Monday, January 27, 2014

HR Certification Preparation Study Group

Are you thinking about taking the PHR / SPHR certification exam? If so, we can help!


The LSHRM Certification Preparation Study Group’s Spring Class starts February 19, 2014 - 5:45pm at Webster University on Zorn Avenue, and it is free to LSHRM members.


The study group facilitators use the SHRM Learning System study materials which can be purchased at a considerable discount to SHRM members.

A self-study format is followed and the class time focus is on each module in review, class discussion of topics, and exam Q&A.

The last class is reserved for a complete course review and a mock final exam Q&A.

The study group purpose serves as a tool to assist the student attempting the PHR/SPHR Certification Exam.

Click HERE for more information

Questions about the Study Group?

Please contact Elise Green at egreen@lshrm.org with any questions.

Cast your vote for the Feb. 2014 S.P.O.T. Award!

You've heard us talk about it at the meetings and now it is finally here; S.P.O.T. (Spontaneous Praise & Ongoing Thanks) is our volunteer recognition program. As we all know, recognition is critical for continued commitment, particularly in volunteer positions. Please take a moment and cast your vote for an outstanding volunteer that we may recognize at the February chapter meeting. 

Click here for the survey!

--Amanda Zorio, Director of Volunteer Engagement
--Geri Kelisakiev, Volunteer Engagement Chair

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

New Year, New Website: a blessing in disguise

Last October, we thought we were on top of things here at LSHRM. I was all set to take over as the Director of Communications and Marketing—we'd mapped out all the processes from my predecessor and were figuring out the volunteer committee roles.  However, we were in for a special surprise:  we would be forced to re-launch our website and migrate our database by December 31!  Our previous member management company was purchased, so we were not alone in this inconvenience.  Unfortunately I was not aware of this before running for election at LSHRM, but after many hours of training, testing, editing and correcting mistakes, I can safely say now that we are in a good place, and positioned for success with the new site.

The new site is quite similar to the old in the look and feel, but with several new features:
  • A more robust profile with additional fields
  • More secure online payment system
  • Empowerment for members to manage their information, with abilities to:
    • View past invoices/receipts/meetings attended
    • Manage username and password settings more independently
    • Features for LSHRM leaders to access information:
      • Many board and committee members will be able to manage and streamline activities utilizing the site’s data.
      • We’ve also moved around some of the board duties and expanded board ownership around certain website functions.
In the coming months, we plan to look into some new features for communications and technology at LSHRM, including:
    • A more modern check-in system for meeting attendees
    • Faster deployment of credits and surveys with more streamlined internal processes
    • A method to manage HRCI credits earned through LSHRM meetings with the online profile
    • Other features for members, such as Group Boards and a more integrated Blog
Of course, some of these features will be more expensive or time intensive for our volunteer board to manage and train for, so it will take some time to adapt.  But hopefully members will soon enjoy even more new features.

Judging by recent contacts to LSHRM, most of our over 600 members have not experienced any problems. The most common issues have been ones where members have multiple user profiles (usually due to changing e-mail addresses and becoming confused)  and questions about renewal dates (you can see yours when you log in, and you may renew your membership online up to 7 days in advance of its expiration).


In the meantime, if you have questions or issues about anything LSHRM related, please don’t hesitate to contact our VP Administration at admin@lshrm.org, and your inquiry will be answered or routed to the appropriate board or committee member.  Also, make sure to follow and participate in our social media on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and look for our monthly HR Insights column in the Business First newspaper (contact LSHRM if you'd like to contribute). Thank you to all for your flexibility as we adjust and grow!

--Director of Communications & Marketing

Sunday, January 19, 2014

LEGAL UPDATE by Laurie Kemp

ADA and FMLA Overlap:

Although Caution Is Required, ADA Does Not Prohibit Termination At End of FMLA Leave, Even if Employee Has A Qualifying Disability.


Laurie Kemp

Employee Labor Relations Chair

Email Laurie


Since the passage of the ADAAA, I have received more and more questions from clients about whether an employee can be terminated at the end of FMLA time if they are still unable to return; or whether the FMLA basis could also be a disability under the ADA requiring more leave as an accommodation. No question that now, more often than not, when an employee takes leave under the FMLA for their own serious health condition and requires the full 3 months of leave, the ADA will be triggered.

Under the ADAAA and the interpreting regulations, the duration requirement for a disability was greatly lessened and now a condition lasting only 3 months can qualify. My response to my clients has been that in these situations, employers should take great care and review the facts before simply terminating the employee for exhausting the leave. I recommend that employers send out a letter prior to the expiration of FMLA, inquiring as to whether they are expected to return to work before the leave, and, if not, instructing them to contact the employer to discuss next steps. If the employee does contact the employer, inquiries should be made as to the employee’s status, expected return/release date and current restrictions. An ADA assessment can then be conducted to determine whether an accommodation of extended leave or offering another position may be in order. (Remember that an indefinite leave is not a reasonable accommodation under the ADA). If the employee fails to contact the employer or provide the information as requested, the employer can proceed with the termination. This advice and course of action was recently affirmed by a US Court of appeals.

