Most people think that succession planning is a top down activity involving management and seasoned professionals. I suggest it is better to involve the younger generations as well so that they can help create a vision for what the organization aspires to and what it is really looking for in long-term leadership.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has published model notices of temporary premium reductions in COBRA payments mandated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (the stimulus bill), that employers are required to send to employees whose loss of coverage occurred between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. Eligible individuals should receive a notice by April 18 informing them of this opportunity. The stimulus package reduces the premium for COBRA coverage for eligible individuals to 35 percent of the full COBRA premiums for up to nine months.

Employers contemplating reductions in force (RIFs) can avoid or minimize exposure to discrimination claims through relatively quick and inexpensive pre-RIF statistical audits. A comprehensive audit identifies potential vulnerability prior to a suit being filed and will help ensure that data and documentation exist, showing that any disparities are the result of nondiscriminatory factors.Audits begin with the same type of statistical review plaintiffs would perform in seeking to make out a prima facie case of discrimination.

Workforce planning is vital during a recession if organizations want to come out on top when the downturn finally ends. HR professional Lynda Lewendon outlines the strategies that need to be in place now to weather the storm.Never have staff levels been under such stringent scrutiny, together with all other overhead costs. We are currently going through a period of unprecedented economic and financial turmoil.

Now, more than ever, organizations need tough and determined managers, who are driven and motivated to see the business through the hard times. But how can employers ensure their managers are up to the job? Management consultant John Pope has some advice.In case you hadn't heard, the world has changed. Most businesses are feeling the pinch and cutting back 'discretionary spending.' Organizations will be expecting managers to revitalize their operations, or make changes which have long been necessary.

By Phyllis Weiss HaserotThis is the fifth in a series of regular columns by generational expert and internationally known consultant, coach, writer, and speaker Phyllis Weiss Haserot on intergenerational relations and navigating the challenges of the multi-generational workplace for better productivity, retention, succession planning, and business development results.