February 2011

HR InTouch

The Monthly Newsletter of the Greater Madison Area SHRM

In This Edition

President's Message

By Dave Furlan, PHR
GMA SHRM President

Government Affairs

Nursing Mothers Law

New Poster Requirements Proposed

Compensation & Benefits

Health Care Reform Update

Reducing Health Care Costs

GMA SHRM Benefits and Compensation Surveys  

Community News

Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteer Opportunity

News & Announcements

RESCHEDULED Wednesday, February 9, 2011, GMA SHRM Roundtable
Topic: Accommodating the Aging Workforce


Thursday, February 17, 2011, GMA SHRM Toolbox
Topic: Beyond Reform: Benefit Trends in a New Decade

Thursday, February 24, 2011, GMA SHRM Speed Networking Event
Topi 

Tuesday, March 22, 2011, GMA SHRM Strategic Summit
Topic: Managing Tomorrow, Today with Dr. Jac Fitz-enz

INTRODUCING: The Peer Advice Network – Your Peer Information Resource

Membership Referral Program

GMA SHRM Member Spotlight

GMA Membership Poll

GMA SHRM is LinkedIn

Welcome New Members!

Movin' Up

In Transition

What's Cool in HR

GMASHRM Events

Click here to see the full GMA SHRM Event Calendar.

 


Printable version

 

President's Message

GMA SHRM
2011 Corporate Partners

Gold Level
American Family Insurance
Boardman Law Firm
First Choice Dental Group
The Payroll Company
Remedy Intelligent Staffing
Wisconsin Rx 

 

Silver Level
Career Momentum
Cottingham & Butler Employee Benefits
Lee Hecht Harrison
Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation
Ultimate Software Group

 

Bronze Level
The Alliance
Delta Dental
Edgewood College
Express Employment Professionals
Higgins Insurance Group
Hemb Insurance Group
Metro Transit
M3
Melli Law, S.C.
Unity Health Insurance
UW Credit Union
The QTI Group
Wegner CPAs & Consultants

 

Thank you!

Greetings,

Networking. It’s a word that has different meanings for different people and in different circumstances. Every year when we conduct our member survey, networking tops the list of benefits HR professionals seek from a GMA SHRM membership. Sometimes I suspect it is elusive for us to provide networking opportunities to our members because everyone interprets the word differently.

Because of this, I’d like to know what networking means to you. Click here for a quick poll.

I’d like to see if this poll supports my opinion that our members broadly interpret the word “networking” as it pertains to GMA SHRM. Assuming so, and even despite the results, I believe we strike a balance in offering a variety of networking opportunities for our members. The recent past and near future support our efforts in this area, and I want to take this opportunity to highlight them this month.

The month of February brings our semi-annual networking event on February 24 from 4:30 to 6:30 at Vintage Brewery Company. In place for the past couple of years, the event is perhaps the purest concept of what networking means to most people – the simple opportunity to meet individuals with similar interests in a social setting. The February event promises to be even more fun by adding a speed networking format. I guarantee this will be an excellent way for you to connect with more GMA SHRM members. Details and registration here.

Late last fall, our Solo HR Practitioner Resource Group launched at a roundtable to discuss the challenges of running HR as a department of one. Since then, the group has met and connected several times to help each other out and provide support in meaningful ways. If you are seeking this networking element from GMA SHRM, I strongly encourage you to contact Programming Committee volunteers Tara Conger or Jenny Peters and get connected with this group.

Starting this month, members will also see the launch of our Peer Advice Network (see article below). If you’ve been with the chapter for a long time, the Peer Advice Network is what we used to call LocalNet. LocalNet was a list of HR topics and competencies with names of members willing to talk to other members who had questions related to that area of HR. Now that our new website is up and running, we have re-branded LocalNet as the Peer Advice Network. The network will function in much the same way as LocalNet. It will be completely online and available privately through our members-only database. We’re hoping many of you will continue to be willing to talk to other members about areas where you’ve gained experience over the years. At the same time, we hope those of you seeking advice or input on an issue will find a benefit in talking to another HR professional outside of your organization. To me, both sides, the advisor and the advisee, would also find very tangible networking results from their interaction.