In Owens v. Calhoun County School District, Fifth Circuit, October 8, 2013, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendant employer in an ADA action brought by a former employee. In this case, the plaintiff, Karen Darlene Mann Owens, was terminated for exhausting her FMLA and available time on February 9, 2010. Owens suffered from neck and back pain that led her to take leave under the FMLA starting on October 19, 2009. She ultimately underwent surgery on her neck and back, and her principal advised her that she could remain on leave until she received her final x-rays. On January 20, 2010, the principal asked Owens when she would return to work, and Owens responded that she had a doctor’s appointment on February 12, 2010. Owens also advised that she may be able to return to work on February 15, 2010 if her doctor released her. Her FMLA leave was to expire on February 1, 2010.

In late January, the School District sent Owens a letter advising that her FMLA leave would soon expire and requesting that Owens provide a return to work date so that her employment status could be determined. On February 4, 2010 the principal and Owens had another conversation during which the principal asked Owens when she could return to work. However, Owens never gave the principal a date for her return. Rather, she only stated that she had a doctor’s appointment on either February 12 or February 15 but did not know if she would be released at that time. Ultimately, the School District sent Owens a letter on February 9, 2010 terminating her for failing to return to work before FMLA leave had expired on February 1, 2010 and for failing to provide a date for her return. The lower court granted the School District’s Motion for Summary Judgment and dismissed the case. Owens appealed to the Fifth Circuit. For purposes of its analysis, the appeals court presumed Owens to be disabled and entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the ADA but concluded as a matter of law that Owens could not raise an issue of material fact that the School District’s reasons for terminating her were not truthful or in violation of the ADA. In reaching this conclusion, the Court looked to the fact that Owens admitted she did not return to work before her FMLA leave expired and that she failed to inform the School District of a date for when she could return to work. Owens never provided any doctor’s release and did not have one at the time of her termination.

The Court noted that the School District’s reasons for termination were also factually supported and could not be disputed to raise a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the School District’s reasons for terminating Owens were pretextual, i.e. untruthful. The documentation requesting that she contact them and provide information regarding her status and return were proper and Owens’ failure to complie with the request supported the termination.

This ruling in this case should give some reassurance to employers hesitant to terminate an employee once their FMLA leave has expired because of ADA accommodation concerns if the employer makes reasonable inquiries in advance of the termination. In the Owens case, the Court found that the employer’s reasons for termination were legitimate and not a violation of the ADA because the employer did a commendable job of documenting its communication with the employee towards the end of her FMLA leave and her failure to provide a return to work date. Because the employee did not provide a return to work date prior to the expiration of her leave, the termination was upheld.

With this case in mind, employers should be reminded to document their employee FMLA leaves, communicate with employees before the expiration of the leave and document the reasons for termination. These steps not only are the best way to deal with employees in these situations but can also help limit exposure to discrimination liability, and can certainly help employers defend such cases should they arise in litigation. As with any policy it is also important that employers be consistent in their treatment of leaves and enforcement of any violations.


February 2014 LSHRM Chapter Meeting

When:
Feb. 11, 2014
8 - 10 am

Where:
Delphi Center at University of Louisville
310 N Whittington Pkwy
Louisville 40222

Presenter:
Mayor Greg Fischer



Topic: Quality of Place as a Talent Recruitment & Retention Tool for both companies and the community as a whole

Breakfast: 8 - 8:30 am
Business meeting: 8:30 - 9
Keynote address: 9 - 10

Online registration is available until: 2/7/2014

Click Here to Register.

Ignite Louisvlle

Applications are now open for two Ignite Louisville classes, Nonprofits are invited to submit proposals for Yum! IGNITES Louisville Challenge


Louisville, Kentucky (January 13, 2014) – The Leadership Louisville Center invites high-potential professionals to apply for its Ignite Louisville program, which will launch a second class in 2014. The award-winning program, presented by Norton Healthcare, has graduated over 450 rising leaders and serves as a talent development program that builds the skills, problem-solving abilities and connections essential for expanded leadership responsibilities. Applications are now open through March 7, 2014 for the two 7-month classes beginning in 2014, one will run from May – November 2014 and the second will run from October 2014 – April 2015. Visit www.leadershiplouisville.org for complete program and application details, or contact Jennifer Stevens at (502) 561-5231 or jstevens@leadershiplouisville.org.


Potential Ignite Louisville participants can learn more about the program at the ninth annual Ignite the Night event on January 29, 2014 from 5-7 p.m. at Old 502 Winery, 120 S. 10th St. The Leadership Louisville Center, along with sponsors Brown-Forman Corporation and the University of Louisville College of Business, will host the annual event that celebrates Ignite Louisville alumni and offers potential participants the opportunity to learn more about the program in a fun, social atmosphere, complete with a special complimentary Brown-Forman cocktail. Attendance at Ignite the Night is free, but we ask all guests to RSVP by January 20 at http://ignitenight2014.eventbrite.com.

Nonprofit agencies interested in working with an Ignite Louisville team for the Yum! IGNITES Louisville Challenge are invited to submit proposals. Proposals are also due March 7, 2014. An informational meeting will be held at the Leadership Louisville Center, 732 W. Main St., on February 7, 2014 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend, but please RSVP to jnicholson@leadershiplouisville.org. To learn more about the Yum! IGNITES Louisville Challenge, visit www.leadershiplouisville.org, or contact Aaron Miller at (502) 561-5223 or amiller@leadershiplouisville.org.

Ignite Louisville recently earned a national award for “Excellence in Innovation” from the Association of Leadership Programs. Ignite Louisville is a seven-month program that is the region’s highest credential for emerging leaders. Participants enjoy exclusive access to leadership training from the region’s top corporations, including Norton Healthcare, Yum! Brands, Inc., Brown-Forman Corporation, Northwestern Mutual, GE and the U.S. Army. Another component of the program, the exclusive Northwestern Mutual Networking Series, connects the class with high profile community leaders, developing networking skills and beneficial professional connections. In addition to the program’s core curriculum, Ignite Louisville teams participate in the Yum! IGNITES Louisville Challenge and take on a project proposed by a local nonprofit, gaining hands-on experience performing on a team and serving the community.

Ignite Louisville was founded by the Leadership Louisville Center in 2003 in partnership with the Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL) and the Louisville Urban League Young Professionals (LULYP).

The Yum! IGNITES Louisville Challenge is the service learning component of the Leadership Louisville Center’s Ignite Louisville program. It provides the class an opportunity to undertake a project for a local nonprofit, gaining experience in community leadership, board involvement and teamwork. Participating nonprofits benefit from the expertise and energy of the teams, who each invest hundreds of hours with their nonprofit agency as they compete for donations made possible by the Yum! Brands Foundation. Each year, projects submitted from nonprofit agencies are selected for an Ignite Louisville team. At the end of the program, a winning team (or teams) receives funds for their partner organization.

Since its inception in 2004, Ignite Louisville participants have worked with 62 area nonprofits to plan, execute and sustain new strategies for success. The 2013 Ignite Louisville teams invested over 4,000 hours in their partner organizations, averaging nearly 500 hours per team. In a recent survey, partner organizations stated that Ignite teams remarkably improved the productivity of operations, increased the organization’s outreach in the community and improved the strategic focus of the organization. The average value of each team’s work is over $35,000 in the most recent class and many Ignite Louisville graduates have joined the boards of directors of their adopted nonprofit, helping to accelerate a generational change in leadership. In 2013, Ignite Louisville’s challenge received a national award for “Excellence in Innovation” from the Association of Leadership Programs. In 2009, it was awarded the Center for Nonprofit Excellence’s Pyramid Award for the Art of Collaboration.


About the Leadership Louisville Center:
Created in 1979, the Leadership Louisville Center is the region’s most valuable resource for leadership development and civic engagement. Its mission is to grow and connect a diverse network of leaders who serve as catalysts for a world-class community through dynamic programming and strong community connections. Over 6,000 community leaders have graduated from the Center’s programs that include Leadership Louisville, Focus Louisville, Ignite Louisville and Bingham Fellows. In 2011, the Leadership Louisville Center was recognized as one of the top seven community leadership programs in the U.S. in a benchmark study by the Center for Creative Leadership, the “gold standard” global provider of executive leadership education and research.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

January 2014 Chapter Meeting

When:
1/14/2014
11:30 am - 1:30 pm


Where:
The Olmsted
3701 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville 40206


Presenter:
Jonathan MIchael Bowman



Approved for 1.0 strategic HRCI credit.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Online registration is available until: 1/10/2014

Jonathan Michael Bowman is an attorney and keynote leadership speaker. As CEO of Clear Picture Leadership®, he inspires and teaches leaders how to achieve a bold, "clear picture" vision despite the obstacles. During his 12-year-career with the Ohio Attorney General's Office, Jonathan served in a variety of leadership posts, including Deputy Attorney General and Section Chief. He led several departments to achieve success. As a result, he was a recipient of the Ohio Attorney General's Innovation and Excellence Award in 2005. He is also a fine art photographer and uses his photographic images during his presentation to illustrate key points.

Keynote Presentation
Have you ever wanted to create a new department or enhance the quality of your team’s work? Change can be difficult for anybody. Leading change can be even more difficult and – at times – seemingly impossible. This seminar will teach attendees change leadership principles that every organizational leader should know.

In this energetic and content-rich presentation, you will learn how to lead the way to successful – "Picture Perfect” – change. Drawing examples from real leadership situations, Jonathan will teach and inspire you to ignite your team to achieve dynamic results. You will learn how to set a vision of change, achieve buy-in and lead the way to capture your vision.

Jonathan is also a fine art photographer. He uses his art during his presentation as a metaphor to graphically illustrate key points. Bullet points are replaced by close-ups of nature and graphs are supplanted by a serene countryside. This turns Jonathan’s presentation into more than an educational leadership training. It is also an inspirational, artistic experience.

Members are $25
Non-members are $35
Student members are $20
Guests without reservations are $40