June
2015

Endings . . . and new beginnings! At the end of this month I complete my one year as chapter president. And what a year it has been: we kick-started a new strategic plan, rolled out a new compensation survey, wrestled with national SHRM on an array of issues (including their new certification program), formalized a number of our core processes, crossed the $200,000 revenue level for the first time, began a new strategic partnership with the Urban League of Greater Madison, helped over 40 people hone their job seeking skills at our annual Job Boot Camp, highlighted some of our chapter practices at the WISHRM leadership conference, hosted another world-class Human Capital Conference, added two new positions to our Board of Directors (Director of Technology and Social Media and Director of Volunteer Engagement), ramped up our social media presence, provided scholarships to members and students, and won the SHRM Gold Excel award for the second year in a row!

It has been my privilege to help guide the chapter these past twelve months. I’ve done my best to bring focus and structure to the Board, but nothing that I have done compares to the great contributions that other Board members and our active volunteers have made to enable our chapter success. It’s clear that the Board and our many volunteer-supported committees are deeply passionate about serving HR and the broader Madison community. I am humbled by the hard work and dedication that these 70+ members bring to the wide array of programs and services we provide.

I am not going away, but I am downshifting my role by serving the chapter for one more year as past-president. And, as I wind down my leadership role, I am excited to welcome Dawn Koopman as our new president. My ending makes way for her beginning. Dawn has a deep passion for the chapter, serving it so well over the past four years. I know that this passion will translate into a continuation of the strong traditions of the past while also making a few waves. Dawn is someone who gets things done! I look forward to supporting her as she takes the gavel on July 1 and brings her own vision to the role.

I hope that I have done justice to the role of president, building upon the great work of those before me and creating structures and processes that will help those who follow. Thanks for providing me the opportunity to serve. It has been an honor.

Over to you Dawn!

Jeff Russell

Click here to view the full GMA SHRM Board of Directors

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Government Affairs

Too Broad Policy Gives Rights to Ineligible Employee

Submitted by Bob Gregg, Boardman & Clark Labor & Employment Group

An employee worked in a small unit of under 50 employees, more than 75 miles from any other. Thus, he was not covered by the FMLA (50 people within a 75 mile radius). However, the employee handbook’s FMLA policy simply stated that all employees who had worked 1,200 hours in a year were covered by FMLA. The employee took leave for a heart condition, submitting an FMLA request. He was fired while on leave, and he sued. The employer requested dismissal because there was no FMLA coverage of the small, remote unit. The court agreed that the FMLA would not normally cover the situation, however, the handbook policy created coverage. The handbook did not have any disclaimer or explanation about the 75 mile radius. It gave a blanket “unqualified assurance” of FMLA rights to all employees. Having created a reasonable reliance on its own policy, the employer could not now deny the employee his full FMLA rights. Tilley v. Kalamazoo Co. Road Comm. (6th Cir., 2015). This case illustrates a growing trend of courts to look closely at handbook provisions and use poorly drafted or overbroad policies to extend rights to employees who otherwise would not be covered by various laws. Another recent example involves the anti-harassment policy in Marini v. Costco Wholesale, covered in the February, 2015 Update.

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EEOC Issues Proposed Wellness Plan Regulations

Submitted by Bob Gregg, Boardman & Clark Law Firm

On April 16^th the EEOC issued proposed regulations on how the ADA will apply to company wellness plans. They include: (1) Incentives/penalties linked to participation in a wellness program will be permitted up to 30% of the cost of employee-only coverage; (2) Wellness programs must be reasonably designed to promote employee health; (3) Participation cannot be mandatory; (4) Medical information collected as part of the program must be kept confidential; (5) Employers must provide reasonable accommodations to those who cannot meet wellness program requirements due to a disability; and (6) Employers must provide employees with a notice that describes what medical information will be collected as part of the wellness program, who will receive it, how the information will be used, and how it will be kept confidential. These are proposed regulations subject to a 60-day comment period. The full proposed regulations can be found: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/04/20/2015-08827/regulations-under-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-amendments

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Compensation and Benefits

Participants Save $300 - Contribute Now to the 2015 GMA SHRM Compensation Survey!

