Law360, New York ( August 19, 2014, 10:21 AM EDT) -- Global companies are increasingly focused on their employees as a source of growth. With CEOs and others predicting a shortage of skilled workers in key global markets, employee trust and engagement are expected to become more important in attracting and retaining talent. Achieving a high level of engagement, however, can be challenging. A recent Gallop survey found that 70 percent of U.S. employees are not engaged in the workplace or, even worse, actively disengaged, costing employers between $450 to $550 billion each year in lost productivity. Companies are increasing efforts to harness employee ideas to improve the quality, productivity and competitiveness in the global economy's workforce. The tools available to employers to achieve their human capital strategy, however, differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In particular, a company's ability to form employee committees, quality circles and other innovative team concepts depend on the host country's culture and laws....