Last week, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) released its State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report. The Report provided insights into how American Jews view the depth of antisemitism and have adjusted their behaviors since the October 7, 2023 attacks. Although the anecdotal evidence and statistical information are horrifying, for American Jews, they hardly are surprising.

In this week's episode, I share not only the details a terrifying antisemitic attack directed at my family 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 and me when I was a child, I also discuss how so many Jews experience the workplace and the world in 2026.

Most importantly from an organizational standpoint, I examine steps leaders must take to support their Jewish colleagues and friends. These actions are imperative to ensure that our Jewish employees feel safe, secure and seen in our workplaces. While there, are so many actions we can take, I discuss 4️⃣:

➕ Familiarize yourself with common forms of antisemitism💡

➕ Respect religious observances and educate yourself about them 🕎

➕ Foster a more inclusive environment for Jewish employees ✡️

➕ Show support and solidarity during hard times🤝

As always, my friends, thank you so much for watching, for commenting and for sharing! 🫶❤️🙏

Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute

______________________________________________________

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.

Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882

mcohen@duanemorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Pronouns: he/him

(Recorded 1-28-26)

I spent some time last week in Minneapolis. While it was wonderful to see and to work with old friends and colleagues 🤝, it wasn't like my prior experiences in Minny. While the people were incredibly friendly and kind (as always), there was a palpable undercurrent of concern. Of consternation. Of fear. 🙄 The people of Minneapolis are not the only ones.

Your employees live in the world and that world right now can be scary. Their mental health for sure can be suffering. This week's Leadership Video 📽️examines crucial and transformative actions leaders and HR professionals can, should and must take when employees trust them with a disclosure related to their mental health.

As always, thank you for watching, for commenting and for sharing. ❤️🙏🫶

And friends, let's please take care of each other.🫂

Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute

______________________________________________________

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.

Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882

mcohen@duanemorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Pronouns: he/him

(Recorded 1-15-26)

Comedian and writer, Larry David, famously established a time frame 📅 within which it is appropriate to wish someone a Happy New Year. What even the legendarily cranky and inflexible David would applaud👏, however, is a leader's recognizing💡 that it's almost never too early or too late to establish strategic objectives for his/her/their organization.

In this week's video, I provide a "Top 5" actions HR professionals and inside counsel should be taking (ideally, right now) to get ready for what almost assuredly will be an unpredictable and tumultuous 2026. While taking these steps may not ensure perfection in the coming year, I promise you it will, at least, make it one that is pretty, pretty, pretty good. 🙌

As always, thanks so much for watching, for commenting and for sharing! ❤️🫶🙏

Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute

______________________________________________________

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.

Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882

mcohen@duanemorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Pronouns: he/him

(Recorded 12-14-25)

Over the last several days, the situation involving Michigan's former head football 🏈 coach, Sherrone Moore, has been widely publicized📰. Moore's abuse of power is the latest example of how ego and privilege can lead to unscrupulous behavior.🩻 As leaders, we simply have to do a better job of appreciating the influence we yield and the impact our status and stature may have on others.

This week's Leadership Video discusses the importance of leaders' recognizing💡their power and steps organizations MUST take to ensure fair and appropriate treatment.

As always, friends, thank you so much for watching, for commenting and for sharing.🩷🫶🙏

Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute

______________________________________________________

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.

Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882

mcohen@duanemorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Pronouns: he/him

(Recorded 12-7-25)

My last name is Cohen. There are very few names on earth 🌍 more Jewish ✡️ than Cohen, spelled C-O-H-E-N. And yet, this time of year people who know me (and who have known me) continually offer me Christmas🎄greetings or ask questions about my family's Christmas 🎅 plans. Do I get offended? I do not. I appreciate the benevolent purpose motivating the well-wishes. However, it does make me wonder why so many people think everyone else is just like them.💡It does also take me back to a time when our then toddler, Mia Cohen, explained rather directly to a neighbor who wished her a Merry Christmas that neither she nor her family celebrated that holiday. An important message and one communicated in a clear and unmistakable manner. 🎯 When in doubt, look to a toddler.

In this week's Leadership Video, I share that simultaneously cute and poignant lesson Mia delivered and its application to all of us, as leaders, during this time of year. Hope you enjoy!

As always, thank you so much for watching, for commenting, and for sharing! 🫶🙏🩷

______________________________________________________

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.

Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882

mcohen@duanemorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Pronouns: he/him

(Recorded 11-30-25)

Thanksgiving🦃 is now in the rear view, which means that your organization's End of Year Party🥳is rapidly approaching! Are you ready?🤞 And by ready, I don't mean the logistics. Has your organization actually given the thought🤔necessary to ensure a fun and safe environment in which your employees can celebrate?👯‍♂️🎉👯‍♀️🎉👯

This week's Leadership Video focuses on 3 steps organizations and leaders can (and really, must) take to avoid the potential pitfalls or, who are we kidding, the NIGHTMARES that often result from a lack of meaningful deliberation and preparation in advance of the parties! Those steps include:

1️⃣ Embrace and guarantee inclusivity💕

2️⃣ Prioritize professionalism😇

3️⃣ De-emphasize the importance of alcohol🥤

I truly appreciate so much for your ongoing support for these episodes. Thank you for your watching, for your sharing and for your commenting! ❤️🙏🫶

Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute

______________________________________________________

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.

Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882

mcohen@duanemorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Pronouns: he/him

(Recorded 11-14-25)

While the holiday season is a time of joy😂for some, it also represents a period of significant stress, melancholy😥and loneliness for many others. As leaders, we MUST understand that a great number of our people are struggling (often silently) during this time of year. We also must recognize that there are tangible actions💡we can (and must) take to help others through this difficult. Those steps include:

1️⃣ Checking in about mental health

2️⃣ Demonstrating respect for and curiosity about holidays you don’t celebrate and those who don’t celebrate at all

3️⃣ Enhancing workplace predictability and flexibility

4️⃣ Expressing gratitude In meaningful ways

5️⃣ Reminding about mental health resources

As always, thank you so much for commenting and for sharing. Let's make sure we're taking care of each other!

Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute

______________________________________________________

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.

Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882

mcohen@duanemorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Pronouns: he/him

(Recorded 11-6-25)

"The Blind Side"🏈 is the story of Michael Oher's triumphant journey from experiencing homelessness in Memphis to being selected in the first round of the National Football League (NFL) draft. The movie's 🎥 portrayal of the relationship between Oher and his high school coach, Hugh Freeze, demonstrates the importance of recognizing how an individual's background massively can impact what motivates that person to be and to do their best. As a coach, I recently was reminded of this lesson in a very real way by one of the players on my 18U Showcase 🥎 Team. I failed.

Leaders - we must do a better job of recognizing what our people need and how best to be of service to them!👂I hope you enjoy this week's Leadership Video, which provides insight in how best we can accomplish this mission-critical goal.👀

As always, thank you so much for watching, for commenting and for sharing! 🫶❤️🙏

Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute

______________________________________________________

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.

Michael Cohen (215) 979-1882

mcohen@duanemorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Pronouns: he/him