Happy New Year GMA SHRM Members!

It’s hard to believe I’m reviewing blank pages on a 2023 calendar and slotting in tentative plans already! And yet here we are – everything feels brand new, refreshed, possibilities are endless, and everything feels clean and shiny! If the years since the pandemic started have taught us anything in human resources, it’s that all rules may be revised, rewritten, or tossed; we may challenge the status quo, transform it entirely, and even develop a new, exciting way forward if necessary. Please continue with us on the 2023 GMA SHRM journey – there’s much to look forward to beginning this month, so continue to check our website for all the details!

Starting off the year, our Board of Directors will congregate on January 13th for our mid-year strategic planning session where we will continue to focus on delivering 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.”  We have already identified several goals we will continue to work on from our July 2022 strategic planning meeting; we will continue to build on these at this meeting – if you have any suggestions for us, I welcome you to forward these to any of our Board Members.

In other news, each winter our chapter begins succession planning where we seek additional volunteers who have an interest in serving on committees and/or representing the chapter as one of our board leaders, starting in July of 2023. If you’d like additional information about how to become more involved in the chapter, please review our “Get Involved” webpage, or contact Laura Bermudo, our President-Elect.

Our January Professional Development Summit will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, January 24, featuring Tina Paulus-Kraus, reporting on “Teams That Thrive,” which details high performing teams and what makes them click. Our second session features Shawn Belling, presenting the challenges and opportunities that contribute to “Remote and Hybrid Work Environment Success.” Also, please remember to save the date for our biggest event of the year, our annual Human Capital Conference on Tuesday, May 16th, 2023, at Alliant Energy Center. Continue to check our website for details on all our upcoming events!

Additionally, WI SHRM invites you to join colleagues from around the state at the WISHRM Workplace Policy Conference, which replaces the WI SHRM Day on the Hill event! This exciting professional development and networking opportunity will be held on Thursday, February 16th and will provide HR professionals with a forum to learn, discuss, network and engage with others on workplace policy matters, keeping employees and customers safe, advocacy topics and the latest employment law updates. Here’s a link to learn more about the conference, and to register [link]!

And with that, let’s usher in 2023 with eyes wide with excitement and grateful hearts, as an HR community eager for knowledge transfer, comradeship, and many other possibilities! I wish all of you the best this year and hope to see you at our programming and networking events.
All the best,


Dana Denny, IPMA-CP
GMA SHRM Chapter President
dana_denny@hotmail.com. 

Legal Update – Wisconsin’s Rules on Paid Breaks

Submitted from Mai Chao Chang, Storm Larson & Brian P. Goodman, GMA SHRM Programming Committee Member, and Attorneys at Boardman & Clark LLP, a Platinum Partner
 

Mai Chao

Storm Larson

Brian P. Goodman

Wisconsin law does not generally require employers to provide mid-workday breaks to adult employees.  However, when employers choose to provide such breaks, Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development (DWD) sets parameters on whether or not those breaks must be paid.  These parameters are not new, but employers still frequently misunderstand them. 

If a mid-shift break is less than 30 consecutive minutes, the break is considered work time.  If the employee is not free to leave the employer’s premises during the break, the break is considered work time.  If the employee is asked to work during part of their less than 30-minute break, the break is considered work time. DWD considers such short breaks to be primarily for the benefit of the employer (by allowing employees a moment to clear their minds before returning to work more productively).

Only if a break is at least 30 consecutive minutes and the employee is completely relieved of duty and free to leave the premises, is the break time eligible to be unpaid. DWD considers such longer breaks to be primarily for the benefit of the employee, who can complete errands, eat, or use the time for any other personal need.

Employers that automatically deduct 30 minutes of work time for a lunch break should be cautious.  If the employee doesn’t take the full 30 minutes each day, the employer owes that employee wages for the full 30 minutes.  Multiply this small mistake by multiple workdays and multiple employees and a small error can quickly become a large—and expensive—problem.

Employers should not ask employees to “watch the front desk” while on break.  Employers should also not ask employees to stop their break to perform a work task, such as locating a file, and then return to their break.  It might only take 5 minutes for an employee to find that file for an employer, but that employee was denied a consecutive 30 minutes of break. 

Mid-workday breaks are common practice and can increase productivity and focus.  However, they can pose a trap to the unwary employer.

 

February 16, 2023 - WI SHRM Workplace Policy Conference
(Formerly Day on the Hill)

The 2023 Wisconsin SHRM Workplace Policy Conference will provide HR professionals with an ideal forum to learn, discuss, network and engage with others on workplace policy matters, keeping employees and customers safe, advocacy topics and the latest employment law updates.

As WI SHRM's Legislative Partner, Bob Gregg with Boardman Clark LLP will be providing the latest legal updates.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Networking Reception at the Top of the Park
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Thursday, February 16, 2022
7:00 am - 4:30 pm

Register here!
 

Spotlight – Government Affairs Committee Volunteer: Wanda Manning

Submitted from Stacey Skyes, Director of College Relations and Talent Management Program Manager at Labcorp

How long have you been a member of GMA SHRM? 
About 3 years

How long have you been a volunteer with GMA SHRM? 
I started volunteering with GMA SHRM around the same time I joined, so about 3 years.

What committee(s) have you volunteered with? What’s been your role with the committee(s) or why did you choose that committee(s)? 
I’ve been a committee volunteer with College Relations and Membership and have helped with Programming as well.

Why do you volunteer with GMA SHRM?  
I love staying involved in the local HR community and feel like I’m contributing to the field outside of my day job. I also enjoy working with other GMA SHRM board members and meeting new people.

What would you say to others who are unsure about volunteering with GMA SHRM?
Take a chance! I love the idea of Planned Happenstance so give it a chance and get involved – you never know what you might discover about yourself, who you will meet, or how it will help you grow personally and professionally.

What’s been the biggest “surprise” to you since being a member of or volunteer with GMA SHRM? (Something you didn’t know about the chapter before, or something you think others may not know, or a fun-fact about GMA SHRM leadership, etc.) 
I was surprised at how close and tight-knit the GMA SHRM community is. I especially love how much board and committee members know about each other and support one another.

What’s been the biggest “reward” for you since volunteering with GMA SHRM?  
The biggest reward has been getting to know others in the HR community! I went through a career transition about 3 years ago and felt welcomed with open arms into GMA SHRM. It has definitely made the transition much easier.


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New Membership Offering – Retiree Membership
 

Have you retired from a career in the HR profession or do you know someone who has?  Want to stay connected to friends and the profession while also giving back?  GMA SHRM now offers a Retiree Membership option.  Dues are discounted to $25 for a 12 month membership for all retired HR professionals. 

To qualify you need to have been employed in Human Resources and no longer represent a company.   We ask Retiree Members get involved and join a committee and/or participate in monthly HR Advice Network group meetings (roundtables). 

For more information, visit our Retiree Membership page.

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