Excerpt: Salary freezes, salary cuts, shortened workweeks, halting 401(k) matches and layoffs are almost a daily event in many business sectors as employers navigate the tough economy. Employees are aware of the economic downturn, but experts say companies still should tread carefully when deciding how to communicate changes that usually mean less money in employees' pockets. Transparency, without the spin, is a best practice for companies that are scaling back, says Nicole Melton, a Philadelphia-based senior consultant and communication practice leader with Watson Wyatt Worldwide. 'We want [employers] to be straightforward and empathetic,' she says. 'Be candid.'

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