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Chapter Excellence Nomination Form

SHRM Chapter Number:__#38______

SHRM Chapter Name:__Greater Miami Society for Human Resource Management

Chapter President’s Name: Cindy Lau Evans

Chapter President’s Email:___

Chapter President’s Telephone: ___304-322-4199

Place an X next to the area(s) you are submitting this nomination for:

Diversity
College Relations
Certification
X / Legislative Affairs
Workforce Readiness
Membership
Global Affairs

Please provide the following information regarding your submission: Supporting documentation such as program curriculum, toolkits, testimonials, letters, photos, newsletters, articles and/or SHRM award submissions.

I. Quantitative Results: In this section, please indicate the measurable results the program achieved through outstanding approaches, innovative ideas or strategic partnerships (i.e. results, partnerships formed, monies raised, number in attendance, etc.)

OVERVIEW

The Greater Miami Society for Human Resource Management (GMSHRM) –chapter #38 - was founded in 1952 and is committed to keeping its members current on all HR related topics with special interest on legislative updates, changes, and initiatives. GMSHRM is dedicated to assisting members in earning HR Certification Institute credit hours. To that end the majority of dinner meetings, workshops and seminars are pre-approved for recertification credits. One of the many benefits enjoyed by GMSHRM members is attending all workshops and the majority of the seminars at no charge. So both the core areas of Certification and Membership are entwined with the core area of Legislative Affairs.

FALL LEGAL UPDATE SEMINAR

For more than a decade, GMSHRM has offered a one- day Fall Legal Update seminar focusing on significant legal issues facing the human resource professionals in today’s workplace. The speakers are established labor and employment attorneys who all understand the daily challenges facing the HR profession in today’s highly complex and constantly changing world of “HR Law.”

The seminar has become recognized by both members of the chapter and the HR community as a yearly “must-attend” event to keep current on legislative issues as well as interact with other professionals to discuss labor and employment issues. 110 people attended the event which was approved for 6.25 HR Certification Institute credit hours

This year’s Legal Update included new changes related to health care reform, employment law and the new virtual workplace. Highlights of the day included Andrew Rodman and Sharon Dixon, both partners in Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Stitterson, P.A. law firm, who provided an overview entitled What’s New in Employment Law and Healthcare Reform. The legislative chair recognized that the HR community needs to be aware of the increasing trend of non-traditional work environments. Kevin Vance of EpsteinBeckerGreen talked about Employment Law Strategies for a Telecommuting Workforce…” Then Joan Canny of Akerman Senterfitt discussed The Brave New Virtual World and the Workplace which is growing in popularity and convenience.

The chapter also conducts a membership drive at the event resulting in an average of 20+ new members yearly. GMSHRM members pay $100.00 to attend and non-members pay $140.00. The chapter offers non-members an opportunity to join on the spot and apply $40.00 they paid to chapter dues. Being a 100% SHRM chapter, the attendee must either be a SHRM member or join SHRM at the event. Many at-large members attend this event and join the chapter to receive all the benefits offered. This is definitely a positive outcome for both the new member and the chapter.

GMSHRM HEALTH AND WELLNESS CONFERENCE

An exciting new initiative was the first annual GMSHRM Health and Wellness Conference which was a full day packed with information on all aspects of health and wellness. The event brought together nationally known speakers many currently or formerly employed by the federal government. The day included multiple sessions and keynote speakers. Two of the workshops covered critical legal concerns related to ADA, OSHA, HIPAA privacy, and other such acts and agencies.

Edwin Foulke currently with Fisher and Philips is the former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health and was named to head OSHA by President George W. Bush. During his tenure at OSHA, workplace injury, illness and fatality rates dropped to their lowest levels in recorded history.

His session entitled Mandating Wellness in the Age of Litigation discussed compliance issues that can arise when employers decide that they will not hire anyone who may be covered under a protected class. Attendees learned:

·  How to balance wellness against both OSHA and ADA compliance.

·  How to stay out of the litigation traps as they try to get employees to lead healthy lifestyles.

·  How to assess their risk for non-compliance as they build a wellness policy.

·  How to mesh compliance with wellness

Pedro Forment, Esq. currently with Jackson Lewis was formerly an attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor, discussed Legal: Your Company is Making Me Sick. Despite our best efforts at promoting workplace wellness, human resource professionals are spending a greater part of their time managing employee issues related to injuries and illnesses whether work related or not. While many employees have legitimate issues, unfortunately, these well-intentioned statutes have become the resting place for many employees with performance issues.

PROGRAMMING

During the year, GMSHRM holds workshops covering a wide variety of relevant and timely topics with many given prior to the monthly meeting. This provides members additional opportunities to both increase their knowledge and interact with other HR professionals on topics relevant to all.

GMHSHRM recognizes that strategic approaches are as critical to legislative approaches for the HR professional to deal with the challenges of the day. January began with an extremely informative speaker, Juan del Busto, Regional Executive at the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He updated the attendees on the 2011 Economic Outlook: What the key indicators say by explaining both what the Federal Reserve has accomplished during the Recession and the key economic indicators as we move into 2011. He explained how all these indictors and accomplishments would impact employer hiring. This prestigious speaker attracted 90 people – HR professionals and members of the community and was a standing room only event!

