May 2012 |
HR InTouchThe Monthly Newsletter of the Greater Madison Area SHRM |
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In This EditionPresident's Message By Mike Leibundgut, SPHR GMA SHRM President Government Affairs Update Appeals Court Delays April 30 NLRB Poster Mandate Failure to Wear Seatbelt Warrented Discharge Compensation and Benefits GMA SHRM Compensation Survey - Participate Today and Win! Talent Management The Economy is Getting Better. Is Your Workforce? Technology in HR The Importance of Creating and Maintaining an Electronic Records Management Process GMA SHRM Social Media GMA SHRM Upcoming Events GMA SHRM Human Capital Conference
GMA SHRM Roundtable
GMA SHRM Toolbox
Annual Golf Outing Click here to see the full 2012 GMA SHRM Event Calendar. GMA SHRM Announcements
GMA SHRM Member News Big Winner in Member Referral Drawing
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I have great news to share regarding our chapter and the SHRM SHAPE program. We have been recognized with the Silver Level Award for 2011! For those of you who are thinking…what is SHAPE, and what is this Silver Level Award deal? SHAPE stands for SHRM Affiliate Program for Excellence. This is a national SHRM recognition and award program that all chapters work towards throughout the year. It is a method for each chapter to be recognized at a local and national level. Each year our chapter board members meet to create our strategic plan. This strategic plan incorporates goals and tasks that our various committees and volunteers work to achieve. When we meet or exceed our goals, we can submit them to SHRM through the SHAPE program and receive “credit” if you will. There are many categories to SHAPE and we are required to complete or achieve various levels of success in each category to receive credit and an overall award level. There are 4 levels of achievement: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Our goal is to reach the Silver level. You might ask, why not Gold or Platinum? This would be a reasonable question. To reach the Gold or Platinum levels the chapter must verify that all local chapter members are ALSO national SHRM members. Since we have over 750 local chapter members, asking that 100% of those members become national SHRM members, is unrealistic. Even though we may not be able to realistically reach the gold or platinum levels due to this one category, we are definitely doing more than the Silver level in other categories of the program. Achieving the Silver Level award is no “gimmie”. For a chapter our size, it takes a lot of effort, coordination and dedication. Since we have such a great Administrative team (MDS), board of directors and dedicated group of volunteers like you, it has become our norm to excel in the SHAPE recognition program. We are very proud of our accomplishments throughout the year and we verify this success by comparing ourselves to other large chapters throughout the nation. We continually prove to be in the top performing chapters, a well deserved and earned reputation. So congratulations to everyone who had a part in this award, well done and thank you for all of your efforts. Part of this success is the event schedule we continue to provide each year. I know I have mentioned this in prior messages but I think it’s essential to mention it again, our premier education event, the GMA SHRM Human Capital Conference, is just around the corner. It will be held at the Alliant Energy Center on Tuesday, May 15th. Our Human Capital Conference Committee members have been working diligently over the past few months to search out and choose great speakers. Check the GMA SHRM website and register. Time is running out, come join the fun! I hope to see many, if not all of you, at the One Day Human Capital Conference. Let’s inspire someone today! Mike Leibundgut, SPHR
President GMA SHRM Board of Directors
A federal appeals court issued an injunction April 17, 2012 blocking the NLRB from enforcing a much talked about mandate for required posters that was scheduled to go into effect April 30, 2012, following a similar ruling from South Carolina.
The proposed NLRB rule seeks to require most U.S. businesses to hang new 11" x 17" workplace notices advising employees of their rights under the NLRA. Business groups have complained the posters are an unfair government effort to promote union organizing. The labor board contends the posters help workers more clearly understand their rights and protections under federal labor law.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction blocking the new rule until the court can hear a legal challenge, brought by a group of business organizations. The timing of a hearing and decision is uncertain. The business plaintiffs last month appealed a lower court's March 2 decision upholding the NLRB's authority to require the posters. The business organizations asked the appeals court to delay the April 30 mandate until a court hearing could be held. The NLRB had challenged the lower court's decision as well, in regards to the court's ruling that while the NLRB had the right to require the poster, it did not have the right to deem an employer's failure to post the notice as evidence of an "unfair labor practice" under the National Labor Relations Act. More information will undoubtedly be forthcoming as the legal questions are addressed through litigation – stay tuned!
Failure to Wear Seatbelt Warranted Discharge A cement truck driver was stopped and cited for the "minor" traffic violation of not wearing his seatbelt. The company then fired him for the "major" safety violation of not wearing the seatbelt. An arbitrator ruled that seatbelts are a major safety issue and violation of the state law and employer's rules on wearing them was grounds for upholding the discharge. The driver claimed he was actually wearing the belt but took it off to reach his wallet and driver's license as the police officer walked up to the truck. The arbitrator chose to believe the officer's report that the driver clearly had no shoulder belt visible as he drove by the police car. [Message: don't unlatch until the officer is looking in the window.] International Brotherhood of Teamsters v. Aggregate Industries (2012).