Participate now! GMA SHRM Compensation Survey Data Collection

Data collection for this year’s annual GMA SHRM Compensation Survey is officially open. All Madison area businesses are invited to participate by providing information on more than 260 jobs across multiple industries as well as select pay budget trend information. Survey data will be collected via an easy-to-use web-based data submission tool that is available 24/7.

New positions for 2015! Based on feedback from last year’s participants, GMA SHRM has added 8 new jobs to this year’s survey. Now you can analyze local compensation information for the following positions:

Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Community-Based Care Manager
Occupational Therapist
Public Health Nurse
Pharmacy Technician
HRIS Programmer-Analyst
HRIS Trainer

Why should you participate? The brief time you invest in completing the survey provides an excellent return-- the more organizations participating, the better the results! In addition, all of the data is local which helps your business better understand the compensation trends in Dane County. All data is kept strictly confidential by QTI Consulting, and all participants will be given a discount on purchased reports and you do not need to be a GMA SHRM member to participate.

The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, June 19, 2015!

Click here for more information and instructions on how to participate!

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Employee Relations

How to Transform Disengaged Employees Into Engaged Employees

Here in the US, we have a real problem with disengaged employees. On January 28, Amy Adkins of Gallup confirmed this when she released this: “Majority of US Employees Not Engaged Despite Gains in 2014.” As you can probably guess from her title, there’s good news and bad news.

On the bright side, employee engagement is at its highest level since 2000, and overall employee engagement was up 2% from 2013 to 2014. That takes us all the way up to 31.5% of US employees engaged at work. It’s good, but only in the “sort of” sense. There’s still a lot of work to be done.

Now for the bad news. The level of employees categorized as “not engaged” remained basically flat. It now sits at 51%. Yes, that’s over half of the US workforce. For “actively disengaged employees”... it’s 17.5%. Combined, that’s a mind-numbing 68.5% of employees who are apathetic, unenthusiastic, and not committed to the company. Essentially, they punch the clock, count down the hours, and collect their paycheck. That’s it! Nothing else.

Maritz Research recently polled a sampling of US employees and found a prevalent theme: Lack of trust in company management. The research uncovered, “poor communication, lack of perceived caring, inconsistent behavior, and perceptions of favoritism were cited by respondents as the largest contributors to their lack of trust in senior leaders.”

The same Maritz study revealed that nearly two-thirds of participants, who said they had “strong trust in management,” would be happy to spend the rest of their career with their present company. Only 7% of respondents, who have weak trust in their employers, would want to finish their career with their current employer. That tells us a lot, doesn’t it?

What does all this mean for HR? When you’re tasked with finding, screening, recruiting, and training job applicants... where does employee engagement have its greatest impact?
Consider the immense monetary value in having happy, engaged, motivated, long-term employees. Employee retention not only saves a great deal of money, but also saves a great deal of time and resources that would be better spent finding and training new employees. Those recovered resources can now be devoted to developing and enhancing existing employees, leading to more loyalty to the company and an even higher level of employee engagement.

For employees, the credibility of the company and senior management is driven largely by the quality of relationships that employees have with their direct supervisors. It is imperative for HR to insist that all managers have a caring relationship with all their employees.

Managers need their employees to be engaged and productive for the ultimate success of the business. You can have all the pizza parties, stock option plans, employee awards, fancy software packages, and casual Friday’s you want, but true employee engagement isn’t an activity. It’s a deeply-felt “emotion” in the heart of each employee.

Employee trust is a critical factor. Employee engagement is what makes the difference between an average organization and a world class organization. In a world class organization, employees truly care about the success of the company. They’re the ones who will work hard to make sure your clients, guests, and customers are happy.

It’s been proven, time after time, that companies with world class engagement experience increased productivity, increased profitability, fewer safety incidents, lower absenteeism, and a significantly higher growth rate compared to companies with disengaged employees. That means more money to the company’s bottom line. Less waste, more profits!

HR can influence and inspire managers to make this vision a reality by helping them understand the WIIFM principle (What’s in It For Me). Let’s look at the payoff in terms of what it can do for their career. Managers of world class companies are significantly more successful than the average US manager. This means a much higher annual income and more frequent promotions.

