SHRM's HR Week - 1/23/12

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Jan. 23, 2012

HR NEWS
Will This Be Rebound Year?
Strong December hiring pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, giving the economy a much-needed boost at the end of 2011. But experts aren't exactly bowled over with the year-end results and aren't being overly optimistic about a labor market turnaround in 2012, despite President Barack Obama's election-year efforts to spur job creation.

Major Class-Action Employment Lawsuits Likely in 2012
The last few years have seen a dramatic increase in class-action and collective-action litigation involving workplace issues, and, in 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two major class-action rulings. Experts predict the present economic climate will fuel even more lawsuits.

GOP Criticizes Essential Benefits Decision
Congressional Republicans charge that the administration sidestepped important disclosure requirements associated with the health care reform law's essential health benefits mandate.

Supreme Court Will Resolve Split over Federal Employees' Appeals
The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Jan. 13, 2012, that it will decide where a federal employee with a "mixed complaint" may appeal an agency ruling -- in a federal district court or with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Report: Employers Also Benefit from Paid Leave
Although not required by the Family and Medical Leave Act, paid family leave can be beneficial to employers as well as to employees in need of leave, according to a new report.

NEWS ABOUT SHRM
Applications Being Accepted for 2012 Sloan Work Flex Awards
Employers across the United States are invited to submit applications for the 2012 Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility.

MORE HR NEWS RESOURCES
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COURT REPORT
10th Circuit: Migraine Not Considered Disability Under ADA
An employee who suffered from migraines only while working for a particular physician was not disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.
Read this article
More Court Report articles

HR SOLUTIONS
Cutting Down on Accidents
Q: I have been tasked with lowering our accident rates, but I have little to no budget to train employees. What should I do?
A: Workplace safety is closely tied to the organizational culture supported by the leadership and management of the entire organization. To enhance the safety program, organizations may want to include a "lessons learned" or best practices program, in addition to their regular training.
Read the full answer

Get Your Questions Answered
SHRM’s HR Knowledge Center is staffed with experienced, certified HR professionals who can respond to your HR-related questions. The HR Knowledge Center is available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Contact the HR Knowledge Center

SHRM VIDEO
Focus on HR
Watch SHRM's new bi-weekly video series, Focus on HR. The latest episode is online and features reports on extension of the payroll tax break, recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, the state of diversity and inclusion, and more.
View this video
More SHRM videos

VIRGINIA LEGAL UPDATE
Virginia Employer Sued for Disability Bias
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued RCC Consultants Inc., of Richmond, for disability discrimination in its refusal to hire an individual for a managing consultant position because of his disability, ocular albinism.
Read this article

Express Request: Virginia State Law Resources
SHRM's Information Center has compiled a variety of online employment law resources applicable to your state. In this member-only, FREE benefit you'll receive employment law resources from SHRM Online as well as other online sources; a spotlight on a recent workplace issue impacting your state; directories for locating employment lawyers and more. To receive these resources in one e-mail, select your state's name (or any other state for which you'd like to receive information), complete and submit this form.
Also available from SHRM Online: Virginia workplace law resources Workplace law resources for all states

HR MAGAZINE
Cybersleuthing
If an employee walked out of your company with enough confidential paperwork to fill 16,000 inch-thick books, surely someone would notice. But an employee carrying a 16-gigabyte thumb drive holding that amount of information could leave unnoticed with the 2-inch device in his pocket. And a company's trade secrets, client lists, pricing information or other sensitive data could walk out with that employee.
Read this article
Subscribe to HR Magazine (for nonmembers; members receive HR Magazine as part of their SHRM membership)
HR Magazine home page

Your Voice: Humane Treatment of Workers
Does your company have a policy or program to prevent human trafficking by subcontractors or suppliers? How can HR professionals ensure humane treatment of workers and protect their companies from costly legal problems and damaging publicity? Share your experiences for an upcoming article in HR Magazine. Please contact senior writer Dori Meinert at dori.meinert@shrm.org.

HR DISCIPLINES: BENEFITS
IRS Issues Guidance on Reporting Health Coverage Cost on Forms W-2
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has issued interim guidance on meeting the requirement under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to report on employees' W-2 forms the cost of their group health insurance coverage. This information must be furnished beginning with 2012 W-2 forms, which generally must be provided to employees by the end of January 2013.
Read this article
Benefits discipline area

HR DISCIPLINES: COMPENSATION
Time to Revisit Pay Structures?
As 2012 gets underway, pre-existing employee dissatisfaction will lead to higher turnover as the overall labor market recovers. Given these and other labor market changes, the law of supply and demand will have a dramatic impact on compensation.
Read this article
Compensation discipline area

HR DISCIPLINES: GLOBAL HR
HR Concerns in Pakistan Ring with Familiarity
Hassan Tayyeb Tirmizi is one of the founding members of the SHRM Forum in Pakistan. He recently discussed the challenges HR professionals face in Pakistan and what the new 56-member forum hopes to achieve for novices and seasoned HR professionals.
Read this article
Global HR discipline area

HR DISCIPLINES: EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
Workers Satisfied, Not Engaged
More than four out of five U.S. employees surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) might say they are satisfied with their jobs, but that doesn't mean they are engaged. According to the 2011 Job Satisfaction and Engagement research report released in December 2011, employees were only "moderately engaged," with a score of 3.6 on a 5-point scale
Read this article
Employee Relations discipline area

SHRM PUBLIC POLICY WEBCAST
What Recent NLRB Moves Mean for All Employers
Now available
Speakers: G. Roger King, Esq., Jones Day; Brent Yessin, Yessin & Associates; and Michael Layman, SHRM
In the waning days of 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) passed sweeping revisions to the rules governing union election procedures. The enactment of these regulations, as well as President Barack Obama's recess appointment of three commissioners to serve on the NLRB, underscore the administration's intention to push forward with its labor agenda in 2012. This will have a significant impact on all employers, whether or not they have previously been targets of organizing efforts. In this webcast, leading employee relations attorneys G. Roger King and Brent Yessin will describe in detail the "quickie" or "ambush" union election rule, and detail your rights and obligations when a union representation vote takes place. The program will also discuss new rules governing micro-bargaining units and the pending poster mandate for employers.
Learn more about this webcast

SHRM WEBCASTS
Taming the HR Policy-Process-Knowledge Documentation Beast
Jan. 24, 2 p.m. ET
Speaker: Gary Dickelman, EPSScentral
HR policies, processes and knowledge support are critical to compliance, organizational performance and worker competency. Yet these assets are scattered across networks, buried in document repositories and often out of date. In this program, Gary Dickelman will discuss how organizations can navigate this morass, closing compliance and performance gaps. Real-world examples will be included, along with a clear exposition of methodology and available enabling technologies.
Register for this webcast

Business-Focused Hiring: A Practical Approach to Assessments
Jan. 31, 2 p.m. ET
Speaker: Scott Mondore, Ph.D.
Webcast sponsor: pan
Hiring the right people is critical to creating an effective organization. To maximize employee performance, organizations need to ensure employees have the knowledge, skills and attributes required to succeed. During this webcast, Dr. Scott Mondore will introduce practical and proven approaches to interviewing and assessments, which will create a valid hiring process to maximize outcomes such as performance and retention in your organization.
Register for this webcast

The Well-Connected Employee: Networking Competencies that Foster Business Results
Feb. 8, 2 p.m. ET
Speaker: Lynne Waymon
Providing structured and intentional guidance to employees at all levels of your organization on how to build effective internal and external networks can help them do their jobs more effectively. In this webcast, author and networking expert Lynne Waymon will showcase the role HR can play in teaching employees how to develop social acumen and impacting the social capital of your organization. She'll talk about how networking can help them uncork bureaucratic bottlenecks, work cross-functionally, and collaborate more effectively with internal and external partners.
Register for this webcast

LEGAL ISSUES
NLRB: Mandatory Class-Action Waiver Violated NLRA
An employer violates Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when it requires employees covered by the law to sign an agreement that precludes them from filing class-action claims in any forum -- arbitral or judicial -- according to a recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Read this article
Legal Issues area

WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY
Prepare Managers for Workplace Flexibility
Most managers are ill-prepared to operate in a flexible culture. So it's essential to enhance their knowledge, provide them with tools and develop their skills through specific workplace flexibility training.
Read this article
Workplace Flexibility resource page

Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans
Veterans are a tremendous source of untapped talent and come with a wealth of skills and experience beyond those of typical civilian employees. Field Tested gives readers the insight and tools they need to recruit and retain veterans and to maximize their value in any organization. A must-read for leaders, managers and human resources professionals across industries, Field Tested uncovers key cultural differences between the military and civilian workplace and reveals how these differences can affect employee performance, satisfaction and retention.
More about this book
SHRMStore home page

HR TOOLKITS
Interviewing Candidates for Employment
With careful preparation, HR professionals and hiring managers can make the most of employment interviews and obtain the information they need. Preparatory steps include selecting a method of interviewing, drafting useful questions, phrasing questions properly and sharpening one's listening skills.
Read this article
HR Toolkits home page

SHRM RESEARCH
Survey: How Is Social Media Embedded in Business Strategy and Operations?
The final installment in a series of four surveys on social media in the workplace, this SHRM survey looks at who is responsible for leading workplace social media activities. The report also discusses how companies monitor employee social media activities on company-owned machines and how organizations calculate the return on social media investments.
Read this report

ADVOCACY
With Congress Focused on Election-Year Politics, States Poised to Act on HR Issues
The political fate of most state legislators, like many of their Washington counterparts, will be decided on Election Day 2012. But that hasn't dampened their spirit in proposing legislation that would significantly affect the day-to-day duties of HR professionals.
Read this article
Latest issue of HR Issues Update

ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Employment Law 101 for Non-HR Supervisors
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforcements and total dollar amounts recovered continue at a record-breaking pace. Because prevention is key to reducing exposure, SHRM recently unveiled its "Legal Aspects of Supervision" program. Designed specifically for non-HR managers, this on-site program provides a basic understanding of key employment law concepts that can be readily put into practice.
Learn how to bring this seminar directly to your workplace

SHRM LEARNING SYSTEM
Expand Your HR Horizons: Earn Your GPHR
The SHRM Global Learning System -- the #1 GPHR cert prep tool includes content that corresponds with the HR Certification Institute body of knowledge that is tested on the GPHR exam.
Learn more and try the free demo today

COMPENSATION DATA CENTER
Towers Watson Salary Data at SHRM Member Pricing
TThrough its exclusive partnership with Towers Watson Data Services, SHRM offers premium compensation data at member-friendly pricing. This online service covers more than 1,500 job titles, and reports can be customized based on geography, industry, organization size, revenue and other factors. Salary-aging tools are available to anticipate inflation and other trends. For more information, or to purchase a discounted report, visit www.shrm.org/cdc.

HR JOBS
Five Hundred New HR Jobs
Every week new jobs get added to HR Jobs. On average, there are over 500 active job postings at any time. Jobs in executive HR, compensation, staffing, benefits, training and more. Jobs all over the U.S. and some in other countries. HR Jobs attracts the top employers who post jobs for every level of HR. Plus, job seekers can publish their resumes to the searchable resume database.
HR Jobs home page

EXPRESS REQUESTS
FMLA Forms: Expiration Date Saga
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has submitted a request to renew the government's FMLA forms, which expired on Dec. 31, 2011. Last week, the DOL quietly changed the expiration date on the FMLA forms to Jan. 31, 2012. What does this mean for employers? Get SHRM's Express Request on this topic to get links to articles, information on the GINA safe harbor notice and the most recent versions of the FMLA forms. Visit SHRM's Express Request service and select key term FMLA FORMS: EXPIRATION DATE SAGA in the Benefits section.

Change Management
Effective change management can help overcome implementation obstacles and reduce the reluctance to accept change. To receive resources on this topic, visit SHRM's Express Request service and select key term CHANGE MANAGEMENT in the Organizational & Employee Development section.

FINAL THOUGHT
Stranded in Skivvies, Feline Hiccups Among Kooky Tardiness Excuses
Gridlock, oversleeping, bad weather -- they are the top reasons for schlepping in late to work, according to a recent survey. But like the worker who claimed that a fox stole her car keys, some excuses deserve a call-out for their sheer bizarre nature.
Read this article

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The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India. Visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.