Employees are often the best sources of ideas because they are closest to the daily details of the organization. But too often, employees are sitting on great cost-saving, business-generating ideas because they’ve never been specifically asked. Here are five strategies to help encourage input from employees.

When it comes to work-related matters, many private-sector employers think that employees’ rights to privacy are limited, if they exist at all. A recent $1.8 million jury verdict should help dispel that myth.

Help a boss avoid “death by PowerPoint” by stealing presentation tips from the famously charismatic CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs. Jobs is a gifted speaker, not necessarily because he was born with talent, but because he sticks to several strategies. Jobs uses presentation software as a tool to visually complement his stories.

Having employees handle their own pay and benefits administration is the Holy Grail for HR professionals. You’d like every worker to independently access forms and find answers to payroll and benefits questions online. But old habits die hard. Solution: Initiate a long-term, multimedia strategy using techniques that encourage employees to help themselves.

Although businesses typically view flextime, compressed workweeks and part-time schedules as recruitment and retention strategies, just 6% percent of employers have ditched those practices, even as they cut staffs. Here are eight ways your organization can make strategic use of work/life benefits to cut costs, save jobs and pump up employee morale during the recession

Never forget that part of your job in giving a presentation is to build drama. The famously charismatic CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, is a gifted public speaker—ot necessarily because he was born with it, but because he sticks to several strategies. With a Jobs speech, there’s always a “holy smokes” moment ...

Resistance to change is one of the hardest things to face, and follow-through one of the hardest things to do. It’s easy to become defensive about changes—you risk running off track, rolling over skeptics, losing goodwill or ignoring red flags. To manage resistance:

Having employees handle their own pay and benefits administration is the Holy Grail of comp and benefits pros. But merely offering self-serve online resources to employees won’t automatically make them self-sufficient. Instead, initiate a long-term, multimedia strategy using techniques that encourage employees to help themselves.

Question: “I work for a manager who thinks I can read her mind. She rushes up to my desk and says something like, 'Did he come pick it up?' Because I have no idea what she’s talking about, I ask what she means. Then she looks at me like I’m an idiot for not understanding. This happens all the time, and I’m starting to get really irritated. How do I deal with her weird communication pattern?”

The EEOC has sued Digital Cable and Communications South, a Parma-based cable TV installation company, for allegedly refusing to hire female applicants for cable technician jobs.

In a case that has simple yet profound lessons for employers, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that an employer wasn’t liable for co-worker harassment—all because the company acted fast and effectively when it discovered the harassment.

One of the cardinal rules of hiring is that you should ask all applicants the same questions. But even good rules can sometimes be broken … when it makes good sense. For example, if you are interviewing both internal and external applicants for an open position, it’s perfectly logical to ask internal applicants some different questions ...

Do you “play favorites” with certain employees? Most managers would probably say “no,” but people often harbor unconscious perceptions that can influence day-to-day decision-making and job reviews of the employees they manage. Several factors unrelated to employee performance can impact evaluations conducted by managers.

Do you "play favorites” with certain employees? Most managers would probably say “no,” but people often harbor unconscious perceptions that can influence day-to-day decision-making and job reviews of the employees they manage. Several factors unrelated to employee performance can impact evaluations conducted by managers.

Mindful of his fast rise, Matt Mullenweg has given some thought to leadership. The idiosyncratic 25-year-old founded Automattic, parent company of the blogging tool WordPress, which powers 12 million blogs. Some of his priorities:

Keep internal office e-mail communications clear and efficient by asking everyone to stick to subject-line codes, says productivity expert Laura Stack. By using agreed-upon acronyms, people will know the gist and priority of an e-mail, without having to open it first.

Sometimes it seems like supervisors and employees work in entirely different places. For years, researchers have known that bosses and line workers have widely varying views about things like priorities, performance ratings, communication and benefits. Here are eight areas for which recent studies have revealed major disconnects between what employees want and what their bosses think they want:

Tried Twitter but find the deluge of information-sharing too much to manage? If that sounds like you, these web sites and services can help you manage the chatter and enrich your communication:

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, signed into law on Feb. 17, was designed to advance the use of health information technology, such as electronic health records. Among other important aspects, the HITECH Act expands the scope and enforcement power of HIPAA, with greater penalties for noncompliance.

At an administrative assistant gathering recently, one admin pro talked about how uncomfortable she felt drawing attention to herself. It’s not unusual among women: Girls are taught to sit up straight, mind their manners and not to brag. But these are the habits that can hold you back professionally.

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz ...

E-mail—often quick and informal—is the standard for most business communications these days. But if you’re too casual in the way you word e-mails, you could wind up in lots of legal trouble, as the following case shows.

Nancy McKinstry, chief executive officer and chairwoman of the multinational publisher Wolters Kluwer, describes herself as an analytical person. She also calls herself an “insider-outsider” who knows her company thoroughly from the inside but also is an outsider in the sense that she became its first non-Dutch CEO and the first woman to lead it.

If your organization uses independent contractors, watch out: Starting in February, the IRS will begin intensive audits of 6,000 randomly selected employers. One of the key targets: Determining whether employers are improperly misclassifying workers as independent contractors to save on taxes and legal risks.

In my presentations and group coaching, I’m fond of quoting Charles de Gaulle’s observation that “The cemeteries are full of indispensable men.” Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke may be the exception to de Gaulle’s rule.

First, set aside the stereotype that the federal bureaucracy is inherently dysfunctional. Sure, it’s got plenty of faults. But Uncle Sam’s best-run agencies can actually teach private-sector employers a thing or two about HR. Here are eight lessons employers can learn from the biennial agency-by-agency ranking of federal employers:

Q. Our company’s mailroom routinely opens all mail before distributing it. Some employees say they sometimes get personal mail delivered to them at the office, and the company has no right to open it. Should we change our mailroom practices?

California employees have a constitutional right to privacy. That doesn’t mean, however, that employers can’t monitor e-mail sent to and from company computers and servers. The key: a policy that makes it clear that transmittals are not private.

The California Supreme Court has ruled in a case involving video camera surveillance and employee privacy rights. The court said employees do indeed have a right to considerable privacy at work, but that in this particular case the employer had acted reasonably and limited the surveillance to what was necessary under the circumstances.

The rise of electronic communication has forced employers and courts to take a fresh look at many issues that used to be considered routine. The age-old concept of attorney-client privilege is the latest one to whipsaw through the courts.

Managers can play a key role in creating an environment in which employees will want to look for new ideas. It’s important to let employees know that initiative and innovation are valued and that people who question will be rewarded—not labeled as troublemakers. Here are nine tips for removing barriers to employee creativity:

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.

Paul Falcone, author of 101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees, offers these scripts to follow when you need to have awkward but essential conversations with employees. Here's what managers should say after they've said, "Hey, got a minute?" Falcone will present more of his powerful advice in Tough Talks: Scripts and Strategies for Difficult Employee Discussions, an HR Specialist webinar happening this Thursday, Nov. 12.

Did you just get an e-mail purportedly from the IRS? Don’t believe it. Alert: The IRS is reminding taxpayers to be aware of identity theft scams using its name, logo or web site address. The idea is to trick you into disclosing vital personal information.

One of the cardinal rules of hiring is that you should ask all applicants the same questions. Even good rules can sometimes be broken—when it makes good sense. For example, if you have an open position and are interviewing both internal and external applicants, it’s perfectly logical to ask internal applicants different questions, since they’re already familiar with your operations.

Set aside any notions you might have that the federal bureaucracy is inherently dysfunctional. In fact, Uncle Sam’s best agencies have a thing or two to teach private-sector employers. Here are eight lessons employers can learn from the biennial agency-by-agency ranking of federal employers by the Partnership for Public Service and American University’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation.

Considering the toll the obesity epidemic takes on Americans’ health, you’d think Dr. Jason Newsom’s bosses in Panama City would be happy with his campaign to educate the public about the dangers of obesity. Fat chance. While attacking sweet tea, burgers and fries was all right, it was doughnuts that doomed the doc.

When the responsibility rests on your shoulders to communicate in a crisis, follow these five rules: 1. Speak the same language. 2. "Kill" all the lawyers. (Well, don’t kill them, but do cage them.) 3. Define the CEO's role. 4. Don't wait for a crisis. 5. Drill employees.

Participation in new “social media” outlets is on the rise, creating many questions for employers. Should we be using social media to develop business or to recruit new talent? Should we allow employees to use social media at work? What types of restrictions do we need? Can we monitor off-duty conduct? And what are the potential liabilities?

A brutal economy … layoffs … pay cuts. These are trying times to be a U.S. worker, and not all are handling it well. Nearly half of U.S. workers say they feel stressed out, compared with 39% in other countries, according to a Robert Half International survey. Here are 10 ways to deal with your employees' recession-induced stress:

When employees hunch over keyboards all day, all the motivational posters in all the break rooms of the world won’t improve their health. Solution: Deliver practical, actionable advice directly into employees’ e-mail in-boxes.

As hard as this recession has been on everyone, it has forced organizations to look at how to spend compensation budgets more efficiently and more effectively. What has shaken out is a new system of pay raises and bonuses that rewards employees for doing top-notch work rather than for simply showing up for work. Here are five lessons compensation pros have learned during these hard times:

IBM managers “all the way up the chain” are on Facebook—and if you’re not, “You feel like you’re doing something wrong,” one employee said. But most businesses don’t have a social media culture like IBM’s. Instead, more than half of all U.S. companies prohibit the use of such sites at the office. Such policies may create more problems than they solve.

You’ve just made another tough promotion decision, and 10 other urgent tasks require your attention. Before you move to the next item on your to-do list, take the time to document the promotion process. That way, if you are later sued, you can easily show the court the factors you considered.

Employers often have many reasons for choosing one candidate over another. You should document all business-related reasons for your decision. But you don’t have to list them all in the rejection letter you send. Feel free to provide just one reason.

Participation in new “social media” outlets is on the rise, creating many questions for employers. Should we be using social media to develop business or to recruit new talent? Should we allow employees to use social media at work? What types of restrictions do we need? Can we monitor off-duty conduct? And what are the potential liabilities?

First, employers suggested. Then, they encouraged. Then pleaded. Now more U.S. employers are turning to the almighty dollar to get their employees to change their pound-packing, chain-smoking, sedentary ways. Despite the sour economy, more employers are creating and expanding wellness programs in recent years. And they’re increasingly turning to financial rewards and penalties to increase participation.

Q. Several of our hourly employees have requested access to their office e-mail from their iPhones, BlackBerrys and other similar devices. We are inclined to allow this access, but want the employees who receive access to sign express waivers to the effect that they will not be “on-the-clock” while doing so. Can we legally require such a waiver?

Federal and state public health agencies are closely monitoring the H1N1 influenza (also known as swine flu) that was first identified this spring. Since then, every state in the U.S. has had confirmed cases of the virus. It’s not time to panic—but it is time for businesses to think strategically, be proactive and be prepared.

With the diminishing time you have to communicate, it’s a good idea to tighten your writing and say everything that needs to be said in half the words. With thought and discipline, you can do great things in small spaces. Here are six tips from Brady Dennis, who as a reporter at the St. Petersburg Times wrote a series of profiles in just 300 words apiece.

For the past several months, The New York Times has been running interviews on leadership with the CEOs of well-known organizations. The best one in the series so far is the interview with Dave Novak, CEO of Yum Brands. I’d like to share six thoughts from him on how to be a great leader, along with my take on how to follow through on those thoughts.

More than 33 million Americans now work remotely at least one day per month, according to the “Telework Trendlines 2009” survey report. Still, most managers have been trained to work with employees who are only physically present to them. How can you manage what you can’t see? Here are some tips for bosses who manage teleworkers:

If you read only headlines, you may think U.S. employers are slashing employee benefits to the bone. Not so. But the weak economy is forcing organizations and their employees to make some tough choices, particularly in compensation and benefits. Here are seven key HR trends to look for, plus tips on how to respond.

Question: “I’m concerned that my new boss may have unrealistic expectations about my abilities.  After joining this company, I worked for three managers who all gave me outstanding appraisals.  However, my most recent supervisor, “Ms. Jones,” decided to lay me off. Fortunately, I have been offered a position by a manager in another department, “Mr. Smith.”  After hearing about this, Ms. Jones said, “Mr. Smith will soon find out that you don’t walk on water.”  When I mentioned this remark to the HR manager, she said the glowing reviews in my personnel file create the impression that I can do anything. I asked if these comments could be removed to avoid misleading people, but she said no. Now I’m worried about disappointing Mr. Smith and losing another job. How can I lower his expectations?” — JPK

While some Web 2.0 tools are about socializing and idea-swapping, LinkedIn is the only tool completely devoted to business networking. Nurturing your online presence could lead to job offers, new knowledge or a beefed-up reputation as an expert.

Imagine this nightmare scenario: You’ve contracted with a vendor to enter personnel data into a new computer system, including employees' Social Security numbers, addresses, names of dependents, health records and bank account routing numbers. Then the vendor notifies you that employee data was somehow stolen or lost. What do you do?

In the pre-Internet days, trying to prove an employee acted in an insubordinate manner often spiraled into a he-said/she-said debate. But now that much of our workplace communication is via e-mail, texts and IMs that can be recovered, it’s easier to gather the evidence you need to win in court.

Progressive discipline is a system in which penalties increase upon repeat occurrences. But don’t pick and choose which employees you run through progressive discipline. It’s critical to apply those procedures to all employees or none, as this new case shows ...

You can’t know what your employees are really thinking. That’s why one CEO went undercover to find out. He worked, in disguise, for two weeks on 10 different sites. His goal was to hear what workers said when they were uncensored. The biggest lesson he learned?

When employees hunch over keyboards all day, all the motivational posters in all the break rooms of the world won’t improve their health. Health care giant Kaiser Permanente—a leader in designing wellness programs for other organizations—wondered what it could do to get its own staff to eat better and exercise more. Thus was born an innovative e-mail campaign that delivered big results.

HR professionals are often in the position of having to say "no" to employees. Don't make that negative perception worse with the nonverbal cues you may be inadvertently giving off. Here are five negative "microexpressions" common to women ...

Here’s one easy way to cut down on lawsuits when you have to fire an employee: Have the same person who hired or last promoted the employee also make the final decision on termination. Reason: Courts often conclude that it would make no sense for those who hired or promoted someone to turn around and fire that same person for discriminatory reasons.

Q. My company is considering requiring employees to agree to an arbitration clause to resolve any employment disputes, including discrimination complaints. I have been told it is a good risk-management tool for avoiding high legal defense costs and big jury verdicts. Do you agree?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been in place for almost 20 years and was expanded this year to create even broader protections. If employees know their rights, and courts know them too, why don’t employers? Let’s see how a talk show ended up in the middle of a big courtroom drama …

Layoffs, pay cuts and an uncertain economy have left many organizations with fewer employees to do the work—often for the same or less money. Not all of those employees are handling it well. Here are a dozen ways you can deal with economy-induced employee stress and help your employees focus on their work:

When you manage a staff, it’s only natural to want them to like you. But at the same time, it’s a mistake to get so chummy with employees that you lose your ability to lead them effectively. The best managers walk a fine line by earning the respect of their team without going overboard and befriending everyone. Here’s how you can strike the proper balance:

At the next business social event, break away from your comfortable clique and try your hand at networking.

