April 2006 Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE
News from Dulles Chapter of SHRM and other timely HR information
"COMPENSATION AND REWARDS - PROGRAMS THAT WORK"
Wednesday, May 17, 2006 (5:15 to 8:00pm)
The number one concern of today's organizations is how do we get to the bottom line? How do we get the results we need? In other words, how do we align strategic vision with innovative human resource management practices to produce superior results? Jane Weizmann, Senior Consultant and Strategic Rewards Practice Leader of Watson Wyatt Worldwide's Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC regions and Theresa Lynch, Senior Compensation Consultant in the Strategic Rewards Practice, will present research findings related to performance management, compensation and employee engagement and discuss the design implications.
Jane Weizmann consults with clients on all aspects of their reward program design including governance, performance management, pay, incentive design, job evaluation, and change management. Jane is the author of Rewards and Business Strategy: People, Pay and Performance, published in March, 2000 and Designing and Managing Variable Incentive Pay Programs, published in 2003 by West Group. In 1999 and 2000, she was an expert resource to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology on issues related to the salary of the President of the United States and provided testimony and background research. In 2003, she provided expert research, recommendations and testimony to the President's Commission on Postal Service Reform. Jane is frequently quoted in professional and business journals and has appeared a number of times on Moneyline with Lou Dobbs on CNN. Jane is a member of WorldatWork, SHRM, and WTPF. She holds a Master's degree from Eastern Michigan University, a Bachelor's degree from Ohio University and has completed the Harvard Leadership Development Program.
Theresa Lynch is a senior compensation consultant in the Strategic Rewards Practice of Watson Wyatt's Washington, D.C. office. She assists clients in aligning their reward programs with their organizational objectives, provides client services in the areas of competency-based human resources platform design, salary and incentive plan design and administration, and performance management system design and implementation. She conducts competitive market analysis projects, custom market salary surveys, and conducts training for clients on market-based compensation programs and performance management systems. She is also a frequent speaker on compensation and performance management topics. Prior to joining Watson Wyatt, she was employed as a Human Resources Officer in Citibank's International Systems Division in New York. She was primarily responsible for salary and bonus administration, job evaluation, coordinating the identification of high-potential employees, and performance appraisal management. Ms. Lynch holds a Masters degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia with a concentration in Marketing. She is a member of SHRM, WorldatWork, and is a member of the Board for the Washington Area Compensation and Benefits Association.
Sponsor:
We welcome our May sponsor, Employment Enterprises, Inc. - a single-source human resource partner for staffing, recruiting, assessment, pre-employment screening, training, employee retention programs, benefit programs and administration, payroll and tax, management information and outsourced management of the entire human resource function. Nancy Zsebo, Executive Vice President, will be available to talk about the services Employment Enterprises, Inc. offers. For more information, contact Nancy at 1-888-222-0457, or www.eeistf.com.
Register online at www.dullesshrm.org.
This program has been approved for 1.0 recertification credit hour toward PHR and SPHR recertification through HRCI. For more information, visit www.hrci.org.
EMBRY RUCKER SHELTER DONATIONS UPDATE
Members who attended the March dinner meeting donated $30 in cash! Cash donations were used to purchase Target gift certificates for the homeless. Thank you for your continued support. Reston Interfaith's programs address the most critical issues facing our neighbors: affordable housing needs and homelessness, nurturing and healthy environments for families, and social issues, such as domestic violence and substance abuse. For more on how to help, check out www.restoninterfaith.org.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DULLES SHRM FOR BEING AWARDED THE SUPERIOR MERIT AWARD!
National SHRM confirmed that Dulles SHRM received the Superior Merit Award status for 2005! Our chapter had completed and submitted the 2005 Chapter Achievement Plan (CAP) in January 2006. Each year, chapters have to submit the CAP to provide National SHRM with the chapter's accomplishments for the year before. Each accomplishment counted as 1 point on the checklist. Medium sized chapters (101-300 members) such as ours receive the Superior Merit Award for scoring over 70 points out of 100 (Merit Award for scoring 60 points). Congratulations to Kurt Cowles and the amazing 2005 Dulles SHRM Board on scoring 109 points out of 100!
SHRM SCHOLARSHIPS
Submitted by Lisa Forester, PHR, SHRM Foundation Rep & Scholarship Coordinator
Did you know… the SHRM Foundation provides $50,000 annually to fund the Regional Scholarship Program? The scholarships support SHRM members working full-time and pursuing HR degrees or professional certification. New for 2006! Four academic scholarships of $1300 each and eight certification scholarships of $600 each will be awarded in each region. Each of the five SHRM regions receives $10,000 to award to applicants in their part of the country. SHRM members, chapters and state councils may submit an application to SHRM by July 15 for consideration.
$50,000 in Regional Scholarships Available
One tangible benefit of the SHRM Foundation is its support of scholarships for SHRM members. The 2006 Regional Scholarship Program will award 60 scholarships totaling $50,000 in 2006. The awards program is designed to assist working SHRM members in meeting their professional development goals. SHRM members pursuing a college degree or professional certification are eligible to apply for either a $1300 education scholarship or a $600 certification scholarship. Twelve scholarships will be awarded in each of the five domestic regions, so applicants compete only with members in their own geographic area. (Members outside the U.S. are also eligible to apply.) The application deadline is July 15, 2006. Note: student members and local-only members are not eligible for these awards. The scholarships are made possible by your generous support of the SHRM Foundation through participation in the 50/50 Raffle every month at our chapter meetings. Award applications and information are available online at: http://www.shrm.org/foundation/EducationGrants.asp.
New Barbara Sanchez Scholarships
An additional scholarship program is now available for HR professionals in the media industry. Five $1500 scholarships, one in each SHRM domestic region, will be awarded annually to SHRM members pursuing a college degree. Applicants must be SHRM members working full-time in human resources in the media field (includes print, publishing, cable & satellite, broadcasting, motion picture, internet and communications.)
In 2000, a scholarship fund was created to honor the late Barbara Sanchez, an HR director at Newsday and a dedicated member of the Media Human Resources Association (MHRA) board of directors. MHRA was disbanded in 2003, and it was agreed that the remaining scholarship funds would be awarded through the SHRM Foundation. Funding is available for this scholarship program through 2009.
The application deadline is July 15, 2006. Award applications and information are available online at: http://www.shrm.org/foundation/EducationGrants.asp.
CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION UPDATE
By Chas Sumser, Dulles SHRM Certification Representative
Did you know that you can track all of your personal recertification credits online at the HRCI web site? If you have your PHR or SPHR, and you want to continue to maintain that certification, the online service makes doing so a whole lot easier.
If you have not logged in before, the first step is to visit www.hrci.org and follow the "recertification" links found in several places on the home page. To begin tracking your credits, just click on "My Recert File" under "Quick Links." Your HRCI login ID should have been given to you when you certified, but if you don't have one (or don't remember your ID) there's no need to panic. Just follow the directions on the login screen to get your ID and password.
There are many activities that qualify for credits including our own Dulles SHRM programs. I recommend that you explore the information about the recertification program in detail because there may be things that you are doing now that meet the HRCI criteria.
If you attended any of our 2006 programs, you can submit them for credit. Here is the information you need:
Date of Activity:
January 18, 2006
Type of Activity:
Pre-Approved SHRM Chapter Meeting
Title and Description:
"Can Generations Work Together"
Host:
Dulles SHRM
Credit Hours:
1.0
Date of Activity:
February 15, 2006
Type of Activity:
Pre-Approved SHRM Chapter Meeting
Title and Description:
"Rapid Recovery: Leading and Mentoring Others Through Hard Times"
Host:
Dulles SHRM
Credit Hours:
1.0
Date of Activity:
March 15, 2006
Type of Activity:
Pre-Approved SHRM Chapter Meeting
Title and Description:
"Lessons I've Learned Training 5,000+ Supervisors, Managers, and Team Leaders"
Host:
Dulles SHRM
Credit Hours:
1.0
Recertification information will be available at each of our upcoming programs in 2006. If you are interested in sitting for your PHR or SPHR, watch this space for information about the Dulles SHRM study group beginning in September and finishing in time for the December 2006-January 2007 testing window. If you have related questions, please feel free to contact Chas Sumser at chas@fgm.com.
EXECUSERVE ANNOUNCES "TOP TALENT TIP" CONTEST
Submitted by Kurt Cowles, SPHR, CCP, Past-President
MATHEWS, VIRGINIA - April 5, 2006 - Execuserve today announced the launch of a "Top Talent Tip" contest. (http://www.execuservecorp.com/talenttip) The purpose is to solicit fresh tips and strategies for employee selection, retention and development from human resources and business professionals. A $150 American Express gift check will be awarded to the winner, to be selected by a panel of experts.
Execuserve invites tips involving all aspects of talent management. "We're eager to uncover what managers in all departments, from different types of companies are doing to choose the right team members, as well as keep them engaged, motivated and productive," said Robin Rennockl, Senior Vice President. Even those who don't win the contest can have a taste of fame. All entries will be compiled and made available in a free white paper. Said Rennockl, "Part of our corporate mission is education. We want to share some of the creative, cost-effective and innovative ways managers approach talent management."
To enter, visit http://www.execuservecorp.com/talenttip. All entries must be submitted by June 30, 2006, 5 p.m. EST. The winner will be announced in July.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINARS
Key Strategies for Retaining & Motivating Employees and Essential Knowledge for Workforce Leaders
Provided by Jeanian Clark, WASHRM Certification Chair
Lord Fairfax Community College is hosting two seminars in May that carry six HRCI recertification credits each.
