Links You Can Use: October 15-19

In this week's "Links You Can Use," we discover some companies are allowing employees to bring their children to work every day (without a daycare facility on the premises). BusinessWeek interviews some workers about their reactions to this innovative arrangement. In other news, research shows that having six or fewer hours of sleep could lead to weight gain and the development of diseases like diabetes. And CNN features the financial situations and strategies of individuals and couples who plan to retire within 10 years.

An emerging trend that attempts to resolve the work-life balance issues parents face... bring your child to work—every day. (BusinessWeek)

We all know that exercise and a balanced, nutritious diet are key to avoiding chronic conditions and excess weight. But a new study highlights the important relationship between poor sleep and body fat storage. (NPR)

CNN features eight profiles across the U.S.—individuals and couples who vary in age, occupation, and retirement goal date—on how they plan to retire. (CNN)

* The opinions expressed at these linked websites do not reflect the opinions of Harris, Rothenberg International, Inc. (HRI). HRI is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information reflected on these sites.

Links You Can Use: October 8-12

With the ongoing presidential debates, conversations about politics may come up at work--but we would all like to avoid open conflict if possible. Below are some ways to prevent heated arguments in the workplace. Also, find out how to be more efficient, start conversations (even if you're a bit shy), and deal with co-workers who just aren't picking up the slack in this week's Links You Can Use.

With Election Day just a few weeks away, people can get emotional about their beliefs and ideologies, but here are four ways to preemptively address any potential political conflicts in the workplace. (Memphis Business Journal)

How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft & Corporate Hacking

During the month of June, the professional networking site LinkedIn got hacked. The website has over 161 million users, and a hacker published over six million passwords without usernames to prove his technological prowess. And what were the most common passwords? Confounding, obscure words such as “link,” “1234,” “princess,” and… “monkey.” Obviously, some LinkedIn users are not NSA-level security experts.

But it’s a problem that trickles up to the executive level. Less than a year ago, the hacker group Anonymous broke into the data of “global-security consulting firm Stratfor” and a follow-up investigation revealed that even the top leaders of a global intelligence company used weak passwords! Anonymous got a hold of information like credit card details and private email addresses from Statfor’s clients including Bank of America, Wells-Fargo, Sony, Google, the United Nations, and the U.S. military.

Links You Can Use: October 1-5

Is "a few weeks" too short a time for maternity leave? Does the convenience of mobile devices outweigh their possible security risks? When it comes to violent workplace incidents, are there always warning signs or do people "just snap?" All these questions—plus more—get addressed in this week's Links You Can Use.

Yahoo's CEO Marissa Mayer announced she would take only a few weeks of maternity leave, and one blogger weighs in on whether this level of commitment would set unrealistic expectations for working mothers. (Slate Blog)

Employees bringing their own mobile devices to work may be convenient, but the practice comes with certain security risks. This article outlines the pros and cons. (BusinessWeek)

The average number of doctor visits per year has gone down in the past decade, which can be attributed to population trends and access to health insurance. (New York Times)

Workplace violence has become a growing concern due to a recent flurry of incidents involving disgruntled employees. Check out this interview with a psychiatrist on the subject, as well as our own expert opinion about identifying early warning signs for disturbing or inappropriate behavior at work. (CBS News)

Interested in improving your communication skills? Here are three great tips for "managing transactions, developing relationships, and handling crises." (Sustainable Business Forum)

* The opinions expressed at these linked websites do not reflect the opinions of Harris, Rothenberg International, Inc. (HRI). HRI is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information reflected on these sites.

Effective Email Marketing: How to Avoid the Trash Bin & Get What You Want

Email marketing campaigns are a great way to let people know about a new product, service, or event; to have them sign up for a newsletter; donate money, etc. However, not all organizations make the best use of this method and execution is poor.

People have various reasons for not reading emails. To prevent your email from getting discarded without a glance, here are some tips to maximize the number of conversions.

(In case you don’t know, a conversion is when an email recipient heeds your call-to-action; it is distinct from the response to the offering itself. In other words, the conversion rate tells you how well people reacted to the campaign, and the sales or number of sign-ups tells you how many people responded to the offering.)

To increase your conversion rate, just follow these steps: