As I anticipate jumping back on the pregnancy wagon, I am also watching changes to my company's benefits very closely -- and working in HR, I have a front row seat.  For many years, and like many other companies, my company spent pretty much every dollar that came in.  And like any budget plan, that just doesn't work out very well, especially when those dollars don't come in as quickly as you anticipate.  So changes have to be made.  Tough changes.  I admire the ultimate goal we have set for ourselves as we work through the recession: Stablize the workforce, stablize salaries.  The good news is we haven't had to lay off any employees.  The bad news is we have given up in other areas.  We are seeing changes to our Paid Time Off (PTO) policy that will/have directly affect an employee's ability to receive their full salary while on a leave and make difficult decisions about when they will have to return to work.  Changes to retirement and salary increases.  Changes to employee contributions to medical insurance costs.  Difficult, impossible decisions to make.  And while we are grateful to still be gainfully employed, many are tired of that refrain.  I know I am.

I've been through a layoff.  After 9/11.  I worked for an airline.  And that about says it all.  It's an airline's only move with all the union contracts.  But my job actually dangled for 2 months before heading to the chopping block.  2 very long months.  I was put on leave without pay, so I was eligible for unemployment, but not much else.  Layoffs suck and my company has been through one before and no one wants to do it again.  So here's the rub: how do we keep our employees engaged and at the top of their game, while we work through the recession -- because it ain't over, not by a long shot!  We can only keep up the refrain of "no lost jobs, no lost base salary" for so long.  So, ideas?  What are you doing for your employees to keep them engaged?