Merry and Bright Greetings to you, my fellow GMA SHRM Members!

Wow, what a year!  2024 has been incredible and there is so much to be thankful for as we are wrapping up the year – too many to mention them all.

I want to recognize all of you who made our events, programming, community engagements, college relations, and partnerships such a success! The energy at our events, including the November legal PDS, was fantastic! While I regret not being able to chat with everyone, it warmed my heart to see so many of your smiling faces. Thank you for joining us and a big thank you to our presenters for their valuable insights!
 
Our January PDS will be a virtual event again, given our unpredictable Wisconsin winters, allowing you to join from the comfort of your home or office. Be sure to register today and check out our GMA events page for all the 2025 opportunities to connect and access over 20 hours of CE credited content.

Our programming committee has put together a remarkable year of topics including Retention, Recruitment, Employment Law, Business & HR Strategy, Mental Health, Compensation/Benefits, Organizational Effectiveness, Training & Development, AI, DEI, Employee Investigations, and Discipline and Discharge.

Don’t miss out—visit the GMA events page to lock in the PDS events, HR Roundtables, and more on your calendars now!
 
We are able to offer such great programming and events at no additional cost thanks to our Corporate Partners’ generous support. If your organization or one you work with is interested in becoming a 2025 GMA SHRM Corporate Partner, the deadline is the end of this month. Don’t delay—explore this great opportunity now.
 
As you wind down these last few weeks of the year, I hope you take some time to recharge and spend time with loved ones. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year. Please reach out if there is anything you would like to share or if I can help you in any way.

From all of us on the GMA SHRM Board of Directors, we wish you and yours a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!



Warm regards,


Laura Bermudo, President
Greater Madison Area SHRM Chapter
lbermudo@myhaus.com / 608.383.4568

Legal Update – Employers May Not Rely on Payroll Processor to Circumvent Records Retention Requirements

Submitted from Storm Larson, Aiyanna Simms, & Mai Chao Chang, Attorneys at Boardman & Clark LLP, a Platinum Partner
 

Storm Larson

Mai Chao Chang

Aiyanah Simms

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers are required to maintain accurate records about an employee’s hours worked and wages earned. This duty is not absolved when the employer uses a third-party payroll company to process its employee paychecks.

In a recent case outside of Wisconsin, several employees from a steel manufacturer sued their employer, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and state law. In Hornady v. Outokumpu Stainless USA, LLC, 118 F.4th 1367 (11th Cir. 2024), the employees allege that the company failed to pay wages for all hours worked, improperly calculated overtime, and delayed overtime payments. The company was ordered to turn over time and pay records to the employees. The company failed to do so despite several court orders, and it began to blame its third-party payroll processor for not being “helpful” in producing records to the company. When the company finally produced documents, it provided falsified records and attempted to shift blame to the payroll processor. The court ruled that due to the company’s egregious conduct and failure to comply with providing documents, the company was liable to the employees and was ordered to pay several millions of dollars.

Employers cannot simply rely on other third parties to maintain records required under the FLSA (or other laws). The duty to retain records resides with the employer, even if third parties assist in creating and storing certain records. While the conduct in this case is extreme, it is somewhat common for employers to assume that third parties are storing their records, without verifying the accuracy of that assumption.

Committee Spotlight – Government Relations

Submitted by Mai Xiong, Director of Government Affairs

The Government Affairs Committee aims to share the latest legislation, laws, and regulations through newsletter articles, events, and a variety of other resources in an unbiased and nonpartisan manner.

To help you stay ahead of the curve on changes that could impact human resource management, we’re thrilled to announce we’ll be holding our all-day Workforce Policy Conference, formerly known as “Day on the Hill,” on Thursday, February 20th, 2025! This is a great opportunity to stay informed and up to date on all things related to employee relations, workforce policies, employment law, litigations, and more. Make sure to save the date and join us for this event!

We’re always looking for volunteers to help keep our community informed in the ever-changing landscape of HR. If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact our Director of Government Affairs, Mai Xiong at xiongm00@yahoo.com.

GMA SHRM Begins SHRM Certification Study Group!

Submitted by Stacy Wolfe, Certification Committee Member

The GMA SHRM Certification Committee is organizing virtual study groups for those actively preparing to take the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification exams this winter. These sessions will be one-hour, virtual roundtable discussions designed as a supplement to the SHRM class offered through UW Small Business Development Center (UWSBDC) OR for those studying individually using the SHRM Learning System or other self-study material.

The upcoming sessions are December 6th and December 13th. Registration is now available here! 

Additional certification resources, including details about the UW Small Business Development Center's SHRM Learning System Certification Course,  go to our SHRM Certification Prep Page or Certification Resources page.You can review the class dates and further details regarding the UWSBDC class through this link: https://sbdc.wisc.edu/shrm-learning-system-certification-course/. The course starts September 18th and runs through November 20th.

For any specific questions about the study groups, please feel free to reach out to GMA SHRM Certification Director, Andrea Wyant at andrea.m.wyant@gmail.com.


More Information

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2025 Professional Development and Human Capitol Conference Calendar Now Available! 
Save These Dates!

Alliant Energy Center
Madison, WI

Check out the 2025 GMA SHRM Event Calendar!
 
Membership events and Roundtables added soon.

 

 

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Diversity Observances in September and October

Submitted by Mary Vesely, GMA SHRM Director of Diversity 

This holiday season, let us celebrate our shared values of kindness and compassion by honoring the diverse religious observances and traditions that enrich our community, fostering a spirit of inclusivity and respect for everyone’s beliefs.

December and January Observances

Use these observances for team engagement! Have fun, celebrate diversity, and take this opportunity to share stories and learn more about your teammates.  





**NEW – Check out our 2025 Diversity Calendar on our DEI Resources page.

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