Across The Bar Podcast
by Laura Brounstein & Peter Rahbar
Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and veteran journalist Laura Brounstein's weekly conversation about how the news is affecting the laws that govern our daily work and personal life. We cover negotiation, workplace privacy, pop culture and more!
Episodes
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 73 - Microsoft’s Buyouts, Weil’s Collapse and Marissa Mayer’s AI Issues
Microsoft offers 60,000 employees a buyout, and Weil Gotshal shuts down after more than 90 years. Peter and Laura get into what buyouts really pay, how a powerhouse law firm collapses, and the St. Louis company that has never laid anyone off. Also this week: Anthropic’s H-1B problem, Marissa...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 72 - Bugged Conference Rooms, AI Interviewers, Politics in the Workplace & the Pool Guy’s NDA
Peter spotted Midtown office workers waiting half an hour for frozen yogurt at 3 p.m. on a weekday, and he has thoughts. Laura thinks it might be the new dating scene. That’s just the warm-up. This week, a listening device allegedly found taped to a TV in an OpenAI conference room kicks off a...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 71 - Is Your Slack Training AI? Glass Cliffs & Don't Be Like Guilfoyle!
A McKinsey partner went on LinkedIn to announce that the “glass cliff” isn’t real. He kept his job and lost his leadership role. He’ll also have that post as his top Google result for the rest of his life. Peter and Laura explain why LinkedIn is the one platform where your hot takes come with…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 70 - Your AI Agent Needs Weekly Performance Reviews (Yes, Really)
Remember when AI agents were supposed to take work off your plate? Journalist Laura Brounstein admits that she gives hers a performance review at least once a week (“we’ve talked about this, only use these sources”), while Attorney Peter Rahbar remains proudly agent-free and firmly on the…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 69 - Is Iced Coffee at a Job Interview a Red Flag? Serious Problems at Cornell and Gen Z Wants Feedback
Laura Brounstein is back, it's her birthday, and she brought a prop: an iced matcha, in honor of the hottest workplace debate on TikTok. Is walking into a job interview holding an iced coffee a harmless habit or a dealbreaker? Co-Host Peter Rahbar has an opinion, even if it might be an "old guy...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 68 - The Free Speech President Strikes Again, Pritzker's GLP-1 Reveal & CEOs Who Love to Suffer
This week on Across the Bar, guest co-host Liz Baker Plosser is back from a week embedded in the international sauna scene, and she and Peter have plenty to say about the people in charge. They start with the White House pulling press credentials from CNN, MSNOW, and Politico. Peter explains why...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 67 - Adam Rapoport on Office Lunch Rules, the Hyrox Sh*tshow, Workers Demanding GLP-1 Coverage and Beware of the CFDA CEO
Liz Baker Plosser is back in the co-host seat this week and we brought in Adam Rapoport to talk about the do's and don'ts of office lunches. Bring your own bowl. Clean the dishes. Do not, under any circumstances, microwave fish or crack a hard-boiled egg within smelling distance of another human....
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 66 - Job Hopping Is Dead, Best Dressed Lawyers, LinkedIn's Dating Problem & the $700M Hyrox Deal
This week, Peter and guest co-host Liz Baker Plosser are back from summer and diving straight into the work issues confronting everyone as they return to the office. They start with a reader comment that hit a nerve: workplace acronyms and AI-speak have gotten so bad people are starting to sound...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 65 - Should Employers Cover Menopause Benefits, Uber Blames Its Employees and Anna Wintour Gets Overruled
Should employers be covering menopause benefits? Peter and guest co-host Liz Plosser (Best Case Scenario) take on a listener's question this week — and it opens up a bigger conversation about the legal tightrope employers walk when choosing employee benefits, plus the real fear a lot of women…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 64 - Quiet Vacationing, Slack Spying & Disney's Family "Un"-Friendly Health Insurance Change
Summer's basically over, and everyone's dealing with it differently — some people are faking Wi-Fi outages to steal one more day off, while Peter's out here treating a plane's spotty signal as a built-in excuse to actually get work done. That tension — who owes their employer visibility into…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 63 - The Decoy Plane, GLP-1s at Work, Navigating the Office Gym, and the Death of Board Diversity
Laura is on a well-earned summer break, so Peter's joined by special guest co-host Liz Plosser, former editor-in-chief of Women's Health and the voice behind the wellness Substack Best Case Scenario. First up, the GLP-1 conversation nobody knows how to have at work — commenting on a colleague's...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 62 - Snowplow Parents Go Corporate, Tenure Under Siege, AI Comes for HR, and LinkedIn's Top Colleges List
Peter's joining from Sardinia this week, which means the vibe is loose but the topics are not. First up: Gen-Z parents have entered the chat at work, showing up to job interviews and calling managers to contest their kid's firing. Peter and Laura's rule is simple — unless your child is in a…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 61 - Fired for a Ketamine Confession, Caught Kissing at Wachtell, and Why Gen Z Is Crying at Work
