IN THIS ISSUE:

PLUS:

 

 

 

SHRM 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition
June 27–30, 2010
San Diego Convention Center

 

Whether you are new to the HR profession or a seasoned veteran, the SHRM 2010 Annual Conference has sessions scaled to every professional development need and every career stage.

 

SHRM Keynote Speaker sessions introduce you to high-profile, nationally recognized leaders that this year include renowned environmentalist and former Vice President Al Gore and business visionary and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes. Elevate the strategic capabilities of your organization by listening to some of the best minds in the world. These dynamic and engaging speakers will inform and entertain you while providing sage advice.

 

The SHRM Masters Series affords you the opportunity to gain insights from HR professionals at the top of their game. These senior-level programs, open to all attendees, can help you and your workplace to harness innovation, discover successful practices, leverage cross-cultural differences, and build a high-performance organization.

 

The centerpiece of the SHRM Annual Conference is over 180 Concurrent Sessions across six conference tracks: Employment Law & Legislation, Strategic Management, Talent Management, International HR, Total Rewards, and Personal and Skill Development. Session topics address a wide variety of HR- and business-related topics required to lead today's workforce.

 

You can find more information about the 2010 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition, including registration information, hotel and travel, and much more here.

 



 

Healthcare Reform: Surprising new burden on Payroll

by Kerry Isberg
From HR Morning.com

Here’s something you probably haven’t heard about healthcare reform: It’ll significantly affect your company’s payroll operations.

 

In fact, there’s probably not an employee in your company who won’t be touched by this legislation in some way. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590; P.L. 111-148) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HR 4872), passed by Congress and awaiting the President’s signature, include:

  • a mandate that most Americans get health insurance – or face penalties
  • a requirement that employers provide adequate, affordable health insurance – or pay a penalty
  • the creation of  “exchanges,” state-run marketplaces that allow certain people and their families (and some small employers) to buy insurance with federal subsidies
  • new taxes on insurance plans with high premiums, and
  • revenue-raising provisions targeting specific health-related industries, such as medical devices.

The good news is that, for the most part, these changes won’t happen for a few years, giving employers a chance to prepare.  Here’s a timeline of how payroll operations will be affected, and what must be done to comply with the new law:

2010:
Continue certain payroll deductions longer. Employees will be able to keep dependent children on their health plans up to age 26.

Health plans can’t impose:

  • preexisting condition exclusions on children, or
  • lifetime limits on the value of coverage.

Effective: six months after enactment.

Adjust systems to allow for a bigger income exclusion for qualified adoption assistance. The maximum adoption tax credit and income exclusion for employer-provided adoption assistance increases to $13,170 (indexed for inflation).  The Economic Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) sunset date for adoption assistance is extended to 12/31/11.

 

Provide data needed to qualify for employer subsidies – specifically, the number of employees on the payroll. There’s a tax credit for company-provided coverage for firms with:

  • no more than 25 employees, and
  • less than $50,000 in average wages

The credit equals 35% of an employer’s contribution if it pays at least 50% of the premium. Effective: 2010 – 2013.

 

Then, the credit equals up to 50% of an eligible small employer’s contribution for coverage bought through state exchanges, a new program designed to help individuals and some smaller firms to buy subsidized insurance. Effective: 2014 – 2015.

You can read the rest of the article here.


Unvarnished is Tarnished

By Mary Beth Hartleb

Just when you thought you had social media figured out, a new website named Unvarnished has come on the scene.  Developed in beta testing and working via Facebook, the site allows for the unfiltered ranking of the work of others.  The website's tagline says  "truth in reputation" and explains "Unvarnished is an online resource for building, managing, and researching professional reputation."

Unvarnished is not for the faint of heart Linked In crowd; rather this is a no holds bar on anything and everything you want to say about a co-worker and the boss. Didn't carry your weight on that team project, missed a deadline, didn't get the raise or promotion you were expecting, workplace romance gone awry? Now you have a place to vent your frustration...for the whole world to see and read.

 

Unfortunately, human nature loves to focus on negative and scandalous behavior and giving "kudos" to others will be diminished with a quest to get to the "truth" in reputation.  The developers have failed to account for perception, office politics, back stabbers and legal concerns revolving around defamation and blacklisting statutes; or maybe they have and hope scandal will reap fortune.

