HRACI Consultants Forum
Friday, March 13, 2009
What We All Need to Know About Workforce Readiness

HRACI Monthly Meeting
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Obama and HR

HRACI Monthly Meeting
Thursday, April 16, 2009
HRACI Diversity 1/2 Day Conference

SMA-Central Indiana Quarterly Program
Thursday, April 23, 2009
“Economic Effects on Staffing Management & Recruitment – Strategies for Survival, Techniques to Manage and Thrive, Job Security and How to Shine!”

Read on for details on these and other important HRACI activities!

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Submitted by: Jeremy York, PHR

HRACI is excited to announce a new ticketing program designed to save members money and time!

Now through the end of April, members can purchase tickets in bundles of four ($90) or six ($135); when bundled, each ticket costs $22.50 but has a face value of $25.

Members can use tickets to:

• Attend HRACI breakfasts and lunches (priced at $25)
• Help pay for HRACI half-day programs or other events that cost more than $25. Each ticket pays for $25 toward the cost of the program or event. (only 1 ticket per registration can be used)

By purchasing bundled tickets, members save 10 percent on admission to HRACI programs and events. They also reduce the amount of time spent writing checks or providing credit-card information. Payment becomes much easier!

To purchase bundled tickets visit www.HRACI.org and click on the “Events” tab.

Please note: All bundled tickets must be used in 2009, and HRACI will not refund any unused tickets. Also, bundled tickets cannot be used to pay for membership dues.

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Submitted by: Susan Van Hoosen

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Thursday, April 23rd, 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
SMA Quarterly Program, “Economic Effects on Staffing Management & Recruitment – Strategies for Survival, Techniques to Manage and Thrive, Job Security and How to Shine!”

We have assembled an expert panel to provide interactive insight to strategies of today’s staffing challenges:

As always, there will be a fun, networking activity, door prizes and resources for attendees to take away.

Breakfast will be provided and this will be an inspiring way to kick off your Thursday! Location details to follow, so please check the HRACI website in March.

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Submitted by: Michael Padgett

Stimulus Bill Brings Significant COBRA Changes

The recently-enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (otherwise known as the “Stimulus Bill”) makes significant changes to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”) that will affect every employer that sponsors a group health plan for employees and has terminated or laid off an employee on or after September 1, 2008. These amendments create additional COBRA notice requirements and affect payroll tax administration in order to administer a temporary federal subsidy of COBRA premiums. Employers will have to act quickly to implement the new requirements, which will include locating certain former employees and coordinating payroll and COBRA administration.

Under the Act, for COBRA coverage periods beginning on or after the date the Act is signed into law, “assistance eligible individuals” will be required to pay 35% of the applicable COBRA premium. Employers will need to cover the remaining 65% of the premiums until reimbursement can be requested from the federal government. Employers that provide coverage through insurance or self-insurance will be able to obtain reimbursement of the 65% premium subsidy as a credit against their quarterly federal employment tax filings. The language of the Act suggests the subsidy would apply regardless of the level of coverage (single, single plus one, family, etc.). Individuals who are or were otherwise eligible for COBRA continuation coverage, who lost coverage under their employer-sponsored group health plan due to an involuntary termination of employment between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009, AND who elect COBRA continuation coverage are “assistance eligible individuals” under the Act. Additionally, Congress recognized that many individuals who were recently terminated may have declined to elect COBRA continuation coverage because of its cost. Accordingly, the Act requires employers to locate former employees who previously declined COBRA and provide notice of the right to COBRA coverage with the government subsidy.

Generally, the subsidy is available for up to 9 months, but can end sooner, such as when the maximum continuation coverage period under COBRA expires. (The statute does not extend the maximum COBRA continuation coverage periods.) Additionally, the subsidy will cease to be available for COBRA coverage following the date an assistance eligible individual becomes eligible for: (1) coverage under any other group health plan (other than one consisting only of dental, vision, counseling or referral services); (2) coverage under a health flexible spending account plan; (3) coverage of treatment at certain employer on-site facilities; or (4) Medicare or Medicaid.
This bulletin only provides a general overview of the COBRA changes made in the Stimulus Bill. Covered employers are strongly encouraged to follow up on their obligations with regard to this temporary notice and subsidy requirement.