At each of our monthly Summits and Toolboxes, we set aside time at the beginning for informal networking among your peers. The Programming Committee is considering whether to bring a more formal networking structure back to these events. Even so, I challenge each of you who attends a Summit or Toolbox this year to try to sit by or approach a new person and introduce yourself. Over the years, I’ve discovered our chapter members are a very friendly group and have always welcomed a new person to a conversation. I am sure you will find the experience of meeting new people at our meetings very rewarding as well.

In addition to what I’ve highlighted here, there are so many other avenues available to our members for networking – committee volunteering, member orientations, our LinkedIn group, and plans for other social media opportunities. I sincerely believe we can offer something for everyone even though each of us may view networking in a slightly different way. I hope you discover the many advantages GMA SHRM offers in this area throughout the coming year.

To your continued success,
Dave Furlan, PHR
President

P.S. Don’t forget about our upcoming March Summit with international HR analytics expert, Dr. Jac Fitz-Enz. This is a very special programming event for our chapter and promises to be well-attended. It should be a great opportunity to meet new people while learning valuable information from a leading voice in the HR community.  Breaking News:  The program was just approved for 3 hours of Strategic Credit!

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GMA SHRM Board of Directors

Dave Furlan, PHR
President
Mike Leibundgut, SPHR
President Elect
Kari Lauritsen, SPHR
Immediate Past President
Wendy Brendel, SPHR
Secretary Treasurer
JoAnna Vanderpoel, PHR
VP, Membership
Jake Siudzinski
VP, Marketing & Communications
Jeff Russell
VP, Programming
Kris Schmitt
Director, Education & Development
Melissa Wieland
Director Workforce Readiness & Diversity
Zach Penshorn, PHR
Director, Government Affairs

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Government Affairs

Nursing Mothers Law

The Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division is requesting public comments on its preliminary interpretations of a new provision of the FLSA – the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law – that went into effect in March 2010. The law requires that employers provide reasonable break time and a private place, other than a bathroom, for nursing mothers to express milk. While some workplaces have already established programs for nursing mothers, this is an excellent opportunity for the public to provide insight on the law, including challenges and successes with implementation and enforcement.

The Department of Labor will accept comments from the public through February 22, 2011. Comments can be made at http://www.regulations.gov. In addition, the department has launched a web page to raise awareness and provide access to additional resources to employers and workers at http://www.dol.gov/whd/nursingmothers .

 

 


 

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mended  Equal Opportunities  New Poster Requirements Proposed

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has submitted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to require covered employers to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
This proposed rule would require private-sector employers subject to the NLRA to post the notice where other workplace notices are typically posted. Also, if an employer primarily communicates with employees via e-mail or other electronic means, the rule would require electronic posting as well.

While there would be no monetary fines associated with failing to post, non-compliance to the regulation would be treated as an unfair labor practice and could result in a six month extension on the statue of limitations for filing an unfair labor practice charge. Further, if an employer knowingly does not post the notice, non-compliance would be considered evidence of an unlawful motive in an underlying unfair labor practice case.

If the proposal passes, the notice would be available at regional offices or downloaded from the NLRB website - a fact sheet is also available here. Comments on the proposal are being accepted through February 22, 2011.
 

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Compensation & Benefits

Health Care Reform Update
Contributed by Adam Jensen, JD, CEBS, GBA, FLMI, Director of Compliance Services, Cottingham & Butler Consulting Services  
 
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill to repeal President Obama’s health care reform measure, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, by a vote of 245 to 189. The bill is expected to die in the Senate, which still has a Democratic majority. The action by the House is largely symbolic that allows legislators to keep election promises to repeal what has widely been labeled as “Obamacare”. The House Republican-led leadership has instructed committees to begin crafting replacement legislation for the current health care reform law as a means of keeping the issue in the public eye.
 
