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Welcome to the week after Employee Appreciation Day (Friday, March 4th). Now that the cake is gone, the donuts are stale and the balloons are deflated, will your moment of “employee appreciation” matter? Is a celebration what your employees need, or are they looking for something else?

Is emotional intelligence the new IQ? This year, emotional culture may be the next new trend in HR—right up there with wellness plans. Part of the discussion is how you give and handle criticism.

Productivity is all the rage right now, but should we take it with a grain of salt? Can one force productivity, or find the right app to create a life that is more productive? As we enter into the holiday season, it’s time to consider how to maintain your level of focus and productive.

Performance reviews: everyone dreads them, and most of us try to sandwich the annual review somewhere between the start of the school year and the holidays. So, if you have a spate of reviews coming up, you’re not alone.

This week, President Obama added another executive order to influence employers—this one states that all federal contract employees will have mandatory paid sick leave. This is the latest in a series of executive orders to change the labor market.

For the past few weeks, it’s been all about the employees. This week starts with a cautionary tale: don’t call your employees old farts then fire them.

Firstly, we’d like to extend a thank you to all of those who serve and have served in the U.S. and their families, and a sincere recognition of the debt we owe those who paid the greatest price for the freedom we enjoy today. Image:

This week’s round up includes great tidbits for all the HR professionals still on the job—you’ve planned the holiday festivities, finished the Christmas cards, and completed the forecasting for 2015. However, there’s always something on your desk.

December 13–December 14, 2014 … In the next few weeks, we have the potential fun of the holiday parties and the opportunity to turn over a new leaf. While many people view this through a personal lens, HR has the opportunity to magnify this through your company.

November 22—Nov. 23, 2014 … As America looks forward to turkey and cranberry sauce, B2C small businesses and entrepreneurs are looking forward to one of the most profitable times of the year.

November 15—November 16, 2014 … As the holidays approach, discussions about stress in the workplace continue. However, we’re starting to look forward to 2015 and reconsidering hiring and productivity, especially with the economic pressures of a falling unemployment rate.

November 8—Nov. 10, 2014 … HR Executive: Stress Matters … ADP and Towers Perrin both released reports on workplace stress recently, and everyone is talking about it.