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Submitted by: Brian Cox

Announcing a new opportunity for graduate students in HR who are embarking on a graduate course of study this year. Beginning now and continuing through April 1, 2009, SHRM is accepting applications for the new Susan R. Meisinger Fellowship for graduate study in HR. The award was established by SHRM, the HR Certification Institute and the SHRM Foundation in recognition and honor of the historic contributions of former president and CEO, Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR, in advancing the human resource profession and developing its next generation of leaders.

At least one Susan R. Meisinger Fellow will receive as much as $10,000 annually for up to two years of graduate study in HR. This award will be given to the best and the brightest—the individuals who will be the next generation of leaders for our profession. To be eligible to apply, an HR professional must meet at least one of the following criteria: 1) be a member of SHRM or 2) hold a professional certification (e.g., PHR, SPHR or GPHR certification from the HR Certification Institute).

FAQs and an application form can be downloaded from the fellowship web site at http://www.shrm.org/meisinger, where you can also find a list of the other necessary application materials required to be considered for the fellowship. Awards will be announced annually in conjunction with SHRM’s Annual Conference and Exposition in New Orleans, June 28-July 1, 2009. Members of the Membership Advisory Council (MAC) will work in tandem with staff representatives from all three organizations to select the 2009 Fellowship winner.

While the web site contains a great deal of information, we have also established an e-mail box for applicants to pose additional questions. Please forward any questions you may have to fellowship@shrm.org, and a staff member will respond to you quickly. Thank you, too, for sharing this information with colleagues who are beginning their graduate study career and will be interested in applying!

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Submitted by: Leigh A. Crick, PHR

HRACI will be awarding a scholarship for the 2009- 2010 academic year to encourage and support students pursuing a career in the human resource management field. To be eligible for this scholarship applicants must:

• Be a sophomore, junior or non-graduating senior in an undergraduate four-year degree program to actively pursue or continue a career in human resources upon graduation and currently attending one of the following central Indiana colleges or universities: IUPUI, Butler University, Marian College, University of Indianapolis, Martin University, Franklin College, Indiana Institute of Technology, Indiana University – Bloomington, Purdue University – Lafayette.
• Be or become a member in good standing as a student or professional member of HRACI
• Have a 2.5/4.0 cumulative grade point average
• Be enrolled for a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester

Applications will be available soon. For more information please feel free to contact Leigh Crick (lcrick@iupui.edu) or Laura McGrew (lmcgrew@imamuseum.org).

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Submitted by Jennifer Lange, PHR

Please congratulate the following participants of HRACI’s Fall PHR/SPHR Exam Preparation Study Groups who earned their prestigious PHR (Professional in Human Resources) and SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certifications between December 1, 2008 and January 31, 2009:

Corey Baute, SPHR
Bobbi Doyle, SPHR
Lisa Fishback, PHR
Gregg Francis, SPHR
Steve Johnson, SPHR
Tracy Kilburn, PHR
Jeremy King, SPHR
Julie Laing, PHR
Katy McShane, SPHR
Jamie Meyer, PHR
Mandy Nicol, PHR
Diana Sadowitz, PHR

The certification, awarded by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), signifies that the above mentioned individuals possess the theoretical knowledge and practical experience in Human Resource management necessary to pass a rigorous examination demonstrating a mastery of the body of knowledge in the Human Resource field.

The HRCI is the credentialing organization for Human Resource professionals and is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world's largest organization dedicated exclusively to the human resource profession. The Institute's purpose is to promote the establishment of professional standards and to recognize professionals who meet those standards.