Supreme Court Challenge It is expected that the Court will split along Liberal/Conservative lines of 4/4, leaving Justice Kennedy as the anticipated "swing" vote who may decide the matter.
Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)
Click here for the full article.
GMA SHRM Compensation Survey – Participate Today and Win! Get the most current, local compensation data around through the GMA-SHRM Compensation Survey. Our chapter partners with enetrix, a Gallup company, to conduct the Compensation Survey. This survey is ‘evergreen’ meaning participants can update data on an ongoing basis throughout the year which you have access to in real time wage information. The survey also provides tools to assist you in applying and trending the data results to meet your industry, demographic, and organizational needs. Participate today! Participants not only receive a large purchasing discount, they also help to maintain the relevancy and validity of the data. Participate by June 15th for a chance to win one of three $50 gift cards! Click here to participate, purchase or find out more.
Note: The survey is not limited to GMA SHRM members. If you know of other organizations that would be interested in participating in the GMA SHRM Compensation Survey, please forward this message. Survey participants do receive a discounted price when purchasing the compensation survey, and GMA SHRM member participants receive even greater discounts.
Contact Missy Roth, Dana Denny, or Chapter Administration with questions.
As the economy is starting to show signs of improvement, it’s time for you to think about improving your workforce.
Why recruit now? 1. Good talent is available.
During a time of high unemployment, there are some high quality candidates available that may not be available in a better economy. These candidates are looking for an opportunity to get their foot in the door with a good organization — even if it means taking a little less pay.
2. You don’t have to make a full-time commitment. Yet. Many leading candidates are looking for the best opportunity and are willing to be flexible when it comes to direct-hire work arrangements. An offer of temp-to-perm employment is enticing to many candidates because it gives them an opportunity to earn a paycheck while getting their foot in the door with your organization — and it gives you the opportunity to see if these employees are a good fit for your needs and decide if you want to bring them aboard full-time when the economy fully recovers. Click here for the full article.
The Importance of Creating and Maintaining an Electronic Records Management Process We live in an electronic society. Virtually all transactions and all records are electronic. Our business and personal conversations are increasingly electronic. There is an electronic trail to almost everything. All organizations are now required to have a process to categorize, preserve and be able to produce electronic records in litigation. Sometimes, years later. If you do not yet have a system, this is not something you should think about "getting around to sometime." It is required! It has been required for the past several years. The courts are now assessing sanctions of up to $1 million or even granting summary judgment without trial against organizations which just "hadn't gotten around to" developing an effective and comprehensive Records Management Policy and Process. The same sanctions apply to those who did develop a process but then failed to reassess and keep it up to date with changing technology. They should have known their policy and procedures were now antiquated and ineffective. They pay the price. Both federal and most state court systems have adopted electronic discovery rules. The federal rule is Rule 26(a), which requires that employers disclose, at the beginning of litigation and prior to any discovery by plaintiffs, a copy of or a description by category and location of any documents (paper or electronic) that may support its claims or defenses. Absence of computer records creates the appearance that one is trying to hide the truth. It can create the presumption that any unproduced record should be viewed as an admission of fault. This created a $2.1 million verdict against the employer in Arndt v. First Union Bank (N.C. Ct. App., 2005). Click here for the full article. GMA SHRM Social Media ‘Like’ us on Facebook Have you liked us on Facebook yet? Visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/GMASHRM. Another great way to stay connected to GMA SHRM and your HR ‘friends’.
Please note - By “liking” the Greater Madison Area SHRM page you will not be sharing your personal Facebook page with the other users that “like” GMA SHRM. If you have your settings set to friends only, only those you “friend” will see your page.
Follow us on Twitter!
Do you tweet? Maybe you are a Twewbie (Twitter newbie) and are looking for organizations to follow. Whatever your tweeting experience, you can now follow GMA SHRM on Twitter too! http://twitter.com/#!/gmashrm GMA SHRM is LinkedIn Are you on LinkedIn? Come join our GMA SHRM Chapter group on LinkedIn! What is LinkedIn? It’s a business-oriented social networking site that can be used to connect with friends (old and new), find or post jobs and get information. In order to join, sign in at www.linkedin.com and keyword search GMA SHRM Chapter. 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.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 7th Annual Human Capital Conference
Topic: The Evolution of Human Resources GMA SHRM is excited to announce our 7th Annual Human Capital Conference will be held Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI.
So many changes are impacting our profession and workplace. This year our conference committee thought it appropriate that our theme and the sessions reflect those changes. Thus our theme for 2012: The Evolution of Human Resources.
The featured keynote presenters for this year’s conference are nationally-recognized speakers including a 2011 presenter at the SHRM National Leadership Conference. Bob Kelleher and Paul Wesselmann are set to deliver two outstanding keynotes.
For more information and to register for this event click here.
Topic: HR Technology
HR Technology is a broad subject, but we hope to narrow it down to a few specific areas where technology can help us out in our day to day lives in HR. In today’s world, you either have to keep up, or get run over. But it’s even more about being efficient in your role.
Please join Dave Miller, Madison College HR Generalist, and your peers in an interactive exchange of thoughts, ideas, and best practices.
For more information and to register for this event click here. Return to Top Thursday, June 21, 2012, GMA SHRM Toolbox
Topic: FMLA and Military Leave Update This training presentation will cover the two types of “military family leave” – qualifying exigency leaves and military caregiver leave, who is covered, eligibility requirements, etc. FMLA is ruled by timelines for giving and receiving information – participants will leave with a good grasp of timing rules as well as how to monitor other key areas of FMLA usage to prevent abuse and fend off litigation. Michael Westcott and Leslie Sammon from Axley Brynelson will be our featured speakers.
Questions and case scenarios may be submitted to Holly Thompson by May 10 to be considered for the training. We hope to see you there!
Return to Top GMA SHRM Announcements
The YWCA’s Success Job Readiness class was established to help individuals learn how to find and maintain a job. In 2011, 126 clients received services from the Job Readiness Programs. These clients are working to improve their career options and employment status. The YWCA Employment and training programs are open to men and woman seeking employment.
The YWCA is looking for companies and individuals who are willing to allow job shadowing and informational interviewing. In this challenging job market, many clients are finding it difficult to advance in their employment. There is no commitment to hire clients; rather you are affording clients’ the chance to learn about your company or a specific position. The time commitment for being a partner is flexible. You can host a job shadow experience/informational interview as frequently as is convenient. Job shadowing is an invaluable opportunity for clients to explore a typical day in a new career field. Amber Thompson, the Job Readiness coordinator will pair job seeking individuals with appropriate business partners. For more information or to sign up for this opportunity, please contact Amber at (608) 395-2189 or athompson@ywcamadison.org
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Mentoring Success Story Through the GMA SHRM Workforce Readiness Committee I was made aware of a program called the WERC mentor Connection. The program’s mission is to help find employment for Service Members. I was paired up with Mark, who earlier that month returned from a year in Iraq. He has very strong communication and leadership skills from his eleven years in the Army and really enjoys the teamwork and camaraderie that is formed while on deployments. We worked together to translate his resume into civilian terms and highlighted his strengths. About a month in, I received an email through GMA SHRM networking that advertised a job opportunity in Madison that hit on Mark’s strengths and even involvement interacting with others serving our country. It looked like a perfect match for what Mark was looking for and would capitalize on his skills. I forwarded the opportunity onto Mark and he applied. Within a very short amount of time he had an interview and a job offer, which he accepted. This success story shows the importance of two things. The first is giving back to our community and helping others. Mark has spent years serving our country and to be able to get to know him and help him out in return was a very humbling experience. If you are interested in becoming a mentor through the WERC Mentor Connection, you can contact joseph.ledger@ng.army.mil.
The second point this story makes is the value in the GMA SHRM network. The chapter offers many benefits to its members and one of them is helping you connect with the HR community. Whether you are looking for a job yourself or for a family member or friend, it helps to have the connections that GMA SHRM can provide. I encourage you to join a committee to strengthen your connections and get on various email lists. If you are interested in being on the general membership email list that sends out notices about job openings, contact Michele Thoren
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Big Winner in Member Referral DrawingJanice Swegle, Benefits and HRMS specialist at FABCO Equipment, Inc. won the $50 gift certificate for the Member Referral program. Janice's names was selected in the random drawing of referring members held at the April 26th Member Welcome event. Click here to learn more about the GMA SHRM Member Referral Program. GMA SHRM Member SpotlightName: Nikki Ryberg
What is the focus of your position?
Payroll and Benefits
How long have you been in the Human Resource field?
6 yearsWhich of your career accomplishments makes you proudest?
Creating a spreadsheet to balance and reconcile our monthly health invoices to the state payroll system. It was something that had not been done accurately for our 600 plus employees in over two years. It is not only time efficient but it allows for much easier cross training and back-up if ever needed.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Try your best and always try to learn something new; mistakes can happen but it’s better to try something and learn from it than to be too overwhelmed to try. Also, be diligent about your HR research, it is so much better to check the appropriate reference points for your subject whether it’s employment laws or your summary plan descriptions for benefits. Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM?Networking, learning opportunities and being a part of an HR community to bounce ideas off of for workplace questions and needs. Name: Russ Sekel
What is the focus of your current position? Recently certified in Human Resource Management through Cardinal Stritch University. Been involved different types of Human Resource functions throughout my professional career. Which of your career accomplishments makes you proudest?
Been able to help employees both personally and professionally during my entire professional career. In addition to helping the companies grow into the future.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Focus on those things you can control in your life and let the rest fall in place.
Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM?
Welcome New Members!GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in March of 2012!
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Movin' UpCongratulations Jennifer Wilkie in her new position with Saris Cycling Group as their Human Resources Manager! 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! In TransitionIf 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. GMA SHRM Member PollDo you have a burning HR question that you’d like to see featured on our GMA SHRM Member Poll? If so, please submit your questions to Tar Conger at tconger@pjpower.com HR InTouch GuidelinesArticle 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 .
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Good Day Fellow GMA SHRM Members,.jpg)
Where do you currently work? 
Where do you currently work?
