But the clock and calendar only move in one direction, and as we prepare for the challenges and surprises of 2015, it's the right time to look back on 2014 and the issues we talked about and dealt with at work, at home and in other venues of our lives – which means, invariably, our laptops, smartphones and other hand-held devices. So here's a brief glance back at the year that was.

HR's Greatest Hits

Getting a bit "into the weeds" of our business, HR consultant Hunter Lott has compiled a list of his Top 10 HR Issues of 2014. They're not necessarily great cocktail-party topics during the holiday season, but many of us have been faced with them this past year, and likely will again in 2015.

Here's a sampling of his issues and answers:

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Few of us realize it, but this law addressing employee compensation dates back to 1938, and complying with it is as important as ever. Lott provides clear-cut directives on overtime, wages and hours for exempt/non-exempt workers, and company salary policy, among other fine points of the FLSA.
• Anti-Harassment Policy: EEOC statistics indicate that, in 2008 alone, nearly 14,000 sexual harassment allegations were filed nationwide, with employers making out-of-court settlements to the tune of $47.4 million. Look for the courts to rule beyond this category on claims based on age, race, religion, national origin and disability harassment in the year to come.
• Immigration: It seems we can't get away from this one – inside the Beltway, in the news media or in the workplace. In the absence of Congressional action on the contentious and politically charged issue, Lott reminds us that state laws take precedence, and some are passing their own legislation. His advice for dealing safely with potential hires is to ask them, "Can you give written evidence of the right to work in the U.S.?"
• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): What started out as a "little law" (in Lott's words) to help working individuals care for seriously ill family members on a temporary basis seems to be garnering more and more of our attention. As a reminder, the federal law (with states like California starting to provide their own mandates for paid time off) applies to employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius; and eligible employees need to be on staff for at least a year and to have logged at least 1,250 hours with their current employer.

Lott's piece is well worth reading in its entirety.

You Didn't Really Buy That??

On a somewhat lighter note, there are plenty of more fun, holiday-approved topics to discuss over egg nog this year. Remember some of these controversy-riddled products that came and went, as profiled in The New Yorker? Most likely, Santa will not be loading many of them onto his sled this year.

• The "Breaking Bad" action figure: It may have been one of the most popular TV shows of the millennium, but when Mezco Toys came out with a Walter White action doll, complete with bags full of crystal meth and cash, and a firearm, some Toys R Us shoppers were less than amused. Fans can rejoice that they're still available on Amazon, but don't necessarily expect to find one under your tree.
• U2's "Songs of Innocence" Album: Yup, the giveaway that many didn't want. Apple CEO Tim Cook thought it would be clever to launch the iPhone 6 in September (where U2 performed a song from its latest CD) at the same time the free U2 album was available to all iTunes libraries free of charge. One of the kinder reviews of "Songs of Innocence" panned it as a "modern-rock wet wipe." Ouch. U2 lead singer and celebrity activist Bono had to post a video on Facebook apologizing for the mass distribution. Not a hot stocking-stuffer.
• Amazon's Fire Phone: Who can forget the hottest smartphone launch in June since the first iPhone? Just about everyone, including and especially Amazon. The phone's high-tech head-motion sensitivity capability was quickly overshadowed by short battery life, the absence of basic apps like Google Maps, and embedded features like Firefly, seemingly designed to make it easier to purchase Amazon merchandise. The original $199.99 price tag was slashed to $.99 (that's no typo) by September.

My Ice Bucket Challenge Video Was Better Than Yours

And how can we ring out 2014 without Facebook's (FB) Year in Review? This Huff Post blog sums up what the social network of network's monthly active 1.35 billion users talked about most this past year.

The outstanding winners (domestically and globally) were Ebola, the World Cup and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (former President George W. Bush's ice bucket video got the most "likes"). The year before, the hot topics had been the new pope, the new British royal baby, and Miley Cyrus.

So as not to disappoint clickers with other interests, the FB Year in Review includes Top 10 lists organized by category, crossing over into most-talked-about entertainers, movies and TV shows, among many other topics. If your favorites aren't among these other popular compilations, they're bound to show up on one or another FB hit list. A small sampling follows:

• Robin Williams
• Michael Brown/Ferguson, MO
• Conflict in Gaza
• Mid-term elections
• Malaysia Airlines
• ISIS
• Sochi Winter Olympics
• Beyoncé
• Pharrell Williams
• Nicky Minaj
• Game of Thrones
• Orange is the New Black
• The Walking Dead

We wish all our readers a Healthy, Happy Holiday and New Year, and look forward to bringing you more timely topics in 2015.