January 2012

HR InTouch

The Monthly Newsletter of the Greater Madison Area SHRM

In This Edition

President's Message

By Mike Leibundgut, SPHR GMA SHRM President

Government Affairs Update

Required Posting by January 2012

Compensation and Benefits

Employers Get More Time on Summary of Benefit Rules

IRS Offers Details on W-2 Reporting

Talent Management

Time Again for The Liberal Arts?

GMA SHRM Social Media

GMA SHRM Contest, Just "Like" Us!

Like Us on Facebook

Follow Us on Twitter

Forward HR

GMASHRM is LinkedIn

GMA SHRM Upcoming Events

GMASHRM Strategic Summit
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Topic: Building a Culture of Recognition
Location: Alliant Energy Center

Click here to see the full 2012 GMA SHRM Event Calendar.

GMA SHRM Announcements

SHRM Foundation News: Key Findings from SHRM Foundation-Funded Studies

Looking for Ways to Volunteer Outside of Joining a Committee?

GMA SHRM Member News

GMA SHRM Member Spotlight

Welcome New Members!

Movin' Up

In Transition

GMA Membership Poll 

 


Printable version

 

President's Message

GMA SHRM
2012 Corporate Partners

Gold Level
Boardman Law Firm
Career Momentum
Celerity Staffing Solutions
Dean Health Plan

First Choice Dental Group
The Payroll Company
Remedy Intelligent Staffing

 

Silver Level
Adecco
Cottingham & Butler Employee Benefits 

Smart Solutions
 

Bronze Level
AMPT Physical Therapy
The Alliance
Delta Dental
Edgewood College
Hausmann-Johnson Insurance Group
Hemb Insurance Group
Higgins Insurance Group
JobsinMadison.com
Ultimate Software Group
Unity Health Insurance
UW Credit Union
The QTI Group
Wegner CPA's & Consultants
Wisconsin Rx

 

Thank you!

Good Day Fellow GMA SHRM Members,

Happy New Year!   OK, I’m a few days late, but none the less I still mean it. 

Here we are at the base of a tall ladder looking up at the many rungs that will take us to our goals somewhere at the top of that ladder! 

January, the first month of a new year provides the chance to start fresh, think of exciting new goals, begin building new dreams and, of course, brace for the bitter cold and snow!  January is also a month to celebrate diversity and the life, works and dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

As Dr. King said during his “I Have a Dream” speech in August of 1963, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:  We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

In the human resource field we are the keepers of this creed, we are the leaders who are expected to ensure that all men and women are created and treated equally in our places of work.  Equality and diversity dance hand-in-hand.

“I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”  – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Putting our biases aside each day, viewing each person as individuals who possess skills, goals, dreams and add value every day; this ideology is core to our success.

Many people view diversity as a racial “thing”. However, you know diversity runs much deeper than race alone, it covers age, mental capacity, religion, physical stature, disabilities, gender, etc. Diversity is wide spanning and covers every one of us in some form.  We all are different in wonderful ways: views, beliefs, goals, behaviors, attitudes and many, many more.  Our differences are what make each of us valuable and interesting.  Over the 22+ years that I’ve been in the HR field, I have found my most successful and productive teams have been those with the most diversity. I would venture to guess you have experienced the same.  

With a new year in front of us, I challenge you to place diversity and equality at or near the top of your workplace goals. It’s the right thing to do and makes good business sense.  GMA SHRM supports this cause and champions diversity each day through our Workforce Readiness and Diversity Committee. If you are so inclined, get involved and join this committee and support our chapter’s goals. 

Let’s inspire someone today! 

Mike Leibundgut, SPHR
President
 

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GMA SHRM Board of Directors

Mike Leibundgut, SPHR
President
Melissa Wieland
President Elect
Dave Furlan, PHR
Immediate Past President
Wendy Brendel, SPHR
Secretary Treasurer
JoAnna Vanderpoel, PHR
VP, Membership
 
Tara Conger, PHR
VP, Marketing & Communications
Jeff Russell
VP, Programming
Jake Siudzinski
Director, Education & Development
Michelle Thoren
Director Workforce Readiness & Diversity
Tammy Barden
Director, Government Affairs

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Government Affairs Update

Required Posting by January 31, 2012 - NLRB Pushes Date Back to April 30, 2012
Contributed by Tammy Barden, PHR, Sr. Employee Relations Specialist, WPS Health Insurance

The majority of private sector employers must take notice of this information. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is requiring employers to post a notice to inform employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by January 31, 2012 (now April 30, 2012). This notice should be posted where the employer has other important notices for their employees, such as employee rights and workplace rules. Employers are also expected to post a link to the notice on a website used for other employer policies and notices, if applicable.
 

