HRAConnection

How to Choose Where to Spend Your Volunteering Time
by Susan Martin Participating in volunteer activities has become the norm in our society. Children are encouraged to volunteer to support college applications. Adults are encouraged to volunteer to support resumes and to be an engaged and fulfilled person. Many performance reviews measure civic engagement. How do you find the right volunteer opportunity for you and/or your family? One area to seek opportunities is with your professional membership’s organization. For example, the HRACI has many volunteer opportunities (http://www.hraci.com/HRACIvolunteeropportunities2007.htm) and the Indiana State Council of SHRM is currently seeking volunteers for the State Conference (http://www.indianashrm.org/INSHRMvolunteer.htm). The Volunteer Family (http://www.thevolunteerfamily.org/Volunteers/Default.aspx) provides ideas for family participation and (http://www.volunteermatch.org/bymsa/m3480/c/opp1.html) lists specific volunteer opportunities in Indianapolis. Selecting opportunities that you and your family are interested in learning and fostering achievement is important to maintain momentum, especially when life becomes hectic! Before jumping in and participating take some time to reflect upon your interests, knowledge, skills, and abilities. As in the hiring process finding a good person/volunteer position and person/organization match is essential to participation longevity and fun. --return to top--
Your Foundation at Work: The Masters Series
When you attend the SHRM Annual Conference, you'll have the opportunity to participate in the Masters Series. The SHRM Foundation sponsors this series of in-depth learning sessions featuring internationally known experts in the field of management science. The Masters Series focuses on timely and provocative issues that affect your career and industry. Open to all attendees, these senior-level programs offer insight into the HR profession from thought-leaders and top academicians. For more information on Foundation sponsored educational programs, visit www.shrm.org/foundation. The SHRM Foundation: 40 Years of Advancing the HR Profession --return to top--
June Meeting
Taking a Step Toward Wellness: Low and No Cost Resources - Tuesday, June 12, 2007 Join us for this informative meeting and come early to visit our wellness booths on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 from 7:30 am - 10:00 am at the Holiday Inn North at the Pyramids.. Jane Ellery, Ph.D., is the Program Director for Wellness Management graduate program at Ball State University. She received her Ph.D. in Public Health and has served in many community-based health and wellness capacities. She has experience in workplace wellness, managed care administration, workers compensations programming, community-based cardiac rehabilitation, and hospital-based cardiovascular diagnostics. Discussion topics will include: Realistic expectations based on programs delivered Leveraging state-wide initiatives to make a big impact Introducing other local partners, online resources and program planning tools This program has been approved for recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI home page at www.hrci.org Click Here to Register Now! EMA Meeting
HRACI Volunteer Opportunities and Information
Committee in Need – Volunteer Management Volunteer Management recruits new and existing HRACI members and encourages them to become more active with their membership by volunteering on a committee or participating in other valuable volunteer opportunities. Due to the growth of our membership we have added Volunteer Management to the 2007 Committee Roster and we are in need of several volunteers to commit and help manage the volunteer process. Roles to Play: • Manage Website Postings • Volunteer Recognition Program • Member Contact • Responding to volunteer forms • Responding to survey results • Committee Liaison • Communication Liaison • Create Volunteer Marketing Brochure / Update forms • Brainstorm additional volunteer opportunities • Monthly Meeting (man the volunteer booth) • This committee will meet on a monthly basis If you are interested in learning more about the Volunteer Management Committee or any other committees a link to the HRACI Volunteer Form can be found below please complete and submit or contact Tami Murphy, Director of Volunteer Management at 317-469-4141 or tami@temporaryavenue.com. Volunteer Form: http://www.hraci.com/HRACIvolunteerform2007.htm Volunteer Recognition Committee Recognized: Recruiting and Retention Forum (formerly EMA) Member Name(s): Chair – Shannon Snyder Past Chair – Brian Cox Programs – Stacy Kuhn Secretary – Sakeenah Hacket Sponsors – Chris Mills & Bill Evans Marketing – Stacey Columbe At Large – Bobbie Shreiner Liaison – Lisa Helms Reason for Recognition: There are a few good reasons to recognize this group. This group has endured some steep transition over the past 2 years as longstanding committee members left and new ones arrived but has continued the momentum. Special Recognition/Acknowledgement: Shannon Snyder was elected chair for 2007. She continues to bring the group together to offer presentations directly affecting the recruiting industry. For example, Campus Recruiting, Aging Workforce and Interactive Recruiting Methods. Board Member responsible for Recognition: Lisa Helms Please email or fax back to Tami Murphy at tami@temporaryavenue.com or 469-4140. Response needed by 25th of the month prior to your designated month. Volunteer Recognition Committee Information Committee Initiatives/Responsibilities: The primary responsibility of the Recruiting and Retention forum (formally EMA) is to provide additional learning, resources and networking events for those involved in this critical part of Human Resources. Committee Goals: One of the goals of this committee is to keep the momentum and continue to get the word out about the group. We also will target new sponsors so we can bring cutting edge topics to the Indianapolis market. Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events! Cultural Awareness – June 22nd How do you brand and recruit for an Aging Workforce – Oct 26th Vendor Management – December 8th Committee Accomplishments: We are networked into some of Indianapolis fortune 500 companies. We utilize these resources for panel discussions and ideas to how we can retain top talent. --return to top--
HR Legislative Issues Updates
Federal Minimum Wage Increase: Will you be prepared? As was anticipated, President Bush vetoed the bill on supplemental spending and troop withdrawal from Iraq on May 2. This is important, not only for its implications on the war effort, but as you probably know, included was a small detail about increasing the federal minimum wage by over 40%. Despite the veto, it appears that President Bush is ready to accept the minimum wage portion of this bill, as long as tax cuts are included for small businesses. Congressional leaders have already begun talks with President Bush on a new version of the bill and it is expected by the end of the month. Whichever way you lean politically on this issue, HR professionals need to be prepared for this potential change and how it will affect the organizations they serve. Indiana's state minimum wage laws currently match federal law, as do minimum wages in 13 other states. Many other states do not, and in fact there is wide variety in how each state treats the issue. Twenty-six states already surpass current federal minimums; of those, 9 (including our neighbors Michigan and Illinois) have minimums which will surpass the new proposed federal increases. It is almost a certainty that some states will react to the federal increase with increases of their own. Remember to also check for any local laws which may affect the minimum wage rate as well. One obvious item to consider is how you will make the necessary changes as the new rates take effect. As simple as this may seem, my advice is to assume that your organizations know nothing about this change and that you may be their only source of information: over-communicate. Depending upon when this change will take effect, include it in your budgeting processes moving forward. Also, if you outsource payroll services, make sure your provider is up to speed and well-prepared. This is particularly true for smaller businesses that may use a one-person shop to outsource these services. Not only would a fumble on implementation be embarrassing, it could cause unnecessary confusion and employee relations issues within your workforce. This increase may sound like a windfall for some of your employees but the change in minimum wage will affect not only those who currently fall below it: what about those longer tenured employees who now find they are making the same wage as those several years their junior in experience and/or tenure? The prudent HR professional will begin discussing this issue early with their organization's leadership. A well-considered strategy and communication plan is critical to avoid some serious employee relations nightmares. Don't forget to include all levels of management in these communications: in many organizations, first-line managers handle many of the hiring responsibilities for minimum-wage workers. Many of these managers may be new to their responsibilities and may find this difficult to explain and understand. You will want to make sure your message is consistent across your organization. While these changes are taking effect, it is also probably a good idea to audit your workforce for proper exempt/non-exempt classification. In 2004 when the Wage & Hour Division of the Department of Labor published its final rule implementing the new “white collar” exemptions for overtime pay but the increased litigation in this area indicates that employers and employees remain confused. This is an area where an outside opinion can be well worth the investment. With the increase in the minimum wage, potential liability for wage and hour claims has increased. A scenario in which you could be found to violate both the minimum wage and overtime exemption rules could be costly. $2.10 per hour may not sound like much, but when considered in terms of accumulated unpaid overtime, fines, attorneys’ fees, and the multiplying effect of class actions, it can amount to a large amount of money very quickly. Submitted by: John Walls is an attorney whose practice focuses on Business and Employment law. He can be reach at jwalls@jdwalls.com. -return to top--
