Greetings GMA SHRM Members –

As we move into November, it seems like a good time to reflect on what we are thankful for. I have so many things to be thankful for. I work with an amazing group of people at WPS Health Solutions every day and I am lucky to have leaders who support my volunteer efforts and my career. I have the honor of serving on our GMA SHRM Board of Directors and with it, the opportunity to shape the future of our Chapter. It is no small feat to run a Chapter this size and we are only successful because of the leadership from our Board of Directors and the many volunteers that generously give their time and passion. I am thankful for our many sponsors that see the value of being involved with our Chapter and help us to provide better programming and networking opportunities. We are lucky to have the support of our members and your continued membership and attendance at our events. Last but not least, I appreciate the effort and support of our chapter administrator, Morgan Data Solutions. Thanks to all of you for your time and dedication!   
 
I am excited for our legal update and Civilian Response to Active Shooter Training on November 12th and hope to see many of you there! Please make sure to register prior to the event because it is sure to be a full house.  

We are seeking students pursuing a career in Human Resources to attend our Annual Student Night Out on Wednesday, November 13th beginning at 5:45pm. Students will have the opportunity to hear from a panel of HR leaders and learn more about our scholarship and mentorship program. Find all the details here.

Do you want to learn more about how to attract, hire and retain Military Veterans? If the answer is yes, I want to make you aware of the Veterans At Work Certificate Program. Through this program, you will earn 10 professional development credits toward your SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. It is also free and you do not need to be a SHRM member to take advantage. It’s a win-win!
 
If you need to renew your national SHRM membership, now is a good time. Membership dues will go up to $219 effective January 1, 2020. If you renew by the end of the year, you will beat the dues increase and will be able to use the code STATE20 to save $30. 

 
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.


Take Care,

Tammy Wacek, SHRM-CP, PHR
President
GMA SHRM
 

Gossip Can Lead to Hostile Work Environment Based on Sex

Submitted by Brian Goodman at Boardman & Clark LLP and GMA SHRM VP of Programming

A federal court in Washington recently held that a male employee who faced workplace gossip sufficiently alleged that he endured a hostile work environment based on sex, and his employer retaliated against him by terminating his employment. The male employee’s complaint alleged that he had reported a female coworker’s (non-harassment) misconduct to supervisors and in response, the female coworker told HR that the male employee “objectified women” and started a rumor that he was having an affair with another female employee. After the male employee reported the female coworker’s harassing behavior to the general manager (“GM”), the GM discharged the female coworker, but did not investigate the male employee’s harassment complaint.
 
A few months later, the GM prohibited the male employee from driving to a work-related program with the female employee that he was rumored to be having an affair with. The male employee complained about the GM’s conduct to HR, but his complaint was again left uninvestigated. Shortly thereafter, the GM and supervisor told the male employee that the rumors of his affair were reflecting poorly on him, and therefore, he should avoid speaking with the female employee that was the subject of the rumors. The male employee filed a second complaint with HR claiming that he was being subjected to a hostile work environment and sexual harassment. Less than 90 days later, he was terminated for “poor work performance.”
 
The federal court concluded that the male employee alleged sufficient facts to state a claim for hostile work environment based on sex because his employer allegedly did not investigate or take steps to eliminate any hostile work environment because he was male, whereas the employee would not have been singled out and caused to suffer the harassment if he had been female.  Further, because the male employee’s complaints to HR opposed behavior that was arguably a violation of law, the court held that his retaliation claim could proceed. The male employee still has to provide sufficient admissible evidence in support of his allegations in order to ultimately prevail on his claims.
 
Despite the current sexual harassment climate, this case illustrates the importance of remaining neutral when investigating employee complaints. Male employees can face a hostile work environment based on sex just as female employees can. When HR receives such complaints, it is important to distinguish harassment based on protected class from general misconduct and investigate accordingly. Sex-based rumors can create a hostile environment based on sex.  Employers should not determine that a complaint lacks merit until a proper investigation is conducted. It might even be necessary to convert a general misconduct investigation into a harassment investigation as the facts develop during the course of an investigation.

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Professional Development

November PDS Topics:  Legal and Government Affairs
 

Session 1:  Working Through Recent Legal Developments: Workplace Law in Action

Presented By:  Brian Goodman, Attorney, BoardmanClark LLP

The law is complicated.  It is one thing for a lawyer to read you what the law says and quite a different thing for you to practice spotting legal issues and working through them.  At my PDS on November 12, 2019, I hope to engage you in evaluating situations, prioritizing issues, and working with legal counsel when appropriate. 
 
The first part of my session will cover workplace violence and safety issues, which unfortunately is a continuing concern for many businesses, and based on recent incidents, has become a particular concern for HR departments.  This first part will also tie into the day’s second PDS session, which will be active shooter training by the Madison Police Department. The second part of my session will provide an update on other particularly important and relevant legal developments, emphasizing what these developments will mean to businesses. 
 
Even though some of the subject matter is quite serious, I strive to find moments of levity.  Throughout the morning, you will have the opportunity to play HR specialist, lawyer, judge, and jury for what I hope to be a dynamic and engaging session. 
 
I look forward to seeing you all there.

Session 2:  Civilian Response to Active Shooter (CRASE) Training  
Presented by:  Officer Carrie Hemming, Madison Police Department

It is unfortunate that sudden violence perpetrated by an individual bent on killing innocent people is a reality in modern American communities. The good news is the likelihood of finding yourself under fire by an active shooter is roughly equivalent to being struck by lightning. However, as you can lessen your chances of being struck by lightning, there are simple things you can do to respond effectively if you ever find yourself in this unthinkable situation. The Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) class is a statistically based training program for all members of the Madison community interested in demystifying these frightening events. The training will include: A statistical breakdown of active shooter events, historical case studies & behavioral tools to maximize your chances of survival, table-top scenario discussions & Q&A session w/MPD active shooter experts.

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Compensation and Benefits

GMA SHRM Compensation Survey Now Available!

About the 2019 GMA SHRM Compensation Survey

• 55 participating organizations in the GMA SHRM membership area.  Click here to view the survey information page and view the participant list.
   
• 218 exempt and non-exempt jobs included.  Click here to view the survey information page and view the list of jobs from the survey.  We do have a report out of 70% of these benchmarks.
   
• The GMA SHRM Compensation survey includes local data on the following executive jobs: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Information Officer.
   
• Within the reporting site, data can be stratified by: All Participants, Type of Industry, Number of FTEs and Type of Ownership (where available).

Click here for more information including how to order!

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College Relations

GMA SHRM Student Night Out November 13, 2019 

Submitted by Tyler Wood, Talent Acquisition & Recruitment Manager at UW Credit Union and GMA SHRM Director of College Relations

Join us for GMA SHRM’s Annual Student Night Out – a premier event for students that are pursuing a career in Human Resources! Here, students will learn from the best in the human resources profession. A live panel of HR leaders, a keynote speaker, networking, scholarship and mentorship information, and more will give a perspective that students will not get anywhere else!
 
Past student attendees came from UW-Madison, Madison College, UW-Whitewater, Edgewood, and more. We encourage all students and teachers interested in this event to attend! You don’t want to miss this.
 
GMA SHRM Members: Interested in volunteering at this event or serving as a mentor? Contact us to learn how! 
 
Details and registration may be found here.
 

Last year’s Student Night Out at Dream Bank (2018):

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GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in September 2019!
 

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Movin' Up

Welcome Matthew Inglese to the Erdman Team!! He will Erdman’s new HR Coordinator.

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 .