An African-American employee is told that he “doesn’t sound black,” a Jewish employee hears that she “doesn’t look Jewish” and a gay staffer’s supervisor tells him he “doesn’t act gay.”

Those are real-life stories, according to several experts on workplace discrimination. 

Knowing the difference between employees and independent contractors becomes imperative when an injured customer or client decides to sue. When it comes to making the decision of hiring an independent contractor, do yourself and your business a favor: Do your research and protect yourself. Or, even better, consult with your lawyer.

Thoughtful leaders build teams and environments where people get stuff done effectively. Celebrating the successful efforts of employees is a great way to encourage future successes. What else do celebrations reinforce?

Americans are growing increasingly conscious of their health, as diet-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease remain stubbornly among the top causes of death in the U.S.

David Sidie first discovered Toy Fusion on El Camino Avenue in Sacramento in 2003. He brought his son with him, and still remembers “the awesomeness of just seeing my son enjoy a piece of history.”

Placer County and its individual cities and towns portray themselves as one community that welcomes business. “That’s always been the case,” says Dave Snyder, director of economic development for Placer County. “We don’t look to wrap a new prospective business in a lot of red tape; we go out of the way to roll out the red carpet.”

The “Women in the Workplace 2015” report, a joint effort of Sheryl Sandberg’s LeanIn.Org and global management consultant McKinsey & Company, also suggests women may be 25 years away from parity with their male colleagues at the senior vice president level and a full century away at the C-level (the top executive level).

Effective leaders don’t come from one mold. The women featured below have excelled in nontraditional industries due to their talent, vision, perseverance and the (sometimes unlikely) mentors who guided their trajectory. They shared their stories with us — where they started, their rise to leadership and their thoughts on mentoring the next generation of powerful women.

Many Americans have more time to do what they want to do. With a rise in average life expectancy, a longer career doesn’t necessarily mean a shorter retirement.

We’ll be hearing a whole lot of buzz about wage parity this year — in part because groundbreaking research conducted by New York University, University of Pennsylvania and the University of Haifa in Israel identifies flat-out gender bias as the elephant in the room affecting wage parity. This new study, titled “Occupational Feminization and Pay,” is the single most comprehensive study on wage parity in the U.S. to date.