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Social Networking is an ever increasing subject for Human Resources professionals. I am speaking to various local SHRM organizations throughout the year on this very topic, and hope to educate, enlighten, and enrich organization’s capabilities in this arena. HR departments, now more than ever, need to embrace this major shift in the way we do business in order to increase value to employees, provide increased knowledge to those that need it in the organization, and become more efficient at their jobs.

As I continue my research on social media in the workplace (this thing evolves daily!), I am continually amazed at the speed of growth of social networking sites. There were 250 million Facebook users in September 2009, today there are over 400 million. And what these users say about companies and their brand determines who will win and lose in this experience economy. Whether people like it or not, the future is here – social media is as big a business revolution as the industrial age.

You might tell already I’m a social media activist. I enjoy visiting organizations of all sizes and discussing this topic, and as I question them on their current social media strategy, I sometimes hear a pang of disbelief to the pro’s of social media in the workplace. “Is social networking really necessary in the workplace?” “Won’t social media hurt an organization more than it will help?” “How can I deter the plague of social sites from our company?” Yes, there are potential negative side effects to social media, but when harnessed properly, social media is a very powerful and useful tool.  In reality, whether you like it or not, your company’s customers and employees are already using social networking. What are they saying about your brand?

Throughout the next few months, I’m going to leave tools, tips, and advice on social networking in HR. Hopefully as you read my commentary on the subject, you can take at least one idea and begin implementing it immediately.

In the meantime, test your initial knowledge on social networking sites. Can you name the nine social sites from their icons at the top of this entry?

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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What the C Team wants to From HR – Part 2

4. Ascertain and understand the risks – what is the financial condition of your workforce costs. (For a list from HRMG Solutions of Key Performance Indicator Reports go to http://www.hrmgsolutions.com/white-papers.asp. For assistance to compile reports using your Sage Abra data, contact us at 610-941-2119).

5. Know Which Indicators Are Most Important – Discuss with your C team which KPI numbers are the most valuable for your organization and be proactive in communicating unfiltered information.

6. HR must not be a disconnected department, separate from the rest of operations -
To become a trusted partner, get away from process orientation.
Don’t be just a calendar of tasks and events.
Example Story from one of the panel members: The organization was starting an exciting new international venture with all divisions working overtime to make it a success. At the same time, the HR department insisted on sending all senior officials through routine safety training sessions, which indicated a lack of understanding of the needs of the organization.

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Yes, according to a recent study conducted by Microsoft.  In the study, Microsoft surveyed 2,500 HR Managers and Recruitment Professionals, and 70 per cent of responders said they rejected a candidate because of their online behavior. 28% said they terminated an existing employee due to content found on a social networking site.

However, responders also said that building a strong personal brand on social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn can help candidates. Peter Cullen, of Microsoft, said: “Your online reputation is not something to be scared of, it’s something to be proactively managed. These days, it’s essential that web-users cultivate the kind of online reputation that they would want an employer to see.”

“Eight-six percent of HR professionals believe that online reputation has had a positive impact on an applicant,” said Cullen. “Having a positive online reputation can be just as influential [as having a negative one].”

How do you manage your online reputation? What have you done to build your personal brand?

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Following a group of other states, Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell signed into law Act 2 of 2009, also known as Mini-COBRA. This law extends health coverage to employees who work for companies under 20 employees.  Key provisions to this law:

• This law goes into effect July 10, 2009
• Applies to employers with less than twenty employees
• Provides benefit continuation coverage for a period of nine months
• Applies only to insured group major medical, hospital or surgical policies
• Permits an employer to charge up to 105% of the of the group rate of the insurance being continued
• Individuals who elect Pennsylvania Mini-COBRA may be eligible for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) premium assistance. This translates to a 65 percent reduction in COBRA premiums for a qualifying employee under the ARRA.
• This is a permanent law, unlike ARRA which expires December 31, 2009.

For more information on Mini-COBRA, visit the Insurance Department for the Commonweath of Pennsylvania

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The Healthy Families Act (HFA) has been introduced in the both the House (H.R. 2460) and Senate (S. 1152).  Sponsored by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the bill would require employers with 15 or more employees to provide employees with up to 56 hours of paid sick leave. Leave would be accrued at one hour for every 30 hours worked.

Under the Act, paid sick time can be used for the employee’s own needs or to care for a child, parent, spouse, or any other blood relative. An employee begins accruing the sick leave at their start date and is able to begin using it after 60 days. The leave would not be able to be counted under an employer’s absence control or no-fault attendance policy.

While many Democrats and President Obama are for this Act, Republicans have voiced their opposition. SHRM has also spoken out against the Act, and you can read their position here.

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Last week, Congress introduced H.R. 2028, named the “New Employee Verification Act” (NEVA).

This act would replace the current E-Verify program with the Electronic Employment Verification System (EEVS). The system would be based on the state ‘new hire’ reporting process used for child support enforcement. The bill would allow employers to confirm eligible employees through the Social Security Administration database and Department of Homeland Security database.

The bill would eliminate the current Form I-9.

In addition, the bill also would create a voluntary biometrics option for the verification process. A standard background check and thumbprint could be obtained to secure an employee’s identity and preven fraudulent activity. To protect employers from liability, the legislation would provide employers a safe harbor.

SHRM worked closely with members of Congress to develop NEVA.

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the financial stimulus law signed by President Barack Obama on Feb. 17, 2009, includes significant changes to the COBRA continuation coverage rules. (Read more at the Department of Labor).

Here are the main points to the ARRA that you need to be aware of:

1. Workers who became jobless as early from Sept. 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009 are eligible to receive benefits under the law.
2. If a worker rejected COBRA coverage after Sept. 1, 2008, they can reconsider now.
3. Taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income exceeding $145,000, or $290,000 for those filing joint returns, do not qualify for the subsidy.
4. COBRA continuation coverage premiums will get a 65% federal government subsidy.
5. Employers will pay the 65% upfront, and then deduct these costs from Social Security and Medicare taxes. (IRS Tax Refund FAQ).
6. The subsidies will be paid for a maximum of nine months.
7. Subsidies begin March 1, 2009.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Plan administrators of group health care plans subject to COBRA need to act quickly to:

• Implement administrative procedures necessary to provide the subsidy.
• Provide notices required by the ARRA to COBRA qualified beneficiaries who are eligible for the subsidy.
• Implement the extended COBRA coverage periods.
• In addition, group health plan documents will need to be amended to incorporate these changes.
• Employers (or insurers, if applicable) will be required to file three types of reports relating to the subsidy.

1. Attest that each employee receiving the subsidy was involuntarily terminated.

2. File an accounting to report the payroll tax credit taken for the reporting period and the estimated credits to be taken during the following reporting period.

3. File a report of all covered employees, the amount of subsidy treated as a payroll tax credit for each employee and a designation as to whether the subsidy is for coverage of one individual or two or more individuals.

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The stimulus package that President Obama recently signed into law has some direct and lasting effects on Human Resources. SHRM did a terrific job of outlining the major points of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and we wanted to share those HR-related items with you.

Extending Unemployment and Health Coverage

• A nine-month extension of a program that offers an additional seven weeks of unemployment benefits. Benefits would be increased by $25 per week.
• A seven-week extension of jobless benefits, which provides unemployed workers up to 33 weeks of benefits, was extended to December 31. The proposal would exempt the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits from federal income taxes.
• The plan will appropriate $20 billion to offer health insurance coverage to the unemployed under COBRA. The coverage features a 65 percent subsidy of the health insurance premiums for up to nine months for laid-off workers who qualify for the program.

Health Care Technology

• $19 billion to improve the nation’s health care information technology systems to reduce errors and streamline administrative processes.

Trade Protection for Jobs

• Extend Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits for workers who lose their jobs because of increased imports or because employers move those jobs offshore.

E-Verify

• The House and Senate negotiators removed all provisions that refer to the government’s electronic employment verification system-known as E-Verify.
• Require that businesses that receive funding under the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) hire laid-off U.S. workers or show good cause before recruiting and hiring workers from overseas under the H-1B visa program for highly skilled workers.

Executive Compensation

• Place limits on the compensation packages that businesses receiving TARP funds can offer to their executive teams.

For more information on the Act, visit SHRM or the Recovery Act website.

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Federal Legislative Action Alert!

YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED! The time is now to share the HR perspective on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)!

In virtually all cases, this legislation would take away the privacy and secret ballot voting rights of American employees in choosing whether they want to be represented by a union in the workplace.

If enacted, the Employee Free Choice Act would:

• Eliminate employees’ right to vote in a Federal government-administered, private ballot election
• Require binding arbitration within 120 days after a union is certified through a signed card collection process if the employer and the union are unable to reach an agreement
• Restrict an employer’s ability to communicate to employees about the workplace issues involved in the union organizing drive
• Create new fines against employers for an expanded list of unfair labor practices

SHRM has been actively engaged in opposing the EFCA in Congress for years.  Please use HR Voice to send a letter to your House representative and both of your senators and urge them to OPPOSE the Employee Free Choice Act.

Background

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) establishes two primary ways that employees are able to form or join a union:

1. Private ballot election administered by the National Labor Relations Board (the Board). An election is initiated after a union has collected and submitted to the Board at least thirty percent of workers’ signed authorization cards. The Board certifies the union as the bargaining representative if a majority of employees voted in favor of the union, or,
2. Collection of signed authorization cards (known as the “card check” process, which is similar to signing a petition in favor of a union) from a majority of employees in a bargaining unit. A union submits the cards to the Board, and the Board subsequently recognizes that union as the sole bargaining agent on behalf of the relevant employees.

Employers usually select the first process and initiate an election for their employees because it is a superior format that best ensures employee privacy. The “card check” process, conversely, forces employees to make their union views known in public. Thus, card checks are most likely to expose employees to inappropriate coercion.

Legislation

The Employee Free Choice Act, sponsored by Representative George Miller (D-CA) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), would amend the NLRA to allow unions to use the “card check” process each time they try to organize workers. The proposed measure would effectively eliminate the private ballot election during union organizing campaigns by requiring the Board to certify any union that secures a simple majority of signatures through the card check process.

Furthermore, once a union is certified through card checks, the EFCA would lead to binding arbitration on a two-year contract after only 120 days. The bill would direct the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to refer management-labor disputes on first contracts to an arbitration board after 90 days of collective bargaining and 30 days of mediation.

SHRM’s Position

SHRM believes in the fundamental right of every employee to make his or her own choice on union representation. For this reason, SHRM aggressively opposes the Employee Free Choice Act because it would take away the right of employees to a federally supervised, private ballot in union elections.

Furthermore, SHRM opposes these specific aspects of the bill:

• Circumvention of Private Ballot Election—The bill would force employees to make their important decision on whether or not to support a union in public—potentially in front of their co-workers, union organizers and others who have a stake in the organizing process. SHRM strongly believes the secret ballot election process is the best way to ascertain a worker’s true view on union representation. By eliminating the private ballot, SHRM believes the bill would actually take away an employee’s private and “free choice,” expose employees to coercion and promote a threatening work environment for employees.
• Binding Arbitration on First Contracts—The bill would end bargaining negotiations after only 120 days—90 days of negotiations and 30 days of mediation—and force a two-year contract on both the employer and employees. SHRM believes that mandatory binding arbitration provides motivation for either a union or employer to engage in bad faith bargaining until the end of the negotiating period. Finally, the EFCA would lead to an arbitrator to impose unwanted employment conditions on both employees and management.
• One-sided penalties—The bill would establish additional penalties, including back pay plus liquidated damages, on employers that discriminate against employees during organizing drives. The bill creates no new penalties for labor organizations that engage in coercive conduct during organizing campaigns.

Action Needed

Write or call your elected officials in Washington today! Your congressional representatives need the benefit of your expertise and your viewpoint on the Employee Free Choice Act before the private rights of employees are changed.

To write your elected official using HRVoice, follow these steps:

• Log onto HR Voice by clicking HERE and enter your member number and last name.
• Under the heading “Take Immediate Action on these Hot Issues,” click on: “OPPOSE the Employee Free Choice Act”
• Feel free to personalize your letters by including specific information about the organization you work for, your experiences in the workplace, and why this legislation would negatively impact your organization. Just place your cursor on the text of the letter where you would like to edit.

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A Network to Help HR and Payroll Professionals Gain Efficiency in Difficult Times.

HRMG is proud to be a part of the Alliance for Workforce Management, a partnership of several Sage Abra partners located throughout North America.  At the outset, the Alliance for Workforce Management will includes:

* Dresser & Associates, Inc. in Scarborough, Maine
* HRMG Solutions, Inc.,  in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
* CAPlus, Inc., Toronto, Ontario Canada
* Rising Sun Consulting, Atlanta, Georgia
* One Solutions, Inc., Miami, Florida
* HR Pay ‘n’ Time, Seminole, Florida
* People Sense – Chicago, Illinois

The premise behind the alliance is that HR and Payroll professionals can utilize technology more effectively to help reduce costs and maximize efficiencies, practices which will be especially critical in the troublesome economic times ahead. In addition, HR professionals need to become more strategic in their thinking with respect to technology and the overall objectives of their respective organization, and the members of the Alliance look forward to collaborating to assist the growth of this kind of thinking.

As companies cut costs, they become more vulnerable to losing their precious assets — their best and brightest employees. Companies need to begin looking at ways to restructure benefits to better reflect the demographics of their workforce. The Alliance for Workforce Management is designed to make better use of technology for human capital management, as well as allowing consultants dedicated to assisting the Abra community to find the necessary resources to customize benefit plans.  This gained efficiency will control benefit costs while allowing companies to continue to attract and retain their best employees.

Though HR professionals face an unprecedented set of challenges, the Alliance for Workforce Management will give them the support they need to face the road head on, as well as create a new way of thinking to support their respective organizations more strategically.

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