who stole payroll?!
Hi ya,
Happy Wednesday, mateys!
This might literally be the only time I get to talk about pirates, so let me enjoy it for a day.
It will be over soon, I promise. ☠️
Unfortunately, it’s not the fun, Johnny Depp kind, but the payroll-stealing, MFA-hacking, “yo-ho-no-you-didn’t” kind.
So if you thought your week couldn’t get any weirder, surprise!
Hackers are now stealing paychecks, employees are still confused by open enrollment, and Cierra Gross dropped some truth bombs about accountability that should’ve come with a fire hazard.
Basically, today’s newsletter has it all. Arrr you not entertained?!
Of course you are. Grab your eye patch and let’s set sail! ⛵
Oh, and HR Horror Story submissions are open. Gimme your most outrageous stories...the scarier, the better!!
🗞️ Here’s the Tea:Copy anchor linkCopied
🏴☠️ Microsoft warns of 'Payroll Pirates' hijacking HR SaaS accounts to steal employee salaries
The TL;DR: A hacker group called Storm-2657 (aka the “Payroll Pirates”) is hijacking employee accounts through phishing scams to reroute paychecks into their own bank accounts. They’re not exploiting software bugs; they’re exploiting weak MFA and human trust. Most attacks are hitting universities through fake Workday login links, and once they’re in, they delete alert emails and enroll their own MFA devices to stay hidden.
My POV: This is your reminder that you’re now part of the security perimeter!
If your org still relies on basic MFA or trusts users to spot the phishing email, you’re one click away from an all-hands paycheck crisis.
Get IT involved, review your MFA setup, and maybe send your team a “DON’T CLICK THIS” refresher before the next fake alert hits their inbox.
🎙️ Mic Drop Moment:Copy anchor linkCopied
“Employees don’t want special treatment. They just want everyone to play by the same rules.”Copy anchor linkCopied
On the mic this week: Cierra Gross is the founder and CEO of Worklution, the company behind Caged Bird HR (independent HR support for employees nationwide) and Work Receipts, a free AI-powered app that helps employees document issues and understand their workplace rights in real time.
Pin this:
- Accountability = everyone plays by the same rules. Stop pretending bias and favoritism aren’t shaping outcomes.
- DEI rollbacks didn’t erase the law. Discrimination is still illegal, and the receipts will surface!
- Gen Z won’t tolerate outdated power games. Purpose and dignity are now table stakes.
- Documentation changes everything: real-time, anonymized data can finally expose patterns and drive action.
My H*ly Sh*t Moment: Sooo many companies could fix inequity, burnout, and bad management tomorrow if they truly cared to. The real issue isn’t that it’s hard to create fair workplaces…it’s that too many leaders simply choose not to.
▶️ Press Play
📊 Data Is My Love Language:Copy anchor linkCopied
Stat: Less than half of workers say they know how to enroll in employer benefits plans
My spiral: We spends months prepping open enrollment, yet half of employees still don’t know what button to click or what plan even fits their needs!
Employees are overwhelmed, benefits are confusing, and we’ve inundated them with PDFs and acronyms.
My takeaway from this stat is that benefits education needs to be ongoing, not a once-a-year PowerPoint.
People can’t value what they don’t understand, and right now, that’s costing companies more than they realize.
🛠️ In Your Toolkit Copy anchor linkCopied
Hiring right now feels like a horror movie…you’re either drowning in résumés or ghosted by every qualified candidate! 👻
This month’s HR Therapy, powered by Welcome to the Jungle, takes you inside the haunted house of hiring and hands you the flashlight.
We’ll unpack sourcing in the shadows, the startup squeeze, and how to turn recruiting nightmares into scalable wins.
It’s time to escape the haunted halls of hiring once and for all. Register if you dare!
🗣️ UNMUTE YOURSELF
You know those moments where you’re enforcing a rule and part of your brain is like, “Wait… do I even believe in this?”
Yeah, we’ve ALL been there. So here’s my question for this week, inspired by those moments:
“What’s one ‘professionalism’ norm you secretly side-eye?”
🛠️ TRY THIS TOMORROW:
Unfortunately, we don’t win an award for being the most exhausted person in HR. (If we did, I'd def be in the running)
You win by having the energy to actually lead with clarity.
So tomorrow, do this unapologetically:
Take one goal off your plate this week and delegate or defer it without guilt.
You don't always have to be the one doing everything!
👂 OVERHEARD IN SAFE SPACE
Yeah, ummm not sure that's how that works!
If I was getting paid for a day I didn't have to work I'd be over the moon.
Read what members had to say here. Want to join in on the fun? Apply here!
See ya on Friday!
