NOTEWORTHY.

• Position: Work place violence, opioid overprescribing and misuse, survey on reader behavior

Not all referrals are equal, indicates PayScale, Inc., Seattle, Wash., a provider of on-demand compensation data and software. While the most-valuable referral is one from a former coworker, colleague, or client, there is a significant difference in how this type of referral benefits men and women: men can expect $8,200 more, while the bump for women is $3,700. "It's disappointing, but not unexpected, to see gender pay equity issues crop up in this new referral research!' says Vice Pres. Lydia Frank.

'Workplace violence is a growing concern in this country," says Rob Wilson, president of Employco USA, Westmont, Ill., who outlines some steps an employer should take: put emergency guidelines in the company handbook; offer grief counseling; institute a limited work schedule after an incident; find a project to help bring peace back to the workplace; keep political talk out of the office and off social media; ask employees to follow the "see something, say something" motto.

"Opioid overprescribing and misuse has led to a soaring number of overdose deaths while placing a growing financial burden on many states, so taxing the prescription medication--[a one-cent per milligram surcharge on opioids to be assessed on wholesalers has been proposed by legislators]--is a clever and fair solution," says Bryn Wesch, CFO of Novus Medical Detox Center, New Port Richey, Fla. "Increasing funding for prevention and education can help reduce the number of new and long-term users."

Readers spend, on average, $162 annually on books-80% of that for print editions, and read 8.6 hours per week (devouring 23 books per year), according to ThriftBooks, an online used bookstore, which commissioned a survey conducted by Praxis Research. Some 55% of audiobook users listen during their commute and 52% while exercising. Eighty-one percent of parents read with their children at bedtime, although 12% of fathers indicate they never read aloud to their offspring.

Ozone depletion over the U.S. has increased more than five percent since 1970...