HR Matters
Texas SHRM
If there have been any changes in your volunteers, report them to your Regional Administrator. Keep SHRM informed of any changes to volunteer e-mail addresses, contact information, and role changes.·
Host a workforce readiness program (see workforce readiness best practices in the SHAPE planning workbook for other ideas).
Super mega and 100% chapters are allowed two e-blasts per quarter to promote their activities to all SHRM members in the chapter’s ZIP code range. Complete the online request form in the VLRC.
Send out information to your certified members on the recertification process (news article/flyer available). Recertification is due by June 30.
Consider joining SHRM Connect and starting a group for your chapter members to communicate. · Promote HR Certification Institute certification on your chapter website. Promote the SHRM Foundation Regional Scholarships; applications due in July.
Check the LeadersEdge blog for news and updates from SHRM. · Determine if your organization will be submitting a Pinnacle award – applications are due in early September.
With fluctuating gas prices and the increasing call for work-life balance, telecommuting has become an attractive option for busy professionals. Yet according to a new study from The University of Texas at Austin, for most employees who work remotely, telecommuting equates to working more hours.
The study, co-authored by Jennifer Glass, professor in the Department of Sociology and the Population Research Center, shows that most of the 30 percent of respondents who work from home add five to seven hours to their workweek compared with those who work exclusively at the office. They are also significantly less likely to work a standard 40-hour schedule and more likely to work overtime. In fact, most telecommuting hours occur after an employee has already put in 40 hours of work at the office.
Using two nationally representative data sources — the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 panel and special supplements from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey — Glass and her colleague, Mary Noonan, associate professor of sociology at the University of Iowa, analyzed trends in the use of telecommuting among employees and employers in the U.S. civilian workforce.
The results, published in Monthly Labor Review, indicate that telecommuting causes work to seep into home life, a problem previously identified in the 2008 Pew Networked Workers survey. According to the survey, a majority of tech-savvy workers claim that telecommuting technology has increased their overall work hours and that employees use technology, especially email, to perform work tasks even when sick or on vacation.
"Careful monitoring of this blurred boundary between work and home time and the erosion of 'normal working hours' in many professions can help us understand the expansion of work hours overall among salaried workers," says Glass, who is the Barbara Pierce Bush Regents Professor in Liberal Arts.
The researchers also found the labor demand for work-family accommodation does not seem to propel the distribution of telecommuting hours. In fact, parents with dependent children are no more likely to work from home than the population as a whole. According to the findings, employees with authority and status are more likely than others to have the option to work remotely because they have more control of their work schedules.
The authors conclude that telecommuting has not permeated the American workplace, and where it has become commonly used, it is not very helpful in reducing work-family conflicts. Instead, it appears to have allowed employers to impose longer workdays, facilitating workers' needs to add hours to the standard workweek.
On April 18th, FWHRMA hosted our 14th Annual Employment Law Symposium. The annual event was presented by Lynn, Ross and Gannaway, LLP and sponsored by Imperative Information Group. This year the 202 HR professionals in attendance earned an impressive 7.5 general HRCI credits. Next year’s 15th Annual Employment Law Update will be held on Thursday, April 17, 2014.
But in the meantime, our May meeting will be held on Thursday, May 16, 2013 at Ridglea Country Club in Fort Worth. Our extremely popular, Legal & Regulatory Hour, will begin at 10:15am and is free to those who have registered for the luncheon. The topic for the L&R hour is "Identity and Eligibility Confirmation – E-verify and other Tools" presented by Mike Coffey, President of Imperative Information Group and our FWHRMA President.
The May luncheon, which will begin immediately following, is "The Good, Bad & Ugly: Critical Communication Skills for Conflict Resolution" presented by Jeff Hiller, Director of Training, JB Training Solutions. To register for the May luncheon, visit http://www.fwhrma.org
The Board of the North Texas Chapter of SHRM donated $500.00 to the UNT Student Chapter. Participants will be attending the conference and competing in case competition in Austin the end of April.
