Another Day in the HR Field

As we approach yet another end to Women’s History Month where organizations make a sincere concerted effort to raise awareness to the issues women face in the workplace with hope for continued change, I am skeptical. Not because I do not believe in the effort. Not because I have not heard story after story of women who have made history and are honored and respected highly for women’s suffrage progress they have made. Not because I do not believe in change. I do believe strongly in the effort that brings these stories to the public causing change. However, the reason I am skeptical is the same reason so many other women question the possibility of real change. Why, because we have been victims who feel defeated repeatedly and constantly reminded of the loss experienced. When you feel you have taken two steps forward and knocked five steps back every time that original wound opens and reminds us of the curse lived just because we are a woman. I had to be quiet about the real reason I ...

Will you hire just one veteran this year? Please let me know if this challenge is accepted and someone is hired because I am tracking and reporting to SHRM Foundation any impact I am making on this initiative.  Thank you!

Flowers & Drinks on Me! Who wants some Black Eyed Susan seeds for your flower garden this summer? Did you know this beautiful perennial is a symbol of encouragement & motivation? I believe if you provide a work environment that encourages and motivates employees you will be paid back with loyalty similar to how these flowers come back year after year. If your looking for productivity and retention there's your key! Let's talk! Schedule a DRINK MEET UP with me to learn more about how I can help motivate and encourage you to improve your employee relations. Seeds and Drink are on me for every scheduled meet up! NOTE: I would say coffee but I don't drink coffee so a drink to me does mean any time of day!

Found this throw back interview online today! #interview

Occasionally, we have the pleasure of hosting guest bloggers on this site which is what you will find here today.   The following was written by  Tina Martin of Ideaspired.com .  Coincidentally, I happen to be facilitating a webinar around this topic later in the month. The topic is Encouraging & Maintaining Remote Employee Engagement.    Click here to check it out and sign up!  Image via Pixabay One of the biggest hurdles that businesses face is reaching their customer base. If you want to maximize profits, you need the right talent and tools. If your business has moved to remote work, it is important you understand how to set up a skilled remote team. Here guide that explains how you can put one together, courtesy of Rogers HR Consulting . Imagine Your Team's Structure   As you plan to put together a remote team, imagine the types of roles you would like to fill. Each person on the team should bring specific strengths to the team. Your ...

As a female entrepreneur, I often think about those who supported me along the way to a now 20 year successful business venture. That's why I like to give back and help other women working to have a long entrepreneurial career as well. Meet Amy Denney who is a locally owned small business owner focusing on helping others. She feels strongly that HR professionals can include her services in their overall employee assistance programs. Help me help her by giving the following a read from this "guest blogger". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Let’s talk about substituting holistic solutions for traditional EAPs By Amy Denney There’s a tragedy in Employee Assistance Programs currently: they are underutilized AND they rarely even do what they promise. This wellness model is intended to give employees access to needed support in the midst of personal life issues and crises. The EAP is often the...

When a survey reports 83% of employees have been talking politics at work, you must be relieved that now some work can get done. So, what should be top of mind for employers to get employees back to work after a pandemic practically lifted life out of employers and employees alike. And, it is not over yet. The priority is to evaluate how you have done as an employer adapting to the COVID-19 situation and comparing that to what employees think.  According, to almost 20k local government employees only 75% of essential workers and 89% of remote workers think you’ve done a good job. A good 1/3 or so think the job has increased after COVID-19. Both situations do not bode well for employee morale and job satisfaction and can lead to increased turnover and low employee engagement. Currently, 51% of employees are looking to leave jobs which increases the stress on HR and hiring managers. Do not forget they can burnout too!  In my experience democratic administrations issue more workp...

Remember when the "Fifty Shades" book series came out in 2015? Remember the memes like this one pictured? Would that book or this meme be appropriate in the workplace today? No! Why, because it would be considered discussion around the topic of sex or sexual nature and can possibly substantially interfere with an individuals work performance or create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.   This is just one example of a topic discussed in the State of Illinois Sexual Harassment Prevention Training now required by all employers with one (1) or more employees.  The fine for not training is $500 for employers with 1-3 employees and $1000 for employers with four or more employees.  With tomorrow being the first day of Q4 we have three months left to get into compliance yet some are still kicking and screaming that this is required! With the IL Workplace Transparency Act training deadline at the end of this last quarter of 2020 employers are asking...

I am so very honored to be among some of the very best names in Springfield's history.  It is such an honor to be nominated for next years award.  Thank you in advance to those who nominated me! This award is sponsored by the Illinois Women in Leadership (IWIL). The definition of the award from their site is as follows:  The ATHENA Leadership Award® was inspired by the goddess of Greek mythology known for her strength, courage, wisdom and enlightenment -- qualities embodied in the ATHENA Leadership Model®. The Award is unique in both scope (local, national and international) and the ATHENA mission upon which it is based. The ATHENA Leadership Award® is presented to a woman or man who is honored for professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. Since the program’s inception in 1982, more than 7,000 exemplary leaders in over 500 communities have received the prestig...

