Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 47 - Mr. Beast & Unwell's Toxic Workplaces, Labor Secretary Out & Meta Is Watching Your Keystrokes

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 53 - Was the Microsoft Survey Rigged, Graham Platner's Background Check Problem & The Scott Pelley Firing

This week on the Across the Bar Podcast, employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down a packed week in workplace news — from corporate transparency failures to what a Senate candidate's controversies teach us about background checks, to the AI spending reckoning hitting companies everywhere. Microsoft is facing backlash after employee's questions the integrity of a recent employee survey. Employees noticed some questions missing, and they're not happy. Peter and Laura unpack what it means when employers control not just the answer, but the question. The Graham Platner saga offers a surprisingly instructive lesson for anyone navigating a background check. Whether you're a Senate candidate or a C-suite hire, someone's going to ask about your skeletons — and who gets that information, how it's handled, and what happens when it leaks matters enormously. Peter walks through how to protect yourself, what to ask your prospective employer, and when to loop in an attorney before you say a word. Uber blew through its entire 2026 AI budget in four months and has now capped employee spending at $1,500 per tool per month. What went wrong, who's responsible, and what should employers actually be doing to manage AI use before the bills spiral? Peter and Laura break it down. AI isn't just costing money — it's eliminating the entry-level pipeline. Companies are demanding experience that new grads can't possibly have yet, and no one's filling that training gap. Peter and Laura talk about what that means for recent grads, what companies are risking long-term, and what smart job seekers should be doing right now. And the Scott Pelley firing: Was it a blaze-of-glory exit? A wrongful termination? A little of both? Peter walks through the "for cause" legal framework, what Pelley's contract language likely said, and why this story might not be over yet. Across the Bar is your weekly drink with a lawyer and a journalist. New episodes every week. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📩 Questions? Find us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 52 - CIA Gold Heist, JPMorgan's "Salami Case" & Why Workers Are Unionizing Again

It's a (sort of) America 250 edition of Across the Bar! 🇺🇸 Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down a packed week of workplace stories — from a CIA gold heist to a $642 deli platter that cost JPMorgan millions. ⚖️ The Union Comeback Is Real — Unionized workers just hit 16.5 million, a jump of 463,000 in a year and the highest level in 16 years — even as employers pour $1.7B+ into anti-union efforts. Peter explains what the shift in worker-vs-employer power really signals, and why he's warning companies not to overplay their hand. 🏆 The CIA Gold Bar Guy — A senior CIA official allegedly faked his résumé for years, then walked off with $40M in gold bars, $2M in cash, and a pile of Rolexes. Laura and Peter use it as a jumping-off point for the real question: how much can you actually embellish on a résumé before it becomes a career-ending lie? Plus where salary-history laws stand now. 🥪 The JPMorgan "Salami" Case — A wealth manager who brought in a billion dollars was fired over a $642.50 expense his assistant mislabeled. He asked for $30M and won $4.25M in arbitration. Laura and Peter explain why theft is a bright-line issue for big employers — no matter how small the dollar amount or how high the performer. 🤝 Intern Survival Guide — Two listener questions: Should you join in on the office jokes? (Wait for the invite.) And how do you handle the Monday "how wasted were you" chatter without oversharing? Laura's got a trick — plus the cleanest embarrassing story of all time, straight from her White House internship. 📌 Follow-ups: A Google engineer arrested for an insider-info Polymarket scheme, and why every company needs a betting-markets policy — plus the AI meeting-recording trap. Peter Rahbar is a New York-based employment attorney, workplace expert, and founder of The Rahbar Group and Laura Brounstein is an accomplished veteran journalist. Each week on Across the Bar, Peter and Laura Brounstein decode the headlines through the lens of your rights at work. 🎧 New episodes every week — subscribe so you never miss one.

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 51 - Who Needs HR? This CEO Says He Doesn't — Plus Meta's Mess, AI & Work, and Let's Go Knicks!

This week on Across the Bar, employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein pour one and dig into a week that had the workplace world buzzing. First up: Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow made headlines by defending his decision to fire the company's entire HR department — arguing the team was inventing problems that didn't exist — as part of a broader restructuring that also cut roughly 30% of the workforce. Peter and Laura break down whether eliminating HR is bold strategy or a legal and cultural disaster waiting to happen — and what it means for employees who no longer have anyone to call. The conversation then turns to how CEOs are talking about workers right now — and why the language matters more than you might think. We also talk about what's actually happening with the Meta layoffs and what should workers be paying attention to, including a deeper look at AI and hiring through the lens of one of the most candid CEO statements in recent memory. Cloudflare's CEO wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the company cut "measurers" — middle managers, finance, legal, and operations staff — while prioritizing "builders" and "sellers," even as the company posted record revenue growth. Peter and Laura unpack what this framework means for how companies are reshaping their workforces, and what it tells us about where hiring is headed.  Plus, should your company have a predictive market policy? It's a question more employers are starting to ask — and the legal and HR implications are real. And because it's New York and it's May: the Knicks are in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers — and Peter has thoughts.

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 50 - The OpenAI Trial, Digital Hygiene, AI Emotion Monitoring, and The Art of the Payoff

Fifty episodes in, and the workplace just keeps getting weirder. To mark the milestone, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein dig into four stories that show exactly where work, law, and technology are colliding right now. The OpenAI Trial & Your Digital Footprint: The Musk vs. Altman trial isn't just a billionaire grudge match — it's a masterclass in what happens when your texts, emails, and yes, your diary become evidence. Peter breaks down the digital hygiene habits every executive (and employee) should have before their next sensitive conversation. AI Is Watching How You Feel: Employers are now deploying AI tools to monitor employees' emotions in real time. We explain why companies think this helps them — and why it might actually create more liability than it prevents. The Delicate Art of the Payoff: A JP Morgan employee allegedly turned down $1 million to walk away from a harassment claim — and then filed a lawsuit that took on a life of its own. Peter unpacks how companies decide when to settle, when to fight, and what the current climate means for anyone navigating a workplace dispute. Bad Behavior Company of the Week: TTEC — a $2 billion company with 16,000 American workers — announced it's pausing 401(k) matches to fund AI investment. Peter and Laura call it what it is. 🎙️ Across the Bar drops every week — a lawyer, a journalist, and the workplace stories that actually matter to your career. 📩 Have a story or topic for us? Reach out.

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 49 - Everything You Need To Know About Summer Internships!

It's internship season — and whether you're the one trying to land a spot or the manager running the program, this episode has something for you. Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein are joined by career coach and magazine industry veteran Eliot Kaplan — former VP of Talent Acquisition at Hearst, former Editor-in-Chief of Philadelphia Magazine, and former Executive Editor of GQ — for a full breakdown of the internship lifecycle. In this episode: 🎯 Where to find internships and how to start your search early 📝 Cover letters, networking, and how to get a human to actually see your application 🎤 Interview tips — including the "three greatest hits" strategy and questions that make you stand out 📅 Day one dos and don'ts — how to read the room and set yourself up for a great summer 🚫 What NOT to do (yes, including the alcohol at the work party) 🏢 Advice for employers — structure, mentorship, communication, and the value of reverse mentoring 💼 How to stay in touch after your internship ends and actually convert it into a job offer ⚖️ A quick legal note on confidentiality — what you can and can't share when you go back to school 🎙️ New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss a drink.