IN THIS ISSUE:
Upcoming Events:
A Look Ahead to a few events
Mix and Mingle with the Stars:
Mixer Wrap Up
Beyond Diversity:
Event Wrap Up
LEGAL BRIEF:
Bucking the Trend
Employer Tips for Avoiding EEOC Charges
New Silver Sponsor:
Workforce Connections
Special Offer:
Discounted Tickets to See Cher
PLUS:
Our next breakfast meeting is scheduled for April 13th. Our speaker will be Dave Newton, SPHR (bio). The topic Dave will be discussing is "Tactics for Tough Times."
Following our breakfast meeting, we will hold our popular HR 101 Bootcamp seminar. For more information about the meetings, visit the breakfast meeting page event page here or visit the HR 101 event page here.
Our
next seminar is slated for July 23rd and will be presented by Connie Bertussi. The topic will be HR Metrics. RSVP's are open now... Click here to RSVP. Remember space is limited to 25 people in the morning session and 25 people in the afternoon session. This seminar wiil be submitted for approval for 3.75 strategic credits through HRCI for those who are looking for recertification credits.
We would like to thank everyone who came to our Mix and Mingle with the Stars mixer at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. We all enjoyed an evening of meeting celebrities, wandering around in a prison with escaped inmates, and American Idol karaoke.
We received so many compliments about the event and the event space, though all of these compliments and thanks go out to our event co-sponsors: Madame Tussauds and Legoland California, and to all of those who attended in making this one of the more memorable mixers in SNHRA's history.
Please remember to book your employee events at Madame Taussauds, and tell them that SNHRA sent you!
Learn more about our co-event sponsor http://www.nvworkforceconnections.org
This year SNHRA decided to attempt a different format with our diversity luncheon, "Beyond Diversity", and as many of you noted in your evaluation at the end of the event, it was a huge success.
We would like to thank first and foremost our keynote speaker for this year's event, Punam Mathur. We received so many positive comments about her keynote and her impromptu question and answer session.
Secondly, we would like to thank our co-event sponsor Workforce Connections. We could not have picked a better partner for this event. Not only are they our newest Silver Sponsorship Partners, their organization really makes sense for HR. If you don't know who they are or how they are helping in "Getting Nevadans Back to Work", check out their website at www.nvworkforceconnections.org. Read more about this dynamic organization in the article below.
The new format of the event included an all new breakout session format. Attendees were given the opportunity to look at one of the various topics of discussion provided by our Board Members and choose which suited their personal needs.
Thanks to all of our Board Members for providing different topics and discussion points, and thanks to all of our Members and Guests who attended Beyond Diversity.
By: Patrick H. Hicks and Deborah Westbrook. Patrick H. Hicks is the Founding Shareholder of Littler Mendelson’s Las Vegas and Reno offices. He can be reached at phicks@littler.com. Deborah Westbrook is Special Counsel in Littler Mendelson’s Las Vegas office. She can be reached at dwestbrook@littler.com.
Bucking the Trend – Employer Tips for Avoiding EEOC Charges
With the release of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) charge statistics for fiscal year 2009, it is becoming clear that the increased number of employment-related claims is more than just a blip on the radar screen. The ongoing increase in discrimination charge filings accompanied by an increase in EEOC enforcement requires that employers broaden their efforts to maintain a discrimination free workplace.
The year 2009 saw the second highest level of workplace discrimination complaints ever filed with the EEOC – 93,277. This number is up 12.7% from 2007 and is just slightly lower than the record amount filed in 2008 (95,402). According to EEOC officials, there is little relief in sight. From an enforcement perspective, the commission has never been more active. For example:
- More charges alleging unlawful harassment were resolved in 2009 than ever
before
- Resolution of charges alleging Title VII violations were similarly at historic levels
- A record high of $294 million was recovered through administrative enforcement
and mediation;
- The total amount recovered through all enforcement measures, including EEOC litigation – $376 million – has never been higher.
Notably, three types of discrimination complaints increased during the 2009 fiscal year: disability, national origin and religion. The largest increase was in the number of disability claims, which rose 10% from 19,453 to 21,451. Continuing another long-term trend, race-based discrimination claims and retaliation claims were each alleged in 36% of all EEOC charges filed. Sex-based allegations were alleged in 30% of all charges. Retaliation claims may be the cause for greatest concern because the number of retaliation charges filed in 2009 (33,615) is the highest on record. On the heels of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have expanded retaliation protections in employment-related matters, this provides a strong indication that there may be a blind spot in organizational response strategies.
So what can your organization do to avoid becoming a statistic reflected in future EEOC reports?
- Revise your policies. Reexamine EEO policies, antiharassment policies and codes of conduct to ensure they comply with the law as well as your organization’s culture and values. Make policies and procedures meaningful and relatable.
- Educate your employees about your policies. The more the message can get out
about awareness, prevention, response strategies and reporting options, the less
likely such concerns will remain hidden or unaddressed.
- Encourage managers to listen and observe so they can catch and address warning
signs. An “open door” policy means more than leaving the door to an office
open. It implies that managers are responsive, interested and accessible.
- Fix what doesn’t work. When dynamics in a team or work group begin to go
awry, think of natural – but firm – ways to correct misconduct at the outset.
Waiting until a pattern of misconduct reaches a fever pitch only serves to escalate the problem and compounds the risks associated with resolving the problem.
- Make your HR and legal departments visible. The more visible the profile that
HR or the legal department has within the organization, the more seamless the communication to and between those departments often is. Encourage
representatives of those departments to participate in a variety of staff events and even in the occasional team meeting.
By taking some proactive steps, your organization can help avoid becoming one of the EEOC’s 2010 charge statistics.
As was announced at our last few meetings, we have a new Silver Sponsor, Workforce Connections. Workforce Connections is a group of elected and highly motivated individuals whose mission is to get southern Nevada's workforce back on its feet through partnering with a wide array of employers and agencies dedicated to investing in the future of the community.
Workforce Connection oversees the implementation of the Workforce Investment Act, providing funding for employment and training services throughout the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Area.
Workforce Connections selects the service providers who offer training and employment services to eligible adults, dislocated workers and youth clients. Services are managed and delivered through comprehensive One-Stop Centers, called Nevada JobConnect. There are three Nevada JobConnect One-Stop Centers located in the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Area and a Rural JobConnect center located in the Pahrump, Nevada.
For more information about Workforce Connections, visit them here.
For a limited time, SNHRA members can receive a complimentary seat upgrade (a savings of up to $45.00 per ticket). The offer is available either by phone (1-866-510-CHER) or on-line at http://www.ticketmaster.com/Cher-tickets/artist/734742 Select the date that you would like to attend and under the SNHRA SPECIAL TICKET OFFER drop down menu select the price level and enter the special password: JSNHRA.
Cher at The Colosseum is a high-energy, concert-style show that features the artist’s record-breaking hits, including “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Believe” and “Strong Enough”. With her infamous rock-and-roll attitude and flare for theatrics, the show treats guests to an intimate look back through Cher’s iconic career, with vintage footage of rarely seen “Sonny and Cher” clips and an ever changing stage that adapts to each song.
The 90-minute show is presented at 7:30 p.m. four nights a week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday (dark Monday, Thursday and Friday).
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
After 2 years of selfless service, a man realized that he has not been promoted, no transfer, no salary increase no commendation and that the Company is not doing any thing about it. So he decided to walk up to his HR Manager one morning and after exchanging greetings, he told his HR Manager his observation. The boss looked at him, laughed and asked him to sit down saying, "My friend, you have not worked here for even one day."
The man was surprised to hear this, but the manager went on to explain.
Manager: - How many days are there in a year?
Man: - 365 days and some times 366
Manager: - how many hours make up a day?
Man: - 24 hours
Manager: - How long do you work in a day?
Man: - 8am to 4pm. i.e. 8 hours a day.
Manager: - So, what fraction of the day do you work in hours?
Man: - (He did some arithmetic and said 8/24 hours i.e. 1/3(one third)
Manager: - That is nice of you! What is one-third of 366 days?
Man: - 122 (1/3x366 = 122 in days)
Manager: - Do you come to work on weekends?
Man: - No sir
Manager: - How many days are there in a year that are weekends?
Man: - 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays equals to 104 days
Manager: - Thanks for that. If you remove 104 days from 122 days, how many days do you now have?
Man: - 18 days.
Manager: - OK! I do give you 2 weeks sick leave every year. Now remove that 14 days from the 18 days left. How many days do you have remaining?
Man: - 4 days
Manager: - Do you work on New Year day?
Man: - No sir!
Manager: - Do you come to work on workers day?
Man: - No sir!
Manager: - So how many days are left?
Man: - 2 days sir!
Manager: - Do you come to work on the July 4th?
Man: - No sir!
Manager: - So how many days are left?
Man: - 1 day sir!
Manager: - Do you work on Christmas day?
Man: - No sir!
Manager: - So how many days are left?
Man: - None sir!
Manager: - So, what are you claiming?
Man: - I have understood, Sir. I did not realize that I was stealing Company money all these days.
Moral - NEVER GO TO HR FOR HELP!!!
Have a Nice Day.
We hope that all of our Members and Friends find the articles contained within R E S O U R C E S useful in your HR environment.
Many thanks to all of you who responded to our requests
for articles and research for this newsletter.
If you have anything you wish to contribute to the next issue, please do not hesitate to email Barry Lippold at blippold@marcison.com.
Contact Barry Lippold at 702-281-6528 for pricing and availability
to sponsor future R E S O U R C E S editions
Newsletter: 2010 Edition 3