Click to view video message from GMA SHRM President, 
Brittany Hanson, MBA, PHR
 

Hi GMA SHRM Members, 

Click this link to watch the below message from GMA SHRM President, Brittany Hanson, MBA, PHR.
 
Hi GMA SHRM Members! Brittany Hanson here with your October president update.  Fall is here - hopefully you all are able to get outside and enjoy this nice weather while we have it!
 
We are coming off another hugely successful virtual event – our September PDS was outstanding. Thanks to everyone who came. Hopefully, you found value in it!  Thanks to our amazing presenters and volunteers that made it happen.
 
We have so many connection and networking opportunities for you in October!  Our Meet, Eat & Greets and Virtual Round Tables are happening – make sure you register for them.  Community is going to be more important than ever as fall gets closer, days get shorter, and weather gets colder. Keep connected with your HR community.  GMA SHRM Revealed is right around the corner – woohoo! – join us on October 8^th to hear about volunteer opportunities with GMA SHRM and meet other new members.   We also have a November 17^th virtual PDS happening, our ever-popular government and employment law update. Check out the website to register.
 
I want to take this moment to recognize our GMA SHRM volunteer of the year Sam Raddle!  Congrats Sam!  Every year the GMA SHRM Board of Directors votes on a volunteer of the year. It’s a hard decision because we have so many amazing volunteers. Sam has been instrumental with our corporate partnership program and committee. Thanks again Sam!  Sam will be recognized at our upcoming November PDS.  I also want to recognize our Professional Scholarship Winner – Ashley Kidd!
 
If you’ve logged into your GMA SHRM website lately, you’ll notice it looks different. We have a brand new database.  Log in and check it out!  You can update some of your information and access the Madison HR Chat.
 
The GMA SHRM volunteer leaders always ask ourselves what our members are looking for.  We know you are looking for professional development opportunities and connection, and we’ve got it for you this month.  Visit gmashrm.org for updates and information.  We hope you all are well. We will see you soon! 

 
Thanks and  be well!

 
 
Take care,
 
Brittany Hanson, MBA, PHR
President
GMA SHRM

COVID-19 Resources

The Madison Equal Opportunities Ordinance Protects Employees from Discrimination Based on Their Political Belief

Submitted from Brian P. Goodman, GMA SHRM Programming Member, and Sarah J. Horner, both Attorneys at Boardman & Clark LLP

Brian P. Goodman

Sarah J. Horner

With the federal presidential election around the corner, Madison employers should keep in mind that the Madison Equal Opportunities Ordinance prohibits employment discrimination based on political beliefs. The Ordinance defines political beliefs broadly to include any opinion concerning the social, economic, and governmental structure of society and its institutions—not just candidates running for office.
 
This means that it is generally unlawful for an employer to fail to hire or promote, take disciplinary action against, or fire an individual for expressing feelings about most public matters in the community. For example, a job applicant or employee who says “Black Lives Matter” is protected from employment discrimination as is an employee who attends a “Blue Lives Matter” protest or counter-protest. Neither employee can be discriminated against for taking a position on that type of social movement.
 
However, employees can be disciplined for violating politically neutral work rules, such as by engaging in disruptive, abusive, or vulgar political speech in the workplace. An employer likely has a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason to take an adverse employment action against an employee whose political speech disrupts the operation of the employer’s business. For example, an employer may discipline an employee for engaging in a heated, disruptive argument with a customer or co-worker during work hours. By contrast, an employer generally may not discipline an employee for discussing the employee’s political opinions with coworkers in the breakroom during lunch. The key consideration is for the employer to enforce neutral workplace rules consistently regardless of the political viewpoint being expressed by an employee. 

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Professional Development

November 17th PDS - Legal Update

Session 1:  2020 Employment & HR Law Year in Review – and a Peek Ahead to 2021		Session 2:  Wage and Hour Issues in the Time of a Pandemic
Presented By:  Michael R Gotzler, Littler •8:00am-10:00am		Presented by:  Jim Chiolino,  Department of Workforce Development •10:15am-12:15pm
Participants will learn to:    Key recent changes in the law, enforcement priorities and litigation trends ​Anticipated changes to employment laws and regulations in 2021 Practical action items to consider		Participants will learn: Federal and state wage and hour requirements COVID-19-related discrimination issues WI and federal FMLA issues related to COVID-19

 

  
 

Workforce Readiness, Diversity & Inclusion

Join Our Diversity Committee!

