The Half-Million-Dollar Birthday Party
An unexpected celebration opens a conversation about accommodations and management decisions.
A Paul Edwards podcast
People are unpredictable.
The conversations should be, too.
HR, business, barbecue—and the unexpected. Join Paul for stories that make you think, laugh, and ask a better question.
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Paul Edwards and CeCe Delgado explore the risks hiding in DIY, borrowed, outdated and AI-generated employee handbooks—and why a handbook that looks official can still miss the context a business needs.
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A people problem, a timely workplace question, and a genuinely good detour. Find your first “what the hell” moment.
An unexpected celebration opens a conversation about accommodations and management decisions.
Why convincing AI answers can still miss the context employers need.
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Explore real stories, useful questions and unexpected turns. Episode pages retain their recordings, show notes and available transcripts.
115 episodes
Archive dates show publication on CEDR. Original audio release dates may differ.
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On CEDR ·
You've made the decision to fire an employee. You've had the conversations, offered coaching, and watched the behavior affect the rest of your practice. Then, just before the termination meeting, the employee tells you something you didn't know:…
On CEDR ·
What is one of the scariest things an HR professional can hear from a business owner? “I wrote my own employee handbook.” In this Halloween edition of What The Hell Just Happened!?, Paul Edwards and CeCe Delgado unpack…
On CEDR ·
An employee secretly opens your dental practice on Saturdays, sees patients, keeps the cash, and leaves no patient records behind. A trusted long-term employee sells practice inventory on the side and adds family members who do not work…
On CEDR ·
Your employee did a great job. Their performance didn't suddenly get worse, but that does not always mean the business can afford another large raise. After several years of bigger increases, employees may come to expect the same…
On CEDR ·
AI is already showing up in the workplace, but many employers aren’t thinking through the risks.
On CEDR ·
Giving corrective feedback is one thing. Knowing what to do when the employee reacts badly is another.
On CEDR ·
Explore the original episode page.
On CEDR ·
Most HR problems don’t start with bad intentions — they start with bad advice.
On CEDR ·
Termination Without a Reason: Why Lawyers Love It, and How Smart Employers Protect Themselves Many business owners believe “at-will employment” means that when firing someone, not giving a reason is more protective than giving one.
On CEDR ·
Employees don’t usually quit “out of nowhere”, but for managers, it can feel that way.
On CEDR ·
Paul Edwards gets cheesy with this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!, CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by Grace Godlasky to share the three prongs of a successful business, and actionable steps you can take to grow your company with a solid foundation through things like core values and a…
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!, CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by CeCe Wilson to share the legal risks around rapid growth and success, and actionable steps you can take to correct your mistakes and move forward with confidence.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by CeCe Wilson to share the legal risks around PIPs, and actionable steps you can take to document performance corrections with employees.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by Tiana Starke to share the importance of staying compliant with I-9 forms and E-Verify, should you be in a state that requires that, and actionable steps you can take to correct your…
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards shares how to address an employee being harassed by patients and actionable steps you can take to have clear dress code policies to prevent the “just rolled out of bed” look from your team.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by guest CeCe Wilson to share the importance of not retaliating on employees who bring up issues in the workplace, and actionable steps you can take to ensure you have a system in place…
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by Kimberlee Polansky to share the importance of having a well-written handbook provided by experts, and actionable steps you can take to ensure all your employees follow the policies…
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!, CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards shares three of your tough HR questions, and actionable steps you can take to set clear and legal boundaries for open religious practices in the office.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by Divya Pillai to share the importance of staying compliant with timekeeping errors by employees, and actionable steps you can take to avoid common timekeeping pitfalls.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by Tiana Starke to share the importance of staying compliant with timekeeping errors by employees, and actionable steps you can take to avoid common timekeeping pitfalls.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO and Founder Paul Edwards is joined by Michelle Richard to share the importance of recognizing and addressing “blockers” in your dental practice, and actionable steps you can take to turn those individuals into supporters…
On CEDR ·
It’s Election Day, and your team members may have a lot on their minds – including the political choices of their coworkers.
On CEDR ·
It’s Halloween week and we have monsters lurking in dental practices all over the nation – and we want to help you stop them!
