Hi GMA SHRM Members, 

I am writing this on March 25th - March is definitely still in 'lion' mode. Hoping it goes out like a lamb soon!  As spring in WI is ever unpredictable, your trusty GMA SHRM Chapter is always here to with the best professional development and networking around. 
 
If you didn’t get to attend the March 9th PDS, you can still follow Summer Rector & Tina Hallis online - they are tremendous local resources, and truly inspirational! 
 
As always, there are plenty of GMA SHRM Virtual Networking Events happening this month - check out the event list here and sign up!  Keep your raincoat & boots in the closet, grab your coziest blanket, and chat with your HR friends. 
 
This is an EXCITING time of year when we start formal succession planning for the GMA SHRM 2021-2022 Board of Directors!  Self-nominations were due on April 2nd. We are eager to finalize next year's volunteer leaders.  Being a Volunteer Leader with GMA SHRM is a transformational experience.  If you're not sure about being a full-on Board of Directors member yet, starting off as a Committee Volunteer is a great option.  Each member of the Board of Directors leads a committee of volunteers - click here to see what they are all about.  
 
And….drumroll….the GMA SHRM Human Capital Conference is next month!  We cannot be more thrilled to see you all on May 18th and 19th in our shiny-new virtual event platform, Remo.  Keynote speaker Risha Grant, as well as all breakout session speakers, are guaranteed to leave you fulfilled, inspired, and so much more.  If you haven't already, register ASAP here.  For GMA SHRM members that register, don’t forget to use your Free Member Lunch Gift Card!

 
Brittany Hanson, MBA, PHR
President
GMA SHRM

COVID-19 Resources

Document, Document, Document – Especially Employee Performance Issues

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

You have heard lawyers say this before, and you’ll hear them say it again. The importance of accurate record keeping and documentation—especially of performance issues—cannot be understated. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, whose interpretations of federal employment laws govern Wisconsin, recently reaffirmed this principle in Igasaki v. Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation.

In Igasaki, an employee was terminated and brought a Title VII claim alleging race and sex discrimination as well as retaliation, an ADEA claim alleging age discrimination, and an ADA claim alleging disability discrimination. The court rejected every claim based on the employer’s well-documented evidence of the employee’s poor performance. In three years of poor performance reviews, the employer provided specific examples of the employee’s deficient performance, including that he could not be located during work hours and his work product was poor. Despite prior positive evaluations, the court concluded that “[p]ast positive evaluations do not guarantee future employment” and emphasized that the employee’s performance at the time of termination is the relevant reference point.

The key takeaway here is that the quality and method of evaluating employee performance matters. In Igasaki, the employer’s performance reviews did more than just rate the employee as meeting or exceeding expectations. The employer described the employee as requiring improvement in designated areas (i.e. productivity and use of time), enumerated specific deficiencies (i.e. missed 50 deadlines in 1 year), provided written documentation of reprimands, and noted reasons why the employee failed various requirements of his corrective action plan.

However, just as good documentation can win a discrimination case for an employer, bad documentation can lose a case for an employer (or at least make winning much more difficult). For example, if a performance review references an employee’s inability to use technology due to the employee’s age, that review would become Exhibit A in the employee’s age discrimination case. Similarly, an employee might use text messages and emails from the employee’s supervisors that contain discriminatory comments to show that poor performance was pretext for discrimination in a termination. There is an expression that lawyers sometimes use that is relevant here. “Don’t write anything down that you wouldn’t want read aloud in court.” In the case of Igasaki, the employer was happy to share those well-drafted performance reviews with the court, which proved dispositive to the case.

Professional Development

Register Now!  2021 Human Capital Conference featuring Risha Grant!

• 7 SHRM/HRCI Professional Development Credits Available - Pre-Approved!
   
• Convenient 2 Day schedule to avoid Zoom fatigue!
   
• Remo Virtual Event Platform!  A more engaging, human and meaningful way to have a virtual conference.
   
• Door prizes and giveaways including a Sundara Spa Package!

Tuesday, May 18 Programs

• Keynote: Risha Grant - Get Rid of the BS  -  Explore Bias Synapse - our brains involvement in the processing and validation of bias.
• A Dose of Dare to Lead -   Kate Adametz Jenkins SHRM-CP, PCC,  UW Credit Union, Brene Brown Certified Facilitator
• The Annual Employment Law Update (COVID-19 Edition)  - Brian Goodman and Jennifer Mirus, Boardman Clark Law Firm
• Top Total Rewards Metrics You Need to Know - Summer Rector, The QTI Group  and  Mike Johnson, Hausmann Johnson Insurance

Wednesday, May 19 Programs

• Keynote: Risha Grant - Get Rid of the BS Workshop - Explore our own biases and discover actionable tips to navigate bias in the workplace.
• Coaching for Excellence -  Phil Martin
• The Annual Employment Law Update (Non-COVID-19 Edition) - Brian Goodman and Jennifer Mirus, Boardman Clark Law Firm
   

 

Virtual Roundtables and Social Events Extended Into 2021!

Thanks to some amazing GMA SHRM volunteers, our popular virtual roundtables and social events are continuing into 2021!  

Roundtables - These less formal virtual gatherings are held 3 times per month on Zoom.   More information about our Roundtables and registration can be found here!

Social events like our Meet, Greet & Eat programs are continuing too! 

Our next one is Thursday, April 15th so visit the Meet, Greet & Eat​ information page and sign up now!

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Workforce Readiness, Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity Observances in April and Diversity Month Member Feature

Submitted by Kyle Carr (he/him), Talent Acquisition Specialist at Wegner CPAs and GMA SHRM Diversity Committee Member

Diversity Observances in April

• Diversity Month
• Easter, April 4th
• National Pet Day: April 11th
• Ramadan: April 12th – May 11th

Diversity Month Member Feature
 
“Diversity is important to me because for so long, POC did not feel comfortable in the workspace. The efforts those are making in the workplace is going to be vital not only in the short-term, but for the next few generations. It’s not just making sure that your workforce is diverse by race, but also gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs etc. There is plenty of ways to improve being a better advocate for diversity and inclusion and it’s important that everyone does their part.”

- Kyle Carr (he/him), Talent Acquisition Specialist at Wegner CPAs and GMA SHRM Diversity Committee member

 

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GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in February 2021!
 

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Member Awards and Recognition

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 .