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.