A Netflix production exec named is suing after getting fired following a corporate retreat where he disclosed medically supervised ketamine treatment for depression during a trust exercise — and also, per Netflix, drank a Guinness standing on his head. Peter and Laura dig into where the actual...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 60 - Insider Trading From the Teleprompter, IRS Chief's Spy Games & Planning a Retreat People Don't Dread
This week we start in the West Wing, where the man responsible for scrolling President Trump's speeches across the teleprompter turned out to have a lucrative side gig: allegedly trading on Kalshi based on what he already knew the President was about to say. It's the kind of insider trading story...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 59 - Apple Says OpenAI Stole Its Secrets, Meta's AI Fires Illegally, and a Judge Torches Trump's IRS Deal
Apple and OpenAI used to be in business together. Now Apple's accusing its former partner of coaching employees to walk out the door with company files — and Peter's got thoughts on exactly how not to do that when you leave your own job (hint: never sync your work iPhone to your personal iCloud,...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 58 - AI Isn't Coming for Your Job (Yet), Banks Ban Prediction Markets & Should You Date Your Co-Worker?
Remember when every AI company was telling you your job was toast? They've quietly changed their tune — Anthropic just leased a whole building in Hudson Square and is hiring by the hundreds, OpenAI did the same in SoHo weeks earlier, and suddenly it's all "efficiency" and "job creation." Peter's...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 57 - SCOTUS Handed the President A Lot More Power, Wall Street's Salami Backlash & AI Co-Worker Problems
Peter and Laura are recording on the last day of June — drinks in hand, holiday weekend approaching — and the Supreme Court just had one of its biggest weeks in years. They break down what the rulings actually mean for you, your company, and the stability of the business environment Americans…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 56 - What the World Cup Teaches Us About Work — JPMorgan Problems, Meta's Meltdown & the AI Burnout Trap
The World Cup is taking over America — and it's actually a masterclass in everything that makes a great employee. This week, Peter and Laura are joined by Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the US Soccer Foundation, to talk about what youth sports really build in young people, why coaches are...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 55 - Championship Energy: The Knicks, Summer Office Style & Why Remote Work Won't Die
The New York Knicks just ended a 53-year drought — and we're breaking down what their championship run means for New York. Then we shift to the workplace: summer office fashion do's and don'ts, why Costco's model of paying workers more and its CEO less is actually a masterclass in business...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 54 - Kalshi Wants To Know Your Boss, H-1B Fee Too High, the Bari-Cade & Out Of The Office Philosophies
The workplace is full of surprises this week — and we've got all of it covered. Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein dig into six stories at the intersection of work, law, and culture, from prediction markets to newsroom meltdowns to what your out-of-office message says about you. Prediction…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 53 - Was the Microsoft Survey Rigged, Graham Platner's Background Check Problem & The Scott Pelley Firing
This week on the Across the Bar Podcast, employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down a packed week in workplace news — from corporate transparency failures to what a Senate candidate's controversies teach us about background checks, to the AI spending reckoning...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 52 - CIA Gold Heist, JPMorgan's "Salami Case" & Why Workers Are Unionizing Again
It's a (sort of) America 250 edition of Across the Bar! 🇺🇸 Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down a packed week of workplace stories — from a CIA gold heist to a $642 deli platter that cost JPMorgan millions. ⚖️ The Union Comeback Is Real — Unionized workers...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 51 - Who Needs HR? This CEO Says He Doesn't — Plus Meta's Mess, AI & Work, and Let's Go Knicks!
This week on Across the Bar, employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein pour one and dig into a week that had the workplace world buzzing. First up: Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow made headlines by defending his decision to fire the company's entire HR department — arguing the team…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 50 - The OpenAI Trial, Digital Hygiene, AI Emotion Monitoring, and The Art of the Payoff
Fifty episodes in, and the workplace just keeps getting weirder. To mark the milestone, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein dig into four stories that show exactly where work, law, and technology are colliding right now. The OpenAI Trial & Your Digital Footprint: The Musk vs. Altman trial isn't…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 49 - Everything You Need To Know About Summer Internships!
It's internship season — and whether you're the one trying to land a spot or the manager running the program, this episode has something for you. Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein are joined by career coach and magazine industry veteran Eliot Kaplan — former VP of Talent Acquisition at Hearst,...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 48 - Can You Sue Your Boss for Their Social Media Posts? AI Is Costing More Than Employees & FCC v. ABC!
Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work, and the law — plus a big announcement: next week is Intern Palooza! 🍹This week we cover: 📱 Can you sue your boss for their social media posts? — a listener...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 47 - Mr. Beast & Unwell's Toxic Workplaces, Labor Secretary Out & Meta Is Watching Your Keystrokes
Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work, and the law — straight from a beautiful spring day in New York City. 🍹 This week we cover: 🎬 Toxic workplace allegations at Mr. Beast & Unwell — what these...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 46 - Swalwell & Gonzales Quit, Sam Altman Attacked & Gen Z Is Over AI
Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work, and the law. This week we cover: 🏛️ Swalwell & Gonzales resignations — two congressmen out amid serious sexual misconduct allegations; why known harassers go...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 45 - Talking About War At Work, Wild Corporate Retreats, Crazy Bosses & Voluntold Tips!
The world doesn't stop when you clock in — and this week, neither do we. Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein tackle four topics that are impossible to ignore right now. In this episode: ⚔️ Balancing Work & War — When the headlines feel like too much, your employees…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 44 - Pam Bondi Fired, Oracle Lays Off 30,000 by Email & Has Work Lost Its Joy?
Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work, and the law — including breaking news regarding Pam Bondi. This week we cover: 🔥 Pam Bondi firing — the AG is out; what it means and why Peter thinks the...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 43 - White Collar Crime Prosecutions Are At A 40-Year Low & Your Boss Is Watching You
Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work and the law. This week we cover: 🏛️ White collar crime prosecutions are at a 40-year low under the Trump administration — what that means for corporate...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 42 - Bachelorette Canceled, Don't Criticize the Atlassian CEO, Maintaining That Side Hustle & FedEx AI
The Bachelorette has been canceled just days before its premiere—an unprecedented move in reality TV history. On this episode of Across the Bar, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein are joined by media veteran Dan Wakeford to break down the Taylor Frankie Paul scandal and what it means for the…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 41 - The Battle Between Anthropic & The Pentagon, Finance Bros Acting Stupidly & Major Trouble At Noma
This week on The Across the Bar Podcast, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein discuss the continuing battle between Anthropic and the Pentagon, the regulatory battle over AI, companies moving to Texas, finance bros doing fashion shoots without permission and more trouble at Noma. In this episode:...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 40 - War on Iran’s Workplace Impact, Anthropic vs. Hegseth, the CEO Burger Bite Wars & Corporate Jargon!
Is your office ready for the geopolitical shifts of 2026? This week on The Across the Bar Podcast, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein dive into the escalating conflict with Iran and what it means for international law, global operations, and workplace discourse. Plus, we look at the fallout…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 39 - SOTU 2026, Federal Boardroom Takeover, AI Threats to Women & Wall Street Won't Let Analysts Sleep
This week on the Across the Bar Podcast, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein talk about the latest stories impacting the workplace, including the workplace implications of the State of the Union address, the President’s latest power play—a move to influence corporate boardrooms—and a deep dive into...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 38 - SCOTUS Tariff Shock, Goldman Sachs’ DEI Pivot, Speaking Up at CBS & MLBPA/WNBA Union Situations
This week on The Across the Bar Podcast, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein dive into a series of landmark decisions and scandals that are reshaping corporate America and professional sports in 2026. Inside the Episode: The SCOTUS Tariff Decision: We break down the Supreme Court’s latest ruling on...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 37 - AI Panic: Is Your Job Next?, Salesforce CEO’s ICE Blunder & WTF Is Happening At The Washington Post
Is the 2026 "AI Job Panic" justified? This week on Across the Bar, employment attorney Peter Rahbar and media veteran Laura Brounstein break down the headlines that are reshaping the modern workplace. In this episode: The AI Panic: With mass layoffs hitting tech and media, and AI engineers...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 36 - Epstein List Fallout, EEOC v. Nike and DEI, Why "Peanut Butter Raises" Fail & Pinterest's Petty CEO
In this episode of The Across the Bar Podcast, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein tackle the messy intersection of corporate ethics, compensation strategy, and the latest legal firestorms hitting major brands like Nike and Pinterest. 🏛️ Inside this week's episode: The Epstein List & The C-Suite…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 35 - CEOs v. ICE, The EEOC Stands Up For White Men, Amazon Layoff Leaks & Gen X’s AI Advantage
In this episode of Across the Bar, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein break down the high-stakes legal and corporate shifts dominating the workplace in 2026. From the surprising new focus of the EEOC to the "Great AI Adaptation," we’re looking at who is winning—and who is losing—in the modern...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 34 - Goldman Sachs GC & Epstein, Duke Sues Its QB, NYC Labor Strike Wave, and When ICE Shows Up At Work
In this episode of Across the Bar, Laura Brounstein and Peter Rahbar dive into the legal firestorms kicking off 2026! ⚖️ From the C-suite to the sidelines, the "rules of engagement" are changing fast. 🔥 Inside this episode: The Goldman Sachs Dilemma 🏦: We break down the latest drama surrounding...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 33 - Yelling At Trump, OpenAI Wants Your Work Product, Raid On Free Press & How to Disagree With The Boss
Can you be suspended for your political views? ⚖️🇺🇸 In this week's episode of The Across the Bar Podcast, co-hosts Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein break down today's hottest workplace issues, including the legal and professional issues related to a UAW worker suspended for yelling at Donald...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 32 - "Hybrid Creep" & DEI Rollbacks: What’s Really Happening in the Office?
