IN THIS ISSUE:

LEGAL BRIEF: Dynamic Immigration Issues
and the Growing Presence of the EEOC

Best Places to work: THE WINNERS!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR Newly certified members:
SPHR & PHR

HR Q&A with an snhra
member business

Conversation with Keri S. Russell,
UNLV CAreer services

NEW MEMBERS  |  HUMOR LINES

Welcome to the third edition of our newly redesigned e-newsletter, RESOURCES.

We are pleased to provide this exciting forum for the communication of issues pertinent and relevant to HR Professionals. We hope you enjoy the newsletter. It can only get better with your input and comments. If you have any articles for inclusion, comments or requests, please email them to Jim Guynup: KGJ906@aol.com.

This edition of our newsletter is sponsored by:

In assembling this particular newsletter, we found that some of you just didn't have the time to respond to particular requests and that is very understandable with graduations, weddings, vacations and Yes! All that Summer brings.

It is for this reason that our next edition will be delayed a few weeks to prepare for our "End of Summer" edition to be released late August/early September. We would like to do some articles on staffing companies and how they impact Las Vegas. So please E-Mail me at KGJ906@aol.com so that we can make our next newsletter even more special.

Thanks and have a GREAT SUMMER! - Jim Guynup and Barry Lippold

   By Ryan P. Hammond

Editors note: Because of the recent discussion of immigration and because illegal immigrants are a major force in the current labor market, we felt it quite timely to ask Patrick Hicks and his associate Ryan Hammond to tell us how this will affect us in Nevada. We thank them for this very timely article:

Reports of immigration demonstrations, government immigration enforcement tactics, and debates over immigration legislation continue to fill the national and local news headlines. Nevada employers, labor groups and political associations alike have contributed to the national and local discussion of immigration reform. In view of this dynamic debate, employers need to remain mindful of how revisions to current immigration laws may impact their company’s employment practices, policies and procedures.

Recognizing that the government will most likely impose a grace period before it implements or enforces new legislation, vigilant employers will only benefit from making appropriate preparations and necessary alterations to their practices and procedures well in advance of any deadlines. By remaining current on the vibrant immigration discussion, employers can identify necessary modifications early on and can benefit from added time to conduct necessary training and/or to revise outdated policies.

While change appears on the rise in the context of immigration, employers need to remain mindful of their long-standing obligations under state and federal law. On April 19, 2006, the EEOC issued a new section of its Compliance Manual related to race and color discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In a press release announcing the new section, EEOC Chair Cari M. Dominguez stated, “This comprehensive guidance will assist employers, employees and EEOC staff in understanding how Title VII applies to a wide range of contemporary discrimination issues.”

Significant in the newly issued section of the Compliance Manual is the added guidance in situations of "related protected bases" discrimination, i.e., discrimination based upon more than one protected basis, such as both race and religion. In addition, the section reconfirms the Commission’s broad view of the application of Title VII to all forms of race and color discrimination. For example, the section addresses interracial discrimination and discrimination between persons of the same ethnicity. Employers can review the text of this new section of the Compliance Manual on the EEOC’s website: www.eeoc.gov.

Finally, an added concern for Nevada employers is the ongoing efforts from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to increase its presence in Nevada. The Commission is reportedly on schedule to open its office in Las Vegas by the end of the year. No doubt, by having an office located in Las Vegas, the Commission fully expects to increase its existing enforcement efforts within the State of Nevada.

2006 Winners

The Southern Nevada Human Resource Association is proud to announce the winners for the 2006 Best Places to Work Awards, hosted in conjunction with In Business Las Vegas:

Tabula T. Bost, SPHR

Susan Damitz,PHR

Sharon A. Diambrosio, PHR

Angela Diaz, SPHR

Anthony J. Fleming, PHR

Beth A. Giordano, PHR

Joyce L. Hogg, PHR

Patricia B. Hymanson, SPHR

Jennifer A. Kelley, PHR

Beverly A. Morrell, PHR

Steven Niggl, SPHR

Carmelita R. Roundtree, PHR

Amie M. Sabo, SPHR

Lisa M. Scheller, PHR

Stacey A. Stith, PHR

Susan K. Vicchairelli, PHR

EDITOR'S NOTE: Because of the recent administrative change at the UNLV campus, we asked Keri S. Russell, Employer Career Services and Outreach Coordinator, UNLV Career Services, to answer a few questions about the College and to share some of her feelings about our community and Las Vegas:

Can you tell us about your newly chosen College President and any changes that might impact us all in how UNLV will be viewed in the community for the future. Dr. David B. Ashley will take the helm of UNLV beginning July 1, 2006. Dr. Ashley comes to UNLV from the University of California, Merced where he is serving as Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. Dr. Ashley's background includes extensive research and teaching experience at Berkeley and Ohio State University in the field of civil engineering.