Submitted by Mary Vesely (Moua), Employee Engagement & Inclusion Manager at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation and GMA SHRM Director of Diversity

We are actively recruiting more members to join our Diversity Committee! If you are interested in learning, networking and sharing knowledge/perspective on the topic of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – please contact Mary Vesely, Director of the Diversity Committee at mary.vesely@fairwaymc.com
 
Our current top priority project is: Creating a DEI Resource Page on GMA SHRM website.
This is in response to the June 2020 GMA Member Survey Results: Nearly 70% of members found Diversity to be a very important topic. Other information requests from members rank in the following order: Educational materials about D&I in the workplace, Webinars/Local events, Articles/News updates, Observances/Recognition Months and Resources/Tools.  Our goal is to cover all of these requests in our monthly InTouch newsletter and DEI Resource page.
 
Diversity Committee Mission: The Diversity Committee promotes increased awareness about the impact of Diversity and Inclusion, providing content through articles, speakers, and events happening in the community related to Diversity and Inclusion topics and efforts. 
 

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College Relations

From Student to Committee Member: The Impact of the Student Night Out

Submitted by Erin Faella, GMA SHRM College Relations Committee Member and Trainer at Epic

When I was a junior at UW-Madison, I officially declared a major in Management and Human Resources. But unofficially, I was still feeling unsure about the degree. Although I enjoyed my HR classes, my textbook readings and assignments were often based on theory, and I still was not sure what someone in HR actually did. I had read about effective change management and savvy recruiting tactics, but I needed a way to learn about these concepts in action. After learning about GMA-SHRM from a professor, I knew that a student membership would help me to better understand if a career in HR was right for me.
 
A few weeks later, I attended GMA-SHRM’s Student Night Out, an event which connects local HR students to SHRM members. For the first time I was able to meet members of the Madison HR community. During the networking portion, the recruiters that I had connected with at career fairs seemed more approachable as colleagues. In the Q&A panel, I learned that a career in HR can be dynamic, challenging, and rewarding. The theories that I had read about in textbooks seemed more tangible, and I left the event feeling confident in my decision to study HR.
 
One year and one recruiting internship later, I attended Student Night Out again. This time, I was confident in HR as a career path, and I was interested in making more connections with the Madison HR community. When the introductory speaker announced a student mentorship program, I signed up without hesitation. I was paired with Maureen Miner, the Director of Human Resources at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Through my meetings with Maureen, I was able to further understand the HR profession. She provided me with guidance as I began to apply for full time roles in HR- not only through resume proofreading sessions, but also through discussions about the types of roles and companies that would allow me to develop as a young professional. That year, I was also awarded the GMA-SHRM student scholarship which allowed me to further focus on my HR studies. Once again, GMA-SHRM had provided me with invaluable connections and resources to supplement my HR degree.
 
After securing a full time role in technical recruiting and training in the Madison area, I knew that I wanted to give back to GMA-SHRM. I decided to join the Campus Relations Committee as a volunteer because I have firsthand experience in the incredible impact that GMA-SHRM can have on a student’s HR career. Last month, we began planning the 2020 Student Night Out. I’m thankful for the role that GMA-SHRM played during my college career, and I hope to provide a similarly rewarding experience to students who are considering HR.
 
If you’re interested in joining a GMA-SHRM committee, feel free to reach out to Erin or check out this webpage to learn more: http://www.gmashrm.org/get-involved#howtogetstarted
 

Student Night Out! - November 11th, 2020

Join us for GMA SHRM’s Annual Student Night Out – a premier event for students that are pursuing a career in Human Resources.

Students and Members - Enjoy an evening of VIRTUAL networking with local HR professionals. 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!

More Information!


 

GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in August 2020!

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Member Awards and Recognition

Member Renee Boyce was promoted to Vice President – Human Resources at Findorff. Announcement from Findorff is below.
 
Renee served as the Director of Human Resources prior to her promotion to Vice President – Human Resources. Joining Findorff in 2004, Renee has been instrumental in Findorff’s Strategic Planning efforts, focusing on the growth and development of our employees. Renee is passionate about instituting Findorff’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, specifically focused on hiring practices. An avid supporter of the community, Renee is an active member of TEMPO and serves on the Board of Directors of Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
 
Renee is the first woman in Findorff’s 130-year history to be promoted to Vice President. This promotion acknowledges Renee’s incredible efforts during her fifteen-year career at Findorff and the immeasurable role that she will continue to play in the future of Findorff.



Have you recently earned a professional achievement award? If so, we want to hear about it. 
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 .