Another Day in the HR Field

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...

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 ...

Several new laws have taken effect in the last year that affect Public Employers primarily.  Please review this legislative update carefully and contact me for any further information you may need to ensure compliance. P.A. 100-0947 (January 1, 2019) – This Act amends the Counties Code to require that on or before June 1, 2019, every facility that houses a circuit court room shall include at least one lactation room or area for members of the public to express breast milk in private that is located outside the confines of a restroom and includes, at minimum, a chair, table, electrical outlet, and a sink with running water where possible.  This room may be the same space provided to employees. The legislation further requires the Supreme Court to create minimum standards for posting and training of courthouse staff. Construction or renovation of a court facility after June 1, 2019 shall include at least one lactation room or area that is located outside the confines of a res...

In summarizing the potential for risk in the human resources and personnel practices of organizations visited over the past few years, the highest risk of audits, investigations, grievances and the resulting potential for penalties, fines and legal concerns come from six primary sources.   The main reason for concerns are because certain federal and state agencies are making it a priority to investigate: Misclassification of employees as exempt, Illinois led the nation in active investigations 3,635 involving 19,765 misclassifications, 245.6 million in unreported taxable wages, 5.1 million in unemployment tax unreported, 270,570 employees impacted. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced that 84,254 workplace discrimination charges were filed with the federal agency nationwide during fiscal year (FY) 2017, and secured $398 million for victims in the private sector and state and local government workplaces through voluntary resolutions and li...

Yes, social learning platforms are in my classrooms (face-to-face, blended, and online) and have been part of my teaching methodology since 2011 or so.  I personally got online around 2008 not too long after social media started getting popular among the business community.  My first blog was actually on my original website (although clunky) because I remember writing a blog post about my very first Facebook post featuring my kids.  Of course, it took me a couple years to master all the start ups and I think twitter became a favorite in 2009 or 2010.  I remember, many of my SHRM friends showed me how to use twitter at conferences.  Twitter which is where I have my strongest following currently with just under 20k unique followers (no purchased lists - wouldn't even think of doing that).  In those early days, it seems like the Human Resource community was among the first to adopt the technology even though many of their employers were still strongly forbiddi...

Here is another awesome research paper a student has written specific to the HR needs of small business owners (SBO).  SBO's make up a majority of my clientel because they don't have the budget or the demand for a full time HR professional most of the time.  Owners don't have time to keep up with the changes in HR which is why I am often called in as an HR consultant.  The following is printed by permission by guest author Taylor N. David: Why Human Resources Training Matters to the Small Business Industry by Taylor N. David Abstract This paper explores eleven sources that elaborate on the importance of Human Resources training and education in the small business industry. This paper will examine why small business owners should participate in frequent HR (Human Resources) training and how HR training can benefit their business in the long term. A brief overview on what HR departments do including why HR training is necessary for small business owners will be dis...

Guess What? With all the stress in my life of late (since November), I finally got around to getting my 2014 HR Webcast Schedule put together! These are all pre-approved for 2 General HRCI Credits.  Please share! https://uisapp-s.uis.edu/ows/continuing_education/index.php?q=catalog%2F1 04/17/14 - Understanding the PPACA and How it Impacts Your Business 05/01/14 - Conducting Employee Opinion Surveys 05/15/14 - Developing or Revising Your Company Handbook 05/22/14 - Employee Harassment and Discrimination Awareness Training 05/29/14 - Conducting Your Own HR Audit 08/21/14 - Affirmative Action Plan: Where do I start? 09/11/14 - Conducting a Salary Comparability Study 09/25/14 - Social Media for Employers 10/09/14 - Conducting Employee Disciplinary Investigations 10/23/14 - Hire and Develop Top Employees 11/13/14 - Ready or Not!!! Good Employee Relations is Here to Stay 12/11/14 - Administering A...

Earlier this fall, I started a series on Strategic HR (aka SHRM "the topic not the organization") and while my intentions were to write more on this topic, time got away from me.  However, I did write and initial post that many found helpful which was referencing contributors to the topic of SHRM .  Today's post is a guest post by +Tina Gist who is both an HR professional and a graduate student of HR working on her masters degree and the graduate certificate in HR .  The following goes into much greater detail about several of the most interesting thought leaders in this field.  I personally had the good fortune to meet Dr. Lawler in person at both the Though Leaders Retreat this fall that I wrote about and at the Leadership Conference in DC as we were introduced to the SHRM Foundation board for which he is on.  I have also seen both Micheal Losey and Bill Conaty speak at prior SHRM events .  Enjoy the work from one very talented and knowledgeable stude...