 

As an employer what should you do?  If you have not already implemented a social media policy for your workplace, do so.  And, discuss the ramifications of "tell all" statements with employees. Information on the site should not be relied upon as a reference checking tool or in hiring decisions. Odds are Unvarnished will cause more harm than good and may result in tarnished reputations, fractured workplace relationships, loss of productivity and worst case, incidents of workplace violence.

 



 

As members of the Southern and Northern Nevada Chapters of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), you’re probably well aware of the State Council’s existence, but may not be familiar with its purpose.

 

Your 2010 State Council is comprised of 14 experts in the field of human resources working within our communities. They are educators, attorneys, hotel and banking executives and business owners. The primary mission of the Council is to provide a forum for chapters to discuss common issues, problems and concerns, and to share ideas and successes. Mary Beth Hartleb, a past president of SNHRA, serves in the role of State Council Director in 2010.

 

State Council members serve as the conduit for communication among SHRM chapters, at-large members, and the area and national boards. They also coordinate HR professional development efforts, and facilitate services and programs for the collective interest of SHRM and local chapter members and leaders, and prospective members.

 

The general responsibilities of the State Council include:

  • Supporting and implementing SHRM policies, strategies and objectives within the state. Establishing priorities and objectives, and administering plans and programs. Reviewing accomplishments, developing sound organizational structure and communicating closely with area and national boards as well as with chapters and members within the state.

  • Representing SHRM chapters and members in conducting the affairs of the Council. Establishing and maintaining a close relationship with chapters while providing assistance and counsel to them. Developing and promoting new chapters within the state, based on growth potential.

  • Developing and promoting professional development opportunities for SHRM members, and supporting and promoting chapter and national programs, seminars, workshops and conferences.

  • Maintaining effective communications with area and national leaders and headquarters staff. Providing timely responses to requests for information. Publishing regular reports of the Council’s activities, including minutes of meetings and periodic reports as requested by the area vice president.

  • Developing and encouraging active student programs and activities. Providing for student chapters and student members to participate in local and statewide programs and activities.


  • Promoting the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) and its program through state and local activities. Encouraging the certification of all Council members and communicate the benefits of certification to non-certified members. Within and outside SHRM, offering opportunities for certification through statewide and local programs for study and testing. Encouraging local chapter study group programs and activities. Developing communications programs in certification.

For more information on your State Council and its members, please visit http://nvstatecouncil.shrm.org.




By: Patrick H. Hicks and Wesley Shelton . Patrick H. Hicks is the Founding Shareholder of Littler Mendelson’s Las Vegas and Reno offices. He can be reached at phicks@littler.com. Wesley Shelton is an Associate in Littler Mendelson’s Las Vegas Office. He can be reached at wshelton@littler.com.

 

Tax Holiday


In its latest effort to stimulate the economy and encourage employment, Congress passed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (“HIRE” or “the Act”), which President Obama signed into law on March 18, 2010. Hire provides a limited payroll tax “holiday” for employers hiring new workers. Specifically, the tax holiday provision relieves certain employers from their obligation to match the OASDI (Social Security) portion of FICA tax for certain workers hired after February 3, 2010, and before January 1, 2011 on wages paid March 19 through December 31, 2010. OASDI normally requires that employees and employers each pay 6.2% on the first $106,800 of wages for the calendar year.

 

There is no tax holiday from the second component of FICA tax covering the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) contribution (1.45% on all wages), which is also matched by the employer.  Because the tax holiday is limited to OASDI taxes, other state and federal employer obligations, such as federal unemployment taxes (FUTA), state unemployment (UI), or other state-level payroll taxes, are not affected and will still need to be paid.  No election is needed to take advantage of the tax holiday provision.

 

The Act limited the tax holiday to “Qualified Employers.”  Qualified Employers are private sector employers (both for profit and non-profit), as well as public higher education institutions (i.e. universities).  Other federal, state and local government employers and governmental instrumentalities are excluded.  Consequently, it appears that a non-profit that is also considered a government instrumentality will be able to take advantage of HIRE’s provisions.

