Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen said in a speech at Brown University that family-friendly workplace policies can bolster the economy. "We, as a country, have reaped great benefits from the increasing role that women have played in the economy," Yellen said, noting that obstacles to women's progress appear to remain.

A lack of engagement by the Department of Defense and concerns about child care and where spouses will live and work are key barriers to recruiting new talent in the military, according to a report being studied by the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee. As lawmakers work on addressing those issues, some cite the military's "up or out" system as a major challenge to recruiting.

Two African-American employees have sued Facebook, alleging racial discrimination at a North Carolina data center. The workers say they have been harassed by managers, paid less than peers and denied raises based on race, claims that led Facebook to fire one manager and to mandate anti-harassment training at all US data centers.

Boosting employee engagement starts with fostering genuine relationship, write Bonfyre co-founders Chris Dornfeld and Mark Sawyier. They outline five ways to build trusting relationships, including face-to-face meetings and real-time assessments and feedback.

Employees increasingly consider paid family leave and workplace flexibility to be important benefits, and a variety of employers are offering the benefits to attract top talent, says Laura Kerekes, chief knowledge officer at ThinkHR. Some advocates have pushed for a national paid-leave policy, but critics say that a national policy could be difficult to finance and might impede job growth.

The simple formula of caring, respect, appreciation and praise is what creates employee loyalty and retention, Jeff Kortes writes. "The best bosses know that if their people grow that they might ultimately leave, but they know that it is the right thing do and that their role is to help you succeed," he writes.