Employee E-Mail Scandals on the Rise
A new survey has found that 58 percent of the nation's employees have received sexually explicit e-mails at work. Recently, 20 New York Times employees were fired when monitoring turned up sexually oriented e-mails. An increasing number of companies say they are investigating employees' use of email and the Internet for improper activities.

Employee Referrals Lead to Big Rewards
The Washington Post reports that more companies are offering rewards to employees who refer new employees. Companies say employee referrals help save money on recruiting and tend to bring in better and more loyal employees. Rewards include cash bonuses as well as new cars and even tropical vacations.

Exxon Mobil Nixes Partner Benefits
The newly merged oil giant Exxon Mobil will not offer benefits to the partners of new gay employees, even though Mobil had such a policy in place. Same-sex partners of Mobil employees who were receiving benefits before the merger will still be eligible, however. About half the country's largest corporations currently offer benefits to the gay partners of employees.

PalmPilots are Changing the Workplace
3Com's PalmPilot, the pocket-sized hand-held computing device, is quietly transforming corporate offices, according to workplace trend experts. Workers with PalmPilots are less tied to their desks and cubicles and freer to roam. Charles Schwab & Co. workers currently use 2,000 PalmPilots, and the company plans to install infrared ports that will allow workers to update their schedules and e-mail from anywhere.