Greetings and Happy New Year, GMA SHRM Members!

I hope you all had an opportunity to enjoy the holiday season and recharge a bit!  There is something exhilarating about the start of the new year—a fresh start to refocus on our professional and life goals, and to look forward in anticipation of the blessings and opportunities ahead for us in 2022!

Our Board of Directors will meet on January 7th for our mid-year strategic planning session where we will continue to focus on delivering on our chapter mission “To offer Madison Area HR professionals high quality professional development and networking opportunities with the goal to educate, share ideas, shape experiences, and build lasting relationships, and our vision to “Equip and inspire HR professionals to lead and build a better workplace and community.” 

Our chapter remains strong and thriving thanks to the many people who step forward to lead and serve in providing great GMA SHRM programming, networking, and professional development opportunities!  As we plan for the start of our next board year beginning in July 2022, we encourage our members to consider joining a committee or serving as a volunteer chapter leader in the coming year.  There is a place for you in GMA SHRM if you have a passion for serving the HR community and a desire to connect with others while having opportunities to build your network and grow professionally. Want additional information about ways to get involved? Check out our “Get Involved page” or feel free to reach out to Dana Denny, our President Elect.

We’re excited to remind you that the 2021 Compensation Survey is available!  Local compensation data is hard to find, and the GMA SHRM Compensation survey conducted by Gallagher is a great resource! Thirty-three organizations participated in the 2021 version of the survey.  Visit the Compensation Survey page to view pricing and ordering information.

Mark your calendars now for our January 25th virtual Professional Development Summit where Michelle Venturini will be sharing “Protecting Your Culture During Organizational Transformation”, and Sharon Hulce will be presenting “Loving My Job - Tools for Retaining Top Talent”. Also, save the date for our biggest event of the year, our annual Human Capital Conference on May 17th, 2022, at Alliant Energy Center.  Check our website for details on all of our upcoming events!

Additionally, WI SHRM invites you to join colleagues from around the state at the 8th Annual WI SHRM Day on the Hill event on Thursday, February 10th.  This event will provide you with a day of education, legal updates, advocacy, and networking opportunities with your HR colleagues and legislators.

Here we go into 2022!  We’ve all been building our resilience skills and together our HR community will continue to support each other in meeting the challenges and opportunities ahead!  Wishing you a healthy and happy year!    



All the best,

Tracy Nelson, SPHR, CPTD
President-GMA SHRM
Tracy.nelson@aspiretalentgroup.com

COVID-19 Resources

Understanding the Process for Legal Challenges to Federal COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates

Submitted from Brian P. Goodman, GMA SHRM Programming Member, Sarah J. Horner, and Storm B Larson, all Attorneys at Boardman & Clark LLP, a Platinum Sponsor

Brian P. Goodman

Sarah J. Horner Storm Larson

Lately, it seems like every week a different court is “enjoining” or “staying” enforcement of a federal government regulation or order related to COVID-19 vaccination requirements for certain employees. This article is designed to help you understand what you might hear in the media regarding the rapid developments in this area.

If someone opposes a federal regulation or order, a common first step is to file a lawsuit and request a preliminary injunction from the court. A preliminary injunction, if granted, would immediately stop the regulation or order from taking effect, at least temporarily. They are sometimes referred to as “stays” because the preliminary injunction “stays” the federal government’s ability to enforce the regulation, albeit temporarily.

Two things might happen next: (1) the losing party might appeal the preliminary injunction to a higher court and, if successful, the preliminary injunction will likely be reversed, and the federal order or regulation will likely take effect; or (2) the original court will continue with more extensive proceedings to decide the case on its merits. Sometimes a court will hold off on further proceedings or even refrain from enforcing its own preliminary injunction while an appeal is pending.

Following the proceedings on the merits, the court will issue a “final” injunction decision. You might think it is over at that point, but the losing party on the merits can appeal that decision – even if they previously appealed the preliminary injunction decision. But even if a party doesn’t appeal, the federal government might decide to revise and republish the regulation or order in an effort to achieve its desired objective while avoiding the legal issues that caused it to be enjoined. Guess what that means? The process starts all over again, including appeals.

This general overview is not intended to be comprehensive or applicable to every type of proceeding, but provides a sense of the key components in these complex proceedings. With at least 5 vaccination mandates being challenged in dozens of courts across the country simultaneously, it can get a bit complicated to understand the status of any given mandate at any given time. The key questions to ask yourself are:

• Is this court ruling on the mandate that my business is concerned about?
• Does this ruling cover a state I am doing business in?
• Is this ruling preliminary or final?
• Is this ruling being appealed?

Of course, when in doubt, you can always ask your legal counsel about the status of any regulation or order.

Professional Development

Focus on Retention

Session 1:  Protecting Your Culture During Organizational Transition

Presented By:   Michelle Venturini, SPHR, UW Madison Center for Continuing Studies

Session 2:  Loving My Job – Tools To Retaining Top Talent

Presented by:  Sharon Hulce, Employment Resource Group

Program Details and Registration

 

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Roundtables Return Virtual to Start 2022!
 

HR Advice Network Roundtables are informal, peer-led discussions facilitated under the auspices of the GMA SHRM Programming Committee. The focus of the roundtables are to support GMA SHRM members who are either HR professionals or individuals who may have HR responsibilities within their organizations.  Members come together to address and discuss their emerging HR challenges, in an open forum format, by sharing information, seeking advice, providing support and tangible resources to one another by exploring best practices.
 
These Roundtables are designed for those professionals who are interested in sharing their ideas and experiences in a confidential environment. It is expected what members share in these roundtables will stay within the roundtable. We encourage members to exchange business cards and reach out to each other outside of these meetings to expand on the discussions.

A special thank you to our Rountable facilitators Dawn Koopman, Tracy Niesen Breunig, and Melissa Chadwick!  

More information.

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The Value of Volunteerism in GMA SHRM
 

Tracy Nelson, MSOD, SPHR, CPTD GMA SHRM President President/CEO, Aspire Talent Group tracy.nelson@aspiretalentgroup.com Connect on Linked In

I’m often asked about the benefit of joining a local SHRM chapter.  I got involved in GMA SHRM over twenty years ago by attending events for my own professional development and networking.  My involvement has grown over the years to being a volunteer leader for the chapter as I’ve experienced the many rewards that come with being a part of this wonderful HR community. 

One of the things I love most is the connections I’ve made with other peers who are passionate about creating better workplaces, more effective leaders and teams, and stronger organizations where people feel valued and able to contribute their best selves each day.  I have made great friendships and met many people I respect and admire through GMA SHRM networking and development events. 

The nice thing about GMA SHRM is that there is something for everyone whether you want to jump in with both feet or just “stick a toe in” when you can.  You can become a part of the ongoing community who gets together regularly for sharing of ideas and practices via Meet Greet & Eat events, HR Roundtable discussions, networking and more, or if you’re feeling too busy but still want to ensure you have opportunities to grow and network, you can periodically join us for a virtual professional development event. You can get engaged on a committee to meet new friends and serve the chapter and profession or explore a potential board role offering an opportunity to lead the chapter and further grow your leadership skills.  GMA SHRM is committed to being the valuable professional resource you can count on to help you grow, connect, and stay ahead of the curve to the degree that fits with your life and goals.  Engaging in the chapter has been an invaluable part of my own learning and growth and has resulted in cultivating lifelong friendships with wonderful people doing great work in their organizations and communities!

 

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College Relations

GMA SHRM Virtual Student Night Out was a SUCCESS!
 

Submitted by Arlette Kambwa-Gitau, Human Resources Advisor Manager at American Family Insurance and GMA SHRM Director of College Relations

Student Night Out is a premier event hosted by GMA SHRM for students pursuing a career in Human Resources.  This event allows students to learn more about the field from local HR professionals. There were over 35 students from various colleges throughout Southern Wisconsin who attended the first virtual event in November 2021.
 
Panelists Brittany Hanson, Talent Acquisition Consultant at UW Credit Union, Rosalyn Johnson, HR Business Partner at Quartz Health Solutions, Debra A. Lafler owner of Personal Wellness Development, LLC & Wellness and EAP Manager at WI Department of Health Services, and Christine Storlie, Senior HR Consultant at Carlson Dettmann Consulting  answered a lot of great questions posed by the students.  Students also learned about the benefits of SHRM and our student scholarship program. 

If you are looking to get more involved in the HR profession while also giving back to the community, please consider joining the GMA SHRM College Relations Committee or any of the other GMA SHRM Committees.

The GMA SHRM college relations committee consists of Alicia Genin, Talent Acquisition Manager at Quartz Health Solutions, Andrea Wyant, HR Business Partner at ePac flexible Packaging, Kayla Lubenow, Compensation and Benefits Manager at EatStreet, Stacey Sykes, Talent Management Administrator at Labcorp, and Arlette Kambwa-Gitau, HRA Manager at American Family Insurance.
 

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Workforce Readiness, Diversity & Inclusion