H@Wdy, and welcome to Hard@Work! Our mission -- and we choose to accept it -- is to reduce the oversupply of fear and alienation in the workplace by meeting the pent-up demand for constructive communication about what's happening on the job.

That's a tall order, we know: but y'all are up to it. And here's some orientation to get ya started:

THE WATER COOLER

STUMP THE MENTOR
Watch closely as the Mentor turns your job problems into opportunities. A few quick clicks on the Mentor's files of how-to advice and -- voilą! -- useful suggestions appear. Unless you stump the Mentor. Then, the power becomes yours: to post your tricky question to the Mentor's message boards, where your fellow Hard@Workers can offer their hints on working magic at work.

THE ROCK PILE
Dig in to these all-too-true case studies by sharing and comparing solutions with your fellow Hard@Workers. The Rock Pile is a no-risk way to practice dealing with contemporary career crises. Or, treat the Rock Pile as a sauna, where you can relax and enjoy the blessed relief of basking in other peoples' problems.

THE ROUTING SLIP
You don't have to pull any political strings to gain access to Hard@Work's innermost circle. All you need to do to is register here. You'll be entitled to special offers, the juiciest grapes on the vine, and memorable memorandae.

SISYPHUS UNWOUND
Play along with Hard@Work's founding partners as we tune into the myths and realities of work. In The GoZone, Mark Gozonsky invites you to explore how ideas about work play out in our personal lives. And in DEM-Witted Management, Dennis E. Murphy welcomes you into a discussion of the past, present, and potential of organizational behavior.

THE GOODS
Membership in Hard@Work is absolutely free-free-free. But still, you just gotta check this stuff out. Don't let virtual mean invisible -- from T-shirts to work toys, the Company Store's bursting with unbeatable ways to reward yourself for an online job well done -- and to show the world you're proud of being Hard@Work.