April luncheon at Holiday Inn Centre Place in Denton, TX, will feature guest speaker Fiona Hunter. Her topic is HR Career Development Business Trends and Emerging HR Roles which has been approved for one recertification credit. You may go to www.northtexasshrm.org and make your reservation to attend and pay for the luncheon.
A Lunch and Learn will be held May 2, 2013 from 11:30-1:00pm at Asset Control, Inc. (Corporate Office) at 1300 Fulton St. Suite 300, Denton, TX. Class size is limited to 12 attendees. Contact Cynthia Delaney to reserve your space. Russ Rosenburg will guide participants through the changes in the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The 2013 North Texas SHRM Annual Conference will be held May 16 and May 17. The opening session will feature Suzie Humphreys. The conference will be held at the beautiful new MAC Building in Denton with a variety of speakers on both May 16 and May 17. All are welcome to attend. Conference registration and more information can be found on our website www.northtexasshrm.org. You may also register and pay for the conference on the website. If you would like to stay over on the 16 the following two hotel will offer participants a discount: The Best Western Premier (940-387-1000) located on Brinker near I-35 will offer a rate of $89 versus their regular rate of $128 and the Homewood Suites (940-382-0420) which is on Shoreline directly across from the MAC Building will offer a king suite at $99 and will include breakfast; their regular rate on a single is $125.
The May luncheon at the Holiday Inn Center Place in Denton, TX will feature our guest speaker, Thomas J. Montgomery MHA,MBA,CFWC, who will speak on "Financial Wellness To The Rescue". Go to http://www.northtexasshrm.org/ to make your reservation and pay for the luncheon
Are you new to the HR field? Or is it old hat? Either way, keeping up with all the changes in human resources is a day to day challenge for even the most seasoned professionals. Do you have your certification yet? If so, good for you! Getting certified is a great way to stay current on all the changes in our field so you are on the right track, for your current position AND your future positions! If not, why not?? Did you know that about 60% of all HR job postings list PHR/SPHR certifications as either required or preferred for that position? So it’s a big plus to have your certification! And you are in the right place if you are looking for help in getting there or staying there.
Here is some basic current information that may help you, your chapter members or your HR team in your efforts to getting certified, staying certified and getting programs approved for certification credits. Offering certification credits for your SHRM affiliated luncheons, conferences and other events is a sure fire way to increase attendance and boost your membership so make sure you are trying to get that done with every event your chapter sponsors.
1. 2013 Certification Handbook – This covers the eligibility requirements and all the ins/outs of sitting for one of our credentials.
2. 2013 Recertification Handbook – This covers all the ins/outs of recertifying your credential.
The main policy changes for 2013 include:
1. Page 7 of the Handbook – College and University Courses; On the recertification side ONLY, anyone self reporting a college course they attended will follow the IACET guidelines for a college course. IACET defines a CEU as being equivalent to 10 classroom hours. If someone takes a 3 credit CEU university course, they would be eligible for 30 credit hours. If the college course was not awarded credit via the standard CEU system, we will award credit on an hour for hour basis.
2. Page 10 of the Handbook – Professional Membership; Now any national professional membership is eligible for 3 credit hours per year (in the past this was only for SHRM national members).
3. Throughout the Handbook – You will see that the HRBP and HRMP certifications have been incorporated into the handbook. Should someone have questions on the recertification requirements for those credentials, they can be directed to the handbook (the specific breakdown is on page 7 for the HRMP).
4. Page 17 of the Handbook – When requesting Emeritus status, please note there is now a 100 USD fee for this process (the fee can be paid using the payment form on page 18).
5. Page 21 of the Handbook (Appendix C) – We have added HRCI’s Code of Ethical and Professional Responsibility as a reference in the Appendix section.
PHR/SPHR Body of Knowledge – The PHR/SPHR Body of Knowledge is the content covered in the PHR and SPHR exam. In addition, this is a great guide for chapters submitting programs to determine if their program is eligible for business management and strategy credit (all the content falling only in domain or if the content is eligible for general credit (where the content falls in the other domains).
GPHR Body of Knowledge – The GPHR Body of Knowledge is the content covered in the GPHR exam. In addition, this is a great guide for chapters submitting programs to determine if their program is eligible for international credit (their content would fall anywhere in this body of knowledge).
Here is the link to the statistics area for the HR Certification Institute. You can view information of people who are certified (through total figures) and see breakdowns of the number of individuals certified by credential. This information is updated quarterly, so make sure you check back throughout the year. This area also provides passing rates for the exams, depending on the exam window – this information is also updated after each testing window.
a. http://www.hrci.org/HRCertification.aspx?id=2147483768 This will be updated this month to reflect 2013 numbers!)
b. To see your specific state breakdown, in the paragraph after the first grid, click on the word, "Download," for states.
6. Please remind anyone who is certified to visit the HRCI website to view a listing of our upcoming chats and webcasts, talking specifically about recertification. We cover everything and we hold several each quarter!
If anyone has questions on recertification, please encourage them to email us at recertification@hrci.org.
One Texas lawmaker is doing her best to help veterans after their military service — something that could also benefit employers looking for talented and motivated workers.
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, has filed legislation that would help veterans and their families translate specific training into civilian occupational licenses and ease the transition from military service to the civilian workforce.
The Society for Human Resource Management Texas State Council’s "Patriotic Promise" program aims to establish a recruitment platform for veterans and build veteran human capital for employers. It highlights the top 10 reasons to employ veterans as follows:
Accelerated learning curve: Veterans have the proven ability to learn new skills and concepts, and enter workforces with identifiable and transferable skills, proven in real-world situations. Such background can enhance an organization's productivity.
Leadership: The military trains people to lead by example as well as through direction, delegation, motivation and inspiration. Veterans understand the practical ways to manage behaviors for results, even in the most trying circumstances.
Teamwork: Veterans understand how genuine teamwork grows out of a responsibility to one's colleagues. Military duties involve a blend of individual and group productivity.
Diversity and inclusion in action: Veterans have learned how to cooperate with many different types of individuals regardless of diverse race, gender, geographic origin, ethnic background, religion and economic status, as well as mental, physical and attitudinal capabilities.
Efficient performance under pressure: Veterans understand the rigors of tight schedules and limited resources. They have developed the capacity to know how to accomplish priorities on time, in spite of tremendous stress, and understand the critical importance of staying with a task until it’s done right.
Respect for procedures: Veterans have gained a unique perspective on the value of accountability and can grasp their place within an organizational framework. They know how policies and procedures enable an organization to exist.
Technology and globalization: Veterans are often aware of international and technical trends pertinent to business and industry. They can bring the kind of global outlook and technological savvy that all enterprises of any size need to succeed.
Integrity: Prospective employers can take advantage of a veteran’s track record of integrity, often including security clearances. This integrity translates into qualities of sincerity and trustworthiness.
Conscious of health and safety standards: Veterans have been trained to be aware of health and safety protocols both for themselves and others. Individually, they represent a drug-free workforce that is cognizant of maintaining personal health and fitness. On a company level, their awareness and conscientiousness translate into protection of employees, property and materials.
Triumph over adversity: Veterans have likely proven their mettle in mission critical situations demanding endurance, stamina and flexibility. They may have overcome personal disabilities through strength and determination.
Van de Putte has also filed Senate Bill 981, which would help veterans with burn injuries receive assistance toward air-conditioning costs during the summer heat. Burned veterans, many of whom have lost their sweat glands and epidermal insulation, are at greater risk than most people of overheating — a threat with potentially deadly consequences, the San Antonio Express-News reports.
To read more about legislation that could benefit veterans and employers click here for the ABJ @ The Capitol in-depth weekly story in the April 19 issue of the Austin Business Journal.
Bill seeks to streamline occupational opportunities for Veterans and their spouses
James Jeffrey Contributing Writer- Austin Business Journal Email
Veterans and their spouses in Texas would get a boost toward using their skills and licenses acquired during military service to find jobs if legislation making progress at the Capitol is passed.
