Burnout leads to employees calling out sick and quitting their jobs, and one of the simpler remedies is a manager who checks in often and demonstrates a willingness to listen, says Ben Wigert of Gallup. "The most proactive thing a manager can do to prevent burnout is establish a regular cadence of discussing work, career, and life with employees," he says.

Stop and reflect on the big picture to increase productivity by focusing on the important tasks and eliminating the waste. Don't use to-do lists, but instead block off time to ensure important work is completed as needed, writes Naphtali Hoff.

Building a personal brand through networking, having a personal website and other strategies are crucial in building a positive reputation and being known within your industry. Create a consistent persona, and look across all media, including your LinkedIn profile and website.

Most Walgreen retirees under 65 will no longer be eligible for company health insurance coverage after 2019. In other benefit changes, Walgreen, which this year announced pay raises for hourly workers totaling $100 million a year, has added parental leave and is expanding short-term disability leave for many employees.

Don't mention you're looking for remote work in your initial cover letter unless the job listing specifically mentions the company is open to it, suggests Lydia Bowers. However, it's acceptable to highlight examples of previous work success achieved while working remotely, she adds.

Research shows that making your goals public knowledge can help you achieve them, but there are times when it's best to keep your goals to yourself, writes Anisa Purbasari Horton. One example of when to keep your goals private is if you're trying to accomplish something you've never done before, and harsh feedback or criticism might hinder or halt your progress.

It's OK to help out a colleague who is on vacation or leave, but focus on the deadlines of your work and the additional load you're taking on to ensure you're able to accomplish everything on time. Classify tasks as priority or non-urgent, and put the latter on hold until the important tasks are finished, suggests Elizabeth Grace Saunders, a time-management coach.

Many people last week received calls from monk seal hospital Ke Kai Ola in Honolulu, Hawaii, but were only met with silence. Marine mammal veterinarian Claire Simeone was called 10 times, and when she went to find out why all of the calls were made from one line in the hospital, Simeone noticed that a gecko sat on the phone and was inadvertently calling numbers in the phone's call history with its feet.