No, I’m not talking about some schlocky movie that didn’t make it into theatres this summer.  I’m talking about Brad Garlinghouse, a former Yahoo Senior Vice President who was hired this week to be a key part of the leadership team charged with spinning AOL out of Time Warner over the next year. For fans of memorable business communication, Garlinghouse is best known as the author, in 2006, of a memo to the top executives at Yahoo that came to be known as “the peanut butter manifesto.” 

Among other points in the manifesto, Garlinghouse wrote:

“I've heard our strategy described as spreading peanut butter across the myriad opportunities that continue to evolve in the online world. The result: a thin layer of investment spread across everything we do and thus we focus on nothing in particular.

I hate peanut butter. We all should”

His memo, which was eventually featured in a front page article in the Wall Street Journal, was a clarion call for Yahoo to get its act together and recapture its leadership position in the Internet space. That hasn’t happened yet (and may never happen), but the memo set off a chain of events which led to a change in top leadership and the implementation of many of the strategies that Garlinghouse wrote about.

So, as Garlinghouse joins AOL to help lead what is a combination of a turnaround and a start-up, I thought it was worth taking a look at the peanut butter manifesto to see what we can learn about how leaders can influence their bosses through highly effective communications. Here are a few takeaways:

More than half of HR professionals report that gossip and rumors have increased at their workplaces since the recession began, according to a SHRM study. And 23% say they’ve had to address more frequent “eavesdropping incidents.” The solution? The times call for stepped-up communication, says Steve Williams, director of research for SHRM. His suggestions:

Communication is a cornerstone of any relationship—at least any good relationship. So why do so many executives rely on casual, on-the-fly exchanges with their assistants? Joan Burge, an administrative trainer CEO of Office Dynamics, holds a daily huddle with her executive assistant. Here’s how they make the communication work:

Here are four ways managers can make sure they really hear what their employees are saying. The payoff: fewer costly mistakes, less wasted time and better quality and service. Feel free to pass this article along to your supervisors.

Question:  “I work for a manager who thinks I can read her mind. She will come rushing up to my desk and say something like, “Did he come pick it up?”  Because I have no idea what she’s talking about, I ask what she means. Then she looks at me like I’m an idiot for not understanding. This happens all the time, and I’m starting to get really irritated. How do I deal with her weird communication pattern?” —  Not a Mind Reader

American workers can access the Internet, e-mail, instant messaging and other forms of electronic communications from anywhere at anytime. While electronic communication helps people do their jobs, it also leaves a trail. A telephone conversation relies on the memory of two participants, but e-mail and IM discussions can be preserved for years to come. And, given the casual way so many people fire off e-mail these days, that can spell legal trouble for employers.

The 10th annual Trust Barometer study conducted by the Edelman PR firm shows that trust in businesses has plummeted. Factor that into your marketing! Besides showcasing “trust” factors like years in business and client testimonials, be more transparent in showing clients your business practices.

In my presentations and group coaching work, I’m fond of quoting Charles DeGaulle’s observation that,  “The cemeteries are full of indispensable men.”  The point I’m trying to make with that line is that while every leader has unique opportunities and responsibilities in their role that only they can do, no one is personally indispensible.  President Obama’s renomination of Ben Bernanke for another term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve has me thinking that Bernanke may be the exception that proves DeGaulle’s rule. As Robert J. Samuelson writes in the Washington Post today, Bernanke, with his unique background as one of the world’s foremost experts on the Great Depression and his willingness to take decisive and innovative action to restore faith in the credit markets, could merit a Time magazine cover headline as “The Man Who Saved the World.”

This month's collection of real-world quick tips from American business leaders, brought to you by members of The Alternative Board.

Remind upper-level managers: When a supervisor or mid-level manager makes comments that could be construed as racist or religiously motivated, it pays to act fast. In fact, firing the responsible manager sometimes can be the best way to go. That way, if the employee he disparaged later gets turned down for a promotion or a raise, it will be much harder for an attorney to show a connection between the supervisor’s biased views and the denied opportunity ...

Job discrimination claims are running at record-high levels in the past two years. Way too many problems start when hiring managers ask the wrong questions during job interviews. Here's how to ask five key questions without risking a hiring discrimination charge. (Plus 16 questions no one should ever ask.)

“The death of traditional marketing” is all the buzz. But if you need to generate leads and close deals fast, killing traditional tactics could also kill cash flow.

Consumers are hanging on tightly to every penny. One main cost they’re skimping on: their own health care—a move that experts say will lead to sicker Americans and higher health care costs down the road for U.S. employers. Here are three ways your organization can keep workers focused on their health even as they skimp on other expenses.

With benefits election open-enrollment season looming at organizations across the country, here are 10 ways you can do a better job of communicating with your organization’s employees. None of them costs a fortune. All can help increase employee participation in your benefits program.

“It’s one thing to keep a crowd engaged for two minutes, but two hours—or more—requires a different set of techniques,” says communications coach Carmine Gallo in BusinessWeek. So if you’re preparing a PowerPoint presentation, remember Gallo’s rules for keeping an audience captivated:

When employees hunch over keyboards all day, all the motivational posters in all the break rooms of the world won’t improve their health. Solution: Deliver practical, actionable advice directly into employees’ e-mail in-boxes. Learn how one company did it with great results.

As I wrote last week, the health care reform debate is, unfortunately, full of important lessons for leaders on how not to drive change. Admittedly, it’s a lot easier to observe what seems to be going wrong when you’re watching the process instead of being in the middle of it. Still, it seems like President Obama’s reform process is running off the rails. The White House spent last week playing defense on the health care reform town halls and the latest example is this morning’s confusion (as reported on Politico ) about whether or not a public insurance option is still on the table.  

How did we get here?  I think there are three lessons from how the President and his team have handled this that anyone who is responsible for leading dramatic change should pay attention to. 

A CEO held six big town-hall meetings with employees to present the new company strategy. Everybody seemed to be paying attention. Yet, now nothing was happening. The reason? A survey of employees showed that 70% understood the strategy, only about 60% agreed with it and more than half didn’t have a clue what they were supposed to do next. To avoid getting tuned out like this, take these steps:

If you find yourself seeking new employment, consider taking proactive, positive approaches. All hinge on online methods, which 40% of new job seekers use in their searches (2008 Spherion Emerging Workforce Study).

Courts give employers the benefit of a doubt when it comes to the qualifications they seek in job candidates, and the questions they ask during interviews. As long as the criteria and questions are job-related and not otherwise illegal, courts grant wide latitude. But once you decide on hiring criteria and use them to rank candidates, resist the temptation to go back and tinker with the rankings.

If you want to take advantage of the arbitration process to resolve workplace issues, make sure the arbitration agreement you give employees covers enough territory. Remember, for example, to include statutory claims in the language. If you don’t, employees will still be able to sue in court to enforce those laws.

If the EEOC thinks a complaint it receives may have national implications and wants more information, it has the power to expand its investigation. The agency can seek subpoenas to demand a long list of records from your company as it seeks to develop a broader, perhaps national case against you. The good news is that federal courts generally will scale down the request if you ask.

You may have noticed more people than usual lurking outside your executive’s door. That’s because economic fears are prompting more employees to eavesdrop and gossip about what might happen next at their workplaces...

By now, nearly everyone in HR has heard of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), under which unions would have a much easier time becoming certified. Because unions have become more aggressive and more successful at unionization even without the EFCA, I recommend that employers adopt the TEAM approach to keeping their workplaces union-free.

If you develop a reasonable retention policy and follow through by regularly deleting information you don’t need, chances are an employee later won’t be able to say you intentionally interfered with the ability to present a legal case ...

Yes, you read right. Four billion dollars. Billion—with a “B”! A California superior court recently confirmed an award of $4.1 billion against a Chinese company, its U.S. affiliate and its founder after an arbitrator found them liable in a compensation dispute with a former executive.

Workers can feel left behind when some employees are “allowed” to work from home, while they are firmly planted at the office. “The co-worker who has to stay behind has to get over that, as much as a manager has to get over the idea that the only way to manage is by ‘face time,’” says Rose Stanley, an employee benefits specialist with WorldatWork.

Whether they’re shooting off their own “tweets” or following others, workers using Twitter—the fastest-growing social networking site—are creating liability and PR risks with their 140-character rants, raves and company gossip. Advice: Draft a brief policy on  your organization’s expectations for employee’s use of Twitter and other social networking sites (plus video).

Question: “My manager asked me to take over a very difficult position for which I had no background or training. He has been pleased with my progress. However, a group of guys from another department seem determined to make me fail. They ignore my requests, withhold information and argue about everything. My male predecessor left because of their behavior, so my being a woman is not the only problem. I tried making peace by offering to help with their work, but that only made things worse. Apparently, they viewed my olive branch as a sign of surrender. Recently, my boss and their manager decided that all communication between us must go through the two of them. This worries me, because it looks like I can’t handle the situation. Any suggestions?” — Not One of the Guys

Want to know how to get under the skin of the lawyers who represent employees? Ask one. They won't all cop to what sinks their cases, but this one did. Learn what she fears most when staring down an employer in court.

The weak economy is forcing organizations and their employees to make some tough benefits choices. Here are eight trends to watch:

1. Still shying away from Twitter? Almost a third of senior executives now use the social-networking tool ... 2. Gauge reactions to a controversial announcement before you deliver it to a group ...  3. Seek a new hire with integrity, intelligence and energy, advises Warren Buffett.

You’ve been hearing a lot about creating value at work, especially lately, right? Being an intrapreneur is one way to do it. Intrapreneurs create a new process, product or service where they currently work. It’s like being an entrepreneur, but without venturing off to start your own business. It’s what Google famously allowed its employees time to do.

If you use your computer system to monitor your employees, now’s a good time to ask your attorneys: Are we vulnerable to a lawsuit under the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act, a part of the federal Wiretap Act? A federal court considering a California case may have just made your electronic monitoring policies far riskier.

In light of the H1N1 virus pandemic scare, now's the time to make sure your organization has an effective pandemic plan in place. As public health officials prepare for a vaccination campaign this fall, here are 13 steps you can take to deal with H1N1.

For most Americans, cycling’s annual 15 minutes of fame has come and gone with Sunday’s conclusion of this year’s Tour de France. In case you missed it, this year’s winner was Spain’s Alberto Contador. Finishing third and making a comeback after a three and a half year retirement was the seven time winner Lance Armstrong. One thing that made the race more interesting than usual this year was that Contador and Armstrong were on the same team although you’d never have known that from the way they’re sniping at each other now.

In a post race press conference, Contador said, “My relationship with Lance is zero.  He is a great rider and has completed a great race, but it is another thing on a personal level, where I have never had great admiration for him and I never will.”

Armstrong fired back on his Twitter account. Quoting the tweet, "Seeing these comments from AC (Alberto Contador). If I were him I'd drop this drivel and start thanking his team. Without them, he doesn't win."

Snap and double snap.

Discipline and termination meetings are emotionally charged events that carry the potential for nasty words, hurt feelings and even legal troubles. As a manager, you never know how employees will respond to discipline or firings. But you need to be prepared for anything—including employees who “let it all out” in long, loud rants. Follow these four do’s and don’ts to defuse rants and avoid lawsuits:

CEOs want their HR leaders to break outside the operational box and become more strategic players. But many HR pros are so bogged down by daily process, they have trouble lifting their heads out of the weeds. Here's a self-assessment to help you gauge the strategic value you bring to your organization.

When fans of natural cosmetics maker Burt’s Bees learned the company was selling itself to Clorox, a buzz of protest followed, as customers complained the bleach maker was not environmentally friendly. In response, CEO John Replogle went blogging ...

Q. Is there anything I can do to deter employees from stealing or damaging computers after a termination?

With the diminishing time and attention you have to communicate, it’s a good idea to tighten your communications and say everything that needs to be said in half the words. With thought and discipline, you can do great things in small spaces. Here are some tips from Brady Dennis, who as a reporter at the St. Petersburg Times wrote a series of profiles in just 300 words apiece.

More than 33 million Americans now work remotely at least one day per month, according to the “Telework Trendlines 2009” survey report. Still, most managers have been trained to work with employees who are only physically present to them. How can you manage what you can’t see? Here are some tips:

When you hear "negotiation," what comes to mind? When I ask this question at seminars, women often respond: men in suits arguing and yelling; buying a car; attorneys. When I ask how many women enjoy negotiating, only a few hands go up. Yet in reality, women are born to negotiate.

Give those URLs a trim ... Show your e-mail skills by avoiding supersize attachments ... Use the subject line to identify different categories of e-mail ... Feel more rejuvenated after a summer vacation by coming home on a Saturday ...

OSHA has announced that a Texas manufacturer faces $108,000 in proposed penalties for failing to abate safety violations after a worker died from an electrical shock. In January 2008, OSHA flagged six violations against JD Manufacturing, doing business as Arrow Waste.

In today’s down economy, nearly every termination and layoff is fraught with risk. Layoffs are supposed to be blind on issues of race, sex, age, etc. But, if you are making these decisions in the dark, you are making a big mistake that could prove very costly. Before implementing a layoff, it’s crucial to review the demographics of who is staying and who is leaving.

For the past several months, the New York Times has been running interviews on leadership with the CEO’s of well known organizations. They’re almost always interesting. Sometimes I agree with the points they make, sometimes I learn something new and, honestly, sometimes I find myself wondering, “How did this person become a CEO?” The latest Times interview subject is Dave Novak, CEO of Yum Brands. I think it’s the best one in the series so far.

To counteract the karma of my last post about how terrible leadership helped blow up AIG, I thought I’d share ten thoughts from Dave Novak on how to be a great leader along with a tip from me on how to follow through on that thought. The bold face points are direct quotes from Novak, my accompanying tip is in plain face type:

Employees have the right to voice concerns and complaints about perceived workplace discrimination. But employers have rights, too. Employees don’t have the right to communicate their concerns in ways that are disruptive, insubordinate or that otherwise violate reasonable company policies. You can punish employees who don’t play by the rules.

Spend any time scanning the world’s 112 million blogs and you’ll find plenty of employees discussing their work. Sometimes that spells legal trouble for employers. By implementing an effective company blogging policy, you may avoid many of the pitfalls ...

If you operate a business that is open to the general public, you’re legally obligated to make the premises accessible to disabled people. Similarly, you might update the facilities for disabled employees in your office. At least you can salvage some tax benefits when you modify the building: Build your renovation plans around the “disabled access credit.”

You may have noticed more people than usual lurking outside your executive’s door. That’s because economic fears are prompting more employees to eavesdrop and gossip about what might happen next at their workplaces. The solution? The times call for stepped-up communication, says Steve Williams, director of research for SHRM.

Odds are that many forms of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, are already thriving in your workplace. As an employer, it’s best to make a conscious decision about how to address social media issues with your employees. Proactively develop a policy so you don’t get stuck doing damage control—perhaps becoming the latest talk heard ’round the virtual water cooler.

Q. We have a good reason to believe that one of our employees is divulging proprietary company information to a friend of his who works for our competition. We have a device that would allow us to listen in on his phone conversations, but not record it. Is it within our rights as an employer to listen in on his calls?

How can you be assured of enough face time with your boss to ask questions, convey critical information and dazzle her with your smarts—without coming across as a time drain? The key, advises author and workplace columnist Anita Bruzzese, is to be aware of what your boss wants and when and how she wants it.

Let the battle begin. On March 10, The Employee Free Choice Act, commonly referred to as the “card check” bill, was introduced in Congress. It's the top legislative priority of labor unions. If passed, EFCA would streamline the process of union organizing, tilting it substantially in favor of workplace unionization. Union-free employers should consider acting now to keep their operations union-free. Here are the action steps to take today ...

