Planning is well underway for the upcoming 2005 Virginia State Conference to be held in Virginia Beach on September 25-27. Join HR colleagues from Virginia for daily keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and vendor exhibits.

ACCOUNTING TREASURE HUNT:

Lawrence G. Singleton, Ph.D., CPA will be presenting The Accounting Treasure Hunt seminar. The seminar has been successful at teaching accounting, finance, and financial management fundamentals to HR professionals. Larry has presented the seminar at SHRM’s 2002, 2003, and 2004 Annual Conferences, and was selected as a Top Ten Annual Conference Speaker in 2004.

Larry will be offering Dulles SHRM Chapter Members an opportunity to attend the upcoming June 28, 2005 Washington, DC seminar at a greatly reduced price (2 attend for the price of 1).

To obtain the special price:

The Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) and Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services invite you to a free breakfast and seminar. Come and learn more about disability employment issues while networking with other human resource professionals and employment specialists.

Dulles SHRM members are invited to join the Washington Business Journal for a breakfast program featuring best-selling author Bob Nelson. The program will be held on Thursday, August 11, at the Hilton McLean Tyson’s Corner. Mr. Nelson will present principles from the latest edition of his book, 1001 Ways to Motivate Employees.

This two-hour breakfast presentation will arm you and your management team with real-life, low-cost ways to reward and recognize great employees and to build a performance culture. Mr. Nelson will focus on how to develop high morale and how to attract and retain top quality employees.

This session will specifically address issues related to:

• Stress & Change
• Employee Morale & Motivation
• Productivity & Performance
• Retention & Recruiting

$99 registration fee includes:

• One-year, Non-deductible, Non-transferable Washington Business Journal New or Renewal Subscription (Reduced attendee subscription price is $65 for 52 issues plus the next published "Book of Lists" issue.)
• 1001 Ways to Reward Employees
• Continental Breakfast

Continental breakfast and networking hour begin at 8 a.m. Mr. Nelson’s presentation will run from 9-11 a.m.

Hilton McLean Tysons Corner
7920 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, VA

Please register online at and indicate that you are a member of Dulles SHRM. Questions can be directed to Liz Huntley at 703/312-8344 or at lhuntley@bizjournals.com .

Brought to you in association with:

• American Society of Training and Development
• Capital Area Staffing Association
• Dulles SHRM
• HRA-NCA (Human Resources Association of the National Capital Area)
• International Society for Performance Improvement -- Potomac Chapter
• Metropolitan Washington Work/Life Coalition
• Montgomery County SHRM
• NOVA SHRM
• Project SAME
• Washington Area Compensation and Benefits Association
• WTPF

The Dulles Chapter continues to grow. We welcome the following new members who joined the Chapter during April:

Mary Lou Byrne - VP Management Recruiting, Maximus, Inc.
Bill Jugus, SPHR - Chief Operating Officer, Integrity Applications, Inc.
Andrea Parker - Human Resource Consultant, Employment Enterprises
Felicity Riley - Human Resources Generalist, Mindbank Consulting Group
Tina M. Strasheim - Senior HR Manager, AOL
Joanna Tuyahov
Carolyn S. Wall, SPHR - Human Resources Manager, Hamilton Resources Corp.
Eric Welter - President, Welter Law Firm, PC
Kerry L. Worsham, SPHR - Sr. Human Resources Manager, Nextel Communication

Employers face workforce challenges daily, and the forecast of labor market shortages is not getting any brighter. A 2003, survey report, “Rising to the Challenge,” conducted by the Center for Workforce Preparation (CWP), a nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reveals that workforce development and a shortage of workers at all skill levels are the major issues facing small and large businesses today. Moreover, a recent Aspen Institute report (August 2002) projects a critical shortage of workers over the next 20 years, particularly in jobs requiring higher education and training. The report confirms what chambers of commerce and their business members already know - there are too few sources of qualified workers to meet projected needs. Hiring people with disabilities and retaining employees who acquire disabilities can meet workforce needs now and in the future.

