Catherwood LibraryILR School

In the past, gearing up for the holiday season has caused no small amount of headaches for human resources personnel concerned with the amount and apportionment of bonuses, and whether the office's annual Christmas party was a form of religious discrimination---now they are worrying whether that white powder on the lobby floor is really snow and if latex gloves make appropriate stocking stuffers. In the wake of the attacks on September 11 and the anthrax attacks that followed, human resources managers have taken on expanded roles in the areas of crisis management and employee counseling. One of the most difficult aspects of this new role, is figuring out ways to plan escape routes, develop personnel tracking systems, and increasing background checks, while at the same time calming employees' fear and preventing anxiety and demoralization that could lead to decreasing productivity.