The Secrets of Facilitation, 101 Ways to Make Meetings Active,  Instant Icebreakers ...

Prepare for media interviews by reviewing what the reporter has published or aired before. Ask the reporter for draft interview questions in advance. Most of all, know what you want to say and rehearse it. Follow these six tips to get the main idea you want to convey into an understandable story.

Surveys of U.S. workers consistently show that employees want more than a paycheck from their jobs—they want to feel safe, secure and appreciated at work. Here are eight guidelines for recognizing and rewarding employees, according to an Adecco management report.

Catch a second wind by tackling a task on your “Mind Like Mush” list ... Is your boss an ‘allergic-to-details’ type? Keep project files handy that contain details he or she is likely to need ... Find travel deals by booking later ... Spruce up your administrative “portfolio” by adding a dash of visual material.

The families of New Jersey public employees who die while on active duty in the military now qualify for accidental death benefits. Gov. Jon Corzine signed a law in March to extend the benefits, which traditionally had covered teachers, police officers, firefighters and government employees who died in car crashes or other accidents.

Q. My company provides health care services. Recently, a deaf client said we had to pay for a sign language interpreter. Is that true?

For more than a decade, Minnesota courts have recognized a person’s right to privacy. Most employers are aware that this right extends to the workplace, but many still run into potential employee-privacy trouble. But with some upfront planning and consideration, HR professionals can help their organizations avoid privacy pitfalls and still protect their interests.

The California Media Workers Guild has announced that its members voted to accept concessionary amendments to their collective-bargaining contract with the San Francisco Chronicle.

Lissa Hannan, a Verizon employee in the Pittsburgh area, filed a complaint alleging a male contractor sexually harassed her. The company essentially put her on hold and then hung up. Ten days after she filed her complaint, Verizon fired Hannan. The company ended up agreeing to pay her $37,000 to settle the lawsuit.

Government employees have the right to speak out on matters of public importance without being punished by their employers, but that right has limitations. One of those involves speaking out on issues that are directly related to the job the employee holds.

A New Jersey court has held that e-mails employees send to their attorneys via work computers are not protected by the attorney-client privilege. The court’s willingness to rule that an employer’s right to control how employees use its computer equipment trumps attorney-client privilege is significant. The decision makes it clearer than ever that employers should carefully consider the language they use in their employee handbooks.

When employees of Penasco Valley Telecommunications retire, they walk away with health, dental, life and vision insurance for life—and free cell phone service for a year. The Artesia, N.M., telecommunications cooperative has 90 employees with an average tenure of 17 years.

Giving employees critical feedback, negotiating with vendors, sticking up for your people (or your budget)—they’re all communications situations that require a certain amount of assertiveness. These 18 questions can help you pinpoint areas of weakness in your ability to express yourself. Use your results to figure out where you can improve.

If your boss micromanages and drives you crazy, forge a stronger relationship with him or her. For example, practice the "art" of communication, says Harry E. Chambers, author of My Way or the Highway—the Micromanagement Survival Guide. “Show that you’re in motion on priority projects by communicating in three specific terms: awareness, reassurance and timelines."

Managers aren’t only responsible for an organization’s fiscal assets, they’re also responsible for its human assets. According to a recent Adecco report, here are 13 simple ideas you can implement today to become a more effective manager:

Sunday’s Washington Post ran a front page feature article reviewing the first two years of Michelle Rhee’s tenure as the chancellor of Washington, D.C.’s public school system.  Thanks in part to extensive national coverage like the Time magazine cover to the right, Rhee has become the face of education reform in the United States.  As the article notes, what’s playing well nationally isn’t playing so well at home.  In fact, it begins by recounting the story of D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray asking Rhee when the Time cover came out, "Michelle, why would you agree to be photographed with a broom on the cover of Time magazine?" He had a couple of follow up questions for her including "What does it get you, to constantly bash those you're trying to get to help you?" and "Why did you let the picture be taken in the first place?”

Those are some pretty good questions the Chairman asked. Rhee herself acknowledges that she has made some missteps in her first two years in the job and that the grade for the DC public school system thus far is an incomplete at best. Reporter Bill Turque does a nice job of summarizing Rhee’s lessons learned thus far as:

Lesson 1: Fame Can Backfire – Rhee’s national celebrity has alienated some of her key constituencies like DC teachers and parents.

Lesson 2: Money Doesn't Always Talk – A potential 61% increase in base pay for teachers won’t get you very far if they don’t trust you.

Lesson 3: Politics Matters – As Willy Loman’s wife, Linda, said in Death of a Salesman, “Attention must be paid.”  If you’re working in a political environment as Rhee is, you have to pay attention to the politicians.

Lesson 4: Beware Unintended Consequences – It’s called a school system for a reason.  As is the case with any system, when you change one variable (e.g. closing schools, reducing central staff, adjusting pay plans), the entire system changes, sometimes in unexpected ways.

Being a smart and talented person,  Rhee has adjusted her approach in some ways perhaps most notably in paying more attention to the City Council and teachers’ unions. Still, in reading between the lines of Turque’s article, I think I see some indicators of potential future trouble for Rhee.  These add up to caveats for any leader charged with securing radically different results. Not that she’s asked, but here’s my advice for Rhee and leaders in comparable situations:

When Arlington, Va.-based IT firm Stanley Associates landed a spot on Fortune’s list of the 100 Top Employers to Work For, it thanked its 5,000 employees—every day for a week.

Bonuses have gotten a bad name lately. But the howls of outrage that followed news of AIG execs' huge retention bonuses shouldn't be the death knell of pay for performance. Here are 10 tips for making your bonus system work in today's economy.

The recession has plenty of employees distracted and anxious—about their jobs, their 401(k)s and their monthly bills. That’s not good news at a time when you need to squeeze every ounce of productivity from your employees. These 14 tips can motivate shell-shocked employees.

My friend, Dan McCarthy of the Great Leadership Blog (Dan just gives, gives, gives and never takes.), is hosting his monthly Leadership Carnival with the wit and/or wisdom of more than 30 leadership bloggers including yours truly.

This month's collection of real-world quick tips from American business leaders, brought to you by members of The Alternative Board.

Consider questions in your workplace as a way to think about things differently and explore options, rather than as an annoyance that needs instant resolution. Your employees will feel recognized if their suggestions are taken seriously, and you may uncover some valuable ideas.

If you’re a manager, spawn more golden nugget moments for your team by creating informal learning opportunities: mentoring, on-the-job training, brainstorming and good, old-fashioned trial-and-error. Encourage employees to tap into blogs, discussion forums and wikis.

Surveys of U.S. workers consistently show that employees want more than a paycheck from their jobs—they want to feel safe, secure and appreciated at work. Here are eight guidelines for recognizing and rewarding employees, according to an Adecco management report.

Ask your employees to focus on razor-thin, challenging targets, and they might fail or do something unethical. Instead, use this 10-point checklist when setting performance goals for others:

Boost productivity by “plotting” the items on your to-do list ... Organize a boss’s overflowing e-mail box by setting up inbox folders ... Manage team conflict with this tactic ... Take a breather every hour, for peak productivity ...

Pulled from the pages of HR Specialist newsletters, here are five practical, workplace-proven tips for you to try. From management advice to hiring innovations, they'll help you work smarter and more productively.

As an executive coach and someone who spends a lot of my time trying to figure out how leaders can be more effective, you can imagine how excited I was to learn that there is all kinds of new data out on employee satisfaction in the federal government. The Partnership for Public Service has released the results of its biannual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government report. Being the total leadership geek that I am, it’s been a lot of fun for me to get online and sort through the 74 employee survey questions that the study is based upon. What’s even more fun for me is the direct comparison between the public and private sectors on 13 benchmark questions from the Best Places to Work studies.

(I know what you’re thinking.  “Wow, he needs to find a hobby or something.”  You may be right, but hang with me as I’m getting to the really good stuff.)

Q. As an alternative to layoffs, our company has cut employee wages. We decided to do that instead of reducing their hours. While the employees have agreed to this (hopefully) temporary measure, supervisors have received reports that workers have been discussing their new wages and salaries with one another. Our executives want to direct all employees not to discuss their wages and salary information with others. Is it legal to enforce such a rule?

Now that much of our workplace communication is via e-mail, text messages and IMs that can be easily saved—and recovered—it’s easier to gather the evidence you need to win in court. If you think an employee is being insubordinate, be sure to review and archive all relevant e-mails.

Employees who have been terminated often claim they suffered some form of discrimination or harassment. That’s one good reason to tell managers and supervisors they need to keep each and every piece of paper, phone message and e-mail that led up to the firing.

Q. How does the new California law making it illegal to send and read text messages while driving affect employers?

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently held that an employer that continues to provide all or substantially all of its services during a strike will be hard-pressed to oppose its striking employees’ applications for unemployment benefits. That’s true even if the strike results in significant losses in revenue and profits.

In tough economic times, it’s critical to remember the new rules of the workplace, says communication and leadership coach Peggy Klaus. Consider these three rules:

In a small shop, public relations is just the kind of “other duties as assigned” that often falls to HR. Don’t wait until a reporter calls to develop a basic communications strategy. Six tips can guide you through the sometimes intimidating process of interacting with the media.

Employees do the darnedest things, and HR and managers frequently wind up trying to undo the damage. Our newest webinar — Today's Most Bizarre Recent Workplace Cases: How to Prevent Outrageous Workplace Behavior (May 28) — tells tales of outrageous employee behavior ... and the lawsuit against the employer that followed. Here’s our take on the topic, with cases pulled from the pages of our HR Specialist newsletters.

It’s becoming a common problem: An employer discovers disparaging comments on an employee’s Facebook, MySpace or personal blog. Maybe a post reveals internal company information. Can the employer take disciplinary action? It depends.

Listeners, and even questioners, often don’t notice answers that sidestep questions. It’s called “conversational blindness.” Two Harvard researchers found that listeners don’t hear answers critically and even prefer speakers who answer the wrong question well over those who answer the right question poorly.

Admin Brooke Wiseman knew that administrative professionals in her company weren’t being used in the most productive ways. For example, some shared the same title but had wide variations in duties. Her goal was to bring more value to the company by turbocharging the partnerships between executives and their assistants. Here’s how she did it.

On Jan. 29, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which may be the most important change in anti-discrimination laws in decades. It applies to all pending compensation-related lawsuits, but limits back pay to two years. Employers can look ahead to many years of legal wrangling over the interpretation of the seven key words of the act: “a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice.”

Everyone’s talking about President Obama’s first 100 days and how he’s doing so far.  Since Obama is the ultimate case of a leader moving up to the next level, I thought I’d add my assessment by offering a report card on his performance as measured against the Next Level model of executive presence.  As outlined in my book, The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success, and summarized in the table below, executive leadership presence can be broken down into nine behavioral distinctions that leaders need to either pick up or let go of.  And those nine distinctions match up with three big categories of executive leadership behaviors: personal presence, team presence and organizational presence.

So, how is the President doing after his first 100 days of leading at the next level?  Read on for a point by point breakdown and an overall GPA.

Bonuses have gotten a bad name lately. But the howls of outrage that followed news of AIG execs' huge retention bonuses shouldn't sound the death knell of pay for performance. Here are 10 tips for making your bonus system work in today's economy.

One of the basics in the senior leader’s communications repertoire is the town hall meeting.  Sometimes (oftentimes?), these meetings can really run off the rails.  When they do, it’s usually because the leader comes in without the answers that people care most about.  Another classic mistake is to come in with the desired information but to deliver it in a way that shows no connection whatsoever with the people in the audience.

Fortunately for all of us, there aren’t many town hall meetings on the subject of what leaders are doing  to prevent a global pandemic of influenza.  But, that’s exactly what three senior leaders took on in front of the White House press corps that Sunday afternoon.  To share what the government is doing to deal with the rapidly developing outbreak of a new strain of swine flu, homeland security advisor John Brennan, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control Richard Besser and Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano took to the airwaves.  By chance, I watched it on CNN as it happened and I have to say it was a best practice example of how to conduct a town hall meeting.  (If you missed the briefing, you can watch it here. If you want more information on swine flu and how to stay healthy, visit the CDC website here. In about 20 minutes, these government leaders showed how it should be done when it comes to the what and how of conducting a successful town hall meeting.

Here’s what I saw in their briefing and what leaders can learn from their example.

It’s just too tempting to make your words purposely unclear. You might allow underperformers to stay on the payroll without ever telling them what you want or expect. You might even pat them on the back. But that kind of dishonesty hurts the whole enterprise.

Anytime you thrust people together, whether work related or family related, you come across a “toxic taker.” Toxic takers poison your environment, and you need to take action against them. Here are some survival tactics.

IT firm Stanley Associates has its own, round-the-clock web-based training university for employees. Stanley University offers employees more than 3,500 courses in technology, business skills, time management, writing and other skills.

Inconsistent stories and explanations look like lies to the everyday people who sit on juries. That’s one reason it’s crucial to double-check all your records and get the facts straight before you respond to EEOC, state or local anti-discrimination agency charges.

The Orange County Register recently agreed to pay $22 million to settle a class action brought by its paper carriers, who claimed the newspaper misclassified them as independent contractors rather than employees. The settlement will bring to an end a two-month trial against the newspaper.

By now, most employers have heard of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), the proposed legislation that would make it dramatically easier for unions to organize workers and obtain favorable terms in the initial collective-bargaining agreement. Is it time to panic? Of course not, but it is time to take action.

After 38% of Prudential Financial’s employees identified themselves as adult caregivers in a 2004 survey, the financial services firm started ramping up its elder care benefits. Today, the firm offers more than half a dozen benefits for employees who help out older parents and spouses.

You never appreciate a good performer until you’ve fired a bad performer. That’s because bad performers take so much time and attention to manage. From the moment you sense that an employee isn’t working out—and you set in motion disciplinary steps—you have to imagine a judge and jury watching your every move. That way, you can stand behind your actions without feeling embarrassed or guilty.

When execs at David Evans and Associates wanted to make their organization more sustainable, they started with their employees’ commutes. The firm pays its 953 employees up to $6 a day to leave their cars at home and commute by walking, biking, car pooling or riding the bus.

An alarming 15% of recently polled employees said the recession has made them less motivated than before. If your employees are so worried about their jobs and personal finances that they’re just going through the motions, it's up to managers to turn them around. Here are 20 proven tips to do just that.

Are you a situational leader or an emotional leader? Situational leadership depends on the kind of direction and support each of your followers needs. Emotional leadership is situational, too, but based more on the theory of emotional intelligences than on the level of your involvement ...

The global economic crisis that has forced U.S. employers to slash their salary budgets has not spared HR salaries. A new report says HR pros' base pay and incentive compensation grew more slowly last year. Compensation isn’t expected to rebound in 2009, either. Find out where you stand.

When your organization faces obstacles, don’t leave employees in the dark. Your team will work better if everyone knows the specific issues and why a certain course was chosen to correct it.

Capt. Chesley Sullenberger made his leadership clear when he landed a plane intact on the Hudson River in January, saving 155 lives. While “the miracle on the Hudson” did seem miraculous, it was mainly the result of preparation and a cool head. Lesson: Stretch as far as you can to prepare to lead when disaster strikes.

In their efforts to control health care costs, 45% of organizations have consumer-driven health (CDH) plans, up from 37% in 2007. Among them, 16% offer CDH programs to employees as their only option for a health plan ...

Genuine whistle-blowers are protected against retaliation under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act even if the retaliation occurs years later. Caution management to avoid any action that smacks of punishing an employee for instigating or cooperating with a criminal investigation of alleged company wrongdoing.

E-mail and other data keeping you isolated? Your virtual absence sets an example not to focus on interaction with colleagues. This undermines employees’ understanding of how they’re doing and puts everyone at risk for miscommunication.

Dealing with underachievers requires using your judgment and some knowledge of human psychology. Here are some ways to get your underachieving employees moving in the right direction.

Foster more connections among employees by playing “switch-a-seat” ... Become known as a more inventive leader by using the future-leaning word “will” more often ... Never waste a crisis ... Stay tuned to market and cultural trends ...

A good wellness program can spur employees to ditch unhealthy behaviors, reducing their health care costs and helping them work more productively. But that’s only if they participate. Here are four ways your organization can bolster participation by improving the way it communicates wellness to employees.

Text messaging is not only a relatively inexpensive medium, but it can quickly drive a high level of consumer response and action. If you’re considering text message promotions, be sure to:

Boosting your benefits communication during troubled economic times can help your organization retain good employees and ease their worries so they can focus on work. The key: Show employees the value of their benefits.

Are you looking for a way to discourage employees from using the company e-mail system to send personal messages and curtail circulation of potentially harassing or discriminatory communication? Then tell them about the case involving Henry T. Nicholas III, the embattled co-founder of Broadcom.

Tap into the power of peer pressure by giving manageably sized groups more autonomy ... Prepare for dwindling travel budgets by replacing some in-person meetings with videoconference technologies ... Drive higher corporate earnings for your company by realizing that the key to productivity is not maximizing it at all costs, but maintaining a level of consistency.

As the economic meltdown worsens, employees facing personal budget crises may go looking for their own financial bailouts—by tapping into 401(k) savings. They may turn to HR pros like you to learn how to take hardship withdrawals or borrow against their investments. There are good reasons to steer them away from treating their retirement nest eggs as rainy-day funds.

One important way to judge your success as a manager is by the success of your employees. How can you be sure that your best people will someday be top-notch leaders themselves? Start with these four basic yet effective tips for developing managerial skills among your employees.

While employee handbooks are not required by law, they can prove essential — especially for small business owners that can't afford to lose a harassment or discrimination lawsuit. The employee handbook has become an essential tool in the employer’s arsenal to defend against liability for employment decisions.

When you need co-workers to remember something, you need to deliver it multiple times, says William H. Rastetter, who taught at MIT and Harvard before becoming CEO of Idec Pharmaceuticals Corp. 

America’s foremost business philosopher, Jim Rohn, says the biggest mistake people make is thinking they work for someone else, rather than themselves. When you pretend that you work for yourself, you’re more apt to take initiative. Here's why.

Preparing your tax return every year is a hassle. But you can boost your spirits by taking full advantage of the tax goodies available on your 2008 return. Although everyone’s situation is different, here are seven proven ways to cut your tax bill.

By matching speakers’ preferred communication styles, you can build both rapport and alliances with a range of people. Here are four communication styles and how you can relate to them:

American workers can access the Internet, e-mail, instant messaging and other forms of electronic communications from anywhere at any time. While electronic communication helps people do their jobs, it also leaves a trail. A telephone conversation relies on the memory of two participants, but e-mail and IM discussions can be preserved for years to come. And, given the casual way so many people fire off e-mail these days, that can spell legal trouble for employers.

Whether penning an e-mail update for your manager, an all-staff memo or a letter of complaint to a vendor, you are striking up a relationship. Deborah Dumaine, author of Write to the Top, recommends that before you write, plan your document by running through the questions on this Focus Sheet.

The popularity of Internet blogs and social networking sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook and Friendster is causing confusion and concern for some employers. Is there any harm in using information published on the Internet to screen applicants? At a time when it’s easy to search the web for information on just about anyone, what steps should a reasonable employer take to investigate the background of an employee?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is actively encouraging employers to use computerized versions of the federal I-9 employment eligibility verification form. Is it time for you to ditch your paper I-9s? These pros and cons will help you decide.

In the past month, have you asked someone to lunch who has made an impact on your life and career? If you’re drawing a blank, make a date and go out to lunch! Lunch is one of the few places left during business hours where people actually talk to each other without being interrupted. It reminds us to connect, ask questions, listen and learn.

As the economy worsens, rising health costs are driving more employees to cut their own spending on medical care. Here are three ways your organization can keep workers focused on their health even as they skimp on expenses ...

Not surprisingly, there are better ways to persuade others to listen to your message. Communications expert Jennifer Benz, of Benz Communications, advises sticking to the “four corners” of effective employee communication.

More than ever, top execs are seeking HR professionals with business skills to help shape organizational strategy. Here are the top business skills that experts and surveys say executives want in HR professionals ...

The three leadership skills required now are agility, communication and decisiveness, says Clarke Murphy, who heads the CEO search practice for Russell Reynolds.

Under the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, employees can sue their employers if they believe they are owed money, including promised commissions and the like. The law doesn’t require that the money owed be promised in a binding, written contract.

Offensive postings on the social networking web site Facebook led the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) to fire one employee and discipline seven others.

Drafting  performance reviews is always a daunting task for supervisors, for many legitimate reasons. In reality, it doesn’t need to be that way. One simple way to reinvent performance appraisals is to shift the responsibility for initial evaluations back to your employees.

Layoffs put retention on shaky ground at precisely the time that remaining employees' loyalty is key to your organization's success. Ignoring that "survivor syndrome" will only cripple morale further and generate more turnover. Communication is the key to overcoming it. Here's how:

Age bias has no place in the workplace, and managers are primarily in charge of preventing it. Warn them against making any statements that may indicate management or your organization prefers younger employees to older ones.

HR Law 101: Employees who want to take FMLA leave must give their employer 30-day advance notice when the need for leave is foreseeable. Employers should respond in writing within five business days to their leave requests ...

Use your laptop to squeeze more productivity out of meetings: Share data; brainstorm better; take and distribute meeting notes digitally.

As Valentine's Day draws near, it's time to take a loving look at that everlasting HR worry ... the office romance. Supervisor-subordinate relationships can spell real trouble, and it's no solace if—at least for a while—the subordinate welcomed the boss's advances. More cheerfully, there's good news about where our priorities are these days.

An unexpected visit from a government regulator such as OSHA is often unwelcome—and unsettling, too. If you have taken the time to prepare for an OSHA inspection, however, it need not be traumatic. Advance planning and preparation not only make the inspection proceed without difficulty, but also allow you to be in control.

As the impact of the global financial crisis seeps into the roots of the American economy, employers and HR are being forced to make tough decisions. So far, one-fifth of U.S. employers have instituted layoffs, and another 26% expect to shed jobs in the next 12 months ...

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that President Obama signed into law last week is just the beginning of what's shaping up to be a wave of new pro-employee legislation from the current Congress and administration. Next up on the Congressional front-burner: the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would make it far easier for unions to gain certification. In this Congressional climate, organized labor is poised for rapid expansion.

Life would be simpler if we all spoke the same language. Not only do many of us speak completely different languages based on culture, but we also speak different languages based on gender. Neither style is better than the other; they’re just different.

It may seem like common sense, but it took an Ohio Court of Appeals decision to settle the question: Employees can’t keep filing unemployment compensation claims for the same discharge after they lose the first round.

Lawsuits by employees against their employers have grown tremendously in the past decade. Sometimes those lawsuits have merit, sometimes they don’t. Here are 12 of the biggest manager mistakes that harm an organization’s credibility in court. Use these points as a checklist to shore up your personal employment-law defense.

It’s important for employers to plan to prevent workplace violence and respond to it if prevention fails. While every employer needs a customized plan that fits its particular workplace, good violence-prevention strategies share common elements.

The Internet has created a whole new pond for employment lawyers to fish in. But you’re not powerless to your employees’ embarrassing—and potentially illegal—online activities. You can discipline employees who go over the line. Here's a recent example, plus five tips to help you avoid legal trouble ...

Union-free employers should consider acting now to keep their operations union-free, given the nature of the changes that are likely to come with enactment of the Employee Free Choice Act. The law would make it more difficult for employers to oppose union organizing, and would limit employers’ bargaining power if they do become unionized.

Q. Is it becoming a practice among employers to quit conducting employee evaluations?

Lawyers are always looking for novel ways to sue on behalf of employees. One such recent attempt involves trying to apply the RICO Act—originally meant to combat organized crime—against employers. If successful, such lawsuits could result in more than lost dollars: Managers and supervisors could go to jail.

The American Family Association (AFA) ended a five-month boycott of Oakbrook-based McDonald’s after a company executive resigned his seat on the board of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Q. Does an employee have to say that she wants to “take FMLA leave” in order to satisfy the requirement that she notify her employer of her “intent to take leave”? What must an employee tell an employer to preserve her right to take FMLA leave?

Ever wonder whether your boss is looking over your shoulder as you write e-mails? Your boss just might be. Forty-three percent of employers store and review employees’ e-mail messages, reports the American Management Association. Here’s how to e-mail without worry.

If you work with someone of the opposite sex, you’ll have a more productive relationship if you understand how you both process information. Men’s thoughts are compartmentalized, like a waffle. Women, on the other hand, are aware of everything going on in their environment. They have global attention and are all over the plate … think syrup!

Employees do the darnedest things, and HR frequently winds up trying to undo the damage. One of the highlights of HR Specialist’s upcoming Labor and Employment Law Advanced Practices Symposium will be a session on “The Most Bizarre Recent Workplace Cases—and What You Can Learn from Them.” Here’s our take on the topic, with cases pulled from the pages of HR Specialist newsletters.

What’s the magic formula for building a strategic partnership with your boss? Unfortunately, there isn't one, says Lisa Olsen, an admin trainer for Office Dynamics. But one of the first steps is figuring out his or her work style.

Like a mother who has just given birth, the parent who adopts a child needs time to bond and adjust to a household that’s been turned upside down by the arrival of a new family member. According to Hewitt Associates, that’s the consensus of the approximately 45% of U.S. companies that offer money or paid time off to adoptive parents. Here are six ways to make the most of an adoption benefit for your employees ...

At Florida-based Baptist Hospital, the CEO declared an all-out war on turnovers, pulling out all the stops to tear down typical corporate walls and retain his best workers. That CEO is one of the corporate leaders who “gets it,” according to Greg Smith, author of 401 Proven Ways to Retain Your Best Employees.

An admin stumbled over how to recognize and reward employees on her team, so she turned to our Admin Pro Forum. Here’s what other admins are doing.

Cost-cutting is the name of the game during tough economic times. One of the best cost-cutting strategies is to reduce waste—it frees up cash and generates measurable environmental benefits. Here are several paper-saving strategies that will make you look like the office hero.

Boosting your benefits communication during troubled economic times can help your organization retain good employees and ease their worries so they can focus on work. The key: Show employees the value of their benefits.

Kate believes the meeting is a huge waste of time because colleagues always ramble on when it’s their turn to speak, and there’s no real structure to the gathering. At this point, says family and divorce lawyer-mediator Laurie Puhn, Kate can handle this situation in two ways. One is a communication blunder; the other a communication wonder.

Before you reject a candidate who appears to meet the basic requirements for an open position, make sure you can explain your decision. Then document your rationale in case he or she later claims the real reason for the rejection was some form of discrimination.

Q. What can or can’t we say about a lousy former employee?

Most employment contracts are written documents prepared with the assistance of an attorney. However, an employment contract can be oral, written, or partially oral and partially written. If an employer isn’t careful, it’s easy to unknowingly enter into an employment contract with an employee.

Before you use attitude as one of the reasons for rewarding one employee over another, consider how you will defend that decision if another employee thinks it was based on discrimination. Here’s how to use attitude as a decision factor.

If you want people to change their behavior, tell them what you want, rather than what you don’t want ...

Many of the millions who post information online never think a potential employer might read what they post. Meanwhile, employers believe that if the information is available online for the viewing, they have an obligation to look. However, several laws may restrict how you conduct the search or how you use the information.

Save time by storing “canned responses” on Gmail for commonly asked questions ... Halt interruptions by giving your physical space a makeover ...  Turn voice-mail messages from your mobile, home or work phone into e-mail messages ... Earn the mantle of “too valuable to lose”...

What do the nation’s top 25 small business employers (those with 50 to 250 employees) have in common? Great communication. The top 25 put into play an “open communication” concept, says Deb Cohen, chief knowledge officer at the Society for Human Resource Management.

As the impact of the global economic crisis takes hold, a quarter of U.S. employers expect to make layoffs in the next 12 months. Find out how employers nationwide are hunkering down—and the HR lessons you can apply to your organization.

“I  know you were looking forward to going to the conference, but we’re not able to send you this year,” Melanie’s boss explained. “Oh, that’s OK,” she sheepishly replies ... What do you do if you’re a “that’s OK” person? Find the courage to speak your truth.

Everyone has contacts, but are you working them enough to create a true “network”? If not, follow these tips from some top networkers.

A temporary employment agency violated federal labor law by including a confidentiality provision in an employment contract, according to a recent NLRB ruling (Northeastern Land Services, Ltd. dba The NLS Group and Jamison John Dupuy, 352 NLRB No. 89, 2008). In the case, the agency fired a worker for violating the confidentiality provision ...

You may not realize it, but your organization may be contributing to identity theft by failing to safeguard personal information such as employees’ names, addresses, birth dates and Social Security numbers. Any one of those breaches could violate the North Carolina Identity Theft Protection Act.

Q. Our company has a strict Internet-use policy. During the course of routine computer maintenance and observation, our third-party IT provider advised us that one of our employees had been viewing child pornography in violation of our policy. We immediately terminated that employee. Is there anything else we should do regarding this employee’s violation of our company’s policy? ...

You need both common sense and humility to send your people into the unknown. Adapt this 10-point checklist to keep them moving forward:

As the leader, you need to take your team through uncertain situations by absorbing uncertainty for them. People facing an uncertain future go into “frozen in the headlights” mode: Nothing happens while they wait for more information.

As U.S. companies struggle to weather the recession, many are cutting back employee hours. In fact, part-timers now make up 5% of the workforce. Using part-timers may make economic sense, but it can give supervisors fits. Here are five ways to get the most out of part-time workers.

You don’t have to ignore a sudden and shocking deterioration in an employee’s performance and behavior. You can and should ask for a fitness-for-duty exam. Just be prepared to discuss possible accommodations if it turns out the employee is disabled.

No matter how you write layoff letters, they are bound to anger employees, especially if the employees don’t see it coming. Don’t give irate employees legal ammunition by writing misleading, inaccurate or insensitive layoff letters. To avoid legal action, think of layoff letters as informal legal documents that include the following ...

With the Employee Free Choice Act on the Congressional front-burner, organized labor is poised for rapid expansion. Now is the time to audit your vulnerability to union organizing. How can you tell if workers might be eager to become union members? Ask yourself these questions.

As the impact of the global economic crisis takes hold, one-fifth of U.S. employers have instituted layoffs and another 26% expect to shed jobs in the next 12 months, according to a survey by global consulting firm Watson Wyatt.

Your company probably put up a Christmas tree to brighten the workplace during the holidays. Don't be surprised if an employee suggests putting up other symbols of the season, such as a menorah. If you reject that suggestion, should you worry that you’ll be ringing in the New Year with a religious discrimination lawsuit?

A recent tax-law change requires you to substantiate deductions for all monetary gifts to charity—even the spare change you throw into a collection plate or holiday kettle. Strategy: Maintain proper records. Do it right away instead of waiting until tax return time ...

The long-awaited revised and updated final rules of the U.S. Department of Labor interpreting the FMLA will go into effect on Jan.16. HR specialists should read the new regulations and then review them with an employment attorney. Also, they should promptly develop special training on new rules and procedures for supervisors and employees alike.

As the impact of the global economic crisis takes hold, a quarter of U.S. employers expect to make layoffs in the next 12 months—if they haven’t already done so. However, most companies are focusing on increased employee communication and smaller cost-saving measures.

When discrimination charges go to court, both sides are entitled to copies of all relevant evidence. That includes memos, notes and e-mail (with some exceptions for confidential, trade secret or attorney-client privileged communications). Don’t think you’ll be able to avoid liability by getting rid of some documents ...

You're always sending messages, even as you sit in silence. “Nonverbal cues indicate what is really being said,” says communications expert Debra Hamilton. Here are the gestures and cues you should be aware of.

Energize employees by helping them understand your company’s mission. “If [you] have a clear vision, it resonates with your employees,” says Michele Peluso, CEO of Travelocity.

Raise your skepticism a few notches. Résumé fudging is on the rise again.The percentage of applicants who falsify their educational credentials and job experience typically goes up when the economy heads south. Here are six ways to root out résumé fraud.

Three-quarters of today's execs use e-mail as their primary form of communication. So, make sure your messages stand out amid the e-mail avalanche by crafting them as if the boss has only 10 seconds to read them.

Difficult times call for compensation professionals to make difficult decisions. If your average raise is 3.8% and you give it to everyone, your stars are going to look for a bigger bite somewhere else. In fact, they already are. To retain your top talent, you’re going to have to give them bigger-than-average raises ...

It is an unwritten rule in polite society that anyone who feels compelled to guess a person’s age should always guess down. That’s why it’s hard to sympathize with an investor with Unitek USA, who reportedly asked a 55-year-old applicant seeking an HR director’s position, “How old are you, 78?” ...

It's a common communication in the business world, but it’s often not very polished: the request letter.

Employers must prepare themselves for the very real possibility that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) will become a reality next year. If passed and signed into law, the EFCA would dramatically change the way unions organize workers and how unions and employers negotiate initial collective bargaining agreements.

If your organization has plenty of employees, but not enough of the skilled workers critical to surviving a down business cycle, you’re going to have to change your compensation plan. Three changes pave the way—finally!—for a pay-for-performance system that works.

On Nov. 17, the U.S. Department of Labor finalized the first major overhaul of the FMLA regulations in 15 years. Some changes favor employers, but others will make FMLA compliance trickier than ever. Here's what's in store. BONUS! HR Specialist will hold an audio conference briefing to help you comply with the new regs.

Many employers looking for ways to deal with the financial hardships of today’s tough economy are considering reductions in force (RIFs), layoffs and other forms of organizational restructuring. But how you conduct a RIF may spell the difference between a fresh start for the company and a nightmare of litigation ...

The popularity of Internet blogs and social networking sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook and Friendster is causing confusion and concern for some employers. At a time when it’s easy to search the web for information on just about anyone, what steps should a reasonable employer take to investigate the background of an employee? ...

If your organization has plenty of employees but not enough of the ones with the skills you need to survive the economic downturn, you’re going to have to change the way you pay them. Make three changes to weather the tempest ...

Good communication skills are more valuable than knowing PowerPoint inside and out, according to a new survey, in which 67% of human resources managers said they would hire an admin with strong soft skills even if their technical abilities were lacking.

A California commuter train engineer may have been distracted by a text message seconds before he crashed into a freight locomotive in September, an accident that killed 25 passengers. The accident is a powerful reminder that employers must restrict texting (and talking on cell phones) while employees on duty drive vehicles or operate dangerous equipment.

An important—but often overlooked—step in performance appraisals is to ask employees to grade themselves. But don't just give them the same appraisal form used by supervisors. Instead, use a separate form that allows them to recap their achievements, identify shortcomings and initiate discussions regarding their development.  A good self-evaluation form asks these three core questions ... 

Wow clients and others in your network by sending handwritten notes to thank, follow up with or congratulate. Video producer Ellen Barnard says she always sends handwritten notes or flowers to clients, and “they’re left with the impression that I’m really good at what I do.” ...

Q. We discovered that an employee has posted false, profane statements about our company and managers on his Facebook page. What can we do? ...

Has this rollercoaster economy got your customers holding onto their money tighter than ever?  A simple, common-sense marketing approach can calm the ride and help them let go.

Employees who ride their bikes to work will soon be eligible for a $20-a-month, tax-free reimbursement from their employers for bicycle-related expenses, thanks to a measure tucked into the $700 billion bailout bill Congress passed Oct. 3. Learn more about this new benefit, which could become wildly popular in a era of perpetually high gas prices.

Disputes between employees are common and inevitable. But if left unresolved, they can disrupt your department’s productivity, sap morale and even cause some good employees to quit. Supervisors and managers don’t need to become certified mediators to settle disputes. They just need to understand some basics about human behavior, practice the fine art of paying attention and serve as a neutral party who wants to resolve the problem.

When a valuable employee is injured on the job, what you do—and when you do it—can determine not only when the employee will return to work but also whether he or she will return at all. Why? The longer employees stay out on workers’ comp, says the Workers Compensation Research Institute, the less likely they will return to their current employers ...

Every year, junior-level staff members in the Virginia office of Merritt Group take a trip to San Francisco. Merritt execs figure a week at the communication firm’s California office is a good way to integrate staff at the bi-coastal organization ...

Gossip and nonwork chatter that spread via e-mail, instant messages (IMs) or texting can easily be captured and saved, possibly for a jury to see someday. The solution: Don’t let workplace-related gossip spread unfettered. Establish a reputation as an open-door HR department, and become a “news creator” rather than constantly responding with damage control to squash rumors ...

In their zeal for short-term company goals, an increasing number of U.S. organizations are allowing  managers to wallow in daily routines instead of preparing them for the next job. As a result, the next job is often with another company.

Want teams to work together more effectively? Keep some distance between one member and the rest of the team, says an article in Organization Science.

Even if you already have a policy that bans chatting on cell phones while driving on company business—or at least requires hands-free devices—you should prohibit texting or surfing the web while driving, too. Train your staff and use e-mail reminders ...

If you work for a large organization, get ready to fight with small ones for your employees. If you work for a small organization, get ready to spend more on the pay and benefits that will lure big-company stars over to your shop ...

There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re being constantly monitored, says Jack Mitchell, author of Hug Your People. Better than checking up on people is checking in.

Q. I'm an HR director and I’m planning our company’s holiday party. What is our liability as the host if we serve alcohol? ...

If you work for a large organization, get ready to fight with small ones for your employees. If you work for a small organization, get ready to spend more on the pay and benefits that will lure big-company stars over to your shop ...

This national audio seminar lays out a step-by-step guide for everyone—even the nervous, pushy, impulsive or tongue-tied—who wants to negotiate a better deal in the office, in the boardroom ... and in life!

People who send text messages while driving are three times more likely to crash than other drivers, and distracted driving accounts for 80% of all accidents. You need a policy that prohibits employees from texting while driving on company business. Here's why it's important and how to craft your policy.

Issue: After a round of layoffs, remaining employees will wonder "Who's next?"
Risk: That insecurity can cause layoff survivors to "fire themselves" and seek greener pastures elsewhere.
Action: Don't ...

Without deadlines, employees flounder. They can't set priorities—and can’t kick it into high gear—unless their supervisors tell them. Pass along these four tips to help supervisors set realistic deadlines for their employees.

The New Jersey Department of the Treasury has received court approval to invest $9 billion of the state’s public employee pension fund in alternative investments, including hedge funds, in an attempt to improve performance in a sluggish market.

Ever notice at meetings how some people effortlessly gather attention and recognition while others struggle even to get noticed? Keeping your nose to the grindstone and working hard isn’t enough in today’s workplace. Smart professionals employ meeting moxie to make themselves memorable. Here’s how.

Turn feedback into behavioral change ... Save paper by using “Shrink to Fit” and rid yourself of those few lines of text that spill over to the next page ... Don’t give short shrift to complex e-mail messages.

Sometimes, you just know that the reason a supervisor offers in a memo or e-mail for wanting to fire someone is going to look suspicious if the employee ever sues. If you can’t persuade the supervisor to reconsider, resist the temptation to help sugarcoat the situation with a neutral-sounding reason. It will only make matters worse when the employee’s lawyer inevitably discovers the memo or e-mail ...

Poor communications with employees isn’t just bad for business. It also creates a work environment that’s ripe for legal trouble. Stay out of the courtroom by taking time to explain your actions and make the workplace seem rational to employees. Here's how.

The U.S. Labor Department has published proposed FMLA regulations, which may change the way employers handle FMLA leave. The dual-purpose proposal includes changes to certain existing FMLA regulations and new military family leave entitlements ...

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz.

When office romances sour, scorned lovers often use Title VII to allege that their former lover was a sexual harasser. And even if the lovers are happy, workplace romances can cause problems in the office or on the shop floor. If co-workers feel a love affair results in favoritism, the relationship may lead to charges of conflict of interest, harassment, retaliation or discrimination ...

Have you tiptoed around an employee’s poor behavior because he belongs to a protected class? You don’t have to tolerate rudeness, threats or other disruptive acts. Just make sure you have clear rules in place and enforce them equally against everyone who breaks them. And remember: You have an obligation to provide a workplace free of violence ...

Q. What areas should we cover in our electronic communications policy? ...

Gone are the days when employers didn’t have to justify reorganizations or layoffs. Now—given the prevalence of electronic communications—you can expect a court to ask you to produce just about every piece of information used to determine who lost their jobs and who kept them ...

The California Supreme Court has ruled that unions and their supporters generally are free to urge customers shopping in private malls to boycott retailers at that mall. The ruling builds on earlier decisions that held that free-speech rights granted to California citizens in the state constitution are broader than those in the U.S. Constitution ...

The National Labor Relations Board has concluded that employers are free to forbid employee use of their systems for “nonjob-related solicitations.” The long-awaited decision says that an employer has the right to restrict use of its e-mail system based on its property interest in the computer equipment ...

When execs talk more frequently and honestly with staff, says communications expert Debra Hamilton, employees can relax and do their jobs. When employees feel “in the know, they are more involved, committed and accountable.”

It’s easy to become isolated in the HR office, especially if you are physically separated from the shop floor or other work locations. So it should come as no surprise that some things that go on outside your limited view may mean trouble. That’s why you need to keep open lines of communication between HR and the field. Make sure all employees know how and where to report sexually or racially hostile language or actions ...

Kathleen Williams, a former teacher at Sauganash Elementary School in Chicago, is suing the city school district and the Chicago Board of Education for $5 million, claiming she was fired for being pregnant ...

The Texas Supreme Court has weighed in for the first time on an important interpretation of the Texas Whistleblower Act. Until now, a key term in the act was largely undefined: Exactly what is an “adverse employment action"? ...

Employers can’t discipline employees for filing discrimination claims with state or federal agencies. That’s retaliation. But what if an employee is spouting off to co-workers and customers about how he’s suing to “get” the company? ...

Conventional wisdom has been that isolated or “stray” remarks alone by an employer do not prove discriminatory intent. Conventional wisdom may be wrong. A recent 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals case (Tomassi v. Insignia Financial Group, Inc., 478 F.3d 111, 2007) has clarified what it deemed a misconception of the true meaning of the term “stray remarks”  ...

It takes just one low-level manager or frontline supervisor to create havoc in the workplace. These people set the tone of workplace communications, and if that tone has sexual content, others are likely to follow the lead. That’s one good reason to make sure you do more than lecture on sexual harassment. Instead—especially if branch offices are located away from headquarters—HR should make spot visits to see whether anything is amiss ...

In the age of e-mail, instant messaging and other written but ephemeral forms of communication, it’s easy to be caught off guard when an employee claims sexual harassment via the company computers. If an employee says she’s received hundreds of sexually explicit e-mails from co-workers or others associated with the company, could you prove her wrong? ...

In a sign of how heated local politics can become, Frank Weeden, unsuccessful candidate for the Trenton mayor’s office, has filed a complaint with the city concerning the residency status of the police director and the director of communications ...

Q. I have received a complaint from one of my employees alleging sexual harassment by a supervisor in my HR department. I want to bring in an independent investigator, but I’m concerned I’ll have to notify the subject of the investigation. I’ve heard that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires me to notify employees before investigating these types of complaints through a third party. Obviously, this would make things uncomfortable for the employee who filed the complaint. Does the FCRA’s notice requirement apply to a sexual harassment investigation? ...

For the second year in a row, I have composed a short e-mail invite to the managers and supervisors on staff. Another employee informed me that the words ‘managers’ and ‘supervisors’ should be capitalized. What is the correct capitalization in this situation?

Question: “We’re updating our employee handbook. Does anyone have advice on setting a policy regulating employees’ personal use of our electronic equipment and resources, such as PCs and the Internet?”—David, NY

(Feel free to post policy language if it’s relatively brief. Web links to your handbook are welcome too—if your own policies permit it.)

Sometimes employees who know they are in trouble at work will try to set up lawsuits. That way, they reason, if they get fired, they can sue for “retaliation.” It’s up to HR to ferret out such sneaky tricks and prevent those lawsuits. The best way is to make absolutely sure that you can justify any eventual discipline ...

The nation’s largest poultry producer—Texas-based Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.—recently agreed to pay $1 million to settle allegations that it discriminated on the basis of sex and ethnicity in hiring ...

Complaints from employees, customers and competitors are nothing new in the business world. Until recently, if complaints crossed the line from mere opinions to false statements—that is, downright lies—companies could threaten a defamation lawsuit. Often, the mere threat of litigation will cause a disgruntled critic to back off. Today, however, companies face a more insidious and growing problem: Internet libel, commonly known as “cyber-slander.”

A recent survey found that potent scents ranked #4 on the list of employees’ workplace pet peeves. Yet for some who suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity, strong odors aren’t just an annoyance—they’re a real health concern. Is it serious enough to warrant ADA accommodation?

Q. I'm an HR director and I’m planning our company’s holiday party. What is our liability as the host if we serve alcohol? ...

Technology company MasTec has agreed to settle long-standing overtime suits involving some of its home installation employees. The complaints date back to 2001 and affect current and former employees in 10 states, including Georgia ...

Does your organization have a rule against removing company documents from the workplace? If not, consider adding one. Documents should remain on the premises, and allowing them to “walk” can spell big trouble. For example, employees may be tempted to remove and copy documents they think will aid a later lawsuit against the company ...

Even as America’s waistline expands, employers can take some comfort in knowing that obesity, by itself, does not constitute a disability under the ADA. Unless an employee’s obesity substantially limits his ability to perform a major life function, he isn’t covered by the ADA ...

Three former employees of St. Petersburg-based Raymond James Financial are suing the company, claiming they were paid less, passed over for promotions and denied training and perks because they are women. The lawsuit, which follows an EEOC complaint, also includes claims of sexual harassment and race and age discrimination ...

If you want to avoid airing your organization’s dirty laundry in public, take note: Before you turn over a copy of an employee’s personnel record, go through the file carefully. Remove any correspondence between the HR office and your attorney. It is technically privileged communication ...

Michigan employers must comply with Michigan’s Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act (PWDCRA) and the federal ADA. Although the laws are similar, there are differences employers need to understand ...

Increasingly, courts hearing discrimination cases order employers to turn over e-mails and text messages. These communications may include correspondence employees may have sent or received from clients and customers. One reason is that federal court rules on electronic discovery now require employers to retain vast amounts of information for use in litigation ...

With employment litigation rising steadily, the employee handbook has become an essential tool in the employer’s arsenal to defend against liability for employment decisions. A good handbook tells employees what the rules are and how they will be enforced ...

Perez Hilton, who? d-listed, what? And what in the world does “OMG” mean? If you’re feeling out of touch with workers from younger generations at the office, you’re not alone. Generation Y is reshaping the workplace.

When an employee alleges wrongdoing, you’ll need to conduct a thorough internal investigation. That may mean interviewing employees, supervisors and even customers. But be careful how much information you share with those you interview. If you indiscriminately discuss the comments of others who were interviewed, it may constitute defamation. Texas law only protects communications made in the course of a wrongdoing investigation if disclosure is limited to people who have a legitimate reason to know ...

Issue: Employees too often see their base salary as their bottom-line compensation. Risk: Without a clear view of their total compensation package, employees become disillusioned and seek greener ...

When is a manager not really a manager? Answer: When the person performs the same duties as rank-and-file workers. That seemingly obvious point is becoming an expensive one at many organizations. Caribou Coffee, for example, is defending its classification of store managers as exempt from overtime. More than 400 store managers say they perform basically the same duties as front-line baristas and are entitled to overtime pay ...

RadioShack earned a public relations beating last year when it used e-mail notifications to alert 400 employees at its Texas headquarters that they were being laid off. But that practice may be more popular than you think ...

When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed California Assembly Bill 392 into law on Oct. 9, he and the legislature gave California employers only the sketchiest outline of how the new military spouse leave law will work. A few things are clear about the law, which amends the California Military and Veterans Code. First, only employers with 25 or more employees in the United States are covered ...

When union-organizing efforts target a business, managers usually sit on the sidelines. But managers may have sympathies with either side, and their actions could cause problems for either the employer or the union. Your best bet is to rely on professional negotiators and labor counsel ...

It seems everybody’s a comedian at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), where off-color e-mails have been flying. Unfortunately for ODOT, not everyone in the audience is laughing. One incident involved an equal employment opportunity officer in the department’s Lima office, who sent an e-mail to a number of ODOT employees featuring a picture of a woman with large breasts and a caption ...

It can be frustrating when employees don't rush to take part in optional benefits like financial-planning seminars or even your EAP. Yet when an employee does need help, the availability of your benefits can go a long way toward relieving stress and retaining that employee. Here are seven ways to communicate benefit information more effectively...

The U.S. Labor Department sued Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay approximately $3 million in overtime wages to more than 500 former and current employees. The department claims employee records at the company’s Dallas facility failed to show the number of hours the poultry-processing employees worked each day and the total number of hours they worked each week ...

Employers beware! Do your personnel policies—or how you enforce them—violate the National Labor Relations Act? The answer may surprise you, especially if you operate in a union-free environment. Earlier this year, the National Labor Relations Board heard oral arguments in a case that will determine whether employees have the right to use their company’s e-mail system, or other communications-based systems, to communicate with each other regarding union matters and terms and conditions of employment ...

As your organization shifts more responsibility to employees to manage their own health and retirement expenses, you risk alienating your work force. But it doesn’t have to be that way ...

Employers are looking for ways to cut health care costs, which continue to rise each year. One of the easiest ways to trim that expensive bill: Make sure each employee’s dependents are actually eligible for coverage. Here's how to conduct an eligibility audit.

Successful delegation means much more than passing along work to your employees and hoping for the best. It requires good communication and managerial skills, which must be developed and practiced. Audit your delegating skills by answering yes or no to the following 10 statements:

California employees have a right to a work environment free of sexual harassment, and employers are obligated to prevent harassment. But that doesn’t mean that every comment, gesture or look that may be perceived as sexual can be considered harassment ...

Employment lawyers have been warning for some time that blogs will one day be a volatile issue in the workplace. Recent events show that day has arrived. For example, a member of the Cherokee County, GA, Planning Commission provoked a firestorm of controversy after an online post she made advocated dismantling Israel to achieve peace in the Middle East. The outcry forced her to resign ...

As autumn approaches, you might begin thinking about what charities you want to favor at year-end. But this year, you really need to stay on your toes. Strict new record-keeping rules apply to cash and cash-equivalent donations made in 2007.

E-mail is a great business tool, but sometimes it makes one yearn for the bad old days of neatly typed (and proofread) memos in interoffice envelopes. Here are five tips to share with employees to keep e-mailing safe and productive, rather than embarrassing and destructive.

When a former employee sues and you think the lawsuit is frivolous, resist the temptation to belittle or punish the employee by discussing the case. Small talk can mean a big payday for a former employee who finds out and files a defamation lawsuit. What’s more, you could be personally liable if a jury finds you acted vengefully or with ill will. The best advice: Don’t discuss pending lawsuits. If you say nothing, you can’t be accused of slander ...

Employers that want to limit the use of languages other than English in the workplace take note: Your language restrictions must be reasonable and based on genuine business needs. A simple company preference for English isn’t good enough ...

Q. Several employees have complained that they received personal letters via our company’s regular mail system (not e-mail) that had been opened by someone else in our company. Can other employees or supervisors open and read personal mail sent to employees? ...

Employees nearing the end of their 12 weeks of FMLA leave have the right to know when it will expire. You can’t simply calculate when the time will run out and not give a “heads up.” In fact, silence may operate as an unspoken extension. What’s more, expect an FMLA lawsuit if you then refuse to reinstate the employee because she took too much leave ...

It’s a doomsday scenario worthy of a movie: A virus spreads around the globe, killing millions and sending millions more to hospitals. Panic ensues, infrastructure breaks down and commerce comes to a halt. But this isn’t a scriptwriter’s invention. Many scientists believe this nightmare is only a matter of time—when the next influenza pandemic hits. What should businesses do to prepare for a pandemic? Employers must be proactive and consider how they will sustain their operation in truly trying times ...

Q. Can employers eavesdrop on their employees’ phone conversations at work, or listen to their voicemail messages in the company voicemail system? ...

Q. It has always been our practice to issue separation notices only when we involuntarily discharge or lay off an employee, but our new plant manager believes we have to issue them even when an employee resigns voluntarily. What’s the rule? ...

When it comes to recruiting and retaining, organizations don’t need to reinvent the wheel or create bold initiatives to attract and keep the best workers. Sometimes, simply doing the tried-and-true things right are all you need ...

Demand for Michigan information technology analysts and engineers will grow faster than any other career for the next five years, according to statistics compiled by the Michigan Works! Association. Here are the state’s 25 hottest jobs, along with projected demand growth rates ...

Say your marketing director breaks his leg at an after-hours employee softball game. Or your sales rep claims she was harassed at an after-work party. Is your organization liable for such off-premises activities? It depends to what degree you "sponsored" those events. Here are four ways to steer clear of liability ...

At Los Gatos, CA-based Netflix, employees can take as much vacation time as they want. No kidding ...

The ADA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for disabled applicants and employees. And those accommodations must be based on an agreement between the disabled individual and the employer, using an “interactive process” ...

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued its final report on the March 2005 Texas refinery explosion and fire that killed 15 workers and injured 180. The report details the safety lapses that led to the explosion and fire, which occurred at BP North America’s Texas City refinery ...

HR Specialist editors joined more than 15,000 HR professionals in Las Vegas for the 2007 Society for Human Resource Management conference -- the largest annual gathering of HR pros in America. Following are some nuggets of advice collected during the conference ... 

While health-care costs are forecast to rise at a slower pace in 2008, don’t get too excited: Those costs will still increase at a double-digit rate. Here are the numbers, plus three suggestions for ways to successfuly "sell" health-premium increases to employees.

Philadelphia landmark Geno’s Steaks made headlines when it posted a sign that reads, “This is America. When ordering, please speak English” ... Although the Geno’s case deals with an attempt to apply an “English-only” rule to customers, it highlights a growing issue in U.S. workplaces ...

Many employees today are sensitive about their ethnic backgrounds, but may hesitate to report teasing or name-calling for fear of being seen as troublemakers. That means a lawsuit could be brewing ...

If yours is like most organizations, you probably make new employees serve a probationary period. It can provide insight into the new employee’s ability, attitude and how well he or she fits in. During probation, you can hold new employees to a higher standard than established employees ...

Officials at Timberland Co. are helping to meet the outdoor-apparel maker’s commitment to environmental awareness—and helping employees reduce commuting costs—by offering their workers a $3,000 incentive to buy fuel-efficient hybrid cars ...

Michigan employers will have a new set of responsibilities when the state’s new security-breach notification law takes effect on July 2. Under the law, owners and licensers of databases are required to notify Michigan residents whose personal information has been accessed by an unauthorized person. Failure to provide timely notice will subject employers to both fines and civil lawsuits ...

Even if you ban smoking at work, nicotine-addicted employees will still manage to find a place to light up. And trying to hire only nonsmokers could create legal troubles. So what’s the best way to cut your high health costs related to smokers? Actively help them quit ...

Thirty percent of employees between the ages of 35 and 65 will become disabled for at least 90 days at least once during their working years ... That means you can count on a steady stream of short-term disability insurance claims. Do you know how much those claims cost your organization? Almost half of employers do not ...

For the first time in five years, HR pros who handle benefits are saying that employee retention is an even more important goal than cost control. The key to keeping good employees in your organization: Make sure they know the dollar value of their benefits packages ...

Think sending an employee to a fashion show or a workshop about how to organize her home is an odd use of employee benefit dollars? Employers like Minneapolis-based Landscape Structures and BankCherokee paid for some of their employees to do just such things, and welcomed them back rejuvenated and ready to work ...

Imagine if your organization’s managers could stop paying people and start buying their results, one by one. What do you think would happen if every manager had the discretion, the ability, the skill and the gumption to start negotiating with employees as if they were outside vendors? ...

A narrowly tailored English-only policy that is designed to serve legitimate business needs is not discriminatory, says the EEOC. To be valid, the policy should spell out when English is required and let employees converse in any other language at all other times ...

Infighting among union groups has the labor movement cranking up its organizing efforts to prove a point. Many employers panic when they become union targets, tripping over costly labor relations rules. Follow these steps to avoid becoming a union target ...

Each year, several respected organizations rate the top HR technology, software and Web-based products. But it's difficult to know which products are best because no two rating systems are the same, and they're often contradictory ...

You may think you're giving clear instructions, but you lost her back at Step 14a. People want to know three things: 1. What am I supposed to do? 2. By when? 3. In what order? ...

Annually, the fourth Thursday in April (April 27 this year) is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, hosted by the Ms. Foundation for Women. To head off requests and confusion about whether/when the kids can come, establish some ground rules ...

A new study proves what you may intuitively know: Organizations that communicate effectively with employees outperform those that don't ...

Union membership has fallen dramatically in recent decades, but the labor movement is far from dead. The biggest change: In 2005, the breakaway "Change to Win" movement seized control over one-third of the powerful AFL-CIO's unions. Change to Win lured the unions away by promising to shift the focus from political activism to organizing as many U.S. employers as possible. Is your business next? ...

Three quarters of employers responding to a new American Management Association survey said they monitor how employees spend their time online at work ...

Most people aren't conscious of how they make tough decisions in the workplace. They often go with what feels most expedient at the moment, an approach that can get them into trouble. Instead, it's useful to be aware of these four common clues that can warn you if you're heading in the wrong direction ethically ...

Question: I report directly to the director and I also supervise the receptionist/secretary in our agency. The problem is dealing with the assistant director (AD), who is a bully. I have tried to let the bullying slide, but the receptionist/secretary has submitted a complaint to me on how uncomfortable it makes her feel when the AD screams at me.

Corporate America continues to register alarm over unrelenting health care cost growth. If not restrained, health care costs will significantly affect every firm's profitability and competitiveness ...

Whether it's bird flu or a more general flu pandemic, experts say some type of global flu outbreak is inevitable in the coming years that could kill 2 million Americans. The federal government is encouraging employers to create contingency plans ...

Monitoring employees with video cameras likely won't violate employees' privacy rights, but employers should make sure they don't step over the line of reasonable privacy concerns. Stay in the legal zone by monitoring only public areas of the workplace, and use soundless recording ...

With health insurance costs continuing to rise, you'll likely have to tell employees (again) that they'll shoulder more of the premium. Such news isn't new for most employees. But they may be reaching the boiling point ...

What's the most important factor in an employee's job satisfaction? A new study says HR professionals and employees have completely divergent answers to that question ...

When you rattle off your employee benefit offerings to prospective employees, what raises their eyebrows? It's probably not the basics: People have come to expect health/life/dental, 401(k), etc. What really catches a prospect's attention are the creative perks that prove your organization has their interests in mind ...

Texas public employers have broad rights to prohibit certain kinds of speech in the workplace, but those rights aren't unfettered ...

Sometimes, all the candidates for a promotion are equally qualified, making the selection difficult. It becomes a legally prickly issue when one or more of the candidates is in a protected category (race, age, gender, etc.). But you don’t have to resort to drawing straws ...

Execs and supervisors may bristle at criticism from employees and instinctively want to punish offenders. But that apparent insubordination can sometimes be considered protected speech under federal or state law. Knowing what’s protected and what’s not is key ...

To protect employers from frivolous lawsuits and encourage open, honest communication, Georgia’s unemployment compensation law blocks people from suing their former employers over what the organization says during a hearing ...

Georgia has special child-labor laws that can trip you up if you’re not careful. With federal child-labor laws to consider as well, Georgia employers must navigate a tangled web of regulations when employing young workers ...

It’s not just about money, as Fortune’s new “100 Best Companies to Work For 2007” list shows. And five of those best places are in Pennsylvania ...

A federal judge has ruled that CBS was correct in requesting that an employee at its Pittsburgh KDKA-TV station return all the confidential information she gathered from her boss’s desk and computer ...

When it comes to evidence presented to win or defend against civil lawsuits, employers no longer can play a game of hide-and-seek. The new game in town is 1-2-3 Show M’e-discovery ...

Fortune magazine’s recently released list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For, 2007” includes 11 Florida employers. In light of the current tight labor market, it’s important to note the reasons they made the list ...

Fortune’s latest list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For, 2007” includes five Ohio employers, led by California-based Vision Service Plan, which ranked No. 23 ...

Q. One of my staff showed me an Internet link to another employee’s personal blog, which included racial and offensive comments about our company and employees. Can we reprimand the employee for the racial slurs?

The best defense to a cell-phone liability claim is a comprehensive electronic communications devices policy ...

Regularly remind employees of the value of your benefits package by distributing total-compensation statements every six months. Organizations that communicate such information can boost loyalty and retention, even when their benefits aren’t the very best ...

Here are six common communication mistakes that people—especially professional women—make in the workplace, according to communications consultant Colette Carlson ...

Google is just eight years old, but it beat out a slew of old-timers to snag the No. 1 spot on Fortune’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Reason: Its benefits are to die for ...

Most organizations have comprehensive Internet, e-mail and electronic communications policies that spell out what's acceptable usage and what's not. But few employers have addressed a growing problem: the proliferation of employee Web logs, or "blogs" ...

“Tr*mp.” “F*ck.” “Sl*t.” “B*tch.” “B*be.” That was the everyday vocabulary for one of the bosses at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. Sounds like a real loser, right? Not in this case. The official loser was the employee who failed to report the manager’s conduct promtly and, therefore, lost her case in court ...

