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Rewards and recognition work best when the accolades are timely and relevant to the person being recognized. In his new book, “1501 Ways to Reward Employees,” Bob Nelson, Ph.D., offers low-cost and no-cost creative ideas and strategies to nurture talent and retain skilled employees. Show your employees a little love this Valentine’s Day with these suggestions. [Images: Thinkstock]

By lowering the length and duration of time away from work due to injuries and illnesses on or off the job, return-to-work programs have reduced workers’ compensation, disability and medical insurance costs as well as strengthened employee morale and productivity. RTW programs also have helped protect employers from lawsuits regarding regulatory non-compliance, particularly related to the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, RTW programs aren't without pitfalls. Kevin Ring, director of community growth for the Institute of WorkComp Professionals,outlines 10 mistakes that can derail your RTW effort.

In a recent survey conducted by Transitions Optical, only 16% of employees reported getting education from their employer related to their eye health, a gap that is reflected by a lack of understanding of how many lifestyle choices and activities can affect the human eye. Most expressed awareness in how aging (83%), ultraviolet exposure (70%) or lack of sleep (64%) could negatively impact ocular health, but other risks were less recognized. [Images: Thinkstock]

Over the past few months, sports fans around the world have watched the downfall of the most celebrated cyclist of all time: Lance Armstrong. In a recently televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong admitted to using performance enhancers during each of his epic Tour de France victories. Although Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour titles, author Bruce Piasecki says Armstrong's downfall offers seven lessons to the business world that you can apply to your corporate team. [Images: Thinkstock]

Since 32% of employers reported that top performers left their organizations in 2012 and 39% are concerned that they'll lose top talent in 2013, many are asking current employees for feedback on how to increase job satisfaction. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 26% of workers said that providing special perks is an effective way to improve employee retention. Here are the 10 that scored highest when workers were asked to identify one perk that would make their workplace more satisfying. [Images: Shutterstock]

Stats show that mobile users spend 101 billion minutes a month using apps--why not use that time to be your most productive self? Say goodbye to countless lost hours playing Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja; say hello to these five apps that can help streamline your work processes, leaving extra time to pump up your daily output. (Compiled by Jennifer Hutchison, online marketing specialist for InfoStreet.) [Images: Thinkstock]

Motivate employees to keep up with their New Year's resolutions for improving their well-being. Employers that provide necessary resources through wellness and disease management programs for workers and their families can help them accomplish their goals and bend the overall health care cost curve. Here are the top 5 health issues employees resolved to improve in 2013, according to ComPsych, the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs. [Images: Shutterstock]

Benefits communication rarely gets the credit, attention, budget or planning it deserves, according to Benz Communications, despite well-documented empirical evidence of its impact and recognized thought leaders advocating for more meaningful investment. "While communication is now a key part of some employers' overall HR strategy, for many [HR/benefits practitioners], the battle [to integrate communication effectively is] a rite of passage that never seems to end," says founder and chief strategist Jennifer Benz.

Whether it’s a shooting in the workplace, a toxic chemical spill, industrial accident or natural disaster, the majority of employers are unprepared to deal with a workplace crisis, says long-time crisis management expert Jonathan Bernstein, author of “Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management.” Bernstein shares five tips for creating and executing a successful crisis management plan.

With defined contribution plans continuing to assume greater importance in employees’ achieving retirement security, global consulting firm Mercer believes that 2013 is shaping up as a year when many sponsors will take a fresh look at their plans’ objectives, investment options and communications with participants. “It’s no longer a situation where DC plan sponsors can simply ‘set it and forget it’”, says Amy Reynolds, a partner in Mercer’s retirement business and U.S. defined contribution leader. “The trend is for plan sponsors to regularly evaluate whether their DC plans are successful for both the organization and its employees. As a result, plan sponsors are more active in reviewing plan objectives, more prescriptive when it comes to investment options and more invested in communicating with employees who want to understand how to achieve their own retirement income goals.” Here are 10 steps Mercer recommends for this year: