December 2012 |
HR InTouchThe Monthly Newsletter of the Greater Madison Area SHRM |
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In This EditionPresident's Message By Melissa Perry GMA SHRM President Government Affairs Update Are You Prepared for the New Health Coverage Reporting Requirements? History of Drug Use vs. Current Drug Use One Year is Enough Time, and College Perceived Employee as Drug Dependent and Disabled GMA SHRM Social Media GMA SHRM Upcoming Events Click here to see the full 2012 GMA SHRM Event Calendar. GMA SHRM Announcements GMA SHRM New Student Membership New Year, New Group for Young HR Professionals Job Openings? Try GMA SHRM's Social Media Connections
GMA SHRM Member News
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Happy Holidays to all of our GMA SHRM members! As I write this, we are mid-November and I’ve noticed a trend of people this year saying what they are thankful for each day. I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of our amazing volunteers, past and present, board members, and Morgan Data. Our chapter would not be the success it is today if it were not for these individuals who are so giving of their time. Please give yourself a pat on the back and an extra cookie, I’m sure there are some around your office this time of year! This November a number of our board members were able to attend the SHRM Leadership Conference in Arlington, VA at SHRM Headquarters. Here is what they had to say about the conference:
“I really enjoyed the breakout sessions by chapter size. It gave us the opportunity to share ideas and struggles with leaders from other chapters the same size as GMA. We were able to get some ideas of what other chapters are doing to increase membership and attendance at events. We also found out that Madison ROCKS because we have more members than several other chapters in much larger cities. I also got to be part of the Government Affairs focus group, which was interesting. The SHRM advocacy team asked for our input on possible legislative changes so they are prepared to share our perspective with legislators as employment related bills are proposed.”
“The conference was a combination of networking, leadership development, and information about national SHRM. We had the opportunity to meet with other SHRM groups from all over the country to get ideas and also share the great things we are doing here at GMA SHRM. There were several speakers that talked about not only our leadership role at SHRM, but leadership in our current professional roles as well. I also learned more about SHRM as an organization. Several members on the national board spoke and we also got to tour SHRM national headquarters. We met a lot of great people and I really appreciate the opportunity to go.”
-Michele Thoren, Director of Workforce Readiness
“I was thrilled to represent GMA SHRM at the National Leadership Conference in DC this past week. One of the highlights was a keynote/political correspondent who shared his thoughts on the post-election workplace and what to expect in the upcoming months and years. Additionally, I couldn't have been more proud of our chapter while attending breakout sessions with other chapters of our size. In discussing chapter strengths and opportunities with these other board members, it became apparent how strong and active GMA is thanks to my predecessors, and the volunteers and members. We appreciate everything you've done. Please keep up the excellent participation. Madison is a great place to live, and I left the conference grateful to represent one of the best chapters in the country! We will take the many ideas we learned and continue to improve and refresh.” 
Earlier this year, I mentioned a couple of technological advances that our chapter was working on that we were all very excited about and they are finally complete! (For the most part). If you have a smart phone, I encourage you right now to go to our brand new mobile website! www.gmashrm.org/mobile .
Members are now able to search the directory from their smart phone and easily call/email their colleagues, and view upcoming events for the chapter. If you have any feedback, please feel free to offer suggestions.
Watch next month’s newsletter for updates on the second piece of this rollout!
Happy Holidays!
Melissa Perry
President
GMA SHRM GMA SHRM Board of Directors
Are You Prepared for the New Health Coverage Reporting Requirements? The Affordable Care Act requires most employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan for 2012. The purpose of the requirement is to provide useful and comparable consumer information to employees on the cost of their health care coverage. This is informational only and is not a taxable item. Basically, this is requiring employers to report the aggregate cost of “applicable employer-sponsored coverage” on Form W-2. There is also transition relief for certain employers and for certain types of coverage those employers will not need to report for 2012. Each employer is advised to review the new rules to evaluate their own reporting requirements. You may want to communicate this change with your employees to avoid confusion when they receive their Form W-2. For guidance on the specific requirements, go to http://www.irs.gov/uac/Employer-Provided-Health-Coverage-Informational-Reporting-Requirements:-Questions-and-Answers.
History of Drug Use vs. Current Drug Use
After two days, the employee checked out of the program, against the doctor's advice. He was fired. He sued under the ADA, claiming he had a protected disability as a "former user." The court disagreed, finding "current use" means "recent use." The employer could infer the use was current, especially since the person failed to complete treatment and checked out after only two days. There must be a "sufficient time" after the last use to qualify for the "safe harbor" protection.
