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December 21, 2012

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Initial unemployment claims stay below key level
First-time jobless claims in the U.S. increased 17,000 last week, but the total held below the closely watched threshold of 400,000. Many economists see a claims level of fewer than 400,000 as an indicator that the labor market is modestly improving. MSNBC/The Maddow Blog (12/20), Reuters (12/20)

Recruiting & Retention

Are you overselling your company to job candidates?
Don't push candidates too hard to accept a job offer, Jeff Haden writes. "An employee grateful for an opportunity approaches her first days at work much differently than an employee who feels she is doing you a favor by joining your team," Haden writes. Inc. online (free registration) (12/20)

HR technology can predict employees' behavior, expert says
HR technology makes it possible for companies to predict when employees are going to quit before the employees themselves know, staffing manager Julie Loubaton says. MonsterThinking.com (12/20)

Other News

"Can you dance?" is rated among this year's dumbest interview questions
CNNMoney/Fortune (12/19)

Benefits & Compensation

Office perks keep on coming in Silicon Valley
A vending machine at Evernote dispenses electronic gadgets when an employee scans their ID badge. Massages, treadmill desks and intra-office scooters are other ways that companies in California's Silicon Valley are participating in the "perks arms race," Megan Garber writes. The Atlantic (12/2012)

Company offers incentives for unselfish behavior
Technology company NetStandard says it wants to foster a positive workplace environment by offering "team-building" incentives for behavior that might include helping another employee get a car started or volunteering at charity events. Participating workers are given points that can be redeemed for things such as extra vacation time. American City Business Journals/Kansas City, Mo. (12/20)

Regulatory & Legal Update

Labor laws lead Ohio restaurant to implement no-tipping policy
Casa Nueva, a restaurant in Athens, Ohio, has stopped allowing its employees to accept tips. The restaurant had used a system in which all employees shared tips, but ended the practice after the U.S. Labor Department announced it would enforce rules that prohibit certain types of employees from participating in tip pools. Slate (12/19)

Featured Content

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Marketers: Omni-channel Doesn't Mean Every Channel

The HR Leader

Lessons on business and happiness from a Starbucks barista
Business leaders may be able to learn from one especially cheerful Starbucks barista whom Ryan Estis says he ran into while traveling a couple of years ago. The barista explained that she was so friendly because happy customers enriched her life. "Instead of focusing on how to be successful, focus on how to be helpful," Estis says. PassionOnPurposeBlog.com (12/20)

Workplace Chatter

A doctor watches "Home Alone"
In "Home Alone," 8-year-old Kevin deters would-be burglars with falling paint cans, a blowtorch, a falling iron and a super-heated door knob. That would be enough to leave the intruders crippled, with multiple fractures, missing teeth and likely skull necrosis, says Dr. Ryan St. Clair of Weill Cornell Medical College. "Kevin has moved from 'defending his house' into sheer malice, in my opinion," St. Clair says. The Week (12/20)

Editor's Note

Best of 2012: 18 SmartBrief interviews with industry thought leaders

SmartBrief's SmartBlogs network interviewed 18 industry thought leaders this month. Find out what these leaders are projecting for their industries in 2013, and see what other free SmartBrief newsletters you may be missing out on. Learn more.

Position Title	Company Name	Location
Executive Comp Program Manager	Microsoft	Redmond, WA
Human Resources Director	Sidley Austin LLP	Washington, DC
Senior Human Resources Consultant	Vanderbilt University Medical Center	Greater Nashville Area, TN
Customer service Representative/Bookkeeper	Duval Art Couture	Nationwide, United States

Click here to view more job listings.

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Recent SmartBrief on Workforce Issues: Thursday, December 20, 2012 Wednesday, December 19, 2012 Tuesday, December 18, 2012 Monday, December 17, 2012 Friday, December 14, 2012			Lead Editor: Sam Taute Editor at Large: China Gorman Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004