In business writing, you don’t receive extra credit for slathering your sentences with fancy phrases, the way you did in college. Do that in a memo or e-mail, and you can expect eyes to glaze over. Here are five "less is more" tips for writing more effectively at work.

Most managers rely too much on a list of standard interview questions for which most applicants have canned responses. Instead, try these queries, each designed to get applicants to really tell you about themselves and their skills. Plus, read the winning entries from our just-concluded HR Professionals Week question: What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever experienced in a job interview?

President Obama has signed legislation to extend until March 31 eligibility for the 65%, 15-month COBRA premium subsidy to individuals who have involuntarily lost their jobs. It's the second time the subsidy has been extended. Will it be the last?

The results are in—and we have a winner! At the beginning of HR Professionals Week 2010, which wraps up today, we asked you to tell us about memorable things that have happened to you during job interviews. And tell us you did.

What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever experienced in a job interview?

Next came voting, in which you chose your favorite response. Thanks to everyone who took the time to cast a ballot. Now we've got the results.

With competition hot for open positions, the pressure is on for job seekers to have flawless interview skills. But sometimes they choke under that pressure. Here are 10 classic job interview flubs recently uncovered in a nationwide survey of hiring managers. Add your own in a special HR Professionals Week edition of the HR Specialist Forum.

The federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has postponed implementation of new regs that would have required employers to report any medical benefits payments to employees who are eligible for Medicare. Despite the delay, you need to know about this new requirement if you're self-insured or pay deductibles on Employment Practices Liability Insurance.

It is remarkable that a seemingly simple, one-page form—the Form I-9—can cause so many headaches. But who ever said a government form was easy, much less an immigration-related form. Here are the most common mistakes employers make.

It’s a myth that good work makes a good career—rather, good office politics makes a good career, says career columnist Penelope Trunk. Here’s are four common-sense rules to follow. They'll make people want to work with you, and boost your credibility and influence in the process.

Of course you have an electronic communications policy governing how employees use e-mail and the web at work. But have you considered what can happen when employees forward e-mails from a company computer to their private, personal e-mail accounts? The risks: bad publicity, lawsuits and exposure of trade secrets.

Ahead of this week's summit between the White House and Congressional Republicans and Democrats, President Obama has released his last-gasp proposal for reforming the nation’s health care system. Several elements of the new plan could affect HR—if the proposal ever becomes law.

Here’s something to consider the next time you’re pondering whether or not to settle an employment lawsuit: A pair of new studies say that a judge’s race and gender can make a huge difference in the outcome of the cases he or she hears.

The Senate on Feb. 9 failed to confirm labor lawyer Craig Becker’s appointment to the National Labor Relations Board, but employer organizations fear it’s only a matter of time before Becker takes his board seat anyway. President Obama could invoke his Constitutional right to make crucial appointments on his own while Congress is in recess, as it is this week.

You’re probably familiar with the legislative fight brewing over the proposed Employee Free Choice Act. That debate has spotlighted a fact many employers don’t realize: Nonunion employers must comply with requirements of the National Labor Relations Act. To help you comply, here are the major traps to watch for.

The Senate on Feb. 9 failed to confirm labor lawyer Craig Becker’s appointment to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), but employer organizations fear it’s only a matter of time before Becker takes his board seat anyway. That could have an even greater effect on labor relations than the controversial Employee Free Choice Act. If Becker becomes a member of the NLRB, could your employees be forced to unionize against their will?