Imagine stacks of $100 bills stretching from Earth past the International Space Station — that’s the staggering reality of America’s $1.77 trillion student debt crisis. Heather Jarvis, executive director of Fosterus — a nonprofit that helps employers administer loan assistance programs — joins host Monique Akanbi to unpack how this burden affects today’s workforce and why employer-sponsored loan repayment programs are a win for both employees and organizations. Together, they explore how expanding access to these benefits can help close equity gaps across race, ethnicity, and gender. They also share tax-advantage strategies for offering

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ost-effective support. This podcast is approved for

Expert legal voices Amy Epstein Gluck, Esq., founding partner at Pearson Ferdinand LLP, and SHRM’s Allen Smith, J.D., share best practices in applying the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) across the full employee lifecycle, from recruitment to post-employment. Starting with their own personal experiences with managing a disability, they join host Monique Akanbi to tackle real HR dilemmas in compliance, accommodation requests, performance management, and more — including answering top ADA questions straight from SHRM’s HR K

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wledge Center. This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end.

With SHRM research revealing leadership development as a top priority for HR leaders in 2025, this episode dives into strategies for sourcing and nurturing executive talent. Host Nicole Belyna is joined by Jeremy Eskenazi, managing principal of HR consulting firm Riviera Advisors, to share actionable insights on aligning executive roles with business goals, attracting quality candidates, and fostering leadership growth.

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bsp;This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires July 1, 2

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6. Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and

Andy Biladeau, SHRM’s chief transformation officer, sits down with guest host Marjorie Morrison, SHRM’s executive in residence for mental health, to explore HR’s evolving role in organizational transformation. With change management being one of the top CHRO priorities for 2025, Biladeau shares what meaningful transformation looks like, from building trust with teams to identifying the readiness for change and designing strategic action plans. Tune in for actionable insights, leadership lessons, and practical takeaways HR pros can use to lead change with clarity and

confidence.This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is one of the top topics SHRM gets member questions about in our HR Knowledge Center. So, host Monique Akanbi sits down with Liz Petersen and Sheri Martel, two FMLA experts within SHRM’s own ranks, to tackle the questions HR pros ask the most. Together, they break down key FMLA areas such as eligibility, intermittent leave, compliance, job restoration, and special circumstance

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  Whether it’s calculating requirements, managing leave patterns that suggest misuse, handling benefit coverage obligations, or navigating tricky return-to-work cases, their conversation delivers practical insights for approaching FMLA with

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onfidence. This podcast is approved

Need to help your new managers lead? Join Chelsea C. Williams, CEO and founder of Reimagine Talent Co., and host Nicole Belyna as they discuss how HR pros can best support their colleagues stepping into first-time leadership roles. Discover key insights to aid them in such challenges as overseeing direct reports who were previously their peers, having difficult conversations, avoiding common mistakes, and more. This episode is packed with strategies to help new people managers measure their own success and growth, so that you can build stronger teams together.

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bsp;This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification.