NOTEWORTHY.

• Position: Many employers are rewriting employee handbooks to accommodate workers who do not regard Christmas as a religious holiday - This and other items are discussed - Brief Article

Most American workers will take time off to celebrate the holidays, but many employees don't observe Christmas as a religious holiday. Business owners are increasingly discovering that growing minority populations and their religious observances require rewriting company handbooks, notes Brien Smith, human resources professor, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind.

Manufacturers are finding out which are this year's "must-have" toys--like past successes such as Furbies and Tickle Me Elmo--and which will accumulate warehouse dust. "Making a toy appealing to children isn't as simple as slapping a licensed character on it," points out Deborah Roedder John, professor of marketing and logistics management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Companies now employ child psychologists and marketing, advertising, and communication specialists to research kids' tastes and, they hope, predetermine their preferences.

Key executives who depart a company take an average of 16 weeks to replace, according to a poll of chief financial officers by Accountemps, the national staffing service for accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals. Finding a new middle manager averages 10 weeks; a staff member, seven weeks.

Students may hate frequent tests in their classes, but research by educational psychologist Bruce W. Tuckman, Ohio State University, Columbus, found that this teaching strategy helps them earn better grades. Those who received a quiz on reading materials every week outperformed other students on midterm and final examinations by four to 24%.

Parents shouldn't scold youngsters for using their fingers to count, maintains Bob Drake, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, University of Cincinnati (Ohio). "When children count on their fingers...