Key Strategies for Retaining and Motivating Employees
"Keeping the Good Ones" is a seminar based on the top selling Employee Retention Book "Love 'em or Lose 'em" by Beverly Kay, who was a presenter at the SHRM national conference. Tuesday, May 2, 2006 or Thursday, May 4, 2006.
Essential Knowledge for Workforce Leaders
"Human Resources for the Non-HR Manager" also carries 6 recertification points. Tuesday, May 16, 2006 or Thursday, May 18, 2006.
Register online at http://www.lfcc.edu/. For more information, please contact Jeanian Clark, WASHRM Certification Chair, at 540-868-7122, 800-906-LFCC.
Each event has been approved for 6 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).
FREE IMMIGRATION OPTIONS WORKSHOP FOR RESEARCHERS, SCIENTISTS AND FOREIGN MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
Provided by Gina Giambalvo, North Jersey/Rockland SHRM Chapter Marketing and PR Chair
Mr. David Nachman is presenting a Free Immigration Options Workshop for Researchers, Scientists and Foreign Medical Professionals, on Saturday, May 13th, 2006 at 2 PM in the Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore Hotel (20 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD).
This 2 hour workshop will:
Explore Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visa options; and
Answer questions about United States Immigration procedures; and
Provide general information on working in the United States.
For more information, please contact Gina Giambalvo, North Jersey/Rockland SHRM Chapter Marketing and PR Chair, at 201-236-9998 ext. 10, or gina_giambalvo@visaserve.com.
WINCHESTER CHAPTER SUMMER SLAMMER JUNE 6TH
Presenter: Scott Christopher
Who says employee recognition has to be difficult? Many of today's leading companies are successfully transforming their corporations into "Carrot Cultures" - creating workplaces where employees are committed, profitability is high, and retention is among the best in their industries. You'll learn how every organization can implement these simple principles: Recognition/motivation programs do not need to be complex or expensive. Most non-monetary and formal recognition doesn't have the impact it should. With a few simple ideas used in America's best companies, you can increase the impact of the recognition presentation. The impact of recognition on your organization can be measured. Companies have learned how to measure the impact of recognition.
Manager of Recognition Training at the O.C. Tanner Company, Scott Christopher has presented on the power of recognition to delighted HR and manager audiences from Caesars Entertainment to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) annual national conference. He currently crisscrosses the U.S. speaking to O.C. Tanner customers and other leadership groups about recognition programs that are strategic, simple, measurable and actually work. A contributing author of the bestselling A Carrot a Day, Scott presents concepts, research and exercises from Managing with Carrots and The 24-Carrot Manager, written by industry colleagues Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton. His audiences laugh a lot, participate en masse and always leave energized with the tools to unleash the potential of their workforces.
Details:
2006 Summer Slammer June 8, 2006 / 8:00-11:30 a.m.
Breakfast & Registration: 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. Seminar: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
$99 per person
Registration Deadline: Friday, June 2, 2006 Register Today:
Via Web: www.lfcc.edu/WorkforceServices Via Phone: 540-868-7021 Via Fax: 540-868-7020
Via Mail: LFCC Workforce Services, 73 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645
Location:
Lord Fairfax Community College
William H. McCoy Special Events Center located inside the Alson H. Smith Technology Center
This program has been approved for 2.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).
VIRGINIA SHRM STATE COUNCIL GOLF TOURNAMENT OCTOBER 11TH
(At the start of the State Conference)
Date:
October 11, 2006
7:30 AM Registration, 8:00 AM Shotgun Start, 1:00 PM Awards & Lunch on the Deck
Sponsored by:
Roanoke Valley SHRM
New River Valley SHRM
Virginia SHRM State Council
Hanging Rock Country Club
18 holes of Captain Choice
Prizes for the Winning Teams
Closest to Pin on Par Three's
Beginners are Welcome
Cost:
$50 per player
$200 per team
Please submit your entries by September 20, 2006:
Coy Renick, SPHR Phone 540-890-3153, Cell 540-556-4480 Email: crenick@cox.net
SHRM NEWS
This information is provided courtesy of the Society for Human Resource Management.
April 12, 2006 Topic: Drug Testing Policies
A recent survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 84 percent of human resource (HR) professionals said their organization has pre-employment drug testing, while 39 percent said their organization conducts random drug testing. The survey was conducted March 14, 2006. There were 454 HR professionals from SHRM's membership surveyed for this report. Survey respondents were asked the following questions:
Does you organization have a written or unwritten policy addressing drug use in the workplace?
*70 percent have a formal written policy that addresses drug testing.
*30 percent do not have a written policy that addresses drug testing.
Which of the following drug tests does your organization conduct?
*84 percent - pre-employment drug testing.
*73 percent - reasonable suspicion drug testing.
*58 percent - post-accident drug testing
*39 percent - random drug testing.
*14 percent - schedule drug testing
* 1 percent - baseline drug testing.
* 5 percent - other
For more information or to receive the full survey by e-mail, please contact Jen Jorgensen at 703-535-6356or jjorgensen@shrm.org, Will Gray at 703-535-6012 or wlgray@shrm.org, or Frank Scanlan at 703-535-6043 or
fscanlan@shrm.org.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Submitted by Judy Carter, Legislative Liaison
The 2006 Virginia General Assembly has ended its regular session, but has reconvened for further budget deliberations. Here are some highlights of employment issues considered this year by the Assembly.
Marriage Amendment:
The full text of the proposed constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage will be on the Nov. 7th ballot. As summarized in The Washington Post, opponents said the original wording of the question was vague and misleading because voters would not realize that they were also voting to prohibit civil unions and that it could also prohibit contracts between unmarried couples. Proponents, according to The Washington Post, said the amendment is needed to ensure that the state will not have to recognized marriages or civil unions from other states. There was also a concern by the business community that the amendment would have an effect on eligibility for benefits for employees and their dependents.
Paperless Payroll: Carried over to 2007.
This bill would authorize private sector employers to pay wages and salaries by credit to a prepaid debit card or card account, without the employee's affirmative consent, if the employee fails to designate a financial institution to which payment could be made by electronic transfer, etc. This bill, which would allow the paperless payment of wages, thereby saving companies money, was strongly supported by the business community.
Prohibition of Discrimination in Employment Based on Certain Criminal Convictions: Carried over to 2007.
This bill would have prohibited discrimination in employment based on an individual's criminal conviction record unless the conviction directly relates to the circumstances of the particular position, occupation, trade, or profession for which the individual is seeking employment.
Firearms in Locked Vehicles: Failed.
This bill would have prohibited business entities from enforcing policies that would prohibit a person from storing a lawfully possessed firearm in a locked vehicle. This bill was being pushed in a number of states by the NRA.
Minimum Wage: Failed.
Three separate bills would have increased the minimum wage by one dollar increments over the next few years and adjusted annually in subsequent years. A request for an increase in the minimum wage seems to come up frequently, but so far has failed each time.
Employment of Illegal Aliens: Failed.
This bill would have provided a cause of action against any entity in the same business if the entity knowingly employs aliens who are ineligible for employment in the U.S. In addition to economic damages, the plaintiff could have recovered $500 for each illegal alien employed by the defendant.
For a summary of general labor, employment law, and health insurance issues considered by the 2006 Virginia General Assembly, you can go to VA SHRM's web site at www.shrmva.org. Click on State Council Announcements and Events.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
2006 Conferences:
- June 25-28 - SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition, Washington, D.C.
Chapter Breakfast/Dinner Meetings:
- June - No Meeting National SHRM Convention
- July 19 (Breakfast Meeting): "Contacts Count: Networking Skills for HR Professionals" Presenter: Wendy Mack, SPHR, T3 Consulting.
- August 16 (Dinner Meeting) - "Ethical Issues" Presenter: Keith Green, SPHR, Focus: HR Strategy & Direction
- September 20 (Dinner Meeting) - TBA, Presenter: Caryn Pass, Krupin O'Brien, Focus: HR Law
- October 18 (Breakfast Meeting) - "Straight talk…Crucial Conversations" with Marcia Riley, Chief Learning Officer and AVP Talent Management, INOVA Health, Focus: Career Development
- November 15 (Dinner Meeting) - "Career Development" Present Steve Arneson.
- December 6 (Dinner Meeting) - Holiday Party
CHAPTER DISCUSSION GROUP - "RECRUITING FOR SMALL COMPANIES"
Thursday, May 4
Contributed by Cindy Loison, SPHR, Director, Discussion Group
Recruiting for a small company has its unique challenges, including budgetary issues and career paths for employees. Bill Fitzgerald, Managing Partner, FitzDrake Search, will facilitate a discussion on how to successfully attract top talent to smaller companies. FitzDrake Search is a retained executive search firm located in northern Virginia which offers an alternative to traditional fee based search firms.
In preparation, please reflect on the following questions:
- What are some cost-effective approaches for a small company to use?
- How do we differentiate our employment offer from the bigger firms in the area?
- How do we find the best talent in this market place?
- How do we sabotage our own recruiting efforts?
- Who is really responsible for recruiting?
- When does it make sense to use a search firm?
- How do we engage our employees in the recruitment process?
You are invited to bring examples from your experience, or, if you have had no previous experience in this area, consider this an opportunity to learn from your colleagues. There is no charge for attending. Just be sure to call ahead so we expect you.
Please confirm your participation by registering on-line, at least 24 hours in advance, at www.dullesshrm.org. If you have questions, feel free to call Cindy Loison at 703-265-7520. Participation is limited to the first 25 people who sign up.
