Workplaces Safer than Ever, Despite Shootings
Recent workplace shootings in Atlanta, Seattle and Honolulu may have nerves jangling, but experts are emphasizing that U.S. workplaces are safer than ever, statistically speaking. Between 1993 and 1998, the odds of being murdered by a coworker declined, while workplace homicides of all types dropped from 1,074 to 709. According to a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Being at work is safer than being out in the general population."

Employment Discrimination Suit Over Religious Language
An office employee at a Chicago-based shipping and warehouse firm has filed a federal complaint against her employer for ordering her to stop saying "have a blessed day" at work. The worker, a Christian, said her discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission was the only way to protect her religious freedom. She has been with the firm for more than three years, once being named office employee of the year, and she says she's been telling people to have blessed days the entire time.

Antihistamines at Work Can Hamper More Than Just Your Cold
Workers who take antihistamines that cause drowsiness are less productive than those who take non-sedating antihistamines, according to a recent study. Antihistamines with sedating side effects lowered worker productivity by an average of 8%. But employees who fought colds or allergies with non-sedating antihistamines saw their productivity increase by about 5%.

Supreme Court to Rule on Age-Discrimination Evidence
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide how much proof an employee must provide in order to prove illegal age bias by an employer. The case before the court involves an employee who was told by a supervisor he "must have come over on the Mayflower." The employee won the case in a lower court, but a federal appeals court reversed the decision, opening the way for the Supreme Court to decide what constitutes adequate proof of age discrimination.