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Since their pay is associated with time worked, hourly employees -- and even highly paid technical consultants -- are more likely to link workplace happiness with their pay checks, according to a new study. The same is true for attorneys, who bill by the hour. But placing an emphasis on pay to drive productivity is a mistake.

As the Amy Bishop case shows, how and when to communicate suspicious behavior is still the toughest nut to crack in assessing and responding to safety threats. Many well-intended threat-assessment teams create thick, intimidating manuals that advise how and when to report threats. It's better to keep it simple, experts say.

Even though a nondisclosure agreement was not involved, a senior executive was ruled ineligible to move on to a new job because of the trade secrets he knew about his former employer. Such an agreement might have helped the company that wanted to hire him, however.

The recession hasn't hit many government workers as hard as private counterparts, as compensation remains competitive and benefits are often far better than can be found in the private sector. Observers, however, say tough times may be ahead for state and local government employees.

Workplace violence against hospital nurses is so common, many healthcare practitioners don't bother to file reports. But that attitude is changing. HR leaders of healthcare facilities should increase training for nurses -- to equip them to deal with potentially volatile situation -- as well as enhance reporting and response mechanisms, experts say.

The federal government's ostensible plan to begin selling annuities to both corporations and their employees through company-sponsored retirement plans has raised many concerns in the HR community.

Women are still being denied their fair share of top leadership positions in the corporate world, but when women are pushed too far, too fast, it may harm an organization's bottom line. Companies should create transition processes that promote success.

Leave-donation programs -- which allow workers to donate paid leave to coworkers -- had been rising steadily until last year. Employers that offer them tend to employ large numbers of working mothers. One expert says more companies than ever are looking into them.

Federal investigations -- and a lawsuit -- into allegations of mistreatment of temporary guest workers from India are drawing negative attention to the H-2B visa program. HR leaders need to make sure their companies treat such workers ethically and humanely, and only use reputable recruiting agencies that do not make false promises. Even then, however, combined with high unemployment in this country, the bringing in of foreign workers can be a "toxic" mix.

The Obama administration is bringing back an ergonomics record-keeping rule issued by the Clinton administration, but rejected by former President George W. Bush. Experts, who say the proposed rule may pave the way for increased citations, advise HR leaders to proactively pay closer attention training and record-keeping issues.

The risks and opportunities of Web 2.0 for HR professionals in the hospitality industry was the subject of a keynote speech, while a large panel of senior-level HR leaders, academicians, attorneys and thought leaders batted around such issues as sexual harassment, union organizing and employee engagement.

Organizational success is an impossibility without the partnership of employees in the enterprise, said the keynote speaker during the first day of the HR in Hospitality (tm) Conference. Another session dealt with troublesome legal issues affecting the industry, while a third session explored the differences between the art and science of HR.

A proposed new position at the Department of Labor is designed to improve enforcement effectiveness, but business organizations fear that the political appointee put in charge will instead focus enforcement efforts on those companies that are the targets of union-organizing campaigns. In the past, career civil servants would have been put in charge of such work, observers say.

More money allocated toward enforcing labor laws -- including those regulating employee classification, safety and payment of unemployment insurance -- could force companies to clean up their acts. Or would it be more likely to hinder today's No. 1 economic issue: job creation? President Obama's proposed budget also addresses retirement issues and workforce-readiness training.

Too many cautious employers are creating a difficult job market, especially for college graduates. The last three recessions have been jobless recoveries, and this recession -- which economists report has officially ended -- is expected to be no different. One expert says the nation's economic health depends on small business to pick up the banner.