While repeal of the health care reform law is unlikely until at least after the next election, it is expected that there will be amendments and “fixes” in the meantime. Among these is repealing the increased Form 1099 reporting requirement that takes full effect in 2012. Sen. Max Baucus introduced a bill to repeal this provision during the lame duck session of Congress that did not pass. It is likely to be reintroduced and appears to have bi-partisan support.
 
Click here for the full article.
 
 
 
 

 
 Reducing Health Care Costs
Contributed by John Macek
 
The United States has by far the best illness care system in the world. Unfortunately, this does not give us a healthier population than countries that spend half as much on health care.
 
In 1978 I joined a board of 11 to plan and implement Kansas City’s first HMO. The board was a collaboration of business leaders (Armco Steel, United Telecom, Alexander & Alexander) and union business managers (SEI, Teamsters, AFL-CIO, and Machinists Union). Their shared objective was to contain rising health care costs.
 
As we moved into pre-operational status, we recruited a Harvard Medical School Graduate. He was a board certified internist and full-time faculty member at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. We wanted top talent to guide us into operational mode. He was an avid researcher and ultimately recommended two highly regarded HMOs as models: Harvard Health Plan and Kaiser Permanente. He provided us with the following advice:
1. The most efficient and effective way of containing health care costs is early intervention and preventive care.
 
Click here for the full article.
 

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 2010 GMA SHRM Benefit and Compensation Surveys

In this changing world of work, where hiring and retaining top talent is more important than ever, companies must understand how to gain the competitive advantage. Is your organization positioned to be the employer of choice?
 
Now is the time to evaluate how you compare to other local organizations. Click here to participate or purchase this valued resource. 

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Community Events

Volunteer Opportunity!

ITT Technical Institute is looking for speakers that are involved in the hiring and recruitment of employees to speak to our Professional Procedures & Portfolio Management class on Tuesday nights. This class is all about creating resumes, cover letters, the importance of professional networking, social media for job searching, creating a professional portfolio, etc. All students are nearing their graduation as well, so this class is extremely important for them!

This class is every Tuesday at 6pm through March. We would welcome speakers on any Tuesday, related to the topics mentioned above. 

If you are interested and available, please contact Jennifer Kalka, Director of Career Services at jkalka@itt-tech.edu or 608-288-6324!

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Volunteer Opportunity!  

The Wisconsin Academic Decathlon Competition is looking for interview judge volunteers! This would be on March 17&18th at the Wilderness Resort in the Dells from 3:30 pm – 8:40 pm. High school teams are made up of students at all GPA levels. You and a partner judge would conduct two rounds of 5 – 10 minute interviews. Guidelines are provided to the judges and dinner is included! This would be an excellent way to gain PHR recertification credits!

Click here for a flyer with further details. 

 

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News & AnnouncementsMembership Referral Program

Due to the weather forecast, this program has been rescheduled from the 2nd to the 9th.

NEW DATE: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, GMA SHRM Roundtable
Topic: Accommodating the Aging Workforce

According to a joint SHRM-AARP study “the retirement of the 76 million-member baby boom generation will influence the U.S. workforce for years to come. In a national poll released by SHRM and AARP, a majority of organizations described the loss of boomers and their highly valued talent from the workforce as a potential or serious problem. Almost six out of 10 organizations responding to the SHRM-AARP Strategic Workforce Planning Poll implemented or plans to implement programs in preparation for boomer retirement.”

The aging workforce is upon us today. Is your organization ready to deal with the loss of knowledge, changing work preference, and growing influence of this growing demographic? Please join your peers to share and gain insight at the GMA-SHRM roundtable discussion on Wednesday February 2nd at M3 from 8:00 am – 10:00 am.

To learn more about the event or to register, click here.
 

