S13 E2: What If HR Stopped Playing Therapist and Started Designing Better Workplaces Instead? with Stephanie Lemek

S13 E2: What If HR Stopped Playing Therapist and Started Designing Better Workplaces Instead? with Stephanie Lemek

From I Hate It Here by Hebba Youssef

July 20, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the need for trauma-informed workplaces and the role of HR in creating better work environments.

Apparently, we can’t simply leave our trauma at the door and transform into perfectly functioning corporate robots every morning.  Who would’ve thought?! Stephanie Lemek joins me to unpack what a trauma-informed workplace actually looks like, why HR needs some damn boundaries, and how something as simple as giving people more choice can completely change the way we work. Here’s what we got into:  00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:21 - What Would've Surprised Stephanie About How She Works Now, Five Years Ago? 00:08:26 — Trauma-Aware vs. Trauma-Informed 00:13:30 — The 3 Types Of Safety Every Workplace Needs 00:19:36 — Which HR Processes Are Accidentally Re-Traumatizing People? 00:26:50 — "Don't Trust HR" and Unpacking Where That Distrust Actually Comes From 00:33:07 — Hebba's Story: Grief, Anniversaries, And "The Body Do Be Keeping Score" 00:40:18 — Secondary Trauma And Compassion Fatigue In HR 00:46:16 — The One Thing To Do Differently Starting Tomorrow --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little…

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Host: Hebba Youssef

Guest: Stephanie Lemek

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