With a new year comes new laws – even for the workplace. To that end, I'd urge everyone to hop online and check out any new laws that may have gone into effect in your part of the planet. After doing a quick check myself, I caught a glimpse of what the law in California now looks like.

For example, if you are addicted to your hand-held input device (I'll leave the copyrighted name of the device out of this post), you might be sad / angry / furious to know that you can't send text messages while driving anymore. And, yes, an e-mail is a text message, just like an SMS is.

Also, did you know that in California, if you're an executive, professional, sales and admin people who makes over $100,000 a year, you're exempt from overtime. Don't laugh software engineers; most of you are now exempt from overtime if you make $75k per year.

Employers, bad news, even though I'm sure none of you ever do this – it's now illegal to ask an employee to fill out a knowingly wrong time sheet as a condition of payment.

These are just some of the new things going on in the world of work in 2009. I'm sure that the new laws in California are quite tame compared to some of the other laws you're likely to find!

Despite the economic mess, there are still good jobs out there for those of you seeking new careers. This article at Careerbuilder.com by Rachel Zupek lists a number of these and their salaries.

According to Zupek, "The labor force is expected to increase by 12.8 million workers over the 2006 -2016 period, according to the BLS. Total employment is expected to increase by 10 percent to 166.2 million over that period as well, while an estimated 15.6 million jobs will be added by 2016. While that year seems like a long way off today, a certain number of new jobs will be added each year leading up to 2016 - including in 2009."

The number one job on her list is Public Relations Manager - a pretty surprising result, one might think, but justified by the fact that companies are trying to use alternative methods to get themselves out there besides advertising.

Purchasing agent, claims adjuster, human resources specialists, and budget analyst help round out the top five. The salaries range from $72,452 per year for the Public Relations job to $56,924 for the Budget Analyst position.

Computer programmers and those in various IT jobs are still in high demand and show no signs of slowing. Electrical engineers are still in demand as well as writers and editors. Careers in the medical field such as pharmacists are also featured.

So, if you are looking to make that career change, you may want to do your research. While not all jobs listed are going to have numerous openings, one of the jobs listed might be a better shot than others.

It's hard to believe that yet another year has gone by. The workplace has certainly been an interesting place this year; it certainly isn't for the meek! While we've seen some highs, the year kind of went out on a negative flourish of job loss and fear of job loss.

As we look to 2009, it's hard to stay positive and hope that the worst is behind us. From where I write in France, the general mood is that the layoffs will come - and in mass quantities - soon after the New Year. So, what does that mean for us?

For most of us, it means staying in the job we're at – it's hard to believe that job hunting at the moment, especially when you have a job, is a professional "best practice". But it should also mean is that this is a period of careful reflection.

Personally, in bad economic times, I like to re-focus on my job to make sure that I'm doing the best job I can. I don't want to give my employer any ammunition whatsoever if he or she is looking to get rid of me.

Also, it's a good time to start asking "what if?" What will you do if you lose your job? How long will you stay afloat financially? Do you have any other professional skills upon which you can fall back? Do you have any ways of keeping your skills sharp in the event that you are unemployed for a significant period of time?

These aren't the most positive questions to ask, especially when it's out with the old, and in with the new. However, in a global slump, everyone owes it to themselves to ask the pointed questions.

I was always taught to avoid three topics in polite company: religion, money, and politics. Fortunately, the workplace is not polite company, quite the contrary, so I suppose all three topics are theoretically fair game! However, a recent lawsuit filed in California begs to differ, and from where I sit, they've hit the nail right on the head.

Employees at Diskeeper were required by their CEO to attend Scientology-based training sessions as part of their employment. One employee took particular exception to this rule and expressed his disagreement. The CEO, a rather devout Scientologist, insisted that this was "non-negotiable" and that the employee must attend as a condition of employment.

The employer took the issue to his manager, who supported the employee. As a result, both employees were subsequently dismissed. As one might guess, they are both suing Diskeeper for religious discrimination and employment law violations.

Assuming that the details in the suit are true and accurate, this should be a shut-and-closed case. Employers, no matter how large their salary, ego, or religious conviction, simply cannot force their employees to submit to propaganda promoting the CEO's religion.

If you really need an explanation as to why, then I'm not really sure my explanation would suffice. Quite simply, it is unethical to expect one's employees to have the same religious beliefs and practices as yours. In fact, those beliefs and practices have nothing to do with one's employment and should be kept to one's self.

Though the CEO of Diskeeper may feel that I'm intolerant by holding such views; my views would keep people employed for their talents rather than sacked for their beliefs.

Is the stress of your job wearing you out, keeping you away from home and driving you insane? What better time than the new year to make a resolution to try to balance your home life and your work life a bit better?

As author Susan Ward explains, first learn the word "delegate" and then learn how to do it more often. You don't necessarily have to do all of the work yourself. You can become a better employee and a better manager by delegating the work to others.

Ward also suggests that you learn something new. "What you choose to learn may be directly related to your business…or completely unrelated. Learning something new will add to your skills and add a new dimension of interest to your life - another important part of achieving a healthy work-life balance. Depending on how you choose to learn, you may meet new and interesting people, who may become customers, colleagues, or friends."

You should also actually take out your calendar and put time down for yourself. Only by doing that can you give yourself permission to step back from your work and find some time to relax or spend time with your family.

She also suggests that you set goals that are realistic for you and your work or your business. By setting goals that are too unrealistic, you are going to spend more time working and less time feeling accomplished.

There are other suggestions in the article as well. Perhaps by taking them to heart you can learn a better way to work and still save your sanity. Doing that could be the best resolution you can make in the new year.

Did you know that managers are valued more for their people skills than their technical knowledge? Well, the Washington Business Journal says it's so, so who am I to question it?

But what does that mean in reality? Doesn't going for a manager who is lacking in technical skills (especially in fields that require them) mean that you're diluting your product, or even brand?

There is a case to be made for people with good people skills. Just look around your office. According to this article, 40% of a manager's time is spent putting out fires – in other words, dealing with people and their "issues". The other 60% of the time is wishing he hadn't hired so-and-so.

Looking around at your colleagues, you'll see what I mean. We're a complex bunch of beings, us humans, and our foibles can make the workplace less pleasant for some.

In every place I've worked, the characters have always been the same. You have your ambitious, go-getter type. Then, you have the princess who manages to get out of work. There's always the geek, and then the anti-social guy, etc.

The poor manager who has to rub all those egos and make his team work like clockwork, well - there's no amount of money you can put on that!

We can help by learning to be better with our emotions and not letting them get hold of us. Rationality is the key to getting through the workday. The only question is this: who is managing the manager and his or her emotions?

Today's post can be filed under "things I shouldn't have to tell you, because you're too old and (supposedly) too smart ". OK - let's talk about domestic abuse. Now, perhaps you're thinking that I should pipe down and talk about something related to the workplace. Ok, fair enough: domestic violence in the workplace is on the rise.

A recent report (and an alarming one at that) discussed how spousal abuse, which one used to be the dirty and dark secret that people didn't discuss, is now rearing its ugly head at the office. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is due to married couples who work together and couldn't separate their professional and private lives. I'm talking about enraged spouses (read: husbands) tracking their wives down at their place of business to finish what they started.

I suppose that it's really not surprising. After all, someone who engages in this behavior at home isn't likely to have enough smarts or reason to keep it there. Besides, as the article points out, an abused woman's likely place of peace and normalcy is when she's at work. These guys are now ready to take away even that! One can assume that this is more of a problem in small to midsized companies that do not require employees to badge in or guests to be approved before gaining entry.

In addition to the obvious toll on the victim, it's also a frightful experience for colleagues to witness. Do they jump in and help? What if the abuser is carrying a knife or gun? What happens if it goes from yelling or humiliation to violence? What responsibility, if any, does a victim have to alert their employer that their spouse may be capable of coming to the office to harass them?

Unfortunately, this topic raises me questions than answers. If you have any answers, I'd love to hear them!

A good friend or former co-worker has suddenly found himself or herself out of a job. What do you say? It's almost as difficult as speaking to someone who has experienced a death in the family. Eve Tahmincioglu, on MSNBC.com, has an article with some advice from experts.

Some people feel a form of "survivors guilt" when they still have a job but their friends have found themselves suddenly on the unemployment line. At the same time, these people are also very afraid that their own jobs could be cut at any time. This creates a fine line to walk when talking to co-workers and friends.

Psychotherapist Karen Romine has the following advice.

"The main challenge in this situation is that most of us project onto the laid-off person how we'd feel if we were laid off. In most cases, this means we see them as a helpless victim who's in real trouble. The truth is, while it's a setback, it's not nearly as bad as we tend to think."

When dealing with the survivor's guilt, another expert advises you to avoid going "overboard." Try not to extol the virtues of your life and how great things are or then going the other way and laying on thick how bad you think things are.

Simply say "I'm sorry" to the friend who informs you they have lost a job and offer specific support where you can. Try not to offer money and become an ATM to friends who are unemployed, but offering help where you can is fine.

It's not easy to deal with and the emotions of someone unemployed are similar to those who have experience a death. Be cautious, be aware, but try not to be too awkward or self-conscious. Doing so can end up making your friend feel worse.

Reward consultancy Watson Wyatt has published this list of 10 ways that organisations can keep a lid on their compensation costs during a downturn. Before you do anything in a hurry, we'd suggest you read it carefully!

Focus on your key talent

Managers need to be focusing what resources they have on keeping and rewarding their key talent, as these are the people you need most to get through the difficult times and will also need to have in place and firing on all cylinders when the economy recovers

Be careful what and who you cut
Don't make harmful short-term cuts. It's important before cutting to carry out a strategic workforce planning review to understand your current and future talent requirements and to ensure your business has the necessary resources and skills for the upturn.

Ensure performance management is understood
Ensure your performance management process is effectively understood by your employees and delivered well by line management. It should not be seen as simply a process for identifying and culling underperformers, but a way to raise performance throughout the organisation.

Don't abandon bonuses
Don't abandon performance pay and bonuses but instead target them on your top performers and refocus them on realistic but stretching targets that will promote the right behaviours in this new environment.

Review sales targets
Review sales targets and territory strategies to focus your sales force on the largest opportunities. For many businesses, now is not the time to reduce investment in sales.

Look for cost savings
A review of business processes, HR policies and tax and administration could reveal untapped efficiencies. Examples could include shorter working weeks, changes to travel policies, and salary sacrifice for pensions contributions, where savings can come through within a few months of implementation. Promote the total reward message
Keep communicating the value of your total rewards. A tendency to focus on base salary means that employees generally underestimate the full value of their total reward package. Ensure employees know just how valuable their total reward package is to them.

Review executive reward
Review executive compensation to ensure the package is aligned to shareholder requirements, but still retains key executives.

Don't damage your employer brand
Don't harm your employer brand by not delivering on your employee value proposition the moment things get tough. Live it through tough times and you will maintain an engaged and productive workforce.

Keep talking
Be as open as you can with employees about your current HR and reward strategies. Silence breeds fear and reduces employees' engagement with the organisation. Employees know you don't have all the answers or can offer guarantees about the future.

We're really a lot like dogs, if you think about it. Surprised? You shouldn't be, because as a whole raft of studies demonstrate, what most of us crave at work is recognition and praise for a job well done.

In that respect, we're a lot like my golden retriever – give her a good home and a pat on the head, and she's your friend. Give us a positive working environment and acknowledge the work we put in, and we're your good employee.

If I sound a bit glib, I don't mean to be. What I'm trying to point out is how marveled we can be by how easy dogs are to please, while it doesn't take much either for us to be contented at work. Management can take the cue and provide simpler pleasures, including praise, to get the best out of us.

It's very easy to get run down or frustrated after a hard day of work; I bet a large number of people go home stressed only to make their poor families endure the results. That could easily be changed. Don't get me wrong, it takes more than a pat on the head to make things right. Providing a positive work environment with competent management who takes into account their company's worker's needs is a huge step in making that happen.

If you were able to ask your boss for just one thing this Christmas, what would it be? Over at CNN.com, Anthony Balderrama has some interesting ideas.

According to Balderrama, "Given the chance…many employees would ask the boss for simple upgrades in their daily lives. As nice as the corner office would be, signs of respect would be just as appreciated."

One worker, interviewed for the article stated, "If you could actually give me a performance review this year, that would be splendid. And maybe a cost-of-living raise. I haven't gotten either in almost two years now."

Many of those interviewed had some humorous ideas, but just beneath the surface lurk some real issues.

Take, for example, the employee who requested his boss not turn down the heat when it was sub-freezing outside. Or the woman with desires to get pregnant who suggests her boss not talk about how it's so much better to not have kids.

One employee wishes that his or her boss "speak in complete sentences" while another asks for an office that has some sunlight. Finally, another worker asks for soundproofing on the unisex bathroom that is only a few feet away.

So remember, little things can make a big difference.

Most of us, regardless of our age, can still remember the bully at school in our adolescent years. In fact, it probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that he probably still is a bully, even though he now wears a tie to work and has an MBA.

I'm reminded of this timeless character because I was reading an article offering advice on how to prepare for confrontation with the workplace saboteur (their words, not mine).

The article offers your typical politically correct, made-for-corporate-America response: be assertive, take notes, get management involved, look for explanations.

But while this is all very good advice, is it usually effective? Will the workplace saboteur appreciate that you've taken the time to rationalize his or her logic and behavior? Is he or she going to back off once a middle manager proceeds to issue a mild telling off?

Count me among those that believe that people don't change. I don't believe that the onus should be on us non-saboteurs to have to find peace or common ground with someone else who is the problem. While this article is full of good advice (much like a parent gives their child about not fighting back when the playground bully rears his head), it's not necessarily full of advice that will make the victim of the workplace saboteur any easier.

Unfortunately, I don't have any better solutions to offer, at least not ones that are likely to be applauded by readers, but, on occasion, it would be nice to see the saboteur get a taste of his or her own medicine!

Though I realize it's fashionable to deride cars for the nuisance that they can be (and yes, I realize that they do pollute quite a bit), I also realize that they still have a practical and useful place in our society. Going one step further, after reading a recent article in the Daily Telegraph, I have to come out against yet another way the British government has come up with to tax people.

A plan is currently under consideration whereby people who drive to park and park in company parking lots could find themselves with a new tax levied.

According to the article, the government is considering whether or not to impose a levy of around £350 per year per commuter on businesses across the United Kingdom. The article continues that while companies will likely pay most of the tax, it's likely that individual drivers could become legally responsible for the amount.

I take public transportation most mornings to work, which entails a nice 10 minute walk to my subway station, a 20 minute commute to a central station, and a 10 minute walk across the station to the commuter trains. This leaves me with a 35 minute train ride to my suburb, and then a 15 minute bus ride to my office. In short, I'm looking at a 90 minute train ride.

Let's compare to the days when I drive to work: I walk 1 minute to my care and 25-30 minutes later, I am at my desk. It's not a hard decision?

It's hard to justify the extra commute when I lose so much time in productivity. If my company were to levy me a tax of over 400 Euros for the privilege of driving to my place of employment, where I help keep the national economy going - well, it just doesn't make any sense to me.

Here's some thought-provoking stuff from our Evolutionary Provocateur Podcaster, Dawna Jones. Here, she develops some ideas that Max McKeown discussed recently, about using the crisis to ramp up innovation. But as Dawna explains, this isn't always an easy thing to do.

The Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand would like to take a moment to remind you the dangers of drinking. Their concern isn't so much drink-driving, but rather getting smashed at the company party and having to deal with the unintended consequences the next day.

And I'd like to take a moment to pass on their reminder – although unlike the AAC, I'd first remind people to not to incur beer leeriness at the company party and then to drive home. Drinking and then operating a vehicle is simply unacceptable no matter what country you happen to be reading this. That's my public service message to you. That said, the AAC is concerned about your inability to function correctly or be productive the next day at work.

Don't get me wrong - this is very important, and AAC does well to remind companies of the dangers of alcohol during the holidays and their impact on the office. I, on the other hand, am concerned about the other aftermath – coming to work the next day only to find out that you were acting like a little sod, or worse, that you're actually a crashing bore. Just think of what upper management would think – "clearly there's no room for Fletcher, here!"

I can't tell you what to do off the clock, but I can offer free advice for time spent on the clock or on the company dime. So, at the company holiday party, don't strip, sing, have a go, etc. And, by all means, leave the receptionist's backside alone. I only want what's best for you – I'm not interested in your productivity the next day (besides, aren't these usually on a Friday or Saturday?); I just want you to be respected (at a minimum) or employed (even better) the next day.