So, how do you transform disengaged employees? Answer: You have to put employees first. Zig Ziglar said, “To get what you want in life, you must first help others get what they want.”

When talking about employee engagement, managers must help every one of their employees to be engaged, motivated, and productive. This means truly caring about the work they’re doing and their happiness with the company. The results will mean success for the employee, success for management, success for HR, and ultimately, success for the company.

Co-Authors: David Long is CEO of MyEmployees and Author of the best-selling management leadership book, Built to Lead. Matthew Coleman is the Marketing Manager for MyEmployees. The mission of MyEmployees is to engage America’s workforce, one manager, one employee at a time… forging stronger companies in the process.
Hyperlinks:
David Long - https://twitter.com/Top10Manager
Matthew Coleman - https://twitter.com/matthewjcoleman
MyEmployees - http://myemployees.com/
Built to Lead - https://myemployees.clickfunnels.com/optin1207981

Professional Development

Calculating the High Cost of Employee Turnover

There’s a disease silently infecting the modern American business world today. It lurks in the background, silently eating away at the bottom line of your company. This silent destroyer of business profits is known as your “employee turnover equation”, and it affects small businesses and corporations alike.

I’ll not bore you with stats detailing the billions of dollars lost annually to this problem. In reality, when the numbers get that large, people tend to accept them as the norm. What you need is a simple employee turnover calculator to understand exactly how it is affecting YOUR business. Once you’ve got an idea what you’re losing, there are a few simple steps you can implement to regain some of that lost profitability.

Most businesses know, on some level, that the cost of employee turnover is a problem. They view it as a mere inconvenience that must be dealt with, a cost of doing business. That’s until you put a dollar amount on its effect. Even seeing an “estimate” of what you’re losing will shock you!

See for yourself! Here’s an employee turnover calculator to help you understand just how much money employee turnover truly costs YOUR business each year. Once business owners, HR managers, CFOs, and CEOs get a look at the real numbers lost each year, quarter or even a single month... they need to take a hard look at what needs to be done to slow that tide.

Example: Let’s say you have 100 employees. Each year, you have 15% turnover. When those employees leave for whatever reason, you have to train new employees to fill the open positions. If it takes 2 weeks to train each new employee, at 40 hours per week, on an $8 hourly salary for the new employee, and a $25 hourly salary for the trainer, you’re looking at $42,768 per year! And that doesn’t even cover recruiting!
Those are just blind estimates. Take a minute to input your data into the employee turnover calculator to get a true number for your own business. Prepare to be shocked!

While you can’t stop employee turnover completely, you can take steps to diminish it. Examine your company culture for ways to improve employee engagement. Find ways to inspire employees to take more pride in their job by asking them for input on how to do their tasks more efficiently. Survey employees and ask their thoughts on how the workplace can be improved (and then implement do some of the suggestions!). Create an employee recognition platform that recognizes people for their effort, and awards them regularly and consistently.

It’s a proven fact! When employees are engaged, they work harder, are more efficient, and take pride in what they do. A “World Class” atmosphere of teamwork develops. A cooperative, competitive spirit blossoms, encouraging everyone to be a better employee and a better person. People stop coming to work because they have to, and start coming because they want to. They are more productive and happier. That means fewer performance-based layoffs and fewer top producers leaving your company for greener pastures.

Engaged employees have significantly lower levels of absenteeism, on the job accidents, and fewer HR issues. What is that doing to your bottom line every year? According to Gallup Research, companies with high levels of employee engagement are 400% more profitable. Yes, 400%!! Pair that increase in productivity and profitability with the savings from reduced turnover, and your business can expect exponential growth in sales and profits.
Many of the factors affecting true employee engagement need to be customized for each business. A great place to start is an employee survey. Find out what employees think about the business and work environment. You may uncover hidden systemic issues that contribute to your high rate of employee turnover.

Another excellent place to start is a consistent recognition platform. One of the most basic human needs is to feel appreciated. From a business perspective, a recognition program can reward and inspire employees while at the same time achieving company goals and objectives. It’s not magic; it's all about criteria. Check out this video for more about that: “How can an Employee Recognition program increase profitability.”

Employee turnover is an infection, but it doesn’t have to be a killer. The first step is using a simple employee turnover calculator to put a dollar amount on just how much it costs your business. Once you understand that, you can easily justify any investment in employee engagement and employee recognition to shrink your turnover rate drastically. Not only will you be saving the headache of replacing many of your employees, but you’ll be investing in the massive growth potential and profitability of your business.

About the Author: Matthew Coleman is the Marketing Manager for MyEmployees. The mission of MyEmployees is to engage America’s workforce, one manager, one employee at a time… forging stronger companies in the process. Twitter: @matthewjcoleman

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Professional Development

Professional Award Winner

Congratulations to Nina Catterall for winning the $1,000 professional award this year! We had several well qualified applicants and as always, choosing a winner was a difficult decision. We will be taking applicants again next spring and encourage everyone to apply!

Certification Webpage now available!

GMA SHRM recently launched a new page on our website which provides information on the SHRM and HRCI Certifications, in addition to information on the student Assurance of Learning Exam. Visit www.gmashrm.org and click on “Certification Information” under the “Education and Events” header to learn more.

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SHRM Certification Tutorial

Become SHRM Certified today so you can begin earning recertification credits for events you may already be attending!

It’s quick, easy, and free for those who are already HRCI certified.

Here is how you do it:

Go to shrmcertification.org – click on “Get Started”.
Click on “Pathway” to access the online tutorial (this takes about 45 minutes to complete)
Follow three simple steps by December 31, 2015:
- Document that your current certification is in good standing.
- Sign the SHRM Code of Ethics.
- Complete a brief online tutorial focusing on HR competencies.

After those 3 easy steps, you are certified!!!!

Once you complete this process, you will earn the new SHRM credential and begin a three-year SHRM recertification cycle – which means you may now start to earn SHRM recertification credits.

BONUS – You will hold 2 HR Certifications!!!!

This free opportunity is only available during 2015 and only to those who currently are HRCI certified.

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Community Events

Seeking Volunteers for the Job Boot Camp!

GMA SHRM will again partner with the Urban League of Madison to host the Job Boot Camp this August. It is an informative day that starts with a keynote speaker and then provides access to local HR professionals to offer advice and feedback to area job seekers. Volunteers are a key part of this event and provide attendees with valuable feedback on their job search process. We are looking for volunteers in a number of areas:
·         Meet one-on-one with participants to answer questions and give guidance
·         Resume reviewers: review attendees’ resumes and provide feedback
·         Mock Interviewers: Help attendees practice their interview skills through mock interviews

This year’s Job Boot Camp will be held on August 21^st from 9 am until 12 pm at the Urban League of Madison. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Rachel Martin at RachelC.Martin@dhs.wisconsin.gov for more information or to sign up.

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GMA SHRM Social Media

Our Member Directory is Now Mobile Friendly!

Wish you could stay connected with GMA SHRM members? Now you can search for a member, call, e-mail or find directions to their listed location and be confident that it’s up to date. Check it out today, you can now stay better connected to GMA SHRM members and it’s just a click away at http://www.gmashrm.org/mobile

Forward HR

Want to know what’s going on in HR for the other areas of Wisconsin? WI SHRM has a new blog, Forward HR. Click here to take a look.

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GMA SHRM Upcoming Events

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July 14, 2015 - GMA SHRM Toolbox
Getting Naked with Each Other--The Role of Trust and Vulnerability in Creating a Cohesive Team

Location: Olbrich Gardens

According to Patrick Lencioni, author of the best-selling book The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, the most important behavior a team can build is TRUST. In fact, a recent survey by the Table Group found that when coworkers admit their mistakes, 84% of respondents report that it makes them trust each other MORE; that is the foundation of a healthy working relationship and highly functioning team. And yet, so many of us are afraid to be vulnerable in the professional arena, afraid to admit our shortcomings, afraid to be 100% honest with our teammates. So, this begs this question:

As a leader, a manager, or an HR professional, how do you encourage your people to “get naked’ with one another, to be more vulnerable and more TRUSTING, so as to build a more cohesive team? How do you do that in practice?