There are several exciting possibilities for UNLV in the coming years. With Dr. Ashley's background, we could see a greater emphasis on building UNLV as a premier research university. Continuing upon the new admission criteria set forth last year, the undergraduate student profile could change drastically. Since so many students come from the valley, the changes could also significantly impact Clark County.

I would imagine the engineering school could also see some support for their continued growth and credibility among engineering programs nationally.

Do you have any stats that show what our graduates do after they graduate from UNLV? How many stay here? Any success stories from past graduates? Each year, Career Services conducts a Graduating Student Survey. Data from the 2005-2006 survey is still being compiled. According to previous surveys, over 85% of UNLV students work while attending school and over 50% of those students work full-time.

Of the students who reported working while in school, 56% said their pre-graduation employment was related to their field of study. For this reason, it is estimated that approximately 75-80% of UNLV graduates stay in the Las Vegas area or closely surrounding Southern California communities.

Major employers of UNLV students include Clark County School District, Las Vegas Valley Water District, MGM Mirage, Boyd Gaming, Four Seasons, Harrah's Entertainment, Deloitte, Ernst and Young, Bechtel Nevada, and GES. This list, however, only represents a fraction of the over 250 employers who recruit at Career Day and the 160 employers who recruit during On-campus Recruiting events.

What do you feel are the most positive points of UNLV and what do you feel it needs to continue to grow in? UNLV is an incredibly diverse community with over 30% of our students comprised of under-represented groups. This is a much larger percentage than many of our peer institutions. UNLV is also growing by leaps and bounds. We have added many new degree programs and course offerings to meet the diverse needs of students and community. Over the next few years, we will also see the addition of several new facilities including the new Student Union, Recreation Center, Greenspun College and Hotel College.

UNLV continues to face the challenges associated with growth. Construction, technology, faculty and staff resources have all struggled to keep pace.

Please fill in the blanks:

I love Las Vegas for its: weather and all of the opportunities to enjoy the weather such as Mt. Charleston, Red Rock, and Lake Mead.

Las Vegas can do better in:
Las Vegas needs to improve in arts and culture. First Friday has been a great movement towards bringing the spotlight on amazing artists, but we're still no where near where a community this size should be from a cultural perspective.

What is the funniest interview you have ever had:
This is a true story. At a previous employer, we invited a candidate to an all-day interview process. Throughout the day, the candidate had to use the restroom frequently. We thought maybe he thought he had to pass a drug test. As we left dinner that evening and were walking to our cars, the candidate asked if he could use the restroom again. We said, "no problem" and assumed he'd run back into the restaurant. However, instead of using the public restroom, he proceeded to prop himself up in between two cars. One of the cars being my colleague's car. That was just a strange experience.

My favorite restaurant is Roy's Hawaiian Fusion

What do you think Las Vegas will be like in 25 years?
Twenty Five years from now, I think Las Vegas will just be one big master planned community.

 

If you would like your business to be featured in a future issue, please contact Jim Guynup: KGJ906@aol.com)

In this issue we are featuring MGM-Mirage.  Once again, MGM has established itself as a "best place to work". In order to better understand what it takes for a gaming property to receive such a noteworthy distinction, we are pleased to have Miriam Hammond, Vice President of Human Resources answer some key questions plus share some personal thoughts about Las Vegas:

What do you think distinguishes your property from all other properties on the strip? MGM Grand's brand position is "maximum Vegas" – meaning we offer everything guests come to Las Vegas to experience under one roof. We also apply that philosophy to the employment experience, which has become our competitive advantage. When our goal is to deliver what our employees desire from their workplace, we create an environment where we are constantly evaluating and evolving our people programs so that our workforce develop and grow at the pace of our property. Innovation is a key element of our strategic plan for Human Resources, and it is the benchmark we use when creating new training, development, and employee programs.

You have won National ranking for your MGM Grand University, can you give us some specifics of what is really taught there? We were extremely proud to debut this year at Number 29 on the prestigious Training Top 100 list which ranks the nation's leading corporate universities. MGM Grand University offers more than 150 free training classes for employees that range from computer skill development to English as a Second Language, from life skills classes to management development courses. We also provide management-focused upward mobility programs for employees at all levels. For college students, the MGM Grand University offers a Hospitality Internship Program.

For line level employees wanting to become first-time supervisors, we have REACH. For recent college graduates wanting to promote to assistant managerial positions, we have the Management Associate Program. And for our high potential rising stars in the executive ranks, we select up to 20 participants a year for the prestigious Leadership Institute. Faculty for the Institute include executive leadership from MGM MIRAGE; professional instructors and consultants from top universities, leadership firms, sales and training organizations; and Nevada gubernatorial and congressional representatives.

MGM Grand University also recently launched a new division called the University for Service Excellence (U.S.E.) which provides comprehensive training for 4 and 5 Diamond standards in the hospitality industry, as well as coaching and accountability techniques for managers and supervisors.

What is your most popular benefit that you have for your employees? Our most popular benefit is Flex Time – our very generous and employee-friendly time-off plan. Unlike traditional programs that require an employee to take vacation by the week, Flex Time allows an employee to take time off by the day and to take another day off if the employee is scheduled to work on a holiday. Employees can earn up to 25 Flex days per year and can cash out up to 40 hours annually, allowing them to pay themselves an extra cash bonus for unused time off. Flex Cash Out is most often utilized in December as employees use the extra funds for holiday shopping and travel.

Other Companies that look at you might say: We can keep our employees just as happy for half the expense. Why offer so many programs for employees? At MGM Grand, we realize that investing in our employees is investing in our future. In the hospitality industry, our employees are the last three feet of contact with our guests. They deliver our brand and create loyalty with our guests. With employees playing such an important role in our success, how can we afford not to provide them with programs and training that encourage their development, help them grow personally and professionally, and feel an integral part of a culture that cares.

Please complete the following:

Las Vegas is an opportunity City: for careers, quality of life, and recreation.

Las Vegas needs to improve in offering affordable housing for the growing labor market.

The biggest problem strip properties will face in the future is
the war for great talent.

Besides the fine restaurants at the MGM, I also enjoy eating at:
Olives at Bellagio, Mix at Mandalay Bay, and Lawry’s

My favorite entertainer that has appeared at the MGM is
a tie between Paul McCartney and Phil Collins.

One of the major problems in dealing with employees in Las Vegas is the language barrier. Las Vegas has become a wonderful melting pot of diverse cultures with our continued growth and development over the last few years. With 30% of our property’s workforce comprised of Hispanic/Latino workers, and the growing population of employees speaking Cantonese and Mandarin and other primary languages, MGM Grand University offers on-going English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. We want to provide our employees with the language skills necessary to interact with both internal and external guests, as well as to prepare them for growth opportunities within the company. We offer two levels of study – beginning and intermediate.

Additionally, we encourage participating employees to utilize our tuition reimbursement program to gain advanced skills in speaking and writing English, and offer career coaching to those who are interested in advancement opportunities. We also offer an ESL Computer Skills Course which utilizes computer and language specialists to provide computer instruction to Spanish speaking employees.

What are some of the funniest things you have observed in people interviewing for open positions? An applicant who brought children to the interview because no babysitter was available...

An applicant wearing a suit and curlers because she was getting married later in the day.

Thank you, Miriam, for sharing your insight with us!

(Thanks to the freemaninstitute.com and the Las Vegas Business Press)

The Magic Placement Recipe?
Put employees into a room with only a table and two chairs. Leave them without any instruction and check back on them in two hours.

* If they have taken the table apart...
...assign them to engineering.
* If they are counting butts in the ashtray...
...put them in finance.
* If they are talking to the chairs...
...assign them to personnel.
* If they are sleeping...
...they are management material.
* If they do not notice when you walk in...
...place them in security.
* And if they have left early...
...put them in sales.
( Taken from The Freeman Institute)

SALARY NEGOTIATIONS
Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources person asked a young engineer fresh out of MIT, “And what starting salary were you looking for?”
The Engineer said, “In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”

The interviewer said, “Well, what would you say to a package of five-weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50 percent of salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?”

The Engineer sat up straight and said, “Wow! Are you kidding?”
And the interviewer replied, “Yeah, but you started it !

Speaking with Numbers (Source: Las Vegas Business Press)
1,2,3: Rank of gender discrimination, race discrimination and age discrimination as the most frequent claims made by employees

89: Percentage of companies that say they train supervisors to prevent sexual harassment

71: Percentage of American workers who say they do want to be the boss at their workplace,according to a survey by OfficeTeam

66: Percentage of job offers that come with a signing bonus.

$88,626: Average base salary for MBA graduates in 2005