MANAGEMENT BEAT: Most of the Connecticut employees laid off as a result of a battle over contract concessions this summer have since been rehired. Meanwhile, New York sent 3,500 workers layoff notices after rank-and-file members of a large union rejected an agreement last week. 

TODAY'S TAKE: To improve her state's image, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is asking state workers to answer their phones by saying, "It's a great day in South Carolina. How can I help you?" It's not the first time a governor has intervened in state workers' etiquette.

The nation's most ambitious experiment with an alternative work schedule is over. While many public sector employers offer four-day schedules to some employees, Utah was the only state to try it for most of its workforce.

This year, many states were poised to switch from traditional pension plans to a kind similar to the ones popular in the private sector. That didn't happen. But states did cut employee benefits, raised the retirement age and increased the amount that public workers were expected to contribute to their own pensions.