In light of the recent shootings at the Washington Navy Yard, mental health is once again the topic of conversation in the media. And, it should be. The statistics are staggering. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), 6.7% of the U.S adult population suffers from depression. That translates into almost 20 million people. Of those cases, 30.4% of these cases are severe. Depression is the number one cause of disability in the world.

With those numbers, there is no question that as an HR Manager, you will have to understand the legalities around dealing with depression in the workplace.

An engaged employee is one who is fully involved in and enthusiastic about their work. Their actions in and out of the office furthers their organization's interests and impacts the bottom line. Employee engagement is a measurable degree of an employee's positive or negative emotional attachment to their job, colleagues and organization that profoundly influences their willingness to learn and perform at work.

Summer weather poses interesting challenges for employers. It's hot outside and your employees want to dress a little more relaxed. So crisp blouses give way to short sleeves, hemlines may get shorter and ties comes off to be replaced with more casual shirts.

Every HR Manager has their special story about a difficult employee. Every organization has them and they represent ongoing challenges for HR Managers.  Difficult employees come in many forms and the chances are you have run into more than one in your career:

• Always Negative and Not Shy About Complaining –The glass is always half empty, they are cynical, unenthusiastic and usually uncooperative and have no problem sharing their negative opinions with others.

• The Superstar – The high performing employee who believes they can do no wrong. Arrogant and egotistical and no one wants to work with or for them.

• Passive-Aggressive – This can be one of the most challenging. The employee who seemingly agrees with a plan and then goes off and does his or her own Hostile-Aggressive – In today’s work environment, this type of employee can cause fear in the workplace. They are demanding, argumentative, and you may have seen signs of abusive or violent behavior.

Whatever their modus operandi (MO), it is typically up to HR to handle these individuals. As an HR professional, your role is to try and diffuse situations. You are responsible to coach valued employees to change their negative behavior as well as to prevent discrimination and nuisance lawsuits against the company.

On April 15th as the news was breaking that there had been an explosion at the Boston Marathon, I along with thousands of others held our collective breaths, as we watched the details unfold.  A treasured American city had once again come under attack.

This Friday marks Employee Appreciation Day. If you think your employees don't know that, think again!