Jeffrey Good, former executive editor of a New England newspaper group, claims he was fired for advocating "transparency and fair pay" for three female journalists he worked with in the newsroom. However, the publisher and fellow female editors dispute the claim, saying Good marginalized women and created a hostile work environment.

Recruitment process outsourcing providers are becoming talent experts and partners as they take advantage of new technologies, HR analysts and marketing executives say. Vendors are using tools such as artificial intelligence, social learning and automation, and putting more resources into finding workers.

Some companies may create policies that give employees time off for weather disasters, while other employers simply let workers use their allotted time off for whatever they deem necessary. Employers that create climate-leave policies should make sure they're flexible, says Rich Fuerstenberg, a partner at Mercer.

Data Privacy Day this week highlighted how important it is to protect data and served as a reminder for organizations to plan ahead, Paul McCormack writes. To better protect data, organizations need to make it more difficult for attackers, starting with employee training that occurs annually or more frequently than that.

HR can cultivate top performers by recruiting people who stay focused and speak up, showing managers how to eliminate unimportant work and giving employees app-based training, says Morten Hansen, a management professor and author. "My hope for HR leaders is this: HR can become a real business partner by cultivating the right kind of top performers," he says.