No, Microsoft employees haven’t gathered together to watch the series finale of Succession.

Instead, they’re engrossed in the latest season of Trust Code, a highly produced series that has the allure of prestige television, with a focus that’s decidedly less sexy: ethics and compliance.

Mike Jackson, head of CELA compliance and ethics governance, training, and culture, at Microsoft, leads the work on the compliance training videos, which first premiered in 2017. He told HR Brew his team had been seeking “a different way to engage employees around compliance,” which led them to pivot to a narrative format.

He said the series has spurred Microsoft employees to talk more about ethics and compliance, and consider how the lessons apply to their professional lives, even after the show ends.

A novel approach. Prior to launching Trust Code, Microsoft’s compliance training was more standard, according to Jackson, characterized by videos, content, and click-through messaging.

Now, employees gather each September to watch the characters in Trust Code grapple with ethical quandaries that don’t always have a clear solution.

Keep reading.—CV

Let’s be real: HR employees have their hands full when it comes to creating parental leave policies that keep everyone smiling. Can you blame ’em? Between ensuring compliance and navigating endlessly evolving leave laws, HR is BUSY.

Fortunately, Cocoon is here to change that. They put together a free parental leave policy guide and generator to help you flesh out your in-house program. Just fill in the details and this bad boy will automatically create policy language for you—and give you tips for a compliant, equitable policy.

Curious about what exactly goes into a top-notch parental leave policy? Here’s what you should consider before launching yours:

• Know your “why.”
• Define who is eligible for what.
• Align your policy with legal requirements.

Make your parental leave policy a piece of cake.

In corporate diversity efforts, we often hear a lot of words and see a lot less action. Especially as HR and DE&I staff were prominent among layoffs in the last year, the variance in commitment to diversity is high.

Software company Ceridian launched a leadership development program in 2022, calling it the Achieving Corporate Equity program. Donnebra McClendon, Ceridian’s global head of diversity, equity, and inclusion, recognized the importance of prioritizing diversity in leadership and cultivating a culture that supports it, she told HR Brew.

Any diversity leader has to make trade-offs on how many new programs and strategies to run, but McClendon said she felt advancing underrepresented populations into leadership was particularly important.

“Our goal was to address the psychological and professional development of underrepresented minorities,” McClendon told HR Brew. “The Achieving Corporate Equity program really came about because I said it would be really cool if, as an organization, we can really concentrate on removing systemic barriers internally.”

One of the standout elements of this development program is the resourcing for mental health support.

Keep reading.—AK

Here’s this week’s edition of our Coworking series, in which we chat 1:1 with an HR Brew reader. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Shalin Kothari is a “lifelong veteran” of Schneider Electric, having spent his entire 26-year career (and counting) with the energy company, where he’s now VP of people and DE&I strategy. Kothari has a background in finance and computer science, but pivoted to managing compensation to apply his finance and analytics skills to HR. Kothari says he’s stayed at the company because of its “people culture” and the many development opportunities within the organization, adding that Schneider Electric’s focus on sustainability also aligns with his personal values.

Kothari is developing programs that serve Schneider’s blue-collar and white-collar workforces, especially in a “talent crunch.” This includes experimenting with programs like its inclusive leader initiative, and developing an inclusive workforce for the company’s future that might look different than a workforce of 10–15 years ago, including a “returnship” program and apprenticeships. Kothari says what he’s focused on right now is training managers and leaders to lead in this new talent landscape.

What’s the best change you’ve made at work?

Our recharge breaks.

Keep reading.—AD

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: 31% of employees in the US and Canada were engaged at work in 2022, compared to a global average of 23%. At the same time, 52% of these employees reported feeling stress throughout much of the day at work, higher than the worldwide average. (Gallup)

Quote: “So many companies pledged to do better on diversity after George Floyd’s killing…But if we look at the FTSE 100 today, there are no Black chief executives or chairpersons.”—Marcus Whyte, founder of executive search company Zyna Search, on the lack of diversity in leadership at companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (the Guardian)

Read: The tech industry once championed remote work. Now, executives are calling workers back into the office. (the Wall Street Journal)

EZ-peasy leave policy: Creating a compliant and equitable parental leave policy is tough stuff. Luckily for you, Cocoon created a policy generator that’ll write a draft for you automatically, with no hassle or headaches. Make it simple.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}