The bottom line benefits for companies that recruit and hire people with disabilities (according to employer surveys and published company reports):

• Companies that recruit people with disabilities widen their recruiting net and increase chances of finding the best candidates to fill the growing number of available jobs.
• Diverse employees bring new solutions to old problems. Hiring people with different backgrounds brings new perspectives to solve challenges all companies face. People with disabilities are an important part of a diverse workforce.
• Skills needed to manage a disability - problem solving, perseverance, planning and people skills - are all also valued business skills.
• The experience of working with an individual with a disability raises the morale of other employees.
• Low turnover - people with disabilities have better retention rates and are more loyal to the companies that hire them.
• According to corporate insurers such as UNUM/Provident, bringing back an employee who acquires a disability raises morale of peers, saves in hiring and training costs, lowers corporate insurance premiums and engenders a culture that all employees are valued and not considered disposable.
• Opportunities to tap into the $180 billion disposable income that 54 million people with disabilities command.
  • According to Solutions Marketing Group (SMG) research, people with disabilities spent more than $81 billion on travel in 1995. This figure excludes the expenditure of their families, friends and escorts.
  • According to a recent General Accounting Office report, improving physical access in accordance with the ADA has increased revenues in the hotel and hospitality industry by 12%.
• New product knowledge - features that make doing something easier for people with disabilities often makes doing something easier for everyone. People with disabilities bring new product knowledge to your business.
• Foster goodwill in community and with clients.
• Marketing studies have shown that 54% of households pay more attention to and say they would patronize businesses that feature people with disabilities in their advertising. (US Paralympic Committee, 1996)
• People with disabilities can do the same work as their non-disabled peers and are highly qualified to perform competitive, meaningful jobs.

DISPELLING THE MYTHS ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

MYTH 1
40% of employers maintain that it can be difficult or costly to provide accommodations to workers with disabilities. (March, 2003 Work Trends study, Rutgers University)

TRUTH 1
The majority of employers who had made accommodations found that the cost of the accommodation was only $500 or less. The vast majority (73%) of employers report that their disabled workers did not require accommodations. (March, 2003 Work Trends study)

In addition, according to the EEOC:

• An employer has the discretion to choose among equally effective alternative accommodations, not necessarily the particular accommodation the employee requests or prefers;
• An employer never has to lower performance or production standards as an accommodation;
• An employer never has to retain someone in a position who is unable to perform the essential functions even with an accommodation;
• An employer never has to provide an accommodation that would pose an undue hardship.

Many employers are unaware of tax incentives and reimbursements that offset costs of training and making accommodations for employees with disabilities.

• The most frequently used employer incentives for hiring individuals with disabilities are the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, the Welfare to Work Tax Credit, the Veterans Job Training Act. Other tax credits and deductions available to employers are the Disabled Access Credit, the Architectural/Transportation Tax Deduction, the Mentor-Protege Program and the Social Security Administration Employment Network Cash Provision.

MYTH 2
People with disabilities will sue.

TRUTH 2

• 91% of employers had no ADA complaints filed in the previous 12 months. (Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) study, April 2003)
• In 1999, the vast majority of employers (over 80%) had never had disability claims. (Cornell/SHRM survey, 1999)
• An overwhelming majority of ADA law complaints are ruled in favor of the employer. The 2002 American Bar Association study of ADA litigation in the federal courts found that employers win federal ADA cases 94.5% of the time.
• When a lawsuit is brought, according to the EEOC, no money damages will be awarded even to a plaintiff who proves denial of accommodation, if the employer made a good faith effort to attempt accommodation.
• People with disabilities want jobs, not lawsuits. Persons with disabilities are no more of a “legal liability” than are individuals based on color, religion, sex, age, etc. An employer does not have to fear lawsuits if managers and supervisors are well trained in anti-discrimination laws and actually practice good management, rating performance on known standardized measures.

MYTH 3 Employees with disabilities will use more sick leave and won’t be as productive as other employees.

TRUTH 3 Employees with disabilities have the same absentee and sick rates as non- disabled employees. Industry reports consistently rate workers with disabilities as average or above average in performance, quality and quantity of work, flexibility to demands, attendance and safety.

MYTH 4 Employees with disabilities will raise health insurance costs.

TRUTH 4 Large companies do not experience insurance increases when they hire employees with high health care needs. And because of recent Medicare changes and Medicaid Buy-in programs adopted by several states, many people with disabilities carry their own primary insurance, actually reducing their employer’s costs. Companies that institute Return-to Work programs for their employees that become disabled will also reduce their insurance costs.

For more information, please contact Evelyn Kaiser, Business Development Manager, Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services, 703-277-3511.