Are you being "pushed" back into the office without a formal mandate? 🏢 In this episode of the Across the Bar Podcast, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein pull back the curtain on the subtle (and sometimes strange) ways corporate America is changing. We explore the rise of "Hybrid Creep"—the trend...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 31 - Corporate to Consultant: The Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Consulting Business!
In this special episode of The Across the Bar Podcast, hosts Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein break down the essential roadmap for anyone looking to turn their expertise into a thriving business. Whether you're leaving a corporate role or scaling a side hustle, we cover the administrative…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 30 - WH Portrait Drama, AI Recruiting Wars, Hot Mamdani Jobs & Why Ghosting Is Peak 2025
On this episode of the Across the Bar Podcast, hosts Peter Rahbar & Laura Brounstein break down the intersection of power, politics, and the future of work—from viral White House portraits to the high-stakes AI arms race in hiring. 📸 The Vanity Fair White House Shoot: We discuss the viral,...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 29 - Michigan Football Scandal, Worker Fatigue, COBRA Explained, Holiday Gifting & Women's Workplace Gap
On this episode of the Across the Bar Podcast, hosts Peter Rahbar & Laura Brounstein dive into today's hottest workplace issues, including the Michigan football scandal, worker fatigue, explaining COBRA, the structural reasons women are falling behind in the workplace, and office holiday gifts....
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 28 - Looking Hot for Work, Gen Z Loves the Office, IRL Interviews & Judging Your LinkedIn Posts
On this episode of the Across the Bar Podcast, hosts Peter Rahbar & Laura Brounstein tackle the biggest buzz in the working world—from looking your best to navigating the hottest AI careers and the ever-tricky art of self-promotion. 🔥 Looking Hot for Work: We discuss the latest trends and why...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 27 - Workplace AI Ambassadors, How to Communicate Layoffs, and Holiday Party Dos & Don'ts!
In this week's episode of the Across the Bar Podcast, hosts Laura Brounstein and Peter Rahbar tackle three essential workplace topics that every leader and employee needs to navigate this season. 📰 This Week's Topics: 🤖 Workplace AI Ambassadors Rise - Companies like ServiceNow are identifying...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 26 - Epstein E-Mails, Lawyers Behaving Badly, Condé Nast Firings, and Nike Axes Wellness Week
In this week's episode of the Across the Bar Podcast, hosts Laura Brounstein and Peter Rahbar unpack four explosive workplace scandals that are dominating headlines and sparking critical conversations about accountability and culture. This week's topics include: 📋 Epstein E-mails Released - The...
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 25 - What the Mamdani Win Means for the Workplace, the Rise of Male ERGs & Chipotle's Economic Warning
In this week's episode of the Across the Bar Podcast, hosts Laura Brounstein and Peter Rahbar explore the critical workplace trends that reveal where work culture and the economy are headed. 📰 This Week's Topics: 🗳️ Mamdani and your Workplace - What the election of NYC's new mayor Zohran…
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 24 - A Guide to Layoffs for Managers, AI Performance Reviews, & Is Texting During Meetings a Bad Idea?
In this Halloween episode of the Across the Bar Podcast, Laura Brounstein and Peter Rahbar discuss the latest issues impacting the workplace, including: 😔 What If You're Asked to Lay Off Your Team? - Navigating the emotional burden of conducting layoffs as a manager, how to have difficult...
About this show
Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and veteran journalist Laura Brounstein's weekly conversation about how the news is affecting the laws that govern our daily work and personal life. We cover negotiation, workplace privacy, pop culture and more!
Hosted by
Laura Brounstein & Peter Rahbar
Categories