Senate Bill 162, filed by State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, was passed favorably out of the Texas Senate April 2. The bill aims to help veterans and their families apply specific training toward civilian occupational licenses. It requires state agencies issuing occupational licenses to provide expedited licensure for military service members, their spouses and veterans holding current licenses as long as those licenses are substantially equivalent to Texas’ licensing requirements.
Texas’ veteran population stands at just under 1.7 million, the second largest in the U.S. after California, and is projected to grow as overseas operations and the military’s size are reduced.
"This bill is rooted in a simple philosophy that after service members fight for our country they should not have to then fight for a job back home," Van de Putte said. "Expediting the licensure process for service members, spouses and veterans with substantial skill sets will get them back into Texas’ civilian workforce with the speed they deserve."
In 2012, Texas’ veteran population contained about 967,000 individuals — 18 and older — eligible for civilian employment. Of those, 815,000 had full-time jobs, 103,000 had part-time jobs, and 49,000 were unemployed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The resulting unemployment rate of 5 percent compared favorably with Texas’ nonveteran unemployment rate of 6.6 percent, but the rate for veterans of the second Gulf War stands at 8.3 percent, according to the BLS. Others claim it’s closer to 13 percent.
Smoothing a rough transition
Retraining for civilian qualifications costs money and takes time that could result in an available job being lost, said Jim Brennan, a small business owner and director of research and resources for the Texas Coalition of Veteran Organizations. This legislation would reduce costs borne by veterans and shorten the time it takes to become eligible for civilian jobs, smoothing the transition for the surge of veterans and families expected during the next 18 months.
Research shows that veterans who haven’t assimilated into the workforce within 30 days of discharge become increasingly vulnerable to veteran-related problems, Brennan said. Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries are concerns for some employers worried about increased liability. Veterans, in turn, can become reluctant to discuss issues they fear might disqualify them from jobs — a situation not unique to veterans.
Educating employers
Nonveteran employees can also have PTSD from a variety of experiences, said Brennan and Bob Cartwright with Texas State Council’s Society for Human Resource Management. Both agreed the best way to mitigate the effects of PTSD for veterans affected is employing them as quickly as possible.
Nevertheless, some employers don’t understand how to interpret veterans’ skills and incorporate them into the civilian workplace, Cartwright said. He’s spoken to CEOs — some veterans themselves — who acknowledged that those hiring in their human resources departments didn’t appreciate the transferability of veterans’ skills.
Assessment tools, such as Waco-based Profiles International Inc.’s Transition Coach, are available to interpret military qualifications and match them to employers’ needs. The Texas State Council offers programs, such as Operation Job Match and The Patriotic Promise, designed to educate employers and HR leaders on best practices to manage veteran talent.
"The dollars spent on training the military are very significant," Cartwright said. "It doesn’t make sense to redo that training."
Not just a paycheck
The Texas Workforce Commission supports any legislative initiative to help veterans successfully transition to civilian life and to incentivize employers to hire from a talented group of people, said its director of communications, Lisa Givens.
Senate Bill 10, also filed by Van de Putte, and its companion, House Bill 3545, filed by State Rep. Jose Menéndez, D-San Antonio, would enable veterans to apply military qualifications toward college credit. Another bill of Van de Putte’s, SB 981, would give veterans with burn injuries assistance toward air-conditioning costs during the summer heat.
SB 162 has been referred to the House Committee on Defense and Veterans’ Affairs, while its companion legislation, House Bill 45, filed by State Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van, passed favorably out of the House on April 11.
Employers in large cities are well-placed to benefit from these bills as veterans usually settle in or close to metropolitan areas, said Paul Melton, president of the Department of Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars.
And most employers find that veterans make good employees.
"There’s more than just the job, and veterans get that," said Roy Grona, adjutant for the Texas VFW. "They put everything into it."
James Jeffrey
Contributing Writer
Austin Business Journal
