it’s gettin hot in here
Hi ya,
I used to joke about adding “sun management” to HR’s already long list of responsibilities, buuuut it’s kinda not a joke now???
WHO recently declared workplace heat stress a global emergency, which means the next time your boss side-eyes you for low productivity, you can blame climate change. 😏
I actually ranted about this on Monday’s podcast episode, so go listen if you haven’t yet!
Also, I’ll be in NY soon (Sept 18th), hosting a really cool dinner with Betterworks at Portale, so if you wanna chat about all this and more IRL with other brilliant People Leaders, request a spot here!
🗞️ Here’s the Tea:Copy anchor linkCopied
🥵 WHO warns heat exposure at work is a global emergency
The TL;DR: The WHO just declared workplace heat stress a global emergency, with 2.4 billion workers regularly exposed to dangerous temperatures that cause millions of injuries and thousands of deaths every year. Beyond health, the economic hit is massive: every 1°C rise above 20°C reduces productivity by 2–3%. Employers are being pushed to adapt fast with heat action plans, schedule changes, cooling zones, and worker education.
My POV: If governments and insurers are already stepping in, companies can’t ignore the liability (or the human cost). Even if your workforce isn’t outside, heat impacts concentration, health, and absenteeism. That means your people strategy now includes climate strategy, whether you like it or not!
🎙️ Mic Drop Moment:Copy anchor linkCopied
“Humans would choose a negative outcome over not knowing what’s ahead.”Copy anchor linkCopied
On the mic this week: Kat Kibben is a keynote speaker, recruiting expert, and founder of Three Ears Media. They train hiring teams to create human-centered recruiting strategies that reduce time-to-fill and improve quality of hire. Named a LinkedIn Top Voice on hiring, Kat has been featured in outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and brings a mix of big-company, small-business, and van-life wisdom to their work.
Pin this:
- Employees crave clarity because uncertainty fuels constant anxiety.
- Many leaders are promoted for being good at their jobs, not for being good at leading.
- Overconfidence and false promises destroy trust, but honest communication builds it.
- Creating certainty often looks like vulnerability, accountability, and context-sharing.
My H*ly Sh*t Moment: Most employees don’t actually need guaranteed certainty…they just need to trust their leaders enough to navigate the uncertainty together!
📊 Data Is My Love Language:Copy anchor linkCopied
Stat: 54% of workers say they got hired for a job through a personal or professional connection
My spiral: This proves what most of us already know but don’t like to admit: hiring isn’t always about credentials, it’s about connections.
More than HALF of workers say they landed jobs through personal or professional networks, yet most people barely tap into those networks when they’re job hunting!
If networking is the golden ticket, then access (or lack of it) can make or break careers.
It’s a reminder that referral programs, mentorship, and building trust inside organizations are basically the backbone of fairer hiring practices.
🛠️ In Your Toolkit Copy anchor linkCopied
SPONSORED BY PEOPLEINSIGHT
If you’ve ever felt like real HR analytics were locked behind an enterprise-only velvet rope, this event is for you! ⬇️
PeopleInsight Essentials just dropped, and it’s built to finally give small HR teams the insights they’ve been begging for, without the intimidating price tag you see for enterprise-level orgs.
Join HR leaders and analysts at the virtual launch event on Sept 10th at 2pm EST to see how intuitive workforce data can actually be!
Want a head start? Sneak a look at the demo video before the crowd!
🗣️ UNMUTE YOURSELF
You know how we often get stuck carrying weight that no one else even notices—like we’re the default emotional support humans, compliance police, and culture cheerleaders all rolled into one?
Half the time, those expectations aren’t even in our job descriptions. They’re just…assumed. So here’s my question for you today:
“What’s one expectation you’re tired of carrying, just because you’re in HR?”
🛠️ TRY THIS TOMORROW:
Sometimes the most powerful culture shifts come from the tiniest moves!
Not another policy or a 40-slide deck, but just showing your team you’re human and you’ve figured out a shortcut or two. It’s a small way of saying, “hey, work doesn’t have to be this hard.”
So here’s my challenge for you:
“Share a work hack you swear by in your next team sync (e.g., your focus trick).”
👂 OVERHEARD IN SAFE SPACE
Ah yes, nothing says ✨ future stellar employee ✨ like demanding an investigation into a training they haven’t even bothered to take yet.
Can’t wait for this one’s performance reviews!
See ya on Friday!
