All types of workplace issues have been on readers' minds — from illegal hiring practices to how to develop your network. Here's some follow-up to columns I've written.

After I wrote about so-called Christian companies — in particular, a Midwestern social service agency that used the services of a volunteer and loved her work but wouldn't hire her since she doesn't claim Jesus Christ as her savior — I heard this from a reader in Honolulu:

"Isn't discriminating against someone for employment purposes against the law? If so, how can these companies act illegally so openly?"

I checked with attorney Paul Calico of Strauss & Troy in Cincinnati, who said, yes, "if a company is basing its employment decisions on the basis of religion, it is violating the law." But he said he had not encountered companies that openly admit religious discrimination by refusing to hire someone.

Calico said he found one case involving claims that an employer discriminated against an employee because of "lack of religion," which "was governed by the general rules relating to a hostile work environment." In such cases, he said, it's "incumbent on employees who believe the company or co-workers are acting improperly to notify management so they can investigate."

Several of you asked how to start a relationship with someone you want in your network.

Begin with the basics, by being likable. As Dale Carnegie suggests, study the greatest winner of friends the world has ever known.

From his book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and recently highlighted in a New York Times article on classic self-help books, he describes the greatest winner of friends in the world:

"You may meet him tomorrow coming down the street. When you get within 10 feet of him, he will begin to wag his tail. If you stop and pat him, he will almost jump out of his skin to show you how much he likes you. And you know that behind this show of affection on his part, there are no ulterior motives; he doesn't want to sell you any real estate, and he doesn't want to marry you."

Carnegie goes on to say that a dog is the only animal that doesn't have to work for a living. Unlike the cow that must give milk or a hen that must lay eggs, "a dog makes his living by giving you nothing but love."

In a business environment, that translates into being genuine, showing your appreciation for others and expecting nothing in return. That's the best way to network.