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The internet seems to hate cover letters – with many people discussing how employers who require a cover letter in the application process are toxic or how no one reads the cover letter, there’s a lot of reasoning as to why you may be questioning the importance of the cover letter…
On CEDR ·
Telling an employee that they smell bad is a tough and rather personal conversation that many office managers and owners avoid.
On CEDR ·
One of our members (a dental practice) used AI to summarize their notes and recently asked how people are addressing AI in the workplace.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!, hosts Paul Edwards and Jennie McLaughlin delve into the recent FTC ruling on non-compete clauses.
On CEDR ·
Let’s delve into a scenario that could happen to any of us in the professional world.
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Today, we’re talking about the importance of privacy and email addresses for your employees, inspired by a chiropractic office that allegedly got locked out of their website by an employee who was demanding a ransom.
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In this week’s episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! Discover why talented employees often find themselves in management positions for which they might not be suited and the unintended consequences that can arise from such decisions.
On CEDR ·
Recently, Dairy Queen was in the news because one of their manager’s “corrective action” sent people to the hospital.
On CEDR ·
For this week’s episode, we are doing a re-release of one of our favorites (and one that is always highly requested!) Giving your employees in-house treatment as a benefit of employment is common, and a great way to increase employee retention!
On CEDR ·
Buckle in, managers and owners! It’s time for the next “What the Hell Just Happened?!” In this episode, we answer two questions: one from the more than 10,000 HR questions the experts at CEDR receive each year and the second from one of our listeners.
On CEDR ·
All employees fall somewhere on the skill versus will matrix, which is a tool that can help you objectively make tough decisions with employees.
On CEDR ·
As your team gets the chance to sit down together and learn about something new during their break, and while eating a yummy lunch that they didn’t have to buy, keep in mind the following: being paid for the time during that session isn’t just a kindness, it is required by law in…
On CEDR ·
Job Descriptions… way more important than a lot of us realize. When you ask an employee to do something and get the “that’s not my job” response, what do you do?
On CEDR ·
In this week’s episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! Paul Edwards and Jennie McLaughlin answer some listener-submitted questions.
On CEDR ·
Are you always looking for excellent multitaskers when you’re hiring?
On CEDR ·
In this week’s episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!, Jennie McLaughlin and CeCe Wilson from CEDR HR Solutions highlight a very recent case where the DOL decided not only to fine a practice but also to go after the office manager and fine them personally for $25k in damages!
On CEDR ·
What’s the most logical solution to making sure your employees are always working, even when you’re not in the room?
On CEDR ·
In this episode of “What the Hell Just Happened?!” Jennie and CeCe from CEDR HR Solutions take over as hosts to delve into a series of intriguing workplace scenarios that challenge the boundaries of ethics and professionalism.
On CEDR ·
You’d be surprised what’s out there when it comes to HR practices, we sure are.
On CEDR ·
Feast your ears on the latest episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!
On CEDR ·
In this enlightening episode, Paul and Moriah dive deep into the complexities of worker classification, using the real-world example of a dental hygienist.
On CEDR ·
In this chilling Halloween episode of What the Hell Just Happened?!, we delve deep into the haunted halls of office lore, unearthing the spookiest HR tales that will make your skin crawl… with laughter.
On CEDR ·
You have dress code policies and expectations for a reason: you want to strike the right tone with your customers and patients!
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What is your obligation as an employer? Providing a safe working environment free from harassment or threats.
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So, you discover your employee has an OnlyFans account. What next?
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How can you stop losing people at your business? Employee engagement is your answer.
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You have two businesses… two businesses that are solid and established.
On CEDR ·
Dating in the workplace: where love blooms amidst the water cooler chats and paper jam crises.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What The Hell Just Happened?! CeCe Wilson and Paul Edwards discuss wild questions that employers ask potential candidates during interviews.
On CEDR ·
Heard of the Pregnant Worker’s Fairness Act? The major change with this federal law is that employers now must provide accommodations for an employee experiencing a “limitation” due to pregnancy.
On CEDR ·
Do you ever think your employees may have concerns about the workplace, but haven’t talked to you about it?
On CEDR ·
Giving your employees in-house treatment as a benefit of employment is common, and a great way to increase employee retention!
On CEDR ·
Events outside of work are super common, and sometimes even encouraged.
On CEDR ·
How are performance evaluations done at your business? Everyone all at once?
