Many leaders at larger companies fancy themselves too busy or important to do the messy work of managing, says Henry Mintzberg, management professor at McGill. You’re not a leader if you’re AWOL. And while, yes, there’s a difference between leading and managing, that doesn’t preclude leaders from rolling up their sleeves and pitching in.

Lavish office parties are as distant a memory as mimeograph machines for most workers. This year, as companies cinch their belts a little tighter than usual, how are you handling the holiday office party? Administrative professionals weighed in with their suggestions on our Admin Pro Forum:

We present a case study on how one growing business improved its fulfillment process through a customized online service.

Disputes between co-workers and between employees and their bosses are almost inevitable—which is why every HR professional must know how to gather the necessary facts to find out what’s going on. Whether it is a small inquiry or a weighty investigation into serious allegations of misconduct, being deliberate and intentional about an investigation will create a more helpful and less disruptive process.

Layoffs, shortened workweeks, stressed-out workplaces … it all can lead to another byproduct of the recession: increasing workloads and work slippage. How are administrative professionals ensuring that, with stakes soaring higher than ever, no work falls through the cracks?

Have you checked out the IRS on YouTube? Now you can tune in to videos that explain some of the key tax breaks included in the new economic stimulus law. Simply go to www.youtube.com/irsvideos to view the current play list.

There’s one silver lining to the rapid growth of employment lawsuits: Courts are losing patience with the rising number of applicants, employees and former employees who file suits that have no basis in reality. Increasingly, courts are approving sanctions against such employees and their attorneys.

Congress is considering emergency legislation that would guarantee five paid sick days for workers directed to stay home by their employer for a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus. Although passage is far from certain, the Emergency Influenza Containment Act is a bill worth monitoring.

Halloween may be over, but “ghost work”—the work left behind after colleagues are laid off—still haunts the employees who remain. According to a recent survey by the International Association of Administrative Professionals, admins are hit particularly hard by the spectre. Here are three tips to help you gain control of "ghost work":

Hiring successful sales employees is especially critical to the success of a business. Steve Fretzin, president of the search firm team discovery offers these five effective sales management techniques:

Don’t depend on comprehensive health care reform to significantly cut the cost of the health insurance benefits you provide to employees. Many of America’s best companies have found that a few best practices do a remarkably good job of improving employee health and controlling health care expenses. Here are some of the best practices in health benefits used by America’s best employers.

You expect colleges and universities to prepare your youngest workers for their new jobs. But are you prepared for them? These digital natives quickly grow impatient with last year’s hardware and software. Hiring them puts more pressure on your organization to keep its technology ahead of the curve.

The alternative minimum tax (AMT) was originally designed to ensure wealthy individuals don’t get off scot-free. But it's now hitting a greater percentage of middle-income taxpayers. Strategy: If you can avoid the AMT by shifting tax preference and adjustment items into next year, do it. But if you can’t escape the AMT this year, accelerate income into 2010 ...

Q. Our CEO just implemented a new employee evaluation goal that calls for employees to do charitable volunteer work throughout the year. The more they volunteer, the higher the points they receive on their review, ultimately increasing their salaries. Can we do this without risk?

Sometimes it’s best to scrap the metrics and go with your gut—even in the stats-happy world of professional sports. So far, the Minnesota Vikings are glad they did. Given Brett Favre’s remarkable season thus far, it’s probably a good thing that, before signing him, they didn’t pay any attention to a Bizjournals survey that ranked him 34th out the 36 NFL quarterbacks in 2008, when he played for the Jets.

Supervisors who stand up for subordinates when they claim they have been discriminated against may be engaging in “protected activity.” That could make punishing those supervisors retaliation.

In the armed services, there are “peacetime generals” and “wartime generals.” Some leaders thrive on turbulence. Others don’t. Same goes for CEOs.

Like most employers, you probably have a rule that tells nonexempt employees they must take their meal breaks. The rule is there to prevent FLSA violations for uncompensated work. But having the rule isn’t always enough—especially if some of your supervisors encourage employees to work during their breaks or turn a blind eye when they do.

It sounds like a nearly impossible challenge: employee appreciation on a lean budget? Try making employees heroes: heroes in their own eyes, heroes in the eyes of their peers and heroes in the eyes of their families. Here’s how:

Consumers spend 80% of their income within 20 miles of home. That means your marketing should cover at least a 20-mile radius.

Several states peg the minimum wage to the cost of living. For decades, inflation has meant cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that delivered regular pay raises. But what's happening now that the cost of living has declined 1.3% so far this year?

Does your handbook include a formal policy regarding FMLA leave requests and absences? If so, make sure you stick to that policy. Bending the rules creates a slippery slope that could land you in court.

Leaders should ask less and tell more. But is that right? Sometimes it pays to go back to the vault for advice. NASA research on crisis management suggests the command-and-control response may be wrong.

Q. My company may use the salary reduction plan you referred to in the article "Use salary reduction plan to lower tax." Can the plan be based on a percentage of salary?

“Just take it out of HR’s budget.” If that’s a common refrain among your execs at budget-setting time, it’s time to fight back. "It’s more critical than ever for you to be able to create and defend your budgets,” says Valarie Grubb, VP of Operations and Initiatives at NBC Universal, who spent much of her career building and justifying budgets at large U.S. companies.