On January 31, 2011, a federal district court judge in Pensacola declared unconstitutional the federal health care legislation passed by Congress in 2010. . Despite the ruling, Florida employers are currently left to deal with health care reform legislation compliance requirements. So in February, GMSHRM invited a panel of industry experts to discuss the Implications of Health Care Reform on HR for 2011and the demands and concerns that are still very much alive.

Ms. Martha Sanchez of Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center, Mr. Kevin Entering, Aetna President, Central and South Florida; and Mr. Connie Fox, Fox and Fox Insurance general Agent for Colonial Life provided a dialog and varied opinions regarding the current situation and projections into what the outcome might be. This program was approved for 1 HR Certification Institute credit hours. TalentWise which offers employment screening solutions was the sponsor for this event.

At the beginning of the year, the GHSHRM president contacted the educational division of the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) Miami District Office and explained many people in the HR community viewed the commission adversely. Forming a collaborative relationship demonstrating how the EEOC helped HR professionals to do their jobs by keeping them updated on laws and cases would help dispel this misconception.

The first collaborative event was held on February 15 with Muslima Lewis an attorney for the EEOC presenting a workshop on Employers Use of Credit Reports, Arrest and Conviction Records Registrants had theopportunity to submit questions anonymously to the GMSHRM moderator before and during the workshop so they could be asked of the EEOC presenter at the end of the session. This program was approved for 1 HR Certification Institute credit hours and was sponsored by Jackson Lewis P.A.

In May, Glenn Rissman of Sterns Weaver Miller presented a workshop on I-9 Compliance and enforcement updates including record keeping concerns, which has to and does not have to E-Verify and other developments. 75 individuals attended with standing room only.

June was a busy month: in 1 day GMSHRM had its monthly meeting and offered 2 workshops! Both workshops were free to members and a charge for non-members.

First, Nick Mirowsky of Total Compliance Network facilitated a workshop on Drug Free Workplace Policies and discussed the financial benefits of these policies as well as the new requirements and loopholes. This program was approved for 1.5 HR Certification Institute credit hours.

On May 28, 2011 The Miami Herald did a piece on “Returning Soldiers Need Our Help” which discussed the challenge soldiers have re-entering the workforce. In this article reference is made to Mr. Raul Mas Canosa who is a board member of Operation Homefront Florida, an organization that supports South Florida’s military community, veterans and their families. The article was significant to GMSHRM for 2 main reasons: (1) it was in direct alignment with a Society for Human Resource Management initiative and (2) GMSHRM already had booked Mr. Raul Mas Canosa to do a presentation on USERRA Compliance

SHRM had established a partnership with the Department of Defense ESGR (Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve) to assist employers recruit and retain current and former members of the military. As part of its initiative, SHRM has asked all chapters to sign a Statement of Support for USERRA - Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act a law all employers regardless of size must comply with regardless of the size of its workforce.

Prior to the dinner meeting, Mr. Raul Mas Canosa covered the law, local resources, obligations and requirements of USERRA. This workshop offered 1.0 HR Certification Institute credit hours. At the June dinner meeting GMSHRM signed the Statement of Support with Mr. Canoas present.

The “Ask Andy” initiative is in its 2nd year and members only the opportunity to have an employment law question answered by labor and employment law attorney Andy Rodman, GMSHRM’s Legislative Affairs Director. Members submit an anonymous question which, if selected, will be posted at www.gmshrm.org with a detailed 1-2 page answer. One of the goals is to provide a forum for a dialogue among Human Resource Professionals. Over 600 members and guests of the HR community have an opportunity to see the response.

The creation of the “Ask the EEOC” initiative as a members’ only benefit found on www.gmshrm.org.is another outcome of the collaborative relationship between GMSHRM and the EEOC. Members have the unique opportunity to submit a question to the GMSHRM president who forwards the anonymous inquiries to the EEOC’s technical support area. The answers when received are posted on the website

II. Qualitative Results: In this section, please provide examples of how the program exemplifies the SHRM initiative to “Serve the Profession/Advance the Professional.”

GMSHRM Serves the Profession by providing expert speakers from the private, public, and government sectors to introduce new topics, and expand on existing subjects. Several of the legislative programs resulted in new partnerships with such organizations as the EEOC and ESGR. GMSHRM will continue to build these and other relationships which enhance benefits to each member.

Both the Legal Update Seminar and the GMSHRM Health and Wellness Conference Serve the Profession by covering legislative topics that daily impact the HR and local communities Simultaneously, the events Advance the Professional by providing interactive discourse and recertification.

GMSHRM realizes that the success and succession of the chapter is linked to keeping its members educated and current on legislative issues. To this end, the chapter is dedicated to Advancing the Professional by offering HR Certification Institute credit hours for most workshops and seminar as well as many of the dinner meetings thus assisting with members’ recertification. The chapter has provided opportunities for the HR professional to interact and create dialogues both in person and via Ask Andy and Ask the EEOC at www.gmshrm.org. It is critical that the educational needs of each member of the HR community be addressed as well as keeping the information fresh, informative, and interesting.