MAY 2012 Newsletter

BOARD MEMBERS President

Rachel Untz, PHR Nippon Sharyo

Manufacturing, LLC President-Elect

Anne Noble KSB Hospital

Secretary

Susan Swegle, SPHR Jack Mabley

Developmental Center

Treasurer Dianne Frye

Dixon Public Schools Education Chair

Kathryn Snow, SPHR SVCC

Certification Chair Kendra Hull, PHR

Sinnissippi Centers

Diversity Chair Carol Fitzgerald

YWCA of the Sauk Valley

Legislative Chair

Doug Lee Ehrmann, Gelbach,

Badger & Lee

Membership Chair Amber Olson Dixon Direct

Program Co-Chairs Sally Hanrahan

and Mike Winters

Best, Inc.

Workplace Readiness Jeanne DuPuy

SVCC

Past President Lisa Taylor, SPHR

Halo

RRHRPA Membership, I hope this message finds you well and everyone is enjoying all of the graduation celebrations and festivities. I also hope that everyone is planning their summers to include a break from the everyday hustle. In the world of HR lately it’s been interesting watching the drama of the National Labor Relations Board Employee Rights poster unfold. It appears that at this point the posting requirements have been overruled in mid-April and not required…until another appeal is issued. So, in the terms of the media and television industry, ‘stay tuned.’ I’m sure that this topic will continue in this circular motion until everyone just stops paying attention. I personally categorize this posting rule in the same place I categorize the Health Care Reform Act (HCRA). The decisions go back and forth so much that at various points I found myself asking if I really need to do something, or not. Some reminders for the May 22, 2012 Meeting: • Member Appreciation Dinner and gift will be provided at our May 22 meeting. We

hope everyone can join. • Drawing for registration give away to the 13th Annual IL SHRM Conference will

take place during our regular scheduled meeting. • Annual SHRM National Conference and Exposition will be held June 24 through

June 27 in Atlanta, GA. • Annual RRHRPA Summer Program is being planned for July. More details will be

communicated soon. • Next regular chapter meeting will be held September 25. • Next board of directors meeting will be held on May 22 at 11:15 AM. We hope to see everyone at our May 22 meeting to hear the annual legislative update, enjoy our deli lunch and receive our membership gift. Without our membership, our chapter would not be successful and we would like to take this time to thank everyone for being apart of our organization. See you Tuesday…

Rachel Untz, PHR, President

MEMBERSHIP MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

The May Membership Spotlight is on Sarah Partington. Sarah works for Sauk Valley Community College as the Career Development Coordinator for Dislocated Workers. She assists individuals with job searches and re-training services upon plant closures and layoffs. The thing she likes most about her job is seeing people succeed after the usually devastating loss of their job. In Sarah’s free time she likes spending time with family and friends, watching her kids sporting events, and running and exercising.

Amber Olson, Membership Chair TREASURER’S REPORT

Previous Checking Balance $3,922.41 Previous Savings Balance $2,139.84 Deposits 5/1/12 Membership dues $120.00 Deposit Total $120.00

Payments

$0.00

Payment Total $0.00 Total Checking Balance $4,042.41 Current Savings Balance (Interest income - 42¢) $2,139.84 Total Cash Balance $6,182.25 Dianne Frye, Treasurer

CERTIFICATION

Webinars are a great source for getting recertification credit. It is much easier to fit in a webinar, sitting at your desk, than it is to take a half or full day off to go to a conference! For those of you who are SHRM members, check out the SHRM website for webinars! Unless otherwise noted, all SHRM webcasts are approved for general recertification. Kendra Hull, Certification Chair

DIVERSITY Summer Homework Assignment: Although we may take a holiday from our meetings, we can still be focusing on diversity. During the time when the RRHRPA is not meeting, take a few minutes every month to think about ways you can enhance diversity in your everyday life. Here are a couple of homework assignments for you: · The next time you’re with a group of people— members of club you’re in, your church congregation, or your sports team--look at them and think: how are we on diversity? What other people do I know who would enjoy this group and would also increase our diversity? Then invite them to join you! · Also, be thinking about new people to bring into the RRHRPA. What people do you know who would enhance our diversity and enrich our organization? Good luck with your “homework,” and have a great summer!

Carol Fitzgerald, Diversity Chair

LEGISLATIVE Efforts are underway federally and statewide to prohibit employers from requiring applicants to provide passwords to social media sites. Federally, Democrats in both houses of Congress introduced legislation on May 9 that would ban employers from demanding access to current and prospective employees’ social media accounts. The proposed legislation also would prohibit employers from retaliating against employees for refusing to provide them with the information and would impose financial penalties against employers for violating the law.

In Illinois, HB 3782, which proposes to protect prospective employees’ social networking accounts, passed the Senate Labor committee on May 2 and will appear on the Senate floor for debate. As amended, the proposed Illinois law would not prohibit employers from viewing sites and information that are not protected.

Employers also should follow Illinois legislators’ efforts to find additional funding for the state’s Child Care Assistance Program, which helps low-income, working families find and pay for child care so parents can maintain their employment. Families share in the cost of the services on a sliding scale based on family size, income and number of children in care.

Child care providers were informed in early May that the program was out of money until at least July 1, the start of the state’s fiscal year. If funding is not continued, some employees who have been receiving assistance might lose child care.

Doug Lee, Legislative Chair

NEXT MEETING

May 22, 2012, 12:00 noon Sauk Valley Community College, Room 2K2

Tom Demmer, Legislative Update HRCI recertification credits have been applied for.

Upcoming Chapter Meetings

Upcoming Board Meetings

Summer Program - TBA September 25 - TBA

5/22/12 11:30am SVCC, Rm 2K2

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

May’s Program Tom Demmer developed a passion for public service early in life. Tom’s work has taken him from Dixon to the White House and back home again. Apart from politics, Tom has also committed himself to many community service and educational opportunities. Today, Tom Demmer is employed by KSB Hospital as Director of Strategic Planning. His duties involve short- and long-term organizational planning for facilities, workforce development, and quality improvement. He also keeps the hospital’s Board of Directors and employees informed about legislation, at both the state and federal level, which impacts the ability of hospitals to deliver quality healthcare in rural communities. He also serves on the Small & Rural Hospital Legislative Committee for the Illinois Hospital Association and has been a speaker on healthcare issues at conferences and community meetings. Demmer has served on the Lee County Board since 2009. He serves on the Finance Committee, which creates a budget, oversees financial responsibilities of the County and monitors employee benefits and insurance. He also serves on the Properties Committee, which oversees County facilities and monitors zoning and land use issues. He

graduated magna cum laude from the University of Dayton with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in political science. As an extension of his studies in political science, Demmer served as a White House intern in the Office of the Vice President in 2006. There he researched energy policy, the domestic auto industry and health savings accounts. Demmer gained valuable insights into the election process through his work as campaign manager for State Senator Tim Bivins. As campaign manager, he led a grassroots campaign by recruiting volunteers, planning events, and organizing fundraising efforts across a nine county area in northwestern Illinois. He served as Northern Illinois Regional Coordinator for the 2010 Bill Brady for Governor campaign. Tom led a grassroots campaign that stretched across 15 counties with a population of more than 1.1 million. Tom Demmer is the treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home Preservation Foundation. He is a member of St. Anne Parish, the Dixon Rotary Club, the Knights of Columbus, a volunteer basketball coach at the Dixon YMCA, and a volunteer teacher in the Junior Achievement program. He was the recipient of the 2008 Future Leaders Award from the Dixon Chamber of Commerce. Tom’s presentation on May 22nd, will include:

• Overview of the political climate in the General Assembly • Importance of workforce development in local economic development • Health insurance changes as a part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the

effects of the Supreme Court ruling • Further workers’ compensation reform proposals in Illinois

Sally Hanrahan and Mike Winters, Program Co-Chairs UPCOMING PROGRAMS

WORKFORCE READINESS Career Services: At Sauk Valley Community College we know the reason students come to school is to

gain the skills they need to prepare for a career in tomorrow's fastest growing job fields. Among those skills, is preparing for and conducting a job search. We cannot guarantee job placement following

graduation because success depends, to a great extent, on student's attendance, academic records and hard work. However, we can assist them with the necessary resources to assist in obtaining career success.

SVCC’s Career Services Center is ready to help by providing the following services at no cost to all SVCC students:

• Resume Writing & Reviewing your resume • Cover Letter & Follow-Up Letter Writing • Assisting in Interviewing Techniques • Soft Skills Enhancement • Job Applications & Essentials • Job Posts & Announcements • Job Search: Resources for Job Possibilities • Marketing your skills to potential employers

Career placement services has a wide variety of resources to assist with identifying career opportunities, finding up-to-date information on the latest job market trends, acquiring work experience, and developing job search skills for a successful transition from school to work. Whether a student is looking for full-time, part-time, internships or want to sharpen job skills, SVCC can provide the tools that will help with career needs. Contact Career Services located at 1K11 in the East Mall of SVCC for services. Anita Carney Career Services Coordinator 815/835-6294 anita.j.carney@svcc.edu Jeanne DePuy, Workforce Readiness Chair

GUEST ARTICLE I’m in the middle of open enrollment at my place of employment. In all the years I’ve been handling benefits, it still amazes me each year that employees get so nervous about this time period. Should I change my plan (if your employer offers more than one option)? Should I get involved in a Flex Spending plan? Is this the time to add/drop my dependents?

I have always created a list of FAQs that I can hand to employees when they come to me with these inquiries. I include the changes that may have been made to the plan(s), the health carrier’s contact information so the employee can talk to the carrier directly for specific coverage questions. I also try to provide a list of qualifying events (birth, death, marriage, divorce) which could qualify the employee and/or their dependents for changes to their policies (they do seem to forget about those life events). This may seem pretty elementary, but employees have always seemed to appreciate it and it does make the process go a little smoother for me, as well.

We thank Susan Swegle, SPHR, of Mabley Developmental Center for this article.

Do you have an article you would like to submit to our monthly newsletter? Have you recently had a situation at work, implemented a new policy or procedure or read something that is worthy of sharing with the group? Please feel free to submit your commentary to Secretary Susan Swegle at ssweg1017@gmail.com no later than the 15th of each month. **Printing of articles is at the discretion of the RRHRPA Board of Directors and may be edited for content or length.