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 Thursday, February 17, 2011, GMA SHRM Toolbox
Topic: Beyond Reform: Benefit Trends in a New Decade

Health care reform has taken center stage in discussions for much of the past year often overshadowing exciting and innovative developments in benefits. Even in this challenging economy, employers have been able to bolster benefit offerings without adversely impacting their bottom line.

February's HR Toolbox will provide ideas for HR professionals to consider when building or enhancing their corporate benefits program in 2011 and beyond. Find out what the trends are in the benefits arena and what might be the next great offering in your own benefits package.
Please join us and our guest speaker, Amy Olson. Amy is an Account Executive in the Madison office of M3 Insurance Solutions for Business. Her primary role is to place and service employee benefit insurance products.

Attend this Toolbox to . . .

• Learn about trends that are becoming increasingly popular for employer sponsored benefits including consumer-driven health insurance plans and premiums, disability and life insurance, 401k plans, wellness programs, voluntary worksite benefits, onsite services and many more.
• Gain insights into the ways in which employers are becoming creative in offering attractive benefit packages that fit their budgets, drive smart health care consumerism and help retain employees.
• Explore how employees perceive the value of various benefits and discover what new benefits might be right for your own corporate culture.

Don’t forget to bring book and food donation items to support GMA SHRM Philanthropy programs.

To learn more about the event or to register, click here.

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Thursday, February 24, 2011, GMA SHRM Networking Event
Topic: Speed Networking Event

Our semi-annual networking event will be on Thursday February 24th from 4:30 – 6:30 at the Vintage Brewing Company. Members are always looking for ways to meet other HR professionals but sometimes get cold feet and struggle with that first conversation. This Speed Networking event promises to be fun and productive! You will go away from this event with more HR contacts than you could ever imagine!

Don’t forget to bring book and food donation items to support GMA SHRM Philanthropy programs.

To learn more about the event or to register, click here.

 

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  Benefit Trends  

Tuesday, March 22, 2011, GMA SHRM Strategic Summit
Topic: Managing Tomorrow, Today: Predicting the Economic Value of Your Human Capital Investments

A DON’T MISS OPPORTUNITY: Dr. Jac Fitz-enz, Father of Human Capital Analysis, comes to GMA SHRM!!!

*Pre-Approved for 3 hours Strategic Credit!

Mark your calendars and register early for the March 22, 2010 Strategic Summit. Dr. Jac, as he is known worldwide, is acknowledged as the father of human capital strategic analysis and measurement and he will be speaking to GMA SHRM. This is a unique opportunity to hear a pioneer and worldwide leader in metrics, benchmarking, HR analytics and predictive management. Dr. Jac has published 11 books and over 290 articles, reports and book chapters on measurement and strategic management. In 2007, he was cited as one of the top five “HR Management Gurus” by HR World, and the Society for Human Resources Management chose him as one of the 50 persons who have “significantly changed what HR does and how it does it.” Although his work is widely imitated, he remains, The Source for human capital strategy, measurement and analytics.

On March 22nd Dr. Jac will be speaking on Predictive Management; a model that aligns, integrates and predicts the effects of HR services on organizational performance using human resource analytics to measure results. The value of analytics is being recognized by more and more organizations as a highly successful way to predict and manage change. HR is now embracing analytics and realizing the same success and benefits as the other parts of organizations.

In today’s economic climate, the pressure is on to demonstrate the value of your human resource investments. Instead of simply reacting to these pressures, it’s time for HR to adopt a future-focused, integrated model for managing human capital. It’s time for HR to speak in quantitative, objective terms, using numbers to highlight the value we bring to our organizations. Register now for the March 22nd Strategic Summit to learn how!

Don’t forget to bring book and food donation items to support GMA SHRM Philanthropy programs.

To learn more about the event or to register, click here. 

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INTRODUCING: The Peer Advice Network – Your Peer Information Resource 

What is Peer Advice Network?
Peer Advice Network puts you in touch with members who have experience in specific human resource areas and have volunteered to share their experience with other members.

