An effort-reward imbalance -- the feeling that rewards and compensation are insufficient compared with the time, energy and emotion needed to complete a job or task -- violates the human sense of fairness and can contribute to burnout and depression, experts say. People who perceive an effort-reward imbalance should first compare their compensation with that of peers in a similar role and consider any intangible rewards, then discuss the situation with a manager, stop overcommitting and, as a last resort, look for another job.

A Catalyst survey found 52% of employees have faced racism at their current jobs, with 48% being subjected to workplace harassment such as derogatory comments and 32% earning less or getting fewer promotions than colleagues. "When Whiteness is the default at work, people from marginalized racial and ethnic groups are pressured to conform to White standards of leadership, presentation and self-expression," says Joy Ohm, vice president and knowledge architect at Catalyst, which surveyed more than 5,000 employees from the US, UK and four other countries.

Research from patient financial engagement company Cedar shows that about three-quarters of consumers consider affordability to be the most significant challenge in handling their large medical bills, while 58% say paying their bills is stressful and 18% have trouble understanding their benefits and costs. The company suggests solutions such as offering consumers payment flexibility and boosting collaboration between payers and providers.

A new manager successfully transformed a dysfunctional department by bringing the team together to define their Rules for Success -- a set of guidelines that helped solve problems and disputes with clarity, writes leadership consultant Art Petty. By answering seven key questions, the team created actionable operating principles that focused on communication, collaboration and accountability.

Haunted houses are a mainstay for Halloween lovers, but those who stage the attractions -- like Blood Manor in New York City -- are paying scary high prices from $25,000 to upwards of a million dollars on everything from high-tech props, actors, sound engineers, security, make-up artists and concessions. Jennifer Thaler, who runs TransWorld, the haunted house industry's biggest trade show, says customers are expecting the best scare for their buck. "You go to a haunted house now and it's an evening, you're not just walking through a haunt. They've turned into three-ring circuses."