When No News Is Bad News: HR Policies Exist for a Reason

Join Rebecca Taylor and Kim Rohrer with special guest co-host Hebba Youssef (Chief People Officer at WorkWeek) as they return to Vegas for another wild leadership retreat story. When a charismatic regional director goes missing on day two of a company offsite, his concerned colleagues stage an impromptu search mission that leads to a shocking discovery. What starts as a wellness check quickly becomes a lesson in crisis management, workplace liability, and the cultural gaps that exist when HR isn't in the room. This episode tackles serious questions about employee safety, incident documentation, and how leadership teams handle (or mishandle) unexpected situations.

Show Notes 

Episode Highlights:

• The anatomy of a leadership retreat gone wrong
• Why "adults being adults" isn't a risk management strategy
• The real cost of not having HR at company offsites
• How to handle employee incidents during business travel

HR Takeaways:

• Always send an HR representative to leadership retreats
• Create clear incident response protocols for off-site events
• Document everything - even embarrassing situations need paper trails
• Establish boundaries between company liability and personal choices
• Consider location impact on employee behavior and safety

Discussion Points:

• Would this situation be handled differently if the employee was female?
• The importance of emotional intelligence in leadership teams
• When does personal conduct become a company concern?
• Building psychologically safe reporting cultures

Featured Voices:

• Rebecca Taylor - Host, HR leader and storyteller
• Kim Rohrer - Co-host, HR expert
• Hebba Youssef - Guest, Chief People Officer at Workweek & creator of "I Hate It Here" newsletter

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