Are you considering a 401(k) plan, and do not know where to begin? Do you want to conduct an engagement survey of your employees, but need to know what pitfalls to avoid? GMA SHRM Peer Advice Network can be the answer you need. Learn from the experiences of your peers. Contact them today through Peer Advice Network.

How Peer Advice Network works?
Members identify areas of HR related experience and volunteer to serve as an information resource for other GMA SHRM members. This is a free resource to members by members to share their experience in a specific topic and another way to network with fellow HR professionals. This is not an area for members to solicit business. This is free advice.

How can I be a peer resource?
If you are interested in volunteering to be a peer resource, please click here to update your Peer Advice Network. If you have questions, please contact GMA SHRM.

Update your member demographics
GMA SHRM is also collecting demographic information on its members to assist in future programming decisions and to have an overall better understanding of our membership. While checking out the new Peer Advice Network, please also access your member record to review and update your demographic information.

For a chance to win a $50 gas card, please update your demographic information and your Peer Advice Network categories. All members who have updated their information by Monday, February 28th will be entered in the drawing. After you login to the member’s only section of www.gmashrm.org, you can click on ‘My Account’ on the horizontal toolbar to update your demographic information. To update your Peer Advice Network, click on ‘Member Home’ on the top horizontal menu and then ‘Update your Peer Advice Network entry’. If you have already done this, you will be entered into the drawing as well.

Thank you and good luck!

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Membership Referral Program

GMA SHRM is proud to announce its new Membership Referral Program! It’s easy to participate, simply encourage your colleagues, students, customers, vendors, and others to join GMA SHRM and enjoy the same great benefits you do!

As a GMA SHRM member you already know that our organization offers support, resources, and opportunities to network with other human resource professionals in the greater Madison area. Now is your chance to be rewarded for sharing that enthusiasm for our organization and let your colleagues see for themselves that a GMA SHRM membership is an invaluable resource for their profession.

To find out more about this program click here.

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GMA SHRM Member Spotlight

Matthew Chadwick

Where do you currently work?
Cottingham & Butler

What is the focus of your position?
I work with people who deal with their company’s employee benefits. With all the changes going on in the health insurance industry, I make sure my clients are getting the best possible solutions and are in full compliance with all the rules and regulations. It’s exciting to help companies take control of and manage their 2nd or 3rd largest expense.

How long have you been in the Human Resource field? 
I have been working with HR Professionals for four years.

Which of your career accomplishments makes you proudest?
This is a fast-paced career where you have to switch directions at a moment’s notice, and dealing with insurance plans means almost everything culminates on December 31st. Completing the yearly renewal season while exceeding the client’s expectations is a very good feeling.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Most people want to be comfortable, and because of that they never push themselves to reach their full potential. We are capable of much more than we realize.”

Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM?
I joined for two reasons. First, I wanted to become more involved in the community; Madison has been a great place to live and I want to experience more of what it offers. Second, I feel I can better serve my clients with increased interaction with their industry peers.
Which of your career accomplishments makes you proudest?  

If you’d like to be featured in the Member Spotlight in an upcoming issue of HR InTouch, please e-mail Dawn Koopman at dkoopman@musicnotes.com .

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 GMA SHRM Member Poll

Visit the GMA SHRM home page to participate in the 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 Jake Siudzinski at jakes@qstaff.com.

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GMA SHRM is 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.

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Welcome New Members!

GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in December of 2010!

Beth  Davison
 
American Family Insurance
Ashley Everson
HR Manager
Project Home, Inc.
Sandy  Watkins
Payroll Specialist
Thermo Fisher Scientific
 
 
 

 


Movin' Up

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 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.


What’s Cool in HR in the Greater Madison Area?

What’s going on in HR in your workplace?

Have you…

  • completed a major project,
  • implemented something new,
  • managed a change,

Is there something…

  • your company/dept does really well,
  • interesting about your company culture
  • that makes your company an employer of choice

We want to hear about it! Share it with your HR colleagues in HR InTouch. Send us an e-mail


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 Amended