#22 - Leah Stiegler: Navigating Complex Labor Laws

In this episode of By HR for HR, host Jocelyn King is joined by Leah Stiegler, Principal at Woods Rogers, to unpack the complex, high-stakes intersection of employment law and everyday workplace management. Together, they explore pressing compliance challenges facing modern HR teams, including the surprising rise of union organizing in non-traditional sectors like tech and healthcare driven by social media transparency and targeted digital advertising. Leah also shares critical advice on balancing corporate brand protection with employee rights, emphasizing why consistent policy enforcement is essential when managing sensitive or political online conduct. The conversation then delves into critical performance management pitfalls, breaking down why relying solely on "at-will" status fails in legal disputes and how unsupportive performance improvement plans can trigger "sham PIP" presumptions in court. Finally, Leah and Jocelyn examine the double-edged sword of AI in human resources, warning against over-reliance on generative tools for delicate employee communications while highlighting the hidden risks of unconscious bias in automated recruitment screening. Leah Stiegler is a Principal at Woods Rogers where she specializes in management-side labor and employment law, partnering with employers to navigate complex compliance, workplace investigations, and administrative agency claims before the EEOC, DOL, and NLRB. A former federal judicial clerk in Norfolk, Virginia, Leah earned her J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law after completing her undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech. Recognized as one of Virginia Lawyers Weekly's "Influential Women of Law," Leah blends deep legal knowledge with practical corporate guidance, helping organizations manage employee relations, mitigate risk, and build resilient workplace cultures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices