Membership Dues Now Due
Dulles SHRM Discussion Groups
Don't Make Me Beg-It Isn't Pretty...
Legislative Update
Board Meeting Minutes
Did You Know? Dulles SHRM's Dirty Little Secret...
Dulles Chapter of SHRM in the NEWS!!!
National SHRM’s Hot HR Topics for 2001
SHRM Publishes Their First E-book
Mark Your Calendars
Upcoming Meeting Topics
Membership Dues Now Due
It’s that time of the year. No, I’m not talking about the beginning of spring (although I will admit that’s a great thought) - this is a not so gentle reminder that if you have not already done so, you need to pay your Dulles SHRM dues for this calendar year are now due (unless you joined the chapter during Oct - Dec, 2000).
This is the best investment you will make as a HR professional! You get reduced rates at monthly meetings, certification study groups, and other Dulles Chapter events; reduced rates at HR Alliance and other local SHRM chapter seminars and events; a listing in the Dulles Chapter directory (and a copy for great networking possibilities); and the many other advantages of affiliating with the Dulles Chapter.
For as little as $25.00 a year for National SHRM members, $40.00 for Friends of the Chapter, all of this is available to you. The cut off for listing in the directory is March 31st, so act now. Send your dues to our Treasurer today!
Ray Hasser
Merrill Lynch
8075 Leesburg Pike, Suite 600
Vienna, VA 22180
(For those of you who are new members, or have updated information for the directory, also please click here to fill out a membership form.)
Dulles SHRM Discussion Groups
Exciting news! The Dulles SHRM discussion groups are off to a terrific start! The last discussion group on new hire orientation plans was quite lively with 13 participants from 6 different companies.
Looking ahead, the next discussion group will be regarding human resources shared service centers on May 4th from 7:30 am to 9:30 am at Lafarge in Herndon. Lafarge is looking at the concept and would love participation from experienced entities, or folks who are currently looking at the concept themselves
Don't Make Me Beg-It Isn't Pretty...
We still have some volunteer opportunities - please, please, please - we need your help!
(See, you made me beg!)
- Diversity Coordinator - We are still looking for a Diversity Coordinator. We need someone to bring diversity issues, training, information and an overall enhanced awareness to the members of the chapter. Not a huge commitment but it would be great for the chapter!
- Foundation Coordinator - We’d like to add a new Board position of Foundation Coordinator. This person would represent the interests of the SHRM Foundation and its activities to the Chapter and coordinate the 50/50 raffle.
- Scholarship Committee - We only need one more person to help us start an HR scholarship program. Is that person you?
If you are tired of reading this section - VOLUNTEER and stop the madness!!!
Legislative Update
Jason M. Branciforte, Legislative Liaison
Littler Mendelson, P.C.
In an unprecedented move, Congress has rescinded a controversial Clinton Administration workplace safety rule - the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s ergonomics standard. President George W. Bush has until March 21, 2001 to sign the legislation rescinding the standard, which he is expected to do. This is the first employment law action taken under the Congressional Review Act of 1996, which authorizes Congress and the President to rescind agency regulations. We have been informed that Congress and the President may also use this Act to rescind other Clinton legacies, such as the federal contractor blacklisting regulations, and are actively lobbying them to do so.
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Jeffords (R-Vt.) is examining the need for legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on a person’s genetic information. Senator Daschle (D-S.D.) has already introduced a bill that covers employers and health insurance providers, but Jeffords is examining existing protections against genetic discrimination, in order to determine what, if any, further protections are needed.
Finally, expect to see an increase in the minimum wage in the near future. Legislation has been introduced seeking an increase from $5.15 to $6.15 in two increments, over two years. The legislation will likely have bipartisan support.
Board Meeting Minutes
Starting this month we will be posting the minutes from Board meetings on our web site - please take a few minutes to review them in full. Click Here to View.
Did You Know? Dulles SHRM's Dirty Little Secret...
That got your attention, didn’t it? :-) Did you know that the amount that we pay for our meals at monthly meetings barely covers the cost of the food, and doesn’t always cover the cost of the AV equipment, etc.? For instance, in January we had a $100 shortfall. In February we broke even - all right - we made a $3 profit - but that was because we had a sponsor who paid $250.00 to highlight their products/services at the meeting. As you can see, sponsorships make a BIG difference, and that’s where we need your help: we need at least 6 more sponsors for this year.
The benefits of sponsoring a Dulles SHRM meeting include:
- Direct contact at the meeting with anywhere from 30-60 chapter members.
- Exposure on the Dulles SHRM website with a mention about being the sponsor, a brief description of what the company does and a link to the company's website.
- Table set up next to the registration table during the reception/networking time prior to the meeting.
- A mention in the meeting flyer about the company with their website address.
- An introduction at the meeting with an opportunity to briefly overview the company’s products or services.
If your company is interested in sponsoring a meeting, or better yet know of someone who might be, please contact Karen Uhlir at karenuhlir@msn.com and help keep the cost of meetings low.
Dulles Chapter of SHRM in the NEWS!!!
In case you haven’t already done so, check out page 21 of the March, 2001 issue of HR News, where information on the success of our chapter’s web site is featured in the Area II “Chapter Chatter” section. Just in case you missed it (and are too busy reading this newsletter to look for your copy), this is what it said…
"Dulles (VA) SHRM is excited about the growing impact of its web site, www.dullesshrm.org. When first created, it was a vehicle for the chapter to provide general chapter information, the chapter’s monthly programs, the newsletter, the board members’ contact information and a link to www.shrm.org. The chapter has added interactive features that allow people to join the chapter online, to RSVP for meetings, to read the latest HR news and, most recently, to publish open HR positions, post a resume or list professional services…
Did you know that Dulles SHRM members can post their HR positions, resumes and professional services on our web site? If you haven’t checked out the Member’s information area of the website lately, you’ve missed these terrific resources!"
Did you know that Dulles SHRM members can post their HR positions, resumes and professional services on our web site? If you haven’t checked out the Member’s information area of the website lately, you’ve missed these terrific resources!
National SHRM’s Hot HR Topics for 2001
I thought you might be interested in what National considers the hot topics for 2001:
- Branding
- E-mail
- English-Only Rules
- Health Care Costs
- Hiring (Personality Testing, Behavioral Interviewing, Employment Contacts)
- Aging Workforce/Older Workers
- Performance Appraisals
- Privacy Issues (medical privacy, employee monitoring, surveillance)
- Recruitment/Retention/Staffing
- Reference Checking
- Religion in the Workplace
- Romance/Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
- Sexual Orientation
- Telecommuting
- Training & Development
- Volunteerism
- Workplace Diversity
- Workplace Violence
We must be a trendy chapter, since we have meeting speakers already targeted on 4 of these topics: recruitment, training and development, workplace diversity and workplace violence. If you are interested in any other of these topics for future meetings (or if you have one that isn’t on the list), please let us know.
SHRM Publishes Their First E-book
Solutions for Human Resources Manager
SHRM's first electronic book (e-book), Solutions for Human Resource Managers, gives you the knowledge and experience of the SHRM Information Center Specialists - right on your own computer. Published as a paperback in 2000, the electronic Solutions gives you answers to the daily challenges faced by HR professionals. You can search the electronic file for text and print out just a few pages or even a full copy. Available for sale through the SHRM's first electronic book (e-book), Solutions for Human Resource Managers, gives you the knowledge and experience of the SHRM Information Center Specialists - right on your own computer. Published as a paperback in 2000, the electronic Solutions gives you answers to the daily challenges faced by HR professionals. You can search the electronic file for text and print out just a few pages or even a full copy. Available for sale through the SHRMStore.
Mark Your Calendars
OK - I admit it - I can’t read a calendar to save my life! In the last newsletter I listed the wrong dates for the Virginia SHRM Conference. The real dates are Monday and Tuesday, September 24 and 25. So, if you already marked your calendar - good for you, just make a minor modification, and if you haven’t - it’s safe (I think) to mark it now!
Patton Boggs and SHRM are jointly sponsoring an Investigations Seminar on Wednesday, May 23rd from 8 am to 4 pm at the Fairview Park Marriott. The cost is $460. The program overview includes stories of actual cases, role play by participants in questioning witnesses and performing other investigative tasks, plain English discussions of legal concepts, and a multi-part case study. Each participant will receive a CD-ROM accompaniment to the course materials. The course is approved for .6 continuing education credits toward recertification. See www.pattonboggs.com for further information.
HR Alliance Scheduled: There is a confirmed speaker for the event: Ida Castro, Chairwoman of the EEOC and a date: November 4th. More details to follow…
Upcoming SHRM conferences:
- Employment Management Association Conference, April 25-27, 2001, Chicago
- SHRM Annual Conference, June 24-27, 2001 in San Francisco
- SHRM Leadership Conference, November 15-17, 2001, Alexandria VA
Upcoming Meeting Topics
Upcoming meeting topics:
- April 18 - Coaching Conversations with Mary Helms
- May 16 - Diversity Awareness by the Strategic Interactions (featured on 60 Minutes)
- June 20 - Organizational Change by our own Fran O’Neal!
- July 18 - HR Technologies with Debra Vess from America Online
- August 15 - Jami Dittmeier is putting together an awesome panel!
- September 19 - Generation X in the workplace with Karen Lehr
- October 17 - Helen Drinan, SPHR, President/CEO, Society for Human Resource Management - joint meeting with Leesburg/Greater Loudoun Chapter
- November 14 - Benefit Trends - note the date - the second Wednesday
- December 5 - holiday party and installation of officers
That’s all for this month unless you have any ideas or suggestions? We received some great feedback after the last meeting. This is your chapter - let us know what’s on your mind!
Lynn M. Lorenz, SPHR
President
Dulles SHRM
E-mail
