Join Us at the October Meeting: “New Perspectives On Retention”
Embry Rucker Shelter Donations Update
Join The 2005 Dulles SHRM Board Of Directors
Community Assistance
Chapter Discussion Group
Board Meeting Minutes
HRCI Discontinues Recertification Credit For Chapter Discussion Groups
Registration At Record High For Chapter PHR/SPHR Fall Study Group
Legislative Update
SHRM Sponsors Online Membership Promotion
WTPF 2004 Compensation Survey Available For Purchase
Welcome To New Members
Special Newsletter Edition Coming To Recognize Diversity Month
HRA-NCA Publishes 2004 Survey Report
2004 Loudoun Economic Summit
HRA-NCA To Sponsor Spring 2005 PHR/SPHR Exam Preperation Sessions Two International HR SIG Events To Be Sponsored By Nova SHRM
"HR Today - Facing The Challenges Of Tomorrow, Now"
Reminder: Website Advertising Available
Mark Your Calendar
Domestic Violence: No Longer A Private Problem
Check Out Previous Newsletters

Join Us at the October Meeting: “New Perspectives On Retention”

For Details on the Program: Click Here

Embry Rucker Shelter Donations Update

During the August dinner meeting, Dulles SHRM members donated $60 for the Embry Rucker Shelter. The cash contributions were used to purchase two $20 Giant Food gift certificates and two 110-minute AT&T phone cards for the homeless. Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Wilson extends her sincere appreciation for your generosity. (See Letter Below)

Letter to Dulles SHRM From Reston Interfaith On Behalf of the Embry Rucker Community Shelter

August 27, 2004

Ms. Streeter:

On behalf of the Board of Directors for Reston Interfaith, I want to thank you for your recent donation of two Safeway gift cards to support of the people served through our programs at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. For tax purposes, we acknowledge that no goods or other services were received by you in conjunction with your contribution.

We appreciate the support you have given us and hope that it will continue in the future. Every penny of your donation will go to further the programs and services of Reston Interfaith that focus on housing (emergency shelter, transitional housing, affordable rental, and permanent housing), hunger, childcare, and advocacy. Would you please tell your friends and neighbors about us? We welcome anyone who would like to volunteer, attend our fundraising events, or pick up an extra bag of groceries for our emergency food pantry. There are so many ways to help, just as there are so many in need of our services.

Your confidence in our mission of helping individuals and families toward self-sufficiency is truly gratifying. Our success in offering nurturing social services is only possible because of the wonderful involvement and support for our programs. The Embry Rucker Community Shelter, Laurel Learning Childcare Center, Housing and Community Development, and Social Services departments help more than 13,000 men, women, and children in this community each year.

Thank you so much,

Kerrie B. Wilson
Chief Executive Officer

Join The 2005 Dulles SHRM Board Of Directors
Several Vacancies Remain

Planning for the 2005 Dulles SHRM Board of Directors has begun, and several vacancies remain. We invite you to take advantage of this exceptional opportunity for personal and professional development. Make a difference with YOUR new, novel, and out of the ordinary ideas. Openings remain for:

• President-Elect,
• Vice President, Programs,
• Assistant Diversity/Education/Workforce Director,
• Communications Director, and
• One or more Director-at-Large openings.

Self-nominations are being accepted during September and October and should be submitted to Secretary Lisa Forester no later than Friday, November 5. The Nominating Committee, staffed by President Cindy Loison. President-Elect Kurt Cowles, Secretary Lisa Forester, and Chapter Director of Diversity, Education, and Workforce Evelyn Kaiser, will select ballot finalists. Voting will be held during the November Dinner Meeting (November 17), at the conclusion of which we will announce the 2005 Board. New members will be inducted at the December holiday meeting (December 8).

You may learn more about the duties of most Board positions by accessing the job descriptions by Clicking Here. If you have additional questions, you may contact the current incumbent, Cindy, or Kurt.

Submit your self-nomination by completing the Willingness to Serve Form located on our website and submitting it to Lisa ( forester.lisa@grayhawksystems.com ) no later than Friday, October 8.

Community Assistance

Dulles Chapter Diversity/Workforce Education Director Evelyn Kaiser presents September community assistance speaker, Vince Zupan, Technical Services Representative, MetroTech. MetroTech is a regional workforce development initiative designed to support D.C. area employers in filling career positions in the information technology and biotech fields. During the past four years, MetroTech has served approximately 500 employers throughout the D.C. area from start-ups to large corporations.

MetroTech maintains a pool of job seekers and matches these candidates with employers’ job vacancies. Individuals registered with MetroTech and eligible to be trained include IT workers who have been laid off due to a corporate downsizing and exiting military personnel. Nearly all of MetroTech’s job seekers have at least two years of IT experience and an array of technical skill sets.

Employers may screen job candidates and refer them to MetroTech for registration and evaluation for training eligibility. Training through MetroTech can take near matches for jobs and make them better matches. MetroTech training proposals must be approved prior to employment and training. MetroTech pays for the pre-approved training at no cost to the employer or new hire. Training must end within six months after the job candidate begins working.

Any employer within a 50-mile radius of the District of Columbia and with an immediate IT or biotech job vacancy may participate. Positions must be full-time with a benefits package and have an expected duration of at least one year. Training must be linked to needed IT or biotech skill sets. For more information, visit www.metrotechitjobs.com or call (703) 533-5754.

Board Meeting Minutes

The minutes from the Board meetings are available on our web site - please take a few minutes to review them in full. Click Here to View.

HRCI Discontinues Recertification Credit For Chapter Discussion Groups

HRCI recently notified Certification Representative Maggie Chan that Chapter Discussion Groups no longer qualify for recertification credits for PHR/SPHR. The Chapter began submitting requests for pre-approval for these meetings in February 2004 and had been receiving approval for 1.5 recertification credits for most meetings.

On closer examination, HRCI explained that it needs to tighten up its criteria and remain consistent across all chapters with pre-approval standards. While the roundtable discussion format of the Discussion Groups are no doubt valuable, HRCI stated that these meetings lack the “formal presentation of at least 45 minutes with 15 minutes of questions and answers with articulated learning objectives” that serve as the basic criteria for recertification credits.

Chapter Meetings with relevant HR and management topics are not affected and should continue to receive approval for recertification credits from HRCI. HRCI also noted that pre-approvals given for prior Chapter Discussion Groups from February through August 2004 are not affected by this decision. Please contact Maggie Chan at Maggie.chan@sodexhousa.com if you have questions.

Registration At Record High For Chapter PHR/SPHR Exam Fall Study Group

The Dulles Chapter kicked off the Fall PHR/SPHR Study Group on Wednesday, September 8th with a record 21 participants and a waiting list. Certification Representative Maggie Chan received a record number of inquiries and interest from the membership.

Again this year, the Chapter is collaborating with National Louis University and the NOVA SHRM Chapter. The University generously offered its Tysons Corner facility for study group meetings. Participants include HR professionals at all levels from both the public and private sectors and from members of the Dulles and NOVA SHRM Chapters as well as students from NLU.

The Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and, most recently, Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) certifications are offered through HRCI (the Human Resource Certificate Institute, an affiliate of SHRM) to recognize professionals who meet a stated level of training and work experience in the field of human resources. Through certification, individuals demonstrate that they have acquired the body of knowledge in the field as a generalist and continue to stay updated on recent developments in the field.

For more information about the PHR/SPHR exam and certificate, please contact Maggie Chan, Certificate Representative, at Maggie.chan@sodexhousa.com. The Dulles Chapter Board and membership extend our sincere gratitude to Maggie for her leadership and hard work in making this study group a great success.

Legislative Update
(Submitted by Legislative Liaison Mary Lynn Billitteri)

FLSA Update

The Fair Labor Standards Act White Collar Exemption regulations went into effect on August 23. HR professionals and their employees are required to be compliant with the new rules. However, there is legislation pending in Congress that may affect DOL agency funding for 2005 with the intention of causing a change in the rules.

Rep. David Obey’s amendment, adopted by the House on September 9, would allow the salary basis test to increase to $23,660 but would prevent the changes to the duties test from being implemented.

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted on September 15 to block the DOL from implementing the new white-collar overtime regulations. The Sen. Tom Harkin provision would rescind the new rules and reinstate the old ones. The Senate measure, however, states that any worker earning less than $23,660 annually will now be guaranteed the right to overtime pay.