HR Law 101: Under the ADA, a "reasonable accommodation" enables a qualified individual with a disability to perform the job's essential functions. But an accommodation is considered unreasonable when it causes the employer an undue hardship ...

You're sitting at your desk, working productively, when in comes the Toxic Dumper … for the fifth time this week! She proceeds to commandeer your time, using you as a dumping ground for her complaints.

Question: For the second year in a row, I have composed a short e-mail invite to the managers and supervisors on staff. Another employee informed me that the words managers and supervisors should be capitalized. It’s very common in the business profession today not to capitalize titles, especially in the context I am using. (“I have revised a new schedule this year for the managers/supervisors to serve the luncheon.”)

What is the correct capitalization in this situation? It would be helpful if I could point to a reference book or similar authority when replying to this person.  -- Aida

HR Law 101: None of your organization’s policies can compromise your employees’ right to privacy. You can’t obtain information about workers that’s not relevant to their job duties, and there are restrictions on what information about employees you’re allowed to disseminate ...

HR Law 101: Employers have any number of legitimate reasons to monitor employees’ e-mail and Internet usage. Beyond personal productivity issues, you risk significant loss should an employee download a virus or other damaging software or engage in illegal activity conducted on company computers ...

HR Law 101: Workplace dress codes touch on a variety of issues, including workplace safety, freedom of speech, personal hygiene, customer relations, religious freedom, the minimum wage and racial and gender stereotypes. Employers have a number of legitimate reasons for imposing a dress code, but court rulings have limited their options...

HR Law 101: Several sources of financial assistance are available to help businesses make reasonable accommodations and comply with ADA requirements. 

Question: I read your Admin Pro Forum - Dealing with Divas, and I’m interested in obtaining a job description for a Sr. Admin Assistant. I am an executive assistant doing Sr. executive work. I’d like to see other job descriptions in order to help establish my own senior job description and present it to my boss. Having input from another senior admin assistant would be helpful.  -- Cindy

HR Law 101: Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Courts are increasingly taking a dim view of employers that don't take decisive action to prevent sexual harassment ...

HR Law 101: Employee handbooks are extremely valuable business tools. But if you're not careful, your handbook could land you in court. In particular, employees are increasingly suing for wrongful discharge, pointing to a handbook they claim guaranteed them employment indefinitely ...

HR Law 101: If your organization becomes the target of a union-organizing effort, keep your head. Some activities can spell disaster. Both the NLRA and the Taft-Hartley Act prohibit employers from discriminating against employees for participating in union activities ...

Q. Our CEO changes his mind constantly. After we agree on a project, he'll come back to me a day or two later with a different plan. How can I pin him down? —L.G., South Carolina

Q. I’m looking to create a company policy regarding cell phones with photographic capabilities. Any suggestions? —L.B., California

Q. We recently lost a union election, 6-3. What can employees who did not want any part of the union do now? Is there any way for them to get out of this? —K.F., Pennsylvania

Q. I'm considering instituting a policy at my company that would permit me to record my employees' phone conversations. Can I record employee phone calls without their consent? —P.C., Michigan

Q. Some of our employees have been getting a lot of spam e-mail that advertises porn sites. I'm concerned that an employee will consider this junk as creating a hostile work environment. What can we do to protect ourselves? —M.C., Minnesota

Q. Our company has typically sent formal offer letters to job candidates for certain positions. Could such letters legally bind us, and would we be smarter to avoid them? —S.T., Texas

Q. I'd like to know if our company needs something like a HIPAA form for employees to sign when we release personal information to others. Is HIPAA only for the medical field? —B.B., New York

Q. We have an employee with an increasing body odor problem. The problem is so bad that co-workers are complaining about having to interact with her. We need to discuss the problem with the employee. Are there any legal issues that we need to be concerned about? —T.M., Texas

Q. We recently received a subpoena to produce the contents of an employee's personnel file in connection with a lawsuit. The employee is a party to the lawsuit, but the company is not. Do we have to comply with the subpoena? Should we tell the employee about the subpoena? —K.H., District of Columbia

Q. We have a “stinky employee” problem. How do I go about telling this person that she has a horrible smell and it's now affecting some of my other staff? —S.H., Washington

For Texas employers, the long-range forecast shows an unstable union atmosphere over the next several years, with pressure building from health care costs, outsourcing and immigration reform. As the united front of the AFL-CIO and the new Change to Win union blow through the state, damage may be significant ...

The so-called paperless society ushered in by the computer age may mean fewer file cabinets and storage rooms full of paper records, but storing company records on hard drives has its own set of problems ...

No doubt, your managers and supervisors know not to ridicule someone's accent or way of speaking. But what if an employee's communication skills suffer on account of his other accent? Are you prohibited from mentioning that accent and recommending remedial help to better communications?

New Jersey employers have every right to monitor their employees' e-mail messages and computer usage so long as they have a strong electronic communications policy. That's true even if the content might otherwise fall under attorney-client privilege ...

Looking for ways to boost your recruiting efforts and retain the best talent? Take a cue from the eight New Jersey companies chosen for Working Mother magazine's list of the "100 Best Companies" for women to work ...

Make sure your managers and supervisors know that politics and religion are individual choices and don't belong in the workplace. Otherwise, you could face stiff fines or penalties under New Jersey's new Worker Freedom from Intimidation Law ...

Need an inexpensive benefit and an easy way to boost morale? Allow employees to partake in the services your organization provides to customers (either for free or at a reduced price) ...

Google is just eight years old, but it beat out a slew of old-timers last month to snag the No. 1 spot on Fortune magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” ...

New research confirms what HR professionals may already know: “The future work force is here, and it is ill-prepared,” concludes the survey of 431 HR professionals by the Society for Human Resource Management and The Conference Board ...

The FMLA’s notice provision requires employees, to be eligible for FMLA leave, to let their employers know that they suffer from a serious health condition. Merely telling a supervisor “I’m sick” doesn’t cross to the threshold of a legitimate FMLA notice. But it's important for supervisors to know that employees, on the other hand, don’t need to say something as explicit as “I need FMLA leave because I have X illness” ...

If your employees work on scaffoldings or other positions in which they could suffer a fall, take note: Scaffolding and fall-protection requirements top OSHA’s new list of the most-violated safety and health standards ...

After preparing for Y2K, anthrax and hurricanes, HR and legal professionals must now turn their attention to pandemic planning ...

Question: Has anyone in a Sr. Admin. Asst. role had to deal with a “Diva”? I am a Sr. Admin. Asst. and I work with an Admin. Asst. who feels that she doesn’t have to respond to my requests, especially when I ask her to provide information to me prior to meetings. She wants to do the PowerPoint presentation herself; therefore, she shows up with it on a disk the morning of the meeting. Others provide the information to me and I create the PowerPoint, so I know I have everything ready. She’s very talented and I depend on her, but she comes across as “I don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules.” Any suggestions?  -- Anonymous

Question: Our company has job descriptions for several levels of administrative assistants, but it doesn’t have one specifically for executive assistants. Typically, the executive assistant position requires a level of support beyond what the average admin provides. Does anyone have a really strong job description for an executive admin position?  -- Carol

Question: Three years ago, I joined my company as a receptionist. Having worked previously in management positions for several years, this was my “foot in the door” position with a well-respected company. After less than a year, I was promoted to an assistant position.

For two years, I've been extremely successful in my position. I've trained new staff that was considered upper management and have filled in when we lacked employees. I'm now in a position that I got by default when a co-worker left, and I am miserable sorting through papers and numbers.

I have continuously been told that I am great at my job and my boss can’t afford to lose me in this position. My interests lie in a more hands-on management-type position, and I'm becoming extremely frustrated that I'm not being transferred because I excel at my current job. To make matters even more complicated, I am the youngest person in the office and have been told to “be patient.”

There are also conflicts with some of the older women in the office, to the point that they've tried to have me fired. (My boss supported me 100 percent.)

I work in a male-dominated field and get along great with most of the people in my company. How do I make my manager understand that I want more responsibilities? How do I reconcile with the older women and make my managers forget the past?  -- Anonymous

Question: Having been here five years, I'm the newest person in my office. I'm also the youngest admin here by at least 20 years. However, I have 15 years of experience as an administrative assistant/office manager.

Recently, I was given the task of developing some training programs for admins. Can anyone suggest how to begin this sort of program, given the fact that, while I've received many compliments from "higher ups" on my skills and efficiency, some admins think there is nothing more to learn ... and, especially, nothing that I can teach them since I'm the "young thing," as they say.

I don't want to come across as a know-it-all, but at the same time, some people haven't bothered to keep their skills current and there really is room to grow.  -- Ann

Under Georgia’s child labor law, minors ages 14 to 17 must obtain employment certificates from their school or county school superintendent in order to work. (The law prohibits employers from hiring children under age 14.) ...

The Ohio Minor Labor Law prohibits employers from hiring minors under age 16 for several types of work. It also restricts the hours they can work and prohibits all youth under age 18 from working in certain occupations ...

Question: I'm the HR representative in a small financial-planning firm. We're looking for a really good executive assistant to support our three principals, but we're having trouble weeding out the candidates who sound good from the ones who really are.

Has anyone used a type of skill test to give at an interview, or can you point me in the right direction?

We're not asking for anything more than a very good, competent, organized person, and I know they're out there. Does anyone have any advice for this situation?  -- jodietz

Question: I work for a business owner as a bookkeeper and assistant office manager. I also am referred to by others as the business owner's secretary.

I don't have a problem with having so many roles at the office, but I do have a problem with all of the personal and family errands I'm sent on. I take members of the family shopping and pick kids up at school. I adore the family but I get so behind on my work at the office.

I have brought this to my boss's attention many times, but I feel like I am just making excuses for not finishing work on time. I also feel like this is holding me back professionally, as I have not received a raise in more than two years and I don't feel very productive. I know what I could do if I were allowed to.

My boss has told me that he trusts me so much and that's why I'm the one sent to help with personal matters. Fine, but I'm tired of watching all of the other employees excel and receive raises and bonuses.

Question: I believe I have a unique problem. I'm the IT support assistant in the company I work for; I support the VP and eight managers. I report directly to the VP.

Every now and again, an associate brings in goodies (donuts, cake, candy, etc.) for the department and sends out an e-mail to the department inviting us to have whatever is brought in. Last week, one of the managers brought in donuts. I went to get a donut and, when I got to his workstation, he was having a verbal meeting with an associate from another department, and she asked me to get one for her. I handed her a donut and went back to my workstation.

The manager came over to me and, in the presence of the associate from the other department, proceeded to let me know that I had no right to give a donut to her, as they were not mine to give. I thought he was joking, so I was smiling and taking it for a joke! He proceeded to tell me that this was not a joke, and I was rude to give away something that was not mine to give.

The associate handed me the donut and said she would not take it, so I took it back to the manager's cubicle and told him that she no longer wanted the donut. I went back to my desk and sent the manager an e-mail saying I was sorry to take his donut but I didn’t appreciate his talking down to me by telling me I was "rude" and that, in the future, he should choose his words. I also told him that it wasn’t the culture of the IT department for people to be stingy with food and that I didn’t believe in my wildest dreams that he would be offended.

He responded that I knew that I was wrong and was hiding behind e-mails, that I should speak with him and that the problem with me is that I like to give away things that are not mine to give. (I am not guilty of that, and so that hurts.) He also told me that, if I responded, he would not read my e-mail because we both believe we should have the last word.

I am saddened by this whole thing, and I feel silly even talking about it with other people in the department, because I don’t want to be labeled as being disgruntled or disruptive. I told my boss (who is the manager's boss, too), and he says that I should drop it or I should sit the manager down and tell him how things operate in the department.

I feel uncomfortable around that manager now, and the hurtful thing is, I used to like him. I'm the person responsible for planning all the "fun" things in the department, and I really feel like something is missing now. I don’t feel like being a fun person, anymore, and with the holidays coming up, we usually have events like "pot luck" and gift exchanges, etc. Now, I feel like it’s such a chore!

What should I do?  -- Anonymous

Question: I work in at a college and have a situation: One of my co-workers is very sensitive to smells (perfumes, colognes, etc.) and is often relocated to other workspaces to avoid headaches or becoming nauseous.

Her supervisor would like to put some type of sign around the area, notifying people that the area is fragrance-free. This will be posted inside the office (for other co-workers who wear perfumes to back off a little), as well as outside the office (for students/visitors who visit at the window).

What’s a nice way of wording a simple sign, without offending anyone?

Thanks!  -- Tami

Question: I have a question: What is a virtual administrative assistant?  -- Sandy

Question: I keep hearing about people who are "virtual" admins, and that this is supposed to be the new hot job in the future.

Has anyone had experience being a virtual admin? How did you like it/not like it? Where can I get more information? Thanks!  -- Mary from Wisconsin

Question: I happen to be a young manager in an office of around 70 employees. We try to keep a family-type atmosphere, in which we encourage "open" working relationships with managers and staff, but keep away from managers and employees becoming buddies.

I find that most employees respond to a manager who is more of a leader; who listens and responds to valid concerns.

I have great working relationships with the majority of staff, except for two 50-year-old women. These two staff, I have "heard" through the grapevine, have an issue because I am younger than them.

The thing I am confused about is that their behavior is more immature than that of other, much younger employees. They gossip, pout when they're talked to about valid concerns of mine, have lazy work habits, are nice as pie when I am around, etc.

I was wondering if there's a way to work it out in which I can change their behavior. Or, are they never going to respond to my direction and discipline merely because of my age?

Question: I have found several resources when it comes to multiple bosses. In my situation, we have two Administrative Assistants for one boss.

What is the best way to handle two assistants? Should there be a division of responsibilities or should they do the same thing? If there is a division, how do you handle one Admin feeling less valued? I feel that one Admin Assistant is all that is needed to take care of most everything.  -- Kelleen

Question: I wish to start a monthly meeting to include as many of the Administrative Assistants throughout the organization as possible. Does anyone have any hints on if monthly meetings are a good idea, if one hour is enough time, etc.?

I envision these meetings not only building relationships among all the assistants, but also giving all assistants an idea of what each area is currently working on and, if they're working on similar projects, allowing them to share feedback. Also, they can update one another on any major process changes in their departments. (We have a problem with one unit deciding to disband some information that is needed for reports, not aware that other departments are counting on it all being located in one place.)  -- Wisconsin

Question: I am a human resource coordinator who handles payroll, benefits and related work for about 100 employees, and I am being "forced" in very stern written communications from my direct supervisor to "fully cross-train" a co-worker "in all aspects of all duties and provide instruction and access to all documentation."

This co-worker does the same job as I do, but for a separate division of our department. She handles approximately 60 employees.

This is a very unusual circumstance; not warranted, in my opinion. (We do the same job but for different employees.)

The other side of this story is that this co-worker (female) is very good friends with my direct supervisor (male). They tell each other everything, and my co-worker has been asking me for all of my information but has told me nothing about her job. It's almost as if this cross-training is a ruse, convincing me that they just want my information so they can easily be rid of me.

I have been having some health issues lately. I have fibromyalgia and perhaps lupus, along with some other issues, and have had a lot of physician appointments. But my work is always completed, no matter what I have to do to get it done. Nevertheless, I cannot help but feel as if they are pushing me out.

What should I do? I have been complying and have been cooperative and nice, but I am not happy.