 

The Act limits the tax holiday to certain qualified employees who:

  1. Begin work for a Qualified Employer after February 3, 2010 and before January 1, 2011;

  2. Provide the employer with a signed affidavit attesting, under penalty of perjury, that the individual was employed a total of 40 hours or less during the previous 60-day period ending when employment starts;

  3. Were not hired to replace another employee, unless such employee voluntarily quit or was terminated for cause; and

  4. Are not a family member as defined by Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) section 51(i).

 

The work performed by such new hires must be in an employer’s trade or business or in the case of a non-profit, in furtherance of activities related to the purpose or function of that IRC 501(a) organization.   

 

The FICA tax holiday applies to:

 

  1. New employees, who have never worked for the employer or a related entity before;

  2. Previously laid off or terminated employees of the employer or a related entity, who meet the 60-day requirement;
     

  3. New employers who start operations and employ otherwise Qualified Employees during the period; or

  4. New hires, who were students in the 60 days preceding employment, as long as such students did not work more than 40 hours during that period.

The Act does not appear to preclude a temporary service or staffing company from being a Qualified Employer and as such provide staffing through its employees for an unrelated employer.  Furthermore, employers with seasonal or temporary needs should be able to use the FICA tax holiday exemption.  Lastly, the Act does not require full-time employment or any minimum amount of hours of work weekly for an employee to be a Qualified Employee.  Thus, part-time employees or employees who work variable hours should also qualify.

 

The payroll incentives of HIRE are designed to encourage employment by giving a Qualified Employer a break on part of its FICA taxes. As the tax holiday only applies to those hired in 2010, and only for wages paid February 3, 2010 or after, to maximize the benefits of HIRE, an employer should be in the position to hire quickly. Consequently, only employers with existing needs and a capacity to quickly recruit and hire employees will be in a position to take full advantage or the Act’s tax holiday features.





 

2010 Summer Institute in Dispute Resolution

 

The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the William S. Boyd School of Law hosts a Summer Institute geared to give law or graduate students, attorneys, and other professionals the chance to take intensive short courses on dispute resolution in Las Vegas. Each course provides two law school credits or 24 hours of Nevada CLE credit. This year’s offerings, provided by experts in the field, focus on negotiation, mediation, and dispute resolution in the workplace.

 

For more information, including tuition costs, and detailed course information, click here.

 

The Saltman Center, established in 2003, is nationally recognized for its dispute resolution program. The center hosts a variety of conferences, lectures, workshops, competitions, clinics, and courses. For more information about the center, go to www.law.unlv.edu/saltman.html.

 

 




QUOTES FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

I have one nerve left and you’re getting on it.

To get where you're going, you must know where they're coming from!

Of course I don’t do anything, I’m an idea man.

God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of things, right now I am so far behind I will never die.

Are pay raises automatic here or do you have to work for them?

Personnel Director to job applicant: "Retirement Plan? I wouldn't worry about that, you'd be out of your mind to work here that long."

You can name your own salary here . . . I call mine "Fred"!

We're in one of those great historical periods that occur every 200 to 300 years when people don't understand the world anymore, when the past is not sufficient to explain the future. -- Peter Drucker

Of course I have "past experience." What other kind is there?

If you think communication is all talk, you have not been listening.

Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life.

A boss is someone who arrives at the office early whenever you are late, and is late when you are early

At every crossroads on the path that leads to the future, tradition has placed 10,000 men to guard the past. -- Materlink

I'm an equal opportunity employer, that's why I'm giving other employers your services.

Around here I have a responsible position . . . every time something goes wrong, I'm responsible.

The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out an employment application. -- Stanley J. Randall

You can’t talk your way out of a problem you behaved your way into.

Words were given to man to enable him to conceal his true feelings. -- Voltaire

The things that are hardest for us to change are the things that have contributed to our present success.

Temper is what gets most of us in trouble. Pride is what keeps us there. -- Anonymous

PLEASE STAND BY…this presentation is being adjusted to match the experience level of the audience.

I’ll agree to discuss it, if you’ll agree to keep your mouth shut!

I see your point of view, I just don’t want to see it again.

I kept six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew. Their names are What and Why and When, and Where and How and Who. -- Rudyard Kipling

For things to change, first I must change.

At no time is self-control more difficult than in time of success.

I was qualified to be able to answer promptly – I said “I don’t know.”

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

From the Freeman Institute

 

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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
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Newsletter: 2010 Edition 4