Each version would deny funding to the DOL during fiscal 2005 to administer or enforce any revisions to the overtime regulations of the FLSA implemented after July 14 that cause workers to lose rights to overtime.

SHRM notes that with heightened partisanship and the November elections looming, substantive legislative action will be difficult.

If the Harkin amendment is passed by the Senate, a conference committee would need to be convened to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions. And President Bush has threatened to veto any legislation that would block or weaken the new overtime regulations.

Sen. Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act

This act would expand current mental health coverage requirements for employer-provided health care plans, building on the Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) enacted by Congress in 1996.

The proposed bill would vastly expand the number of mental health conditions covered by employer-sponsored health care plans and would eliminate most of the flexibility that has helped employers cope with the original MHPA requirements.

SHRM’s position is that “imposing a new health care mandate on employers during a time of double-digit health care inflation would have a detrimental effect on employers and employees, both of whom continue to struggle with rising health care costs.” SHRM will be watching Senate deliberations closely and will oppose any legislative efforts to expand current mental health coverage requirements.

Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2004

As each new session of Congress begins, proposals to increase the Federal minimum wage are introduced by lawmakers in both chambers of Congress. The Federal minimum wage has not been increased since the enactment of the Small Business Job Protection Act in 1996. At the outset of the 108th Congress several proposals to increase the Federal minimum wage have been introduced. The proposals range from an increase of $1 over a 2-year period to a $1.50 increase in 15 months.

SHRM Sponsors Online Membership Promotion

SHRM’s September Online Membership Promotion began on September 1 and continues through Thursday, September 30. This membership recruitment initiative is valid only for first-time, new members of SHRM who become members during the period September 1 - September 30, 2004 using the SHRM online application at www.shrm.org/join (excluding the PDF form that is printed and sent back to SHRM with payment and the bill-me option).

These new members have the opportunity to join SHRM during the month of September for the reduced first-year membership rate of $145. SHRM is also offering one FREE SHRM lunch bag to individuals who join using the online application in September.

WTPF 2004 Compensation Survey Available For Purchase

WTPF is currently accepting orders for its 2004 Compensation Survey, a premier source of competitive pay data for technology organizations and Government contractors in the D.C. region. Prices for the 2004 survey are:

• $900 (WTPF member; survey participant),
• $1,200 (WTPF member, non-participant),
• $1,500 (non-member participant),
• $1,800 (non-member, non-participant)

Order by visiting WTPF’s website at wtpf.org/survey_table.cfm or by contacting WTPF headquarters at (703) 433-9576.

Welcome To New Members

Special Newsletter Edition Coming To Recognize Diversity Month

Nationally October is celebrated as National Disability Month with this year’s official theme “You’re Hired! Success Knows No Limitations!” The Dulles Chapter will be recognizing both diversity and disability during October by issuing a special edition of the Chapter newsletter. The issue will feature summary information on community organizations that the Chapter has featured during the year. Reference information will be provided on sources such as Federal, state, and local governments, advocacy groups, and the business community. A variety of articles will offer helpful advice on recruiting and employing a diverse staff and persons with disabilities.

The special newsletter edition will be featured on the Dulles SHRM website with hard copies distributed at the October meeting. Members will be notified via e-mail when the issue is posted on the website. If you would like to contribute any information that you have collected or relate a personal experience in recognition of this special month, please contact Nancy Streeter (nabss@aol.com) or Evelyn Kaiser (kaiserev@drs.state.va.us).

HRA-NCA Publishes 2004 Survey Report

HRA-NCA has published its 2004 Compensation Survey Report representing data on over 290 jobs reported by 300 companies in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The cost of the Report is based upon the number of full-time staff members an organization employs in the Washington-Baltimore region. Buyers receive, at no additional cost, the companion Salary Planning Report published in November.

• Fewer than 100 employees: $350 (participant), $550 (non-participant)
• 100 or more employees: $550 (participant), $900 (non-participant)
• 2004 Salary Planning Report: Free (participant), $100 (non-participant)

For more information and to order the survey, visit www.hra-nca.org. Credit cards are accepted.

2004 Loudoun Economic Summit

The free first-ever Annual Loudoun County Economic Summit will feature discussion on building better services for citizens in America’s fastest-growing county. The event will feature presentations by Congressman Frank Wolf, Jim Kane of the Software Productivity Consortium, William Mularie of The Telework Consortium, and others. Governor Mark Warner will speak during lunch on “Continuing Virginia’s Tradition of Leadership.”

Date/Time: Friday, October 1, 2004; 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Where: Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, VA
Cost: Free
To Register: Go to www.loudounbusiness.com/regform3.html

HRA-NCA To Sponsor Spring 2005 PHR/SPHR Exam Preperation Sessions

Strengthen your human resources knowledge by participating in a comprehensive review of the HR functions while preparing for either the PHR or SPHR exam. This course provides 34 hours of instructor-led facilitation by Paul Shibelski, SPHR. Dates and times for the course follow. Participants are expected to attend all the sessions.

• Orientation: Friday, February 18 from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.
• Session 1: Friday, March 4 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Session 2: Saturday, March 5 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Session 3: Friday, March 18 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Session 4: Saturday, March 19 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Review: Friday, April 8 from 8:00 - 12:00 p.m.

The seminar cost is $1,125 for HRA-NCA members and $1,200 for non-members. This price includes all sessions and the SHRM learning system. Breakfast is provided. The registration deadline is Friday, February 4, 2005.

Sessions will be held at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. The location is accessible via the Metro Red Line. Parking is available in local garages and on the street. Visit www.hra-nca.org/event for more information and to enroll.

Two International HR SIG Events To Be Sponsored By Nova SHRM
Fall 2004

“Global Literacies for 21st Century Business Success”
October 21, 2004
James Mathews, President, Healthy Companies, Arlington, VA

“Update on Visas and Immigration Issues”
November 18, 2004
Haseena J.Enu, Esq., Managing Partner
Randall K. Hulme, Esq., Associate Partner
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Washington, D.C.

Meeting Location: ICF Consulting, 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA (703) 934-3000)
Time: 8:00-9:30 a.m.
RSVP: Nancy Lockwood, SPHR, GPHR
IHR SIG Chair
(703) 535-6041
nlockwood@shrm.org
Directions: www.icfconsulting.com/Locations/

Note: If you are not a member of NoVA SHRM, attend one time as a guest for free.

"HR Today - Facing The Challenges Of Tomorrow, Now"
HRA-NCA Conference To Be Held January 28, 2005

Mark your calendar to attend the HRA-NCA SHRM Conference titled HR Today - Facing the Challenges of Tomorrow, NOW. The agenda will include educational seminars on topics such as HR competencies, growth and development, legal issues, and much more. A kick-off speaker will launch the conference, which will include networking opportunities at a breakfast, lunch, and post-conference reception as well as vendor booths to visit throughout the day.

The Chapter is expecting about 250 attendees from SHRM Chapters throughout Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. as well as 50 exhibitors and sponsors. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Chris Hopkinson at chrish@frontiertax.com or call (240) 361-1071. To inquire about vendor sponsorship, contact Martha Heisel at info@hra-nca.org or call (703) 241-0229. Visit www.hra-nca.orgfor complete information about the conference to be held at the Cafritz Conference Center, The George Washington University.

Reminder: Website Advertising Available

In response to many requests for our meeting sponsors, Dulles SHRM now accepts website ads from Human Resources-related organizations. For a 1-year fee of $250, the sponsor receives a front-page logo display, a link to a newly created page on our website to describe the sponsor’s product or services and contact information, and a link to the sponsor’s website.

For additional details: Click Here

Mark Your Calendars

Upcoming SHRM Conferences and Seminars

2004 Conferences

• October 12-15 - Strategic HR Conference: Aligning With the Business to Drive Results, Los Angeles, CA
• October 25-27 - Workplace Diversity Conference & Exposition, Chicago, IL
• November 18-20 - Leadership Conference (volunteer leadership training for chapter leaders), Arlington, VA

2005 Conferences

• March 14-16 - Annual Employment Law & Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.
• April 20-22 - Annual EMA Conference & Exposition, Dallas, TX
• May 22-25 - WorldatWork Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, LA
• June 19-22 - SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition, San Diego, CA

