The job market is slowly but surely recovering from the 2007-2009 recession. As hiring increases across the United States, more and more people are leaving their jobs voluntarily. In fact, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, since the recession, the number of voluntary separations has increased by 49 percent. So, how can you as an employer stop or reduce this significantly increasing voluntary turnover? One answer is by analyzing the reasons that employees are leaving. This can be done through an exit interview, ensuring that there is a conversation and not just an automated questionnaire. The difficult part once you have found out why employees are leaving, is to address the issues and come up with long-term solutions.

Most people agree that the explosion in technological advances over the past century has made the world a smaller and more closely linked place. And it’s also changed and expanded the way that people do business and made it easier to overcome previously impenetrable geographic barriers. Despite the ease and utility provided by modern technology, companies still continue to send their employees abroad in record numbers. And they do so for a variety of reasons. Some large MNCs (multi-national corporations) view international work experience as a core competency. Smaller businesses may see expansion into a new market via business development and marketing as critical to diversifying their consumer base. Some companies look to offshore certain parts of their operations to achieve cost savings. If your organization is considering sending even just one employee overseas, think carefully about how you plan to address the following things:

Congratulations to those organizations recently honored for building a “culture of intention”! Being named a Helios Apollo Awardee, a Best Places to Work, or an Outstanding Corporate Citizen, is a testament to the level of impact your leadership is making on your organization, your team and the community.

Workplace bullying is a problem that has gotten a great deal of attention lately because of the NFL case involving a Miami Dolphins player who walked away from the team due to alleged harassment from his peers, and co-workers in October 2013. An independent investigation was recently completed and released verifying the player’s claims that he was in fact bullied by his teammates.

Celebrating birthdays in the workplace is a great way to create a positive environment and form productive relationships between colleagues. Every organization does things differently, but I think it is important to implement a “birthday celebration” policy that works for your business. It’s also important to note that you don’t have to have a large budget to celebrate. There are many different and thoughtful things you can do to that don’t cost anything. Below are some ideas that I have either come up with or experienced and enjoyed.

When used properly, ICs (Independent Contractors) can be an excellent way to augment business services and operations. Classification continues to be hot button issue with the IRS. Misclassifying a position as an IC (also referred to as a 1099) when the position should be classified as an employee can create significant liability for a business, small or large. One of the more well known cases in recent memory involved a suit that Microsoft settled with a group of Independent Contractors for nearly $100M. At issue in the Microsoft suit was participation in various benefit programs, including employee stock options. But even small companies may find themselves targets of litigation. To help you understand exactly what is at stake, here are some areas of risk to keep in mind: