening to this podcast or utilizing the information contained in it in any way does not constitute nor does it create an attorney-client relationship between you and Hall Booth Smith or its lawyers. The contents of this podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a professional attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

The Future of Remote Work, with Kaleem Clarkson, Blend Me, Inc.

March 2, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

The Future of Remote Work, with Kaleem Clarkson, Blend Me, Inc.

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The Future of Remote Work with Kaleem Clarkson, Blend Me, Inc. (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 331)

In a fascinating and timely interview with host John Ray, Kaleem Clarkson of Blend Me, Inc. discusses the remote work experience, why issues of trust and responsibility weigh heavily on both employers and employers, the tension between companies and employees which will exist as the pandemic eases, and much more. “North Fulton Business Radio” is produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

Blend Me, Inc.

Founded in 2013, Blend Me, Inc. helps location-independent startups and small businesses improve the remote employee experience, from onboarding to offboarding. By taking a collaborative approach we assist clients with the journey each remote employee takes by being a member of your organization. Our solutions and services range from Onboarding Strategy and Design, Inclusion and Diversity, Employee Research and Engagement, Internal Marketing, and Communications.

Kaleem Clarkson, COO, Blend Me, Inc.

Kaleem is a husband, father, remote work advocate, people operations professional, and speaker. He is the Chief Operating Officer of Blend Me, Inc a remote employee experience consultancy that helps startups and small businesses onboard, engage and retain their remote teams. With nearly 20 years of strategic operations and event planning experience, he helps leadership implement people operations solutions that increase productivity and engagement for both internal and external stakeholders.

Kaleem was born and raised in Bangor, Maine, the home of Stephen King. He graduated from Worcester State University and was recently featured in Harvard Business Review and named one of the top 15 Remote Work Advocates and Leaders by All American Speakers Bureau.

Kaleem currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his family. When he is not working, you can find him mountain biking on the trails of Georgia with his headphones, blasting a little hard rock music.

Company Website | Personal LinkedIn | Company LinkedIn | Personal Twitter

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Why did you start Blend Me, Inc ?
What is the remote employee, work from home experience?
Why issues of trust and responsibility are so important
What is the future of remote work?
The tension between employer and employee remote work expectations after the pandemic eases
Why are some companies going to require people to come back to the office?
What are the biggest challenges companies are facing with remote work?

North Fulton Business Radio” is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Ron White, Express Employment Professionals of Atlanta Midtown

February 5, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Ron White, Express Employment Professionals of Atlanta Midtown

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Ron White, Express Employment Professionals of Atlanta Midtown (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 328)

Ron White, Express Employment Professionals, joins host John Ray to discuss his recruiting and staffing business, how he helps both employers and job seekers, the added value he provides employers with a remote workforce, his outlook for 2021 and more. “North Fulton Business Radio” is produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

Express Employment Professionals of Atlanta Midtown

Express Employment Professionals of Atlanta Midtown, GA is a leading staffing provider helping job seekers find work with a wide variety of local businesses. The Express office in Atlanta Midtown, GA has a variety of jobs available, with full-time, part-time, and temporary positions available. And, as one of the leading staffing agencies in North America, Express provides employment services and workforce solutions to employers throughout our community. Contact us today to get started on finding the right fit for you.

The Express office is a locally owned small business with access to international resources. Founded in 1983, Express today employs more than 552,000 people across more than 825 franchise locations in Canada, the U.S., and South Africa.

Ron White, President, Express Employment Professionals of Atlanta Midtown

Rondale “Ron” White’s career has been a combination of sales and IT experience, enabling him to develop expertise in all stages of the sales cycle. Being recognized as a growth catalyst, multi-faceted leader, and a hands-on manager who builds trusting, value-based relationships in his previous roles helps Ron set a strong foundation as he opens the Atlanta, GA, Midtown office. His focus on being a people person and relationship developer will be beneficial as he builds a roster of clients and associates.

Throughout the majority of his career, Ron has held leadership roles as well as managed profits and losses. He was often recognized during his career as employee of the quarter and year. Away from the office, Ron enjoys spending his time with his five children, four of whom are adults, and the youngest is a 14-year-old daughter in 10^th grade.

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