On CEDR ·
One of the easiest ways to find yourself in hot water when it comes to human resources is by paying people incorrectly (which is easier to do than you think!).
On CEDR ·
Age discrimination is high on the list of common occurrences in the workforce.
On CEDR ·
Conflict is everywhere and comes in many forms. In the workplace, it can bring down the entire vibe of your practice, and your patients will feel that shift too.
On CEDR ·
In this episode, we give managers payroll heartburn over bonuses and commission payments.
On CEDR ·
One trend in the world of HR right now is that employers are using social media to look up the people applying to their workplaces.
On CEDR ·
Recently, there was a court case about one employee claiming the use of the requested pronouns of another employee went against their religion, so they would not do it.
On CEDR ·
Every summer, many kids are looking for work and a little experience in the real world.
On CEDR ·
One thing we constantly get asked about by our community of over 10,000 practice owners and managers is how to handle employees traveling for a work event.
On CEDR ·
Recently, one of our employees went to a concert where the opener of the show gave out a feedback form.
On CEDR ·
There are a good amount of states out there that have now legalized cannabis for recreational purposes along with medical.
On CEDR ·
A.I. is everywhere, and it isn’t going away.
On CEDR ·
Have you heard the term “hire slow, fire fast”? It’s making its way through the world of content catered to employers lately, and Paul Edwards and Moriah Ochoa wanted to sit down and talk about it.
On CEDR ·
If you’re an employer in today’s working environment, there is no doubt that you’ve heard of burnout; maybe even experienced it yourself!
On CEDR ·
The Kardashians have done it again… and by that, we mean allegedly violating employment laws.
On CEDR ·
Talking about the EEOC and the businesses they go after has become a regular occurrence on What The Hell Just Happened?!
On CEDR ·
Picture this: you sift through dozens of applications and schedule countless phone interviews (something we are all too familiar with).
On CEDR ·
Pay transparency is coming up more often as more and more states are beginning to pass laws requiring employers to be transparent about what they are paying people.
On CEDR ·
On today’s episode of What The Hell Just Happened?!, Paul Edwards and Senior Solution Center expert Halisi Tambuzi are here to discuss an employer’s worst-case scenario: An imminent HR-related lawsuit.
On CEDR ·
You may have heard recently that Fox News is being sued. Granted, Fox News is being sued for lots of things right now, but today on What The Hell Just Happened?!, Paul Edwards and Solution Center Advisor Moriah Ochoa are discussing Laura Luhn’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox.
On CEDR ·
Today, we have a special episode of What The Hell Just Happened?!
On CEDR ·
Episodes like today’s are where our podcast gets its name. Maybe you just read the title of today’s episode and you’re thinking “Wait, what?
On CEDR ·
In today’s episode of What The Hell Just Happened?!, Paul Edwards sits down with Solution Center Advisor Kristen Hof to discuss running background checks on job candidates.
On CEDR ·
Points-based attendance policies… we get it. Sometimes, you want to immediately “punish” employees that are late or call out with no notice.
On CEDR ·
The urge for businesses that are customer-facing to have policies in place dictating the appearance of their staff is all too common.
On CEDR ·
We assume Tesla must have an HR department, but we’re starting to suspect that the department just consists of one extremely haggard person constantly scrolling through Elon’s Twitter feed and saying “No no no, not again…” Join Paul Edwards and Solution Center Advisor Kristen Hof…
On CEDR ·
In this week’s episode of What The Hell Just Happened?! Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Solution Center Specialist Jason Post to discuss one of the easiest tasks you can do to save yourself a ton of time throughout the year: setting up all your holidays and paid days off in…
On CEDR ·
In this week’s episode of What The Hell Just Happened?! Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Human Resources Manager CeCe Wilson to discuss how Circle K handled pregnant employees coming back from leave and why they found themselves in a lawsuit where the EEOC required them to pay out…
On CEDR ·
In 2019, Dove, a popular beauty brand, and The CROWN Coalition began work on the CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.
On CEDR ·
What happens when a famous celebrity terminates an employee for taking time off to care for her sick child?
On CEDR ·
Employee suspensions can be one of the most risky situations to tackle as a manager or owner of a business.
On CEDR ·
Do you want or have an employee standing by to answer their phone on the weekends to handle emergency scheduling?
