In an age where cubicles are getting taken down for open office layouts (like LearnVest’s!), it seems that the idea of “openness” is being taken to the next level: salary information. The Wall Street Journal reports that an increasing number of private-sector companies are choosing to reveal formerly secret numbers to employees.

While the legislation will prevent significant tax increases for most Americans and spending cuts to important government programs, members of both parties have reasons to be unhappy with the measure, which most agree does not solve the underlying issues present in our country’s fiscal policies.

When it comes to being a first-time parent, the prevailing wisdom seems to be that you can read all the books, do all the research and yet … there’s no real preparing for what the actual experience feels like.

When it comes to holiday gifts, is it the thought that counts? Or does the value of the gift have to do more with the price tag attached to the present?

Last week, an image featuring former Costco CEO Jim Sinegal touting Costco’s generous wages for employees went viral. Since it’s not every day that a company’s former CEO makes news, we took a closer look at the 2005 New York Times profile that inspired the meme, discovering some amazing facts in the process about how Costco put employees first–while still managing to become a leading player in the industry. A number of studies — as well as the success of companies with similar attitudes as Costco — have revealed a surprising truth: Happy employees create huge profit margins.

On the surface, maternity leave is simple: You have a baby, you take time off work to take care of yourself and your baby, and then you go back to work. But now a new breed of working mom is quickly redefining the concept.