Shareholder and Chair of the Labor & Employment practice area Amy L. Bess recently joined Joe Mechlinski, CEO of Shift, and Amy Dufrane, CEO of HR Certification Institute on the Podcast “Inevitable: The Future of Work."

In her interview with Mr. Mechlinski and Ms. Dufrane, which Mr. Mechlinski noted as “one of [his] favorite conversations had to date,” Ms. Bess shared her insight on the importance of having difficult conversations with employees geared to creating compliant, productive workplaces that are focused on meeting and exceeding business objectives. She gave practical advice and proactive steps for employers to thoughtfully approach controversial conversations such as equality, employee rights, mental health and sexual harassment.

Ms. Bess believes that “bystander empowerment” which involves training and encouraging employees to speak up on important workplace issues is key to building the culture of fairness and equality that all employers strive for. She mentions the customizable trainings that she and others in the Labor & Employment group provide for employers as well as the internal trainings provided by Vedder Price’s Women’s Initiative, WAVES (Women at Vedder Empowering Success).

“Inevitable” is a podcast series featuring some of the nation’s top HR leaders. The series highlights conscious efforts to prepare businesses for the inevitable advances in technology and human potential in the workplace.

For more "Inevitable: The Future of Work" episodes, click here.