2004 Chapter Dinner Meetings

• October 20 - “New Perspectives on Retention” with Burgess Levin and Nathan Sloan, HumanR
• November 17 - “New COBRA Notice Regulations” with Howard Clemons, Shaw Pittman
• December 8 - Annual Holiday Party
• December 15 - Transition Board Meeting

Domestic Violence: No Longer A Private Problem
(By Laila Karmally)
(Contributed by Director of Diversity, Education, and Workforce Evelyn Kaiser)

Martha had a good 15-year track record at Harman International Industries Inc. until a turning point in late 2001. The assembly-line veteran and audio-equipment maker at JBL Professional, a Harman subsidiary in Northridge, CA, began reporting late for work and often had bruises on her face and arms. Suspicious that she might be a victim of domestic violence, her boss, production supervisor Christine Lucas, called Rodriguez into her office to discuss attendance and punctuality. During the discussion, Rodriguez spoke about her personal problems for the first time.

"My husband is into drugs and verbally and physically violent with my children and me," Rodriguez related. "He waits for me after work and threatens me. He has even tried strangling me." Rodriguez was afraid she would lose her job if her employers found out. She says it wasn’t until after she attended a two-hour session at work that was designed to educate managers and employees about domestic violence that she felt she could discuss her problems. "At the training, I realized that I value myself and my children and that resources are available to help people in my situation," Rodriguez says. "I felt confident I would not be fired if I came forward."

The Family Violence Prevention Fund, a California-based nonprofit organization, reports that one in three women in the workforce is a victim of domestic violence. The agency says there were 1.7 million reported attacks on women in the workplace between 1993 and 1997, making homicide the second leading cause of death for women at work, after transportation accidents. Harman executives, struck by the numbers and the impact on employees, decided that the problem must be addressed in the workplace. Other companies, especially those that employ large numbers of women such as clothing giant Liz Claiborne Inc. and retail chain Macy’s West, have done the same.

"Employers have a corporate responsibility to maintain a safe environment at work, if not out of concern for their employees, then out of a legal responsibility to them." With Stern’s help, Rodriguez has used the company EAP to obtain a restraining order and psychiatric care for her husband, herself and the children. Stern says there have been five to seven cases like Rodriguez’s since the training began. At Liz Claiborne, the campaign against domestic violence began a decade ago as a public-service message. In 2002, Dennis Butler, vice president for associate relations, received a distress call. "An HR generalist called in to say he had a rising star whose performance was declining; she was having problems with coworkers and showing signs of physical abuse. We had no idea what to do and realized we needed a plan to help our own employees," Butler says. The New York-based clothing giant has 13,000 employees, 70 percent of them women. With the help of existing consultants, the company set up Domestic Violence Response Teams at numerous corporate and retail sites over a 12-month period. The teams consist of two representatives each from human resources, the legal department and security who are trained on the domestic-violence policy. As part of the subsequent response protocol, the teams offer to screen a victim’s incoming calls and visitors and provide the employee with an option to relocate to another facility. "Since the program began one and a half years ago, we have dealt with over 40 cases," Butler says. He adds that the program uses existing corporate resources and incurs no additional expenses. Butler is eager to share his company’s experience with others. In January, he delivered a speech entitled "Domestic Violence Is Your Business" at a conference held in Tel Aviv. Macy’s West’s domestic-violence-prevention program came from the outside, following an outreach exercise by the Blue Shield of California Foundation. The foundation works with company health and safety and benefits teams, providing free consultation and materials to promote domestic-violence prevention, and links firms with local nonprofit organizations that handle actual cases. Since its launch in February 2003, 26 senior Macy’s executives have undergone two hours of training, and several hundred store employees have received abbreviated half-hour sessions. Macy’s also has a response team that takes action when a person identifies herself as the victim of abuse or is referred by a manager. "Because of the very nature of our business, in which there is a high flow of people, we have to focus on developing a ‘safe plan’ to handle situations," Macy’s Barbara Erickson says. "The cost for us is the time employees are taken off the floor and a small donation to each of the local nonprofits that train our stores. Against this, the cost of not responding is the after-the-fact damage to a company’s business and the legal and emotional damage to an employee."

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!

Cindy Loison
President
Dulles SHRM
cloisonhr@aol.com