ESPN has confirmed it removed announcer Robert Lee from a University of Virginia football game "simply because of the coincidence of his name" being similar to that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The move has caused backlash on social media, with Commentary editor John Podhoretz tweeting, "ESPN did this out of fear of the yowling mob. And is part of it now."

Family-friendly policies can boost retention of female employees, with one study showing women who take maternity leave are 93% more likely to still be on the job nine to 12 months later than women who take no leave. Other studies show that time away does not negatively affect productivity and that offering paid leave increases recruitment of top talent.

Some companies are replacing the traditional paycheck with a method that allows workers to bill their employers based on the work they do each day. Employees also can get immediate access to payments instead of waiting for money every one or two weeks.

Video-interview company HireVue has integrated artificial intelligence to help companies analyze applicants' facial and vocal cues. Some people might be uncomfortable with the program, but it might be useful for expanding applicant pools and for limiting recruiter bias, writes Richard Feloni, who has tested the software.

More companies are allowing employees to bring their pets to work but there are pros and cons to consider before adopting a pet-friendly policy, said ACI Specialty Benefits founder Ann Clark. Pets can reduce stress, attract and retain employees, and improve workplace interactions, Clark said, but they also can be disruptive, increase liability and pose allergy problems for some workers.