Recently, a client asked me if they needed to adjust their drug testing policy so a transgender employee could choose the gender of the person observing them urinate for a test. Obviously, the person wanted the employee to feel comfortable with who was in the room with them. First of all, having another employee watch you urinate can be uncomfortable for anyone, for any reason, but it is a requirement for some drug tests in order to ensure that the testee doesn’t bring in a bag of someone else’s urine to exchange as their own. If the reason is not obvious, it is so they do not test positive when they know they have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. So, I did some research and thought it would be good to share this information for other employers, managers, small business owners and HR managers who may have similar questions. What are the requirements to be an observer for a direct observed collection? According to the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing ...

I will be co-hosting with the UIS Continuing & Professional Education department a summer HR Workshop Series.  Each week a different topic will be presented covering COVID Workplace topics the first three weeks with the last two weeks focusing on helping employers meet the Workplace Transparency Act compliance training requirement by year-end.  Here is what is in store for the next five weeks for all those who register, grab a lunch, and sit down at their home or office computer. COVID Training Thursday from Noon-1p.m. 7/9 - Noon -1pm HR2033  Encouraging and Maintaining Remote Employee Engagement – COVID 19 sent over 68% of employees home for at least two months and many of them are still there working day in and day out either permanently or until there is an antidote for the virus.  So in the meantime, what is a manager to do when it comes to keeping those employees motivated, productive, and engaged in the workplace? We will di...

     A year of turbulence, caution, and weariness is how I would describe 2020 so far and its only June!   If you are not dealing with employees coming or going related to COVID-19, your hearing unrest due to violence in the news involving nationwide protests, rallies, looting and social media opinions running rampant.         There is so much out there going on it is difficult to keep your employees engaged, focused on performing their job and safe in today’s environment.   However, all those things are still our top concerns as managers and human resources professionals.              This year has brought safety to the top of that list almost daily.   So instead of talking about safety related to COVID-19 pandemic, I’d like to focus specifically this month on a topic that is in large part a major concern for business in one of our bigger cities in America as I write this article and has...

What hasn't been said about the Coronavirus over the past several weeks in the HR community? I can't think of a thing? Over the past two weeks at least, I've been doing nothing but talking, listening, watching, researching and responding to questions from clients, students, family, and friends about this topic much like the rest of the world. The following is a list of what I think is the most important things I have learned and suggest employers consider if they have not already done so. I call it the three C’s of Coronavirus for HR and Employers. 1.       Compliance with new local , state , and federal employment regulations covering employees.   This covers quarantine rules, time off, protected time off, unemployment, and even paid time off in some cases depending on the size of the organization. 2.       Cleanliness with the CDC and WHO .   Sure most organizations have cleaning companies that might come into the w...

I just completed a training program today for county officials that applies to all business owners, managers, and HR in the state here in Springfield today (on February 26, 2020) covering the Workplace Transparency Act and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, I'd like to summarize some of the main points.  As the program description described, the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act imposes a variety of restrictions and requirements on employers relating to workplace discrimination and harassment including annual sexual harassment prevention training for all employees (in all employers of all sizes throughout the state).  The training covered the standards to get into and stay in compliance. The most recent 2/5/20 Public Service Announcement by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) was introduced covering the need to provide training to all employees no later than 12/31/20 and annually thereafter with all new employees being trained within 90 days of that firs...

The following was a presentation for the Illinois County Treasurers Training Program on April 10, 2019 covering all the changes in Human Resources occurring at that time as well as other very important HR basics every county official should be aware of an audit for compliance. https://youtu.be/rSCF2Bw82VI

Merry Christmas! Thanks to a client who informed me of a new requirement she was made aware of at an Employment Law update training event last month, I recently research said notification and unbeknownst to me, it was true.  I was shocked because in my humble opinion it conflicts with the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act .  However, we do things a bit different here in the Land of Lincoln.  So keep reading this "Just in Time" notification that will give owners, executives, HR professionals, managers, and supervisors a holiday treat to add to your daily to do list at work! Surprise, surprise, surprise there’s another new law to follow! Unfortunately, one that has been in affect for some time now but has not received much notice and was slid in right under our HR noses! Not once but TWICE! The Illinois Department of Labor established new regulations, “ Payment and Collection of Wages or Final Compensation – Records and Notice of Requirements” in August of 2014 t...

Yesterday I did a report for one of my clients.  Today, I have been asked to talk to a networking group about What's New in HR.  In three weeks I have been asked to talk at a local Chamber of Commerce luncheon about What's Hot in HR.  So whether it new, hot or trending, I though I'd just jot down some thoughts I and several #HR friends had from a crowdsourcing post. Let's start out with what is top of mind for me and my clients: SALARY HISTORY BAN: Don’t Ask for the Salary History of ANY applicant for employment of any position in Illinois effective last month.  This affects all employers regardless of size and if you decide not to follow the law then an applicant can come after you for up to 10k for damages.  Why? Asking perpetuates an already unequal pay issue for women who currently make 78 cents to every man's dollar or the same job with the same qualifications. SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IN ILLINOIS. Every employer in the state of Il...