It's often easier to approach an employer about a disability such as chronic pain or depression after gathering support from co-workers and proving your value as an employee, say disability rights advocates. You should create a plan for accommodating the disability to lessen the employer's resistance to taking action.

If you're having a tough time making a decision -- to start your own business, apply for a new job, or tackle a project -- ask yourself why you are putting off the decision and start to think externally rather than internally, writes Rashan Dixon. "Thinking about who else the choice affects creates an external source of motivation," he writes.

Your LinkedIn profile is competing against millions of others, but it will stand out with enhanced text and a video that introduces you, writes personal branding expert William Arruda. He points out four places you can add an image to help your profile pop.

The National Labor Relations Board has reversed precedent by holding that employers can prohibit nonemployee union representatives' activity in public spaces on company property, although employers must enforce their nonsolicitation policies uniformly. Attorney Henry Warnock said employers should reexamine their access and solicitation policies in light of the ruling.

If your industry offers certification options, take that step to improve the possibility of an offer and increase your starting pay, writes Jane Eldrich. Research finds candidates with a personal website or blog also stand a better chance of getting hired.

The future workplace will favor employees with high emotional intelligence and strong persuasive and problem-solving abilities, writes leadership coach Shana Dressler. She explains the five steps of empathy and four aspects of successful communication that help people contribute to a more humane and productive workplace.

Allowing employees to choose their hours based on personal needs and work style would improve work-life balance, writes Beth Castle. "Some people like to arrive early and leave early, some take a long lunch, some prefer to come late and stay late, some work around the clock and then take much-deserved breaks," she writes.

The United States has made plans to grow Española chile peppers on the International Space Station, NASA has announced. Scientists from the space agency are looking for the best fresh produce to grow in space for astronauts during possible future trips to Mars.