There's good news this fall for lower-level wage earners as well. The 2014 legislative calendar that ended prior to the start of the summer holiday was basically moribund for the U.S. Congress. Even though a nationwide minimum-wage law calling for a long-overdue increase has been advocated by many, it seems destined to lie fallow until after the November elections, if not longer.

Labor Day may not technically be the end of summer, but for the workforce at large it means the official end of vacation season. Its back to school for the kids, fewer hours of daylight and the inevitable trudge toward winter. Many people suffer from post-vacation blues, which can be accompanied by actual symptoms of depression.

Certain sectors of the workplace are known for providing a nurturing and attractive work environment. This trend came to the fore in the 1990s during the dot-com era. A number of Silicon Valley companies (e.g., Google, Microsoft, Apple) come immediately to mind, when start-ups were all the rage and the competition for the best available talent became fierce. So reports IFEBP.

Robin Williams' untimely death from an apparent suicide took many by surprise, even though Williams made no secret of his struggles with depression and substance abuse. As a show-business celebrity, Williams was in good company among a long litany of stars who have battled with depression and ended their own lives.