The NLRB has created a very helpful list of Frequently Asked Questions which includes how an employer can determine if they are required to post the notice. In addition, the posting itself can be found on the NLRB website. The poster must be 11 x 17 inches and can be in color or black and white. The NLRB is also translating the poster into 26 other commonly used languages. To find this information, go to www.nlrb.gov/poster.    
 

 

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Compensation and Benefits

Employers Get More Time on Summary of Benefits Rules
Provided by Scott Wieland of Hemb Insurance Group (legislative updates provided by partner affiliation with United Benefit Advisors)
 
In a FAQ document about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and Mental Health Parity Implementation, the U.S. Department of Labor said employers do not have to comply with proposed regulations about the Summary of Benefits and Coverage rules of PHS Act § 2715 until after final rules are published.
 
An applicability date “beginning March 23, 2012” was proposed, but the DOL said until final regulations are issued and applicable, plans and issuers are not required to comply with PHS Act section 2715. 
 
It is anticipated that the Departments’ final regulations, once issued, will include an applicability date that gives group health plans and health insurance issuers sufficient time to comply.  
 
The DOL FAQ document is at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-aca7.html.


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IRS Offers Details on W-2 Reporting
Provided by Scott Wieland of Hemb Insurance Group (legislative updates provided by partner affiliation with United Benefit Advisors)

The IRS has issued guidance for employers through webinars and websites about the new Form W-2 reporting rules created by the health care reform law.

Effective for 2012 W-2s issued to employees beginning in January 2013, this new mandate promises to be an employer compliance challenge for years to come.

First, some helpful websites explain the requirement in greater detail, including IRS Notice 2011-28 that provides interim guidance to employers on the reporting requirement.

Another helpful link is to the IRS Webinar itself, though that won’t be available for a couple of weeks.

IRS provides some Frequently Asked Questions and Answers concerning the W-2 reporting requirement that employers will also find useful in learning about the new requirement.

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Talent Management

Time Again for the Liberal Arts?
Contributed by John F. Macek LCSW

As we move further into a high tech economy, we need people who can connect pieces, find common denominators, and assemble collective information to create new ways of doing things. Now is not the time for linear thinking and a collection of silos. We need an ability to negotiate across silos and create from this assimilation new concepts and new approaches. 

Let’s look at what many would consider unthinkable.  I offer as an example Irving Hockaday Jr.  Irving held a degree in English from Princeton and law degree from University of Michigan Law School.  One would immediately ask: “What does any of this have to do with running a business?”  Answer: the ability to assimilate and interrelate new knowledge.

Click here for the full article.

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GMA SHRM Social Media

GMASHRM Contest, Just ‘like’ Us!

Did you know that you can access GMA SHRM on three social media sites?  GMA SHRM is incenting members to check out these new tools by having a contest! For the remainder of the year, become a fan on Facebook and/or follow us on twitter to be entered into a drawing. We will be giving away two $50 gas cards. You can’t win unless you participate, so check out our social media sites below and “like us” and/or follow us today!

Facebook = http://www.facebook.com/#!/GMASHRM 
Twitter = http://twitter.com/#!/gmashrm

Winners will be announced via our social media sites after the 1st of the year!
 


‘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.

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GMA SHRM Upcoming Events

Tuesday, January 24, 2011, GMASHRM Strategic Summit
Topic: Building a Culture of Recognition
Location: Alliant Energy Center

Don't miss this opportunity to transform your workplace!! Building a WOW! Recognition Culture is a fast-paced, fun, and informative seminar that equips HR professionals and business leaders with an understanding of how to engage employees through effective recognition. Learn how to keep employees engaged and productive. Developing a culture of recognition, in which employees are genuinely acknowledged for their contributions is more important than ever in a challenging economy - not only to bolster flagging spirits, but as a strategic means to maintain productivity, profitability and retention of key employees. This seminar teaches strategies for aligning employee recognition initiatives with corporate objectives and provides a step-by-step guide for implementing a strategic employee recognition program.  Review the keys for developing an effective recognition program and learn practical ways for putting them into practice in your organization. Attendees will take away ideas they can put into place in their organization starting today.

