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.

Five Detroit police officers have filed a lawsuit challenging a department policy that forces pregnant officers to go on sick leave as soon as their supervisors find out they’re pregnant.

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 ...

Your boss’s gender can affect just how much pain he or she seems to inflict. Researchers at the University of Toronto compared men and women working in one of three situations: (1) for a lone male supervisor, (2) for a lone female supervisor, or (3) for both a male and a female supervisor. Which one sent the stress meter off the scale?

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. Your goal: Do what needs to be done ... without killing productivity.

Employers sometimes come up with some very specific rules for when and how employees must call in to let their bosses know they will miss work. Sometimes those rules become contracts ...

If you have a zero-tolerance policy for employees drinking alcohol on duty, employees who are fired for breaking the rules may be denied unemployment compensation benefits—even if the employee wasn’t impaired enough to be criminally charged with drunken driving.

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.

Two former Neiman Marcus loss prevention investigators who were fired from Neiman Marcus in October 2007 for having sex on the job are suing the company for illegally videotaping them.

In October, the University of Illinois released a statement informing students and faculty that a state ethics law bars state workers from political activities on campus. Students and faculty protested, claiming the university was trampling on their First Amendment rights.

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University professor who died of cancer in July at age 47, earned a devout following after delivering his “last lecture” in 2007. He later gave another lecture, this one specifically about time management. Here are a few of his simple, yet powerful tips.

When Barack Obama takes office in January, get ready for the most sweeping employment-law changes the HR world has seen in years. Attorney Mike Fox walks you through the legislation likely to reshape HR, possibly even in the first 100 days of the Obama administration. Here’s how to prepare.

Cincinnati Police Officers Keith Fangman and Paul Graves Jr. filed a class-action lawsuit challenging city rules they say prevented them from supporting their chosen presidential candidates.

Employees who take intermittent leave can wreak havoc with work schedules. Because their conditions can flare up at any time, their absences are by nature unpredictable. But there are ways you can legally curtail intermittent leave. One way is to use the calendar-year method to set FMLA leave eligibility.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a survey indicating that two buildings at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland did not cause cancer among employees. The union representing some NASA employees says it isn’t satisfied.