Some companies are exploring ways to increase employee compensation -- including variable pay and lump sum awards -- without letting base salary costs rise more than 3% annually, according to the 2019/2020 Salary Planning Survey Report from Gallagher. Twenty-six percent of employers say increased health care costs are a primary reason they limit salary boosts.

Many companies are hiring new talent and changing their processes to help spur innovation, but efforts are falling flat, writes Shelley Winter, global head of executive coaching at YSC Consulting. Winter outlines three common mistakes companies make in this process and discusses how HR leaders can help steer a new direction.

Lawsuits focused on employment and wage practices can create significant risk for small businesses, so John Shunk of Messner Reeves explains the steps entrepreneurs should take to protect their companies. Ensure that all workers affiliated with your business are classified properly, and make sure you have written policies in place, he writes.

Digital learning is expanding as many workers are prompted to learn new skills to keep up with the shifting needs of industry, writes Robert Ubell, vice dean emeritus of online learning at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. "Logistically, it is often difficult or impossible for working adults to get to traditional campuses to pursue degrees, which make those online options so attractive," he writes in this commentary.

Encouraging employees to contribute ideas is never easy, but it's made more difficult when careers suffer from speaking up. Furthermore, a structured process is necessary to receive innovative ideas and determine what to do with them.