To register click here.
 

One Day Conference Update

Please save the date for our 2012 Human Capital Conference on May 15th, 2012.  Back by popular demand, Paul Wesselmann - The Ripples Guy, will be one of our keynotes! We have also secured national speaker loved by many from the SHRM National Leadership Conference, Bob Kelleher.  More information will be provided soon on our website!

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GMA SHRM Announcements 

 
SHRM Foundation News:  Key Findings from SHRM Foundation-Funded Studies
 
The SHRM Foundation supports researchers who bring us greater understanding of the complexities of HR. During the past three years, the Foundation has funded more than $1.6 million in research grants for studies that advance the knowledge base of the profession.
 
The SHRM Foundation is also committed to creating materials that explain how practitioners can capitalize on the new knowledge that research provides. 
 
The HR Research Results brochure presents the results of recent SHRM Foundation-funded projects in an actionable way, so HR professionals can apply this knowledge in their organizations. The topic areas are: Is There a Business Case for Work-Family Programs?;  Promoting Effective Engagement and Retention of the Aging American Workforce; Keeping the Most Experienced Employees by Deferring Retirement and Building Team Resilience:  Lessons Learned from College Sports Coaches.  Contact the SHRM Foundation at 703-535-6020 to request a printed copy, or download a .pdf free from the SHRM Foundation website.
 

Looking for Ways to Volunteer Outside of Joining a Committee?

GMA SHRM is continually looking for members who are interested in sharing their experiences and knowledge via our newsletter. Write an article about any HR topics such as, Talent Management, HR Technology, Employee Relations, Diversity, Compensation, Benefits, Government, Labor Relations, Global HR, etc.

See the bottom of this newsletter for guidelines on writing articles or contact our chapter Administration with questions.

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GMA SHRM Member News

GMA SHRM Member Spotlight

Anna O’Rourke

Where do you currently work?  
I work for The Ballweg Family of Dealerships.  Ballweg is one of Wisconsin’s most respected automobile dealerships with locations in Middleton, Sauk City, Wausau and La Crosse.  Our Human Resources department services all locations through our corporate office in Prairie du Sac.

How long have you been in the Human Resource field?
As the Human Resources Manager at Ballweg, I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the HR department, change management and continuous development and implementation of new HR initiatives.  In 2011, we added a second HR Professional to our team when we hired an HR Assistant.  I am looking forward to making more improvements within our HR department in 2012.

What is the focus of your position? 
I began my career in the HR field about 4.5 years ago.

Which of your career accomplishments makes you proudest? 
At a fairly young age, I was given the opportunity to build a Human Resources department within the Ballweg organization.  It has been challenging, rewarding and exciting to be part of the growth and development of not only our HR department but our organization as a whole. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 
My father has provided me with a great deal of advice over the years.  What comes to mind now is, “Stay true to yourself, go after your dreams and always remember that the future is bright.”

Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM?
I joined GMA SHRM shortly after moving to Madison.  I have enjoyed the networking opportunities, educational experiences and tapping into the wealth of knowledge we have in the HR professionals within our group.
 

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Welcome New Members!

GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in November of 2011!

 

Lorie
Caffery
HR Specialist
WIDNR
Alison
Carr
Director of Learning Events
AMC Consulting
Renee
Clodfelter
 
University Health Services, UW-Madison
Laura
Craig
Office Manager/HR Associate
Forte Research Systems, Inc.
Tracy
Hoard
Branch Manager
QPS Employment Group
Valerie
Leake
Benefits & Compensation Manager
Badgerland Financial
Debra
Martinez
Director of Human Resources
Southwest Family Care Alliance
Jamie
O'Donnell
HR Specialist
WIDNR
Amber
Passno
Employment Relations Manager
WIDNR
Richard
Thomson
Human Resources Manager
 

 

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Movin' Up

Pat Barone, of Catalyst Coaching® LLC, recently received the credential of Board Certified Coach (BCC) through the Center for Center for Credentialing and Education, the same body that credentials counselors and human services professionals.  Last year, she became Wisconsin's first Master Certified Coach (MCC) through the International Coach Federation.  Pat is a designated mentor coach and trainer who works with companies to professionalize their coaches and coaching programs.  Congratulations Pat!

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!

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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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GMA SHRM Member Poll

Do 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@firstchoicedental.com

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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 .

 

   
 Amended