On CEDR ·
There are a lot of protections regarding nursing mothers in the workplace.
On CEDR ·
In this very special episode of What The Hell Just Happened?! Paul speaks to a call-in guest, Robin Coen, who is the national executive director of the Smile For A Lifetime foundation.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR’s Senior Solution Center advisor Tiana Starke to discuss everyone’s favorite December tradition – the office holiday party.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Compliance Specialist Ally Dagnino to discuss an interesting case of an employee’s strange behavior being caused by a potential disability.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Solution Center Advisor Grace Godlasky to discuss an issue that can bring some frustration to employers – having a new employee quit after their training period.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? , CEDR’s resident Compliance Expert Nora Gustafson joins Paul and Amanda to discuss some important considerations for an employer to keep in mind if they’ve elected to start electronically monitoring their employees’ activities.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? , senior Solution Center advisor Tiana Starke joins Paul and Amanda to discuss strategies for coaching an otherwise employee who is a little sensitive to criticism.
On CEDR ·
Join Paul and Tiana as they discuss one of the most awkward HR issues there is – how to deal with an employee that smells bad.
On CEDR ·
In the first episode of our second season, Paul sits down with Jennie to talk about hiring a hitman to take care of your usual HR issues.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Solution Center Advisor Grace Godlasky to discuss an issue that happens more often than not in this current climate – an employee working two jobs without informing their employer.
On CEDR ·
On this special Friday release episode of What The Hell Just Happened?!
On CEDR ·
Drug testing is an especially tricky to subject to navigate with your employees.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards sits down with senior solution center advisor Tiana Starke to discuss options for dealing with employees who smoke while off the clock.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards sits down with senior solution center advisor Tiana Starke to discuss ghosting in the workplace.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Compliance Expert Nora Gustafson to discuss conducting one-on-ones with your employees at your workplace.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of WTHJH , Paul discusses the incredible scientific potential of the James Webb Space Telescope with his friend, Dr.
On CEDR ·
According to a report by Glee star Heather Morris, Jennifer Lopez once refused to hire a group of dancers based solely on their astrological sign.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of What The Hell Just Happened?! , CEDR CEO Paul Edwards sits down with Compliance Specialist and Digital Communications Coordinator Ally Dagnino to discuss a high-profile case in which an employer tried to pay employees with chicken sandwiches instead of dollars.
On CEDR ·
On this episode of “What The Hell Just Happened?!” , CEDR CEO Paul Edwards sits down with Senior Solution Center Advisor Michelle Richard to discuss background checks with both new and existing employees.
On CEDR ·
For this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Solution Center Senior Advisor Tiana Starke to discuss social media usage by business owners, including how one business landed itself in some deep water as a result of a post they made.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Compliance Officer Nora Gustafson to talk about that ever-popular summer topic: the internship.
On CEDR ·
For this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! Paul Edwards discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) is working its way into the world of business ownership and management with CEDR Senior Solution Center Advisor Halisi Tambuzi.
On CEDR ·
For this episode of What the Hell Just Happened?! Paul Edwards discusses the ever-evolving world of COVID vaccine mandates with CEDR Compliance Officer Nora Gustafson, including if you, as an employer, can require your new hires to get vaccinated before starting employment with you.
On CEDR ·
For the third episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards has a conversation with CEDR Social Media Coordinator and Compliance Expert Ally Dagnino to discuss a common issue – mental health and other medical accommodations in the workplace.
On CEDR ·
In this episode of What the Hell Just Happened? Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Solution Center Manager Grace Godlasky to discuss how a small business found itself facing an $800k wage claim.
On CEDR ·
For the first episode of What the Hell Just Happened ? Paul Edwards sits down with CEDR Solution Center Advisor Krystal Pruet-Lantz to discuss a common issue faced by employers – letting a new employee go.
Showing 115 of 115 episodes
Meet the voice
That’s Paul.
Paul Edwards is CEDR’s CEO and founder. He also knows that the most interesting conversations don’t always stay on the agenda.
On What the Hell Just Happened?, Paul and his guests connect workplace stories with bigger questions about people, business and life. Sometimes that means untangling an HR surprise. Sometimes it means talking Thanksgiving dinner.
Come for something useful. Stay for the conversation.