Date:
Thursday, May 4
Time:
7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Place:
AgustaWestlandBell, LLC
11700 Plaza America Dr, Ste 900
Reston VA 20190
Phone:
703-373-8357; (Contact: Tina Strasheim)
Directions:
From points east:
Take Toll Road (VA 267) to exit 12 (VA602 - Reston Parkway)
Right on Reston Parkway
Right on Sunset Hills Road (1st light)
Right at 2nd light into Plaza America
Around circle, take 3rd right into parking garage. We are on 9th floor.
From points west:
Take Toll Road (VA 267) to exit 12 (VA602 - Reston Parkway)
Left on Reston Parkway
Right on Sunset Hills Road (2nd light)
Right at 2nd light into Plaza America
Around circle, take 3rd right into parking garage. We are on 9th floor.
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
Contributed by Lynn Padgett, Vice President, Membership
The Dulles Society of Human Resource Management SHRM welcomes our newest members.
Thank you for choosing our chapter!
Ayanna Alexander
Paola Alvarez, PHR, Lead Director of Human Resources, Westfields Marriott
Susan Davis, Director of Human Resources & Administration, ESN, Inc.
Leslie Harpold, PHR, HR Analyst, Sprint Nextel
Pam Marsters, SPHR, Employee Development Officer, U.S. Geological Survey
Deborah Milford, PHR, Human Resource Supervisor, Mediatech, Inc
Marcos Montalvo, Safety & Training Manager, Reston Limousine
Sandra Mott, SPHR, Sr. HR Manager, AOL
TELEWORK!VA OFFERING EMPLOYERS UP TO $35,000 FOR TELEWORK!
Contributed by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
Telework!Va is offering employers up to $35,000 to start or expand a formal telework program. A public / private partnership serving Virginia businesses, Telework!Va knows a long, stressful commute does nothing for an employee's morale and productivity. And they have proof teleworking strengthens employee retention and recruitments, reduces absenteeism and lowers operation expenses. All facts employers appreciate. Not to mention the fact companies can receive as much as $3,500 per employee (for up to ten employees) to establish a telecommuting link, lease home office equipment or pay for office space at a convenient telework center. This web site provides all the details, guidelines, and help you need to get started. With $35,000 waiting for you, it's worth the time to learn more about Telework!Va. www.teleworkva.org
COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES READY FOR SUMMER AND FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT
Labor Department Releases Free Database On Cd
Contributed by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
Contact: Peggy Abrahamson or Melinda Thielen of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Public Affairs, 202-693-4676
WASHINGTON, April 12 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is now offering a free database of 1,900 qualified college students and recent graduates with disabilities who seek summer and full-time employment. This CD-ROM database can be used by employers to search from a pool of pre-screened applicants from over 45 states and territories who have skills in disciplines ranging from computer sciences and business to communications, engineering, office administration and more.
"The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) is an excellent resource of well-educated and highly skilled job candidates for employers to choose from," said Dr. W. Roy Grizzard Jr., assistant secretary for disability employment policy. "The program also offers an opportunity for college students and graduates with disabilities to contribute their talents to organizations large and small."
ODEP, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, is offering the database of job seekers through its Workforce Recruitment Program. The program also fulfills President Bush's New Freedom Initiative pledge to promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the nation.
Information about WRP is available by clicking on Workforce Recruitment Program at http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/employer/recruit_and_hire/recruitment.htm or by calling 202- 693-7880. To request a free copy of the entire WRP database on CD-ROM, send your name, company name and mailing address to wrp@dol.gov.
The Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) is available for employers who have job vacancies and are actively looking to find and recruit qualified workers with disabilities in their localities. EARN is also able to provide support, technical assistance and employee screening for the WRP database CD-ROM. EARN can be reached at 1-866-Earn Now (1-866-327-6669) or by clicking on Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network at http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/employer/recruit_and_hire/recruitment.htm. More information about ODEP can be found at its Web site at http://www.dol.gov/odep, and a cross-governmental portal of comprehensive disability-related information can be found at http://www.DisabilityInfo.govhttp://www.DisabilityInfo.gov.
ATTITUDE, NOT COST, BARRIER TO DISABLED WORKERS
By Catherine Komp
Contributed by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
Recent data shows employers who make an effort to accommodate employees with disabilities can do so at little cost and great benefit, exposing deeper discrimination behind dismal employment numbers.
Mar. 9 - Impressing a potential employer during an interview and getting a good job offer is difficult for many. But for those with disabilities - who must prove they are as qualified as non-disabled candidates - finding any job has its own challenges.
When Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) fifteen years ago, supporters hoped the equity legislation would increase disabled peoples' opportunities for employment. But, according to researchers at Cornell University, the employment rate for people with disabilities peaked around 25 percent in the 1990s before dropping below 20 percent by 2004.
The Department of Labor attributes this low employment rate, in part, to the misconception that accommodating people with disabilities in the workplace is prohibitively costly. In fact, research indicates that the opposite is true. The Labor Department's Job Accommodation Network (JAN), which helps employers hire, retain, and promote people with disabilities, has found that most workplace accommodations can be implemented at little or no cost.
Since cost is not the main barrier, say disability advocates, more needs to change than simply architecture and ergonomics.
"Most disabled people would tell you that the bigger concerns they have around the workplace are not around physical accessibility," said Andrew Imparato, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities. "They're more around attitudes. I think it's easier to legislate and see change around bricks and mortar than it is around attitudes."
Low-cost, High-impact
The JAN survey, which will continue through September 2007, released preliminary findings last month based on feedback from 778 employers that had contacted the agency for information about employing people with disabilities.
The vast majority of the employers surveyed had called because they were interested in learning how to retain their employees, who on average had been employed for seven years and were paid about $13 per hour.
About half reported that implementing workplace adjustments came at no expense, and about 43 percent reported a one-time cost that averaged around $600.
"Many employers tell us it's as simple as making a flexible schedule [for an employee]," said Anne Hirsch, director of services for JAN and co-author of the study. She told The NewStandard that many accommodations are similar to those commonly purchased to make it easier for non-disabled employees to do their jobs, like telephone headsets or specialized computer software that can aid people with vision or range of motion impairments.
Cassie James, self-services coordinator at Liberty Resources, a Philadelphia-based advocacy group for people with disabilities, said many employers wrongly assume that adaptive improvements will be pricey. James, who uses a wheelchair comfortably at her office, said there are many obstacles that need simple fixes rather than state-of-the art solutions.
She gave the scenario of needing to adjust desk height for someone in a taller wheelchair. "If I went out and thought about how can we make this, I might be able to get one of those long working tables and put it on a couple of bricks and it's just as good," James said.
The law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is one company that found cost-effective ways to create a better work environment for disabled employees. The internationally-based firm, which employs over 1,000 people, discovered that minor adjustments - like using instant messaging for some office communications and moving desks so that employees' backs were not facing the door - could help accommodate two employees with hearing loss.
"With the deaf employees, that was something new for us, and we actually went to them and asked, 'What can we do to make life easier and help you communicate with us and help us communicate with you?'" explained Britta Stromeyer, human-resources manager at the firm.
Pillsbury law has joined other large companies, including Cingular, Embassy Suites Hotels and IBM, in working with the Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN), a federally funded accessible-technology company that helps connect businesses to people with disabilities who are looking for work. Stromeyer said she initially used EARN's services because of problems finding quality candidates through traditional labor recruiting sources, but discovered added benefits beyond simply attracting qualified employees.
"It makes a difference in teamwork in general when you really have a diverse pool of opinions and ideas," Stromeyer told TNS.
The JAN report found that of the employers surveyed, nearly 9 in 10 reported retaining a valued employee through better workplace accommodations. In addition, three-quarters cited increased productivity, and over half said they eliminated the costs of hiring and training a new employee.
Employers also reported indirect benefits like improved interactions with co-workers and customers, increased company morale and improved workplace safety. Report co-author Hirsch said that all of these results are nothing more than the product of good management skills. "Employers who are proactive look at [workplace accommodations] as how can we use this to improve work for everyone," she said.
Attitudes Must Follow
While the results of JAN's survey indicated that many employers of people with disabilities found little cost and great benefit, survey respondents were limited to companies that had sought out the agency to help them accommodate employees.
Advocates for people with disabilities interviewed by TNS shared a common concern that in the larger market, stereotypes and discrimination present greater hurdles.
"The biggest barriers are still attitudinal," said Linda Richman, deputy executive director of Liberty Resources. In her view, many employers mistakenly believe that hiring a person with a disability means that "you're automatically compromising somehow on the quality or volume of work."
"That means that workers that really want to work [might not] have the right exposure to the business world," she explained, "and it also means employers… are still carrying around a lot of misconceptions about what it would really be like to work with a person with a disability every day."
Richman, who runs an intensive 18-month job-training course for people with disabilities, added that in today's economic climate, they are lucky if one student per month is hired.
"We really have the decks stacked against us a lot of the time," Richman said. "[The economy] makes it hard because our folks are all entry level, and most companies these days have a glut of really experienced people that are taking entry level jobs because they don't have anything else."
In addition to a tight job market and employer misconceptions, people with disabilities are sometimes hindered by their own apprehensions about the employment process, according to Kristen Stern, an employment consultant at the Milwaukee-based education, advocacy and independent-living-services organization Independence First.
"A lot people that have disabilities may be afraid to go back to work. If it's a [newly acquired] disability, they might not know if they can do the job, or they might not have the confidence needed to do the job," Stern told TNS.
Imparato, of the American Association for People with Disabilities, stressed the need for more fundamental change to increase employment rates and financial independence for people with disabilities.
"The ADA is an equal-opportunity law," Imparato said, "so it works well for people with disabilities who have skills and who are qualified for jobs that are open." But, he added, "we still have a lot of barriers in terms of our education system, our rehabilitation system, where there are a lot of people with disabilities who are not competitive in the modern labor market, and the ADA is not going to change that."
The possibility of losing Social Security benefits and access to reliable transportation has also prevented some from venturing into the job market, Imparto noted.
Imparato is currently serving on a federal advisory panel to develop recommendations to reform Social Security benefits that would permit people with disabilities to both work and receive federal assistance for medical bills and other supportive needs.
"I believe we've defined eligibility for that program based on outdated attitudes about what people with significant disabilities are capable of doing in the workplace," said Imparato. He advocated revising eligibility requirements to give more weight to the degree of functional impairment, which would allow more opportunities for people to both work and receive benefits.
For Babs Johnson, national spokesperson for American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT), one of the organizations that pushed for passage of the ADA, the issue of employment rates among people with disabilities relates directly to the organization's mission of fighting against the institutionalization of people with disabilities and enabling them to attain greater independence.
"I believe that it's healthy for everybody to [work]," said Johnson. "We all need to feel like we are contributing to society, and employment is one of the main ways that people do that."
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VISA LIMITS FUEL FRUSTRATION IN EFFORTS TO FILL HIGH-SKILL JOBS
Observers Say Firms Are Being Forced To Drop Key Projects or Offshore More Work; a Proposal to Raise the Cap on H-1b Visas Could Provide Relief
By Fay Hansen
Contributed by Evelyn Kaiser, Diversity/Workforce Education Director
The six recruiters who work at CS Solutions Inc., an IT services company based in Minneapolis, cannot fill one-third of the company's 50 open positions and cannot secure H-1B visas to bring in qualified foreign workers to take the jobs. To make matters worse, the company needs to hire an additional 100 workers to meet its business plan for revenue growth of 80 percent in 2006.
Paul Kuttikadan, CS Solutions' COO, will have to hire four or five more recruiters this year because searching for candidates has become an extraordinarily time-consuming task. The IT labor shortage has pushed the company's recruiting and wage costs higher; Kuttikadan has been forced to renegotiate contracts with clients to cover the increase.
"I am frustrated," he says. "Our recruiters and account managers are frustrated. Our business is expanding rapidly, but we can't hire the people we need. Employee turnover is rising because our engineers are well aware of the power they wield in the marketplace. Clients are demanding that we push more work out to our offshore facility in Chennai, India."
When U.S. recruiters go out to buy technical talent, they shop in domestic markets that are highly protected by restrictive immigration policies, voluminous and ever-changing rules and a cumbersome visa process. The prime example of this regulatory nightmare is the H-1B visa program. The current cap on the number of H-1B visas issued annually is 65,000, or about 1 percent of the total U.S. science and engineering workforce.
"The cap on H1-B visas has limited the high-tech industry's ability to attract and retain the best and the brightest workers," says Jack Krumholtz, managing director for federal government affairs at Microsoft. "This harms our ability to innovate and has negative consequences for U.S. global competitiveness. This challenge is only increasing. In 2005, the H-1B cap was reached two months before the fiscal year even began."
Legislation to raise the cap to 115,000 is part of a huge package of immigration law reforms now before Congress, but experts agree that there is no guarantee that the higher cap will pass. If Congress does not raise the cap substantially, recruiting sufficient numbers of skilled science and engineering workers will become impossible.
Looking in the Haystack
Steve Swanson recruits technology workers for the semiconductor industry as part of the Princeton Search Group, a search firm with 150 recruiters specializing in managerial and technical employees. Even with his years of recruiting experience and a database of 200,000 names, Swanson has 30 open positions.
"I could fill all of them tomorrow if I could get H-1B visas," Swanson says. On April 1, companies can begin the application process to obtain H-1B visas for the federal fiscal year beginning October 1, but Swanson and other experts believe that the supply will be exhausted by midsummer unless the cap is raised.
The visa cap has put Swanson under enormous pressure. "When a company can't fill a position with a H-1B employee, they tell me to go find the needle in the haystack," he says. "Without the ability to look abroad, a U.S. company that wants to fill a position in 30 days will have to settle for a less experienced worker or make a substantial increase in the starting offer." He notes that companies are facing dramatic labor cost increases because less experienced candidates may require six months of training.
Demand for H-1B candidates continues to climb. Eighty-five percent of the companies that used H-1B visas in 2005 plan to do so in 2006, according to salary survey firm Culpepper and Associates. Ten percent of companies that did not use H-1B visas in 2005 plan to use them this year.
The jobs that H-1B employees fill stretch far beyond IT positions. "Large U.S. companies often need H-1B employees to work with clients and customers based in other countries or to handle international logistics," says Kathleen M. Hanenburg, partner and chair of the immigration law group at Warner Norcross & Judd in Grand Rapids , Michigan. "The language skills and knowledge required for these jobs are in short supply among U.S. workers."
Her clients report that they are turning down contracts and offshoring more work to Asia because they can't fill positions here.