Your Foundation at Work
Effective Practice Guidelines If you are like most HR professionals, you probably lack the time to keep up with the latest research findings in human resource management. To help make research-based knowledge more accessible, the SHRM Foundation has created a new series entitled Effective Practice Guidelines. The guidelines compile and summarize the HR practices in a given area that have been shown to be effective based on research studies. A subject matter expert with both research and practitioner experience distills all relevant findings and expert opinion into specific advice on how to conduct effective HR practice. SHRM members may download the following reports free from the SHRM Foundation website: Performance Management, Selection Assessment Methods and Employee Engagement and Commitment. New reports are added each year. This series is made possible by your contributions to the SHRM Foundation. Regional Scholarships Exciting News! The SHRM Foundation has doubled its scholarship funding for 2007 and will be awarding a total of $100,000 to SHRM members, chapters and state councils, up from $50,000 awarded in 2006. The Foundation is committed to supporting the professional development of SHRM members and the scholarship program is a tangible example of this commitment. Scholarships will be awarded to national SHRM members pursuing an HR-related college degree, or SPHR, GPHR or PHR certification. The following will be awarded in 2007: • 60 Certification Scholarships of $750 each • 40 Academic Scholarships of $1375 each Application deadline: July 16, 2007. The scholarships are allocated evenly among the SHRM regions. This guarantees that there will be winners in every part of the country. For application information, visit http://www.shrm.org/foundation/EducationGrants.asp. This program is supported by your generous donations to the SHRM Foundation. The SHRM Foundation: 40 Years of Advancing the HR Profession -return to top--
Nominations for Awards are Needed!
Go to: http://www.hraci.com/secure/Nomineeform.htm to recognize your fellow members for the Volunteer of the Year Award and/or Professional of the Year Award. You may nominate yourself or another eligible human resource professional for one or both of these awards by completing the online nomination form. Nominations must be received no later than June 15, 2007. If available, please email your nominee’s resume to president@hraci.org or cut and paste it into the designated box below. -return to top--
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
As a Member of the HRACI you are welcome to attend the SIG’s meetings, too! For the Employment Management Association (EMA) of Indiana, please visit URL: http://www.emaindiana.org/events.asp. The Consultants Forum is another SIG of the HRACI. Please visit URL: www.hraci.com/index.htm for the next event! -return to top--
May Meeting Highlights
The ABC’s of EEO Recap & Refresher for Managers & Supervisors May’s luncheon speaker was Karen M. Bellinger, who was a national trainer for the EEOC-FEPA Training Program. Presenting The ABC’s of EEO Recap & Refresher for Managers & Supervisors, Ms. Bellinger presented many statistics and reviewed the various acts of the EEO, such as: • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1064 • The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) • The Equal Pay Act (EPA) • Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) The presentation included recordkeeping requirements; recruiting, interviewing and testing; the selection process; identifying and preventing workplace harassment; evaluating employee performance; making promotion decisions; layoffs and reductions in force; discipline and discharge, and post separation references. More information on this topic can be found on website: http://eeoc.gov/. -return to top--
Welcome New Members
Darryl Bowles Jolene Annes Margo Byrns Annie Conner Kati Legg Mike Jenkins Rhonda Greene Carrie Roberts JB Symons Tricia Luther Claudia Keller-Griffin Julie Reese Lillian Motton Cathy Gregg Mike Burkhardt Barbara LaRue Ashley Lento Nicole Karmire Kelli Hainz Michelle Burke Elizabeth Malatestinic April Hettwer Amy Housel Bill Hayes	Ben Conner Dana Hancock Brent McChesney Shelli York Vickie Barr Sarah Shea Allegra Thigpen Bridget Stenger Matthew McKim Rebecca Ehsan Tim Kahms Jean-Paul Huot Rana McChristian June Henderson Ernest Bray Jennifer Valdez Gwen Brewer Joann Ingulli-Fattic Nicholas Van Horn Alison Smith Douglas Burroughs Jeff Wilson Camilla Russell

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