One year is enough time, and college perceived employee as drug dependent and disabled A mailroom supervisor at a private college became dependent on prescription pain medication following a series of back surgeries. He tested positive for an "excessive amount" of opiates. He entered and completed a treatment program for addiction. He continued to take a different prescription medication for his continuing surgeries and pain, monitored by his physician, along with opiate-blocking medications. A year after the completion of the drug treatment program, the college again ordered a drug test. It again showed the presence of prescription pain medication. The college fired the employee. In this case, the employee did qualify under the ADA's "safe harbor" as a person with a record of past treatment. Further, the college did not establish that the prescription medication level was "excessive." It did not ascertain that he was taking the medication under his doctor's monitoring and treatment advice. Thus, the termination violated the ADA, based on the employer's perception of drug addiction, instead of a valid foundation. The jury awarded $300,000, plus attorney fees and costs. Fowler v. Westminster College (D. Utah, 2012). GMA SHRM Social Media
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, January 29, 2013, GMA SHRM Strategic Summit
Topic: How to Make Succession Planning Come Alive in Any Organization Have you experienced any of these succession planning pitfalls?
The January 29th Strategic Summit will give you the tools and templates to “add arms and legs” to your succession plan leading to targeted development of your top talent. You will learn how to complete a leadership assessment, turnover risk analysis, and Individual Development Plans. We will also discuss how to communicate and get commitment in the succession planning process and outcomes.
Our speaker, Cory Erickson, SPHR, President of Career Momentum, Inc., drove succession planning and leadership development for a number of companies including Thermo Fischer Scientific.
For more information and to register, click here .
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GMA SHRM New Student Membership
GMA SHRM believes fostering a relationship with local students will provide them an opportunity to connect with HR professionals while creating opportunities to assist them in their future job search and increase their learning of the HR profession. Effective immediately, GMA SHRM is providing a discounted membership to students enrolled in full-time HR programs at an undergraduate or 2-year community or technical college. The onetime membership fee is $20 and covers Student Membership thru anticipated graduation date.
What a great opportunity for students to connect with the HR profession!
For more information, click here.
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New Year, New Group for Young HR Professionals
Are you a young HR professional looking to get more involved in GMA SHRM? We have just the group for you! GMA SHRM will be launching a Young HR Professionals on February 7, 2013! Join us for our first event on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at The Brink Lounge. The informal social will start at 5:00 p.m. and last for about an hour; appetizers will be provided. The Young HR Professionals group will be driven by its members and we will ask each attendee to fill out a survey on what future events you would like to attend. As GMA SHRM provides excellent professional development opportunities, this group will be socially oriented with a focus on meeting younger HR professionals in and around the Madison area! If interested in getting involved, please contact Melissa Chadwick at melissa.chadwick@bakertilly.com or 608 240 2350.
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GMA SHRM has a LinkedIn and Twitter account that can be utilized for your recruiting needs.
LinkedIn 2. You can start a job discussion just for our group for free. You can also start a discussion under the discussion tab about what opening you have and get suggestions from other HR Managers on successful ways to recruit for that position. The GMA SHRM LinkedIn Group is a great way to get feedback from HR professionals in the Madison area.
Twitter
Another way to inform SHRM members about your job openings is through twitter. If you already have a twitter account, search for GMASHRM and start following that account. When you have an opening, type your information and send the message to @GMASHRM. Ask GMA SHRM to retweet the information to its 150 followers.
GMA SHRM Website
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GMA SHRM Member Spotlight
Where do you currently work? Covance Laboratories in Madison, WI
What is the focus of your position? As the HR Coordinator supporting the HR Partnering Team, I primarily focus on the on-boarding and off-boarding processes while also acting as the first point of contact within HR for employment questions.
How long have you been in the Human Resource field? Prior to graduation in May ‘12, I had interned in the HR field for one year, and have now worked for Covance for approximately six months.
Which of your career accomplishments makes you proudest? Having just started my career, I feel that landing a great opportunity within HR at Covance and learning a tremendous amount in 6 months has been very rewarding…and look forward to making significant career accomplishments as I continue to learn and grow in the near future.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received? “The harder you work, the luckier you get”
Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM? I was a member of SHRM while at UWEC and enjoyed making connections and learning more about the field. Being new to Madison, I felt that joining the GMA SHRM Chapter would be another great opportunity to network, get involved in the community, and another chance to learn and grow in the HR field.
Welcome New Members!GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in September of 2012!
Movin' UpCongratulations Michelle Stiteley on achieving your PHR designation! 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 Tara 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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Greetings,
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Name: Kate Biekkola
