Industry Leaders CCH INCORPORATED And KNOWLEDGEPOINT Join Forces To Provide Authoritative Human Resources Content And Easy-to-use Online Applications

(Petaluma, Calif., July 10, 2001) — Corporate human resource (HR) professionals now have fast access to expanded information, guidance and tools to help them manage their employees with the new generation of HRTools.com, launching today. Now offering authoritative human resources and employment law content from CCH INCORPORATED, HRTools.com provides HR professionals with a single source for innovative productivity tools, expert information and timely HR news.

Originally created by KnowledgePoint in 1999, this award-winning Internet portal was rated the "destination site" of choice by HR professionals in a Harris Interactive study commissioned by CCH in April 2001. Two out of three human resource managers found HRTools.com more valuable than its competitors, rating HRTools.com the "overwhelmingly preferred Web site." The majority pointed to HRTools.com as "offering more practical tools and useful content in conjunction with easier navigation."

"HRTools.com is the complete destination site for HR professionals," says Catherine Wolfe, CCH Health and Human Resources group publisher. "By combining the best that market leaders CCH and KnowledgePoint have to offer, it delivers a wealth of reliable resources, including daily coverage of HR news that cannot be found on any other single source on the Web."

"Something for everyone," says Amazon.com HR manager

HRTools.com allows HR managers to accomplish a multitude of HR tasks quickly, easily and completely online by using eTools — interactive, Web-based software applications that provide immediate results. For example, at HRTools.com, an employer could create an entire personnel policy manual online, provide online sexual harassment prevention training for their entire organization, use a free online tool to determine whether they are correctly classifying workers as independent contractors, subscribe to an online performance appraisal system, access an online database of HR knowledge to learn how to limit their liability when terminating employees, and much, much more.

"I have researched other Internet HR portals, but have found that HRTools.com has more information and tools — there is something for everyone," says Tammy Perkins, manager of strategic growth and human resources for Amazon.com and president of her local chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. "As our business grows, it’s getting more difficult to get out of the office for training and other HR resources, so it’s great to have the variety of applications and training classes that HRTools offers."

Key features of the new HRTools.com

Offerings at HRTools.com are grouped into logical processes that reflect the way HR professionals actually work. Thirteen new "toolkits" address specific areas, such as Recruitment, Performance Management, Training & Development, Workplace Violence, Benefits, etc. Each toolkit contains all the tools, forms, checklists and training resources needed to perform the desired HR function.

And now, with CCH’s comprehensive content, HRTools.com takes users a giant step further, offering fast, convenient access to explanations and new developments in the areas of employment law and HR management.

Additional new features on HRTools.com include:

    • More free eTools: The site now boasts more than 150 free eTools, forms and checklists.
    • New "HR Essentials": Geared especially for small businesses, this new area in each toolkit contains a wealth of practical HR information and advice.
    • New "Q&A Database": Here users will find hundreds of legally focused answers to common HR questions — and it’s all updated immediately upon changes in the law.
    • CCH’s Shared Learning™ e-learning programs: This Web-based training allows you to train employees and managers consistently and conveniently in the critical areas of sexual harassment prevention, workplace violence prevention, and more.
    • Enhanced keyword search and topic index.
    • Improved navigation: The new site aligns tools, applications and resources along "real-world" process paths.

One of the newest features at HRTools.com is the "Toolbox Wizard," which helps managers find all the resources they need instantaneously. By answering just a few questions about their HR needs and interests, this handy wizard automatically creates a customized toolbox filled with eTools, free forms and checklists, and other practical resources that make it easier to accomplish specific tasks.

And, with the resources of both KnowledgePoint and CCH behind it, HRTools.com has the flexibility to quickly respond to new trends and information.

"The site is a living, breathing entity that provides HR professionals with just about all of the information and tools they need for hiring, managing and retaining their employees," says Michael George, KnowledgePoint vice president of Internet services.

HR professionals also have free access to the latest news with HRTools.com. With daily news coverage from CCH, users can stay on top of what’s happening in Congress, the courts and administrative agencies — as well as keep up with industry information and trends. Users can choose to receive HR news automatically in specific areas of interest such as employment law, HR management, payroll, pension/benefits, unemployment insurance and workers compensation, or check the site’s news feature for updates.

About KnowledgePoint

Since 1987, KnowledgePoint (a division of CCH INCORPORATED) has been a leading developer of knowledge-based human resource management software and Internet services for the enterprise, small businesses and individual managers. KnowledgePoint products include Performance Impact, Performance Now, Policies Now, Descriptions Now and HRTools.com. For more information about KnowledgePoint, visit www.knowledgepoint.com; to access HRTools.com, go to http://www.HRTools.com.

About CCH INCORPORATED

CCH INCORPORATED, Riverwoods, Ill., is a leading provider of employment law information, software and e-learning for human resource professionals, including Human Resources Management, Pension Plan Guide, Employee Benefits Guide and Payroll Management Guide. CCH also provides tax and business law information in print and electronic form for accounting, legal, health care and small business professionals. CCH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolters Kluwer U.S. The CCH Web site can be accessed at www.cch.com. The Human Resources Web site can be accessed at http://hr.cch.com.

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