Please help!  -- Being Pushed Out in Ohio

Question: I am an administrative assistant for the president of my company and I feel I'm not being utilized enough. Does anyone have any suggestions or suggestions on books to help me get my boss to utilize me more? Thank you.  -- Anonymous

Editor's note: The National Institute of Business Management publishes two books that might help you:

1. Results, Recognition and Rewards.
2. Supercharge Your Career.

Find ordering information about both -- as well as about Personal Report for the Administrative Professional -- at www.nibm.net.

Also, you might check out How to Get From Cubicle to Corner Office, by Joel Weiss, and Become an Inner Circle Assistant, by Joan Burge.

Question: I'm looking for suggestions on "measurable goals" or SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based) goals for administrative professionals.

Thank you!  -- Jennifer

• How to introduce someone to the president/CEO when you know only the person's title and first name.
• How to tell when it's OK/not OK to interrupt your boss in a meeting, and what to say when you do.
• What does that closed door mean?
• How to notify your employer (in an emergency) of very delicately personal, family-oriented matters via phone in a discreet, respectful manner when you work in a cubicle setting.
• When/when not to call your boss from your personal cell phone.
• Just how many times am I supposed to call to try and relay this message?
• It's after 5 p.m. and there's something going on at the office the boss HAS to know about.  The boss is holding a party at her house and would be disturbed if I called. Now, what do I say?
• Oops! I forgot the other exec's name and he's a new business contract contact! What do I say when he comes out to chat with me?
• My boss went to a meeting and the location has changed, but I can't get through to her cell phone to let her know. This could be a disaster!
• How do I announce someone's arrival in the front office? To the boss? To other co-workers?

Question: Whenever I talk to my supervisor, she crosses her arms and moves here eyes around the room. I've always heard that this kind of body language indicates mistrust. Any suggestions about what I can do if that's true?  -- Worried

Question: What criteria (or what procedures) do other companies use to select their 'Employee of the Month' or other similar awards?"  -- Ron

Question: Does anyone have information on "admin pools" (when a group of administrative assistants work together as a team and report to a senior assistant)? If you are a member of an admin pool or the supervisor of one, I would love to hear your feedback on what you feel are the pros and cons of this type of arrangement. How do you like it in comparison to the traditional arrangement of working solo, reporting to management?  -- Amy, Massachusetts

Question: "Last week, one of our newer employees  -- let's call him 'Nat' -- asked me to show him how to compile a monthly report that I've been doing as part of my job for years. Nobody had mentioned this to me before 'Nat' approached me.

"I showed him how to compile the report. He thanked me and went back to his desk. But now, I'm worried that I'm going to start losing responsibilities.

"I don't know how to bring it up to my boss.

"How would you approach this situation?"  -- Rhoda, Virginia

Question: Has anyone put together a group program for the administrative assistants at their company to promote communication, education, training, etc? I have been asked to organize a quarterly meeting and I need a starting point. If anyone has done this and has suggestions or ideas, I would greatly appreciate the help!  -- Anonymous

Question: Has anyone put together a group program for the administrative assistants at their company to promote communication, education, training, etc? I have been asked to organize a quarterly meeting and I need a starting point. If anyone has done this and has suggestions or ideas, I would greatly appreciate the help!  -- Anonymous

Question: One of my co-workers becomes defensive when I or anyone else offers constructive criticism. The last time I made a suggestion, she acted very offended and said she felt that I was telling her that she wasn't doing her job well.

We share a workspace for part of the day, and I'd like to suggest a more effective way to keep the area neat and full of resources for others who may have to cover in our absence. How do I broach this topic with such a sensitive co-worker?  -- K.R., New York

Here's a primer on what sexual harassment is and how to react when you see it.

If you operate a business that's open to the public, you're legally required to make the premises accessible to disabled customers. That may include creating wheelchair ramps, wider aisles or reconfiguring your restrooms.

Q: I bought a second home computer recently because my new job requires communication at all times, and my kids are always on our other computer. I use the new machine to interact with clients from home. Since my employer is all for it, can I deduct the computer's cost? M.L.P., New York

Question: I work as an exec. assistant in a medium-sized business.  Given my computer knowledge, I was assigned the responsibility of helping to maintain our company's ever-expanding Web site, which details our company's history, current events, newsletter, etc.  We began this project 3 years into my employment with the company and at that time, hired an outside consultant who runs her own Web site-development company here in town to help me.

She and I grew close, and I considered her a co-worker in all aspects of the word, even though she worked in a consultant role for my bosses and wasn't technically an onsite employee.  We e-mailed back and forth every so often every week for several years, and the site grew to be the best it had been in a long time.  Her areas of expertise lay in the artistic-design area of Web site design, and any technical issues were passed on to her Web site admin host, who was usually very quick to resolve any issues at all.  I usually don't cross ANY line between work and personal life, but in many ways, I felt like we knew one another as co-workers more than my OWN co-workers.  I invited her to my wedding; she came and gave me a lovely gift and we were able to chat that day and say hello.

With the sudden onslaught of spam on the Net about a year to two years ago, her Web site admin had technical issues of his own and we suddenly started experiencing an onslaught of spam e-mails.  Things got really, really bad for a period of time during which we experienced lost e-mail and problems with being able to retrieve and send e-mail.  Each time, I worked with this woman and she told me the same thing: It's a technical issue; it's out of their hands. This is an overall problem affecting everyone online these days. There's nothing they can do about this right now. Keep deleting it.

My bosses finally got fed up and, because of this very issue, "fired" her by literally telling her that we would not be renewing her contract.  I can't say I blame them from a business standpoint: It was really wreaking a lot of havoc, AND there are such things as spam blocker programs out now that work!!.  My bosses didn't tell her specifically WHY they were doing this, just THAT they were doing it, and kept me out of the loop.

The problem is this:  I have been too embarrassed to keep in touch.  I don't want to bring up what happened and I know it is probably a sore point because we were, at that point, her most long-term client.  It isn't anything personal against her that we had to end this business relationship, but I feel the loss of our contact.

Unbeknownst to my co-workers, my boss and this woman, I am currently considering a lateral job move to another company for personal and health reasons.  I need all the local references I can get, and I would love to use her as a reference but don't want to open up a nasty can of worms.   

Do I just keep quiet and not contact this person and chalk this up to "This is why you don't develop friendships with co-workers outside of business hours"?  Or do I shoot myself in the foot by not using this valuable contact?

Any suggestions?  What would you do?

Thanks.  -- Confused N.Y. State Admin

Unless you're a CPA or a tax nerd, the term MACRS can be daunting. It stands for Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System, which is the standard federal-income tax method for depreciating the cost of your business assets.

Question: I work with a person who has recently been promoted into the management ranks. My problem is that she over explains the simplest thing. I hate to interact with her because it is time-consuming. How can I handle this situation? Last week, she started to go into a detailed explanation and I cut her off by asking what the answer was. FYI, she isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.  -- Karin

Question: My friend was sent on an interview by a placement agency.

She felt uneasy about the position after the interview because they told her that she would have to work overtime frequently. She, unexpectedly, was offered the position although she let the company know that she needed a set schedule.

When the agency called my friend, she told them that she was concerned about the overtime that she was told would be expected of her. She told the agency that, to make an informed decision, she wanted to speak to the interviewer again to get clarification. She was told that she could not contact the employer directly.

The agent told her that she had spoken w/other people whom she had placed with the company, and none had worked overtime in the past few months. The agent also told her that if she was concerned about not being able to pick up her kids up from daycare on time, most daycares are open until 6 p.m., so a little bit of overtime shouldn't affect her.

Is it me or does this sound suspect? I realize that these placement agencies are salespeople and will make the position sound as great as possible to get their fee.

My friend doesn't want to take a position and end up having to leave soon after. Should she go against what the placement agent said and contact the company directly, or just refuse the job and risk not being sent on another interview again? The agent was very upset about her apprehension.  -- Vita, Pittsburgh

Question: I have been given a project that defines the position expectations for the roles of a secretary, executive secretary and admin assistant.  Would you have anything like this request? I have attempted to start this spreadsheet and I think this is the direction that the executives are looking for. I would deeply appreciate any assistance you can give me.  -- Joy Lepper

To view Joy's spreadsheet, please visit www.nibm.net/descriptions

Question: I have a new boss who does not "own it" when she makes a mistake. We often have to communicate with notes, since she is out of her office in meetings most of almost every day.  This is a very busy office with lots of deadlines to meet, so time management is essential.

Recently, she left me a note requiring an answer. I responded by note and returned it to her in-box. A few days later, we were talking about the note contents and I mentioned to her that I had responded and put the note in her office.  She said she "never" got it.
I told her I put it in her in-box, but she once again said she never got it.

When I again gave her the info she was seeking, I looked in her in-box and there was my note to her. She had not even bothered to go through her box.

This happens a lot and it makes me very frustrated with her. When I brought the note to her attention, she just talked over me and said the matter was a "done deal."

Any ideas how I can forgive and forget and not get so frustrated?  -- Anonymous, Wyoming

Question: The executive director where I work keeps e-mailing job ads for out-of-state positions to my boss. Isn't that considered harassment?

My boss said he just deletes them. It seems rather unprofessional.

So far, I haven't received an e-mail of this nature, but if I do, what would be the best way to handle the situation?  -- Anonymous

Congress often tinkers with the tax code, but rarely does it throw business owners a brand-new deduction. That's why last year's tax law—the American Jobs Creation Act— created such a stir. Starting in 2005, the law authorizes a new write-off for qualified manufacturers that could eventually amount to a 3 percent rate cut.

Question: I have been working as an HR and admin coordinator for more than a year and have been much appreciated for my dedication and commitment, to the extent that I am up for a promotion.

Recently, a new employee joined the company in the same position and, although I have gone out of my way to make her feel welcome and shared all my tips and so much of my experience, when I spoke to her regarding a small issue, she responded in a rude and loud manner. I tried to talk it over with her and make it work, but she continued shouting and acting obscene. I approached my manager about the new person’s behavior, but my manager told me that I have to be more polite, since I may have come across as rude to the new person, who is probably sensitive.

Hello!! I was the one being shouted at while trying to be diplomatic and polite!!

I need advice urgently because I would hate to ruin the relationship I have with my manager, and I also don’t want to be falling over myself to be nice. I am, after all, the senior one here!  -- Anonymous

Question: Not really a problem; more of a call for advice. Starting with the August issue, I’ll be the new editor of Personal Report for the Administrative Professional. I’d like to hear from you as to what you’d like to see more of — and less of — in the newsletter each month. What tough issues would you like me to tackle in the coming months? In the coming year?

Thanks, in advance, for your guidance.  -- Alice Bumgarner

Question: What advice do you have for an admin who is new to supervising others?  -- Anonymous

She has made several serious mistakes, all of which she has an "answer" for.  Even when I showed her the mistakes in black and white, she just said "Hmmm. I don't know what happened."

I have had three serious reviews with her, threatened to have her use her one-week paid vacation to contemplate working here, told her flat out  that her job “is on the line.”

She is pleasant, almost too pleasant at work, never complains, but rarely accomplishes anything.
I need her position filled with a capable bookkeeper. She knows a lot about our particular business, so training someone new will be a long process. Our employee pool in our community is severely limited.

I need help making a final determination to keep her, reduce her hours or just cut my losses and move on.

I have a small bookkeeping company; the clients like continuity.  HELP!!!!  -- Shelley Weiser

Question: I have taken on the task of creating an internal newsletter.  We have 14 employees (4 professional engineers, 7 consultants and 3 admin staff) located in 7 different states.  Our internal communication is very weak due to workload and the geographical distance.   Our company consisted of 5 employees in the same office until 2 years ago.  I feel that an e-mailed newsletter would be a good way to communicate with everyone.

Question: I'm an executive assistant to the president & CEO who, in his 23 years of business, never really had an assistant before. He's mentioned once or twice that he doesn't know how he ever did it without me.

I think he understands the benefits of having an assistant, but he still does not "keep me in the loop" as I expect he should, mainly concerning his schedule. I sit in a room directly behind the receptionist and next to his office. He'll walk right by me and tell her where he's going to be. I thought maybe it was because she's been here for so long, but he also does that with the temp who is currently filling in for the receptionist.

From the road, he'll call everyone else—rarely me—and tell them what he's doing for the day. I have told him that to successfully perform my job duties, I need him to communicate his schedule to me. I even set us up on a shared MS Outlook calendar to make it easier. He said he would try harder to keep me informed, but it's not working. I'm thinking about calling him every morning to check in. Is there anything else I can do?? Please help!  -- A.S.

Question: I am an Executive Assistant who works for a small non-for profit organization (65 employees). We had a CEO who was recently asked to resign (November). We have six Directors and one was asked to be Interim President & CEO while a search firm conducts a search for a new president.

Question: If you have a mentor, how did you find that person and build the relationship? What is the best advice your mentor has given you?  -- Amy Beth Miller, Editor, Personal Report for the Administrative Professional

Question: I work for a government agency as a sole support person for about 25 people. With this many people also comes a wide variety of personalities. A handful of these people tend to take their moods or personal problems out on me when they give me work to do. I have talked to the head of our group about this problem and was told to remain even-keeled and not respond to their rude comments. One such comment:  “I don’t want to hear about it; I just want you to do it.”

That came from a stressed-out employee who was demonstrating angry body language. A personal situation was causing the stress, and the employee even called in sick the following day.

If I can’t talk to the person giving me an assignment about the assignment, what am I to do? Things like this happen a couple times a month. When I mentioned  that I thought these instances constituted verbal abuse, the head of our group told me that it would have to be witnessed, and the witness and I would have to document it. I’m currently looking for another position and, in the meantime, would like some suggestions on how to deal with these unpleasantries.  -- Anonymous, Washington

Question: “I don’t want to be the office computer expert for the nonprofit organization where I work. I’m tired of helping people who don’t have computer skills. This is a small office, and none of the people asking for help is in my department or in any way associated with what I do. “Most of the time the questions aren’t related to work. They want me to show them how to download pictures of their grandchild from an e-mail or how to rotate an image. They also want me to show them the advanced features of Word, such as mail merge. “I’ve paid my own money to take computer classes. I also obtained an office automation certificate while I was unemployed. I buy books on computer topics and read several magazines. These people don’t do any of these things. “Since I won’t share my computer skills, they’ve tried a slow down. If I need something, they delay or try to ignore my request. What should I do?” -- Anonymous

Just because e-mail is handy doesn't make it efficient. Indeed, three out of four people delete an e-mail before they finish reading it, a recent survey found.

If you're shopping for cheaper phone service, include companies that sell Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, services to small businesses.

Say your marketing director breaks his leg during an after-hours employee basketball-league game. Who's responsible? Courts are very likely to say your company is.

A well-written job-offer letter can clear up miscommunication about the compensation and job duties, plus it gives candidates a sense of security when resigning from their current job to join your company.

For many U.S. taxpayers, "March Mad-ness" has nothing to do with college basketball. It's all about dashing around gathering receipts, filling out forms, meeting with your tax guru and hoping you'll emerge victorious in the 1040 game.

Ever feel like a surrogate parent with certain young, entry-level workers? You're not alone.

Quick quiz: If you hire temporary employees, what does your contract with the temp agency say about performing background checks? Is it your duty? Is it theirs?

Making a sale is worthless if you never receive payment. Many companies make the fatal mistake in their collection process of either letting debtors off too easily or turning them off for good.

The Federal Communications Commission ruled last month that consumers can, for the first time, transfer their land-line phone numbers to their cell phones.