Google's reputation as a sought-after employer has deteriorated in recent years as a growing number of employees have organized or participated in demonstrations of their displeasure with some of the tech giant's new offerings or policies. Activist employees are facing off with Google executives, who have terminated several staffers with little or no warning, charging them with violating company policies.

Having a great employee make plans to leave can be painful, but the departure is not necessarily inevitable. Schedule an exit interview to explore the reasons for the employee's decision, and determine whether anything can be done to fix the situation.

Small companies frustrated by high health costs are becoming self-insured to save money, an option usually adopted by larger employers that have sufficient employee numbers to spread out the risk of incurring costly illnesses or injuries. Some large US insurers have seen an increase in self-funded arrangements for smaller employers, but industry analysts are concerned that these companies may not be aware of all of the financial risks over time.

HR leaders should help employees feel like they can confide in them, says Peter Fasolo, chief HR officer for Johnson & Johnson. "Because if you violate a confidence, then your credibility is gone, and if your credibility is gone as a CHRO, you can't do your job," he says.

A 3D animation of a baby in a diaper dancing to "Hooked on a Feeling" -- developed as a sample for a software animation program -- went viral in 1996. Recently, college student Jack Armstrong located the original file and re-created "the Oogachacka Baby" in HD, which he has posted on YouTube.