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Submitted by: Susan J. Martin, PHR

Calling all Writers! We have TWO opportunities for you to sharpen your written communication skills in 2009!

First:
The IndyStar and the HRACI will continue to work together in 2009. Please volunteer to write a short article to be published in the IndyStar Blog site, “Minding Your Business”. They are seeking articles on human resource topics that are focused on helping employees – a great chance for you to showcase your area of expertise to the local HR and business community.

Interested? Please contact:
Susan J. Martin, PHR
susan.martin2@mybrighthouse.com
317-777-4657

Second:
If you are looking for a smaller, more specific audience, you are also welcome to submit articles, such as the one in this month’s newsletter by James Schaffer, for consideration for our monthly enewsletter. Please send your submission to Karen Seketa, Director of Communications for HRACI at kseketa@yahoo.com. You can send this at anytime and you will be contacted about next steps and publication timelines.

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Submitted by: Karen Seketa, SPHR

Excerpt from SHRM website

During these challenging economic times, the SHRM Foundation remains committed to providing support to HR professionals through scholarships, educational products and research grants. This work is made possible by the charitable contributions we receive from SHRM chapters, state councils and members of the HR community. This article will update you on some of the Foundation’s programmatic accomplishments, made possible by your support, and our plans for 2009.

Research Grants

The SHRM Foundation provides multi-year funding for high-impact, original HR research that will advance the knowledge base of the profession. The Foundation now has more than $1.2 million of funded research currently in process. In 2008, we awarded more than $754,000 in research grants—a significant increase over 2007 funding of $566,000 and 2006 funding of about $80,000.

Of the 13 grants awarded in 2008, four projects (31%) are led by researchers based outside the United States—in Australia, the Netherlands and Israel. Six research projects were completed in 2008, and executive summaries of those results are available on the Foundation website.

Scholarships and Awards

The SHRM Foundation provides more than 125 scholarships and awards each year to support HR professionals and students. In 2008, there was a total of $170,000 available through the Foundation’s three scholarship programs: student, professional and dissertation awards.

The $50,000 scholarship program for SHRM student members received a record-setting 381 applications in 2008. The Foundation awarded 25 scholarships for graduate and undergraduate education and professional certification. The $100,000 scholarship program for working professionals awarded 40 academic scholarships and 60 certification scholarships throughout the country ($20,000 is available per SHRM region). The SHRM Foundation greatly appreciates the generous support of the J. J. Keller Foundation, which will again underwrite the 2009 scholarship program for working professionals.

More information about the 2009 awards and scholarship programs can be found on the SHRM Foundation website.

Educational Products

The SHRM Foundation produces a series of products that make research findings and best practices easily accessible to HR practitioners. In October, the Foundation released a new Effective Practice Guidelines report, called Human Resource Strategy: Adapting to the age of globalization. Two additional reports will be released in 2009—Learning Systems Design and Recruiting and Attracting Talent. There are now seven titles in the Effective Practice Guidelines series, and all are available for free download.

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A New President, a New Congress and New Challenges: The Employee Free Choice Act and Other Coming Changes in Labor and Employment Law

Significant changes are coming in 2009 to laws affecting human resources professionals. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 became law as of January 1, 2009, new Family and Medical Leave Act regulations are going into effect, and it is expected that the new administration will push hard to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. These and other developments anticipated in 2009 will be covered, along with recommendations for responding to these new challenges.

1. Learn how the Employee Free Choice Act makes it easier for unions to organize employers and what employers can do to prepare.
2. Learn how the Americans With Disabilities Act has been revised to be more employee-friendly and what this means to employers defending disabilities claims.
3. Learn about other new developments in labor and employment law in 2009.

The work of human resources professionals will be greatly impacted by significant revisions to several major federal employment laws in 2009. This presentation will provide an overview of these changes and provide guidance on appropriate responses for employers.

Please remember to silence your cell phone before the speaker begins his presentation.

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 homepage at www.hrci.org.

Date:	Thursday, March 19, 2009
Speaker:	Michael W. Padgett, Attorney, Jackson Lewis LLP
Topic:	Obama and HR
Location:	Holiday Inn North at the Pyramids 3850 DePauw Blvd. Indianapolis, IN 46268
Agenda:	11:30 a.m. Registration & Networking 12:00 p.m. Luncheon 12:15 p.m. Announcements (Please take this time to silence your cell phones) 12:20 p.m. Program 1:20 p.m. Adjournment
Cost:	Members $25 Guests $35 Student $15
Register Now
Sponsored by:

About the Speaker:

Michael W. Padgett is a Partner in the Chicago office of Jackson Lewis LLP, with his office residence in Indianapolis.

Mr. Padgett’s practice covers a broad range of employment litigation and traditional labor matters. His litigation experience includes defending claims of race, age, national origin and gender discrimination, as well as sexual harassment, unlawful retaliation, wage and hour claims (including class actions), non-compete matters, and occupational safety and health matters. Mr. Padgett has handled these matters in federal and state courts in several states, as well as in the Seventh and Fifth U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals. Mr. Padgett has extensive experience in defending claims before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, and state and local labor and employment agencies.

Mr. Padgett has broad experience in traditional labor matters, including negotiating collective bargaining agreements, representing employers in grievance arbitration proceedings, handling unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board, and defending employers in breach of contract litigation. Mr. Padgett served as lead labor counsel for the owner in negotiating the project labor agreement governing the construction of a new NFL football stadium in Indianapolis.

Mr. Padgett routinely counsels clients on a variety of labor and employment issues, conducts employee training seminars, and speaks on employment-related topics to various organizations.

Mr. Padgett graduated cum laude from the Indiana University School of Law. His undergraduate degree is in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University, and Mr. Padgett worked as a mechanical engineer in Indianapolis for four years prior to entering law school. Before embarking on the private practice of law, Mr. Padgett served as Chief Counsel to the Indiana Department of Labor.

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The Annual Diversity Conference featuring SHRM’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Shirley Davis

Join us for the annual Diversity Conference at the Holiday Inn North on Thursday, April 16. This year’s conference will feature the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for SHRM, Dr. Shirley Davis. We are excited to present four great breakout sessions to attend: the highpoints of legal changes in HR brought to you by Mitzi Martin of Baker and Daniels; a look at cultural competencies by Dr. Quay Kester of Evoke Communications; an economic outlook for Indiana by Michael Hicks of Ball State University; and using philosophical aspects of cultural difference by Dr. Ken Durgans, Assistant Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at IUPUI. Please click on the link for more information about our speakers and to register. http://www.hraci.com/HRACIdiversity.php

We are keeping our same low prices as 2008 and offering you more speakers! The conference is approved for 3 CEUs. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served as part of your registration. If you bring four or more members of your company, we will discount each of your registrations! And, if you can’t join us for the entire conference, don’t miss the Keynote Speaker during lunch, Dr. Shirley Davis from SHRM. You may register for the keynote/lunch only for a reduced rate.

This conference 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 homepage at www.hrci.org

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We have assembled an expert panel to provide interactive insight to strategies of today’s staffing challenges:

As always, there will be a fun networking activity, door prizes and resources for attendees to take away.

Breakfast will be provided and this will be an inspiring way to kick off your Thursday! Location details to follow, so please check the HRACI website in March.

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Holly Larson
Cynthia Gallien
Nancy McCool
Terrie Morgan
Todd Capouch
Carolyn Leffler
Teresa Lewis
Laura Glancy
Christine Tillman
Jeremy Fewer

Peter Newman
Jacklyn Hardy
Mark Anderson
Jodi O'Connell
Christopher Funk
Teresa Hinkle
Amy Green
Christopher Ferguson
Kristin Hibbard
Barbara Fulk