Killing the Feeder System
The difficulties recruiters face will only grow worse as the visa cap continues to damage the U.S. university feeder system for foreign talent. "We have foreign students educated here for semiconductor work who must then return home when their student visa expires," Swanson says. "I try to recruit that intellectual capital back here under H-1B visas, but then the cap kicks in and I can't. There is a finite international talent pool, and U.S. employers are at a disadvantage."
Microsoft is feeling the pinch. "While Microsoft actively recruits from top U.S. campuses, the reality is that the majority of advanced degrees awarded by U.S. universities in engineering, mathematics and computer sciences are to foreign nationals," the company's Krumholtz says. Current visa limits preclude Microsoft and other companies from hiring many of these graduates."
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has called on Congress to eliminate the H-1B caps entirely.
Foreign students account for 55 percent of all doctoral candidates and 41 percent of all master's degree candidates in U.S. engineering graduate schools, according to the National Science Foundation. For most of its history, the United States has not produced enough U.S.-born scientists and engineers to meet domestic demand.
"The H-1B visa caps are ill considered because they push U.S. companies to send work abroad and kill the feeder system," says Angelo A. Paparelli, a partner at Paparelli & Partners, a law firm specializing in immigration law. "The feeder system is interrupted from the start because foreign students who might have entered U.S. universities go elsewhere because of the uncertainty surrounding their ability move from a U.S. student visa to a H-1B visa."
Although the common perception is that most H-1B visa holders are from India, that nation accounts for only 22 percent of the 387,000 H-1B employees now working at U.S. companies, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Americas account for 109,000, or 28 percent; Europe accounts for 112,000, including 32,000 from the United Kingdom.
Even when U.S. recruiters can secure an H-1B visa for a valuable foreign employee, extending the stay beyond the six-year visa limit is extremely difficult and the company often loses the employee. "The green card process takes so long now that foreign workers return home or leave for Europe or Australia," CS Solutions' Kuttikadan says.
Overcoming Opposition
"Because they can't get H-1B visas, U.S. employers are fit to be tied," Paparelli says. "My clients have been forced to suspend projects and turn away business because they can't hire the employees they need." He believes that employer attempts to raise the caps have been thwarted by disinformation from those who oppose immigration in general and from alliances of U.S. high-tech workers.
"The H-1B visa issue is an example of government by anecdote," Paparelli says. "Some U.S. workers who failed to maintain crucial skills were displaced by H-1B workers, and Congress seized on the issue, which is always popular in an election year."
Because bringing in an employee under an H-1B visa is expensive and time-consuming, many recruiters pursue H-1B employees only as a last resort. "Employers are bearing up under the burden of the H-1B process because they need these employees," Paparelli says.
Kuttikadan reports that CS Solutions turns to foreign workers only when it cannot find U.S. candidates. "To fill a position, we search our own database, look locally and then go to the job boards," he says. "It costs much more to bring in H-1B workers, and the risk is much higher."
In April, CS Solutions will file the paperwork to secure new H-1B visas, but it is likely to come up short unless the cap is raised. "Our other options are limited," Kuttikadan says. "We can try to use other types of visas, but these provide only a temporary solution, and our clients want a more long-term relationship."
At a minimum, the H-1B visa process adds $3,000-$5,000 to recruiting costs per candidate, according to Hanenburg at Warner Norcross & Judd. Costs are much higher if complex legal issues arise or relocation expenses are included. But with the domestic labor markets growing tighter and the number of U.S.-born science and engineering students declining, U.S. recruiters will run through the 65,000 H-1B visa quota quickly.
"If the cap is not raised, there is no real alternative for most U.S. companies," Hanenburg says. "Removing the cap will not happen until business mobilizes to a much higher degree. The problem is that Congress has not been able to distinguish between low-skill illegal immigrants and the highly skilled H-1B visa employees."
Kuttikadan believes that the shortage of highly skilled workers will last for at least three to five years, and companies will be forced to offshore more work. "The only lasting solution is for the U.S. government to recognize the problem in the educational system," he says. "In particular, it must recognize that people cannot afford the college education that they need to fill these jobs."
If U.S. trade policies for importing high-tech equipment mirrored immigration policies for high-tech labor, the U.S. economy would come to a screeching halt. "The U.S. must understand that globalization is a two-way street," Kuttikadan says. Unless Congress loosens the protectionist stranglehold, recruiters will be in for another extraordinarily tough year.
The Dulles Society for Human Resource ManagementNewsletter is published monthly.Denise Henderson, editorMary Walter Midkiff, sponsorshipMaggie Chan, presidentDeadline for submissions for the May issue is May 12, 2006.E-Mail your news to: dhenderson@artelinc.com www.dullesshrm.org
Workforce Management Online, March 2006
That’s all for this month unless you have any ideas or suggestions? This is your chapter - let us know what’s on your mind!
Maggie Chan
President
Dulles SHRM
maggie.chan@bearingpoint.com
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