In this experiential presentation, Chariti Gent takes participants through several exercises aimed at teaching how to build trust with others at work relatively quickly and with minimal effort. Knowing how to do this is absolutely critical for creating vibrant, cohesive, creative teams, and appealing, innovative, and culture-rich workplaces.

Please join us!

More information...

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GMA SHRM Announcements

GMA SHRM Member News

GMA SHRM Member Spotlight

GMA SHRM Volunteer Spotlight

Name: Dan Hoover

How long have you been volunteering with GMA SHRM?
Approximately 9 months

What committee do you volunteer with? Have you volunteered on other committee’s? If so, which one?
The Education & Professional Development Committee - my first committee.

What do you enjoy about volunteering?
Working with my GMA SHRM colleagues in assisting others. I especially enjoyed participating in the UW Student SHRM networking event - the students were engaged, very smart, and excited about the future!

What would you say to others who are considering volunteering with GMA SHRM?
It's a great way to get involved, connect with other HR professionals, and do some good. Melissa does a great job of keep our committee organized and on track - its fun too!

What have you gotten back from volunteering with GMA SHRM?
Positive feedback from the people we help, many chances to network, and lots of opportunities to learn and grow professionally.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Always gather the facts and do what is right even if it isn’t popular.

Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM?
Networking and staying up to date with HR topics.

If you’d like to be published in an issue of HR InTouch, please complete this profile and submit (along with a photo) to Kathleen Bobholz-Rewey @ kbobholzrewey@momentumplans.com

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Welcome New Members!

GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in March 2015!

Colleen F. Bradley, PHR	WPS
Jonathan Gadbois	Hausmann-Johnson Insurance
Steve Moritz	Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, Inc.
Nikki J. Ryberg	Fleming Development
Kari Seay	The Employer Group
Leah J. Turner	bb7
Antonia Turnquist	The QTI Group

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Movin' Up

Have you started with a new company? Has your organization recently promoted you to a new position? Or do you want to recognize a new person or promotion within your department? If so, we want to hear about it. Send us an e-mail, and we’ll publish your good news in the next HR InTouch!

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In Transition

If you are a member who is in between jobs, or who is currently employed but seeking new positions or career paths, write us a brief description of your skill set, areas of expertise, what you’re looking for, etc. Send us an e-mail. We’ll publish your information in the next HR InTouch.

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HR InTouch Guidelines

Article Writing:

Do you have an interest in writing for the HR InTouch? We have an interest in learning more about your area of expertise!

Why should you volunteer? Top three reasons: 1) to share your knowledge and experiences to educate others; 2) to become more connected in the HR and Dane County communities; and 3) to contribute towards the advancement of GMA SHRM and the HR profession.

The first step is for you to choose a submission option: you can pre-submit an article to GMA SHRM at any time for us to use in any of the upcoming newsletters, you can sign up to write for a particular month, or we can put you on a list of people to contact in future months whenever we need articles.

Article length:

Because the HR InTouch is now in an online format, the size is flexible. The article should be engaging and hold readers’ attention. Include the core information in your article, and we will advise if it is too lengthy.

Solicitation:

GMA SHRM is conscious not to allow solicitation through the articles, in an effort to protect the interests of our partners and members. The nature of the article should be educational (i.e., what are the business advantages of having a product like yours) or informational. Otherwise, if you truly are interested in advertising through the HR InTouch, you can work with our Marketing Committee. As a rule of thumb for article writing, if the submission relates to a for-profit event, or specifically markets your company (vs. your industry), it is an advertisement, and should be purchased. If it is a not-for-profit event that your company is hosting, or an announcement (i.e., a SHRM member recently joined your company), it is an acceptable addition to the HR InTouch content. If you have any questions related to the appropriateness of your submission, please contact us.

If you have questions, or to submit an article, contact GMA SHRM at chapteradmin@gmashrm.org .

June
2015

HR InTouch

In This Edition

Too Broad Policy Gives Rights to Ineligible Employee

EEOC Issues Proposed Wellness Plan Regulations

Participants Save $300 - Contribute Now to the 2015 GMA SHRM Compensation Survey!

How to Transform Disengaged Employees Into Engaged Employees