The Employers' Association
 
 An E-newsletter for TEA Members
Business peopleEXECUTIVE UPDATE
TopAugust 4, 2016Volume 36, Issue 11
In This Issue
Upcoming Programs

SEPTEMBER

  7 - Employment Law
       Application
  8 - Introduction to
       Leadership
  9 - CPR Certification &
       First Aid
14 - Learning to Listen
15 - Core Leadership Skills
       - 
Fall Term Begins
16 - Introduction to
       Leadership - Holland
       Location
20 - Case Studies in
       Employment Law
21 - Assertive
       Communication
28 - Effective
       Decision Making
28 - NEW - Legal Briefing: 
       How to Attract Talent
       and Not Get Sued - 
       Watch for more details

30 - Core Leadership Skiils -
       Holland Location /
       Fall Term Begins
 
Click on dates for more information or refer to the 
2015-2016 Training programs schedule here.

Looking ahead....
We are in the process of planning our training schedule for Jan. - June 2017 to be released via our NEW WEBSITE over the next few months. If you are interested in a program not currently scheduled, email Penny to be added to our future registration list.  She will contact you after the schedule has been finalized.
Feedback Fundamentals



Wednesday, 8/31/16

When sharing feedback is part of an organization's culture, it is an effective business tool that reaches across all levels. In this course, individual performers learn how to effectively deliver both positive and developmental feedback. They also learn how to be receptive to feedback and to listen to accurately understand the speaker's intended message
.

Take this program as part of our Communications Skills Certificate, or as a stand-alone program.
HRG September Meeting

Employee Engagement

Presenter: To be announced

Thursday, 9/15/16
Stonewater Country Club
7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

More details to follow.
President Dave SmithFrom the President - Technology Changes Are Coming
by David Smith, CEO & President

The world is changing.  Long-time peers are phasing away from their careers (NOT retiring but rather backing off a bit).  New talent is entering the workplace - fresh ideals replacing established (and occasionally jaded) patterns and attitudes.  Where once we read daily newspapers and weekly magazines to keep fully informed on world events, we are now bombarded regularly with notices, bulletins and e-mails intended to (it might seem) relate the news before it even happens.  Information is everywhere in today's world - which is why The Employers' Association has focused on how you, as members, can best APPLY information to develop practical solutions (seeking and analyzing the risk involved with acting appropriately) rather than finding rules and regulations (that often tell us what we cannot do rather than what might be possible).  In order to harness the power of data, however, we must leverage the tools available to us, making sure all (and any) information that MIGHT be needed is inputted so there is value in the outputs we provide.  Why is OUR understanding of this important to YOU as a member of The Association?  We are pleased to inform you of a major electronic transition taking place - a transformation that will allow you to better access information, register for classes, update your contact information and communicate with our staff.  Along with the installation of a new Association Management Database we will be implementing a new "user-friendly" website that should make our resources more accessible to you.  While our "technical upgrade" has been in the works for some time, we are about to "go live" internally and will be revealing the fruits of our labor to membership over the next few months.

What does the change mean to you?  PROBABLY a slightly frustrating transition as you go from our old (but highly effective) static information-giving system to a highly interactive, self-maintained information sharing system (picture a transition from "horse and buggy" to "racecar").  As with any change, however, to reap great rewards we must be willing to work to understand (and influence) the planting process.  Bumps in the road are bound to appear - and we thank you in advance for your patience and assistance in making the transition happen.  When finished, members will be able to register for training on-line (receiving instant confirmation and payment acknowledgement).  You will be able to establish your own password and update contact information "live."  Rather than sending invoices for services, your activity will be entered into your company's account (so that you can track contacts, enrollments, and service utilization) with an e-mail being sent to you informing you that an entry has been made and a payment is due.  Members will be able to access surveys on-line, learn what questionnaires are "in progress" and check to ensure they have participated in order to receive full reports.  We will be expanding our "HR Toolkit" to include even more forms and policies as well as enhancing our "Valued Partner" discounted service offerings.  Features that have become familiar to you may be replaced with more streamlined ways of doing things and "buying choices" will look more like what you have become used to through other shopping websites.  We hope to provide a more interactive site that will allow you to identify (and communicate) your needs then find the solutions needed through The Employers' Association.

In life, the only certainty is change.  Change in our jobs can be both exciting AND scary.  Change in our relationships can trigger both anticipation and angst.  Change in our habits can push us to accomplish new objectives while closing the door upon things that have become comfortable to us.  Change, however, is not only certain, it is necessary if we wish to grow rather than stagnate.  The same is true with our new database and Association Management System.  It is our intent to provide you with a new and exciting experience - one that you can more fully control and that will provide better resources for your utilization.  As with any change, however, inconvenience (and a bit of frustration) may be a precursor to your realizing our ultimate goals.  We thank you in advance for helping us to make your membership a better experience - and ask that you share both your patience AND your good ideas as we work together to "build a better Association."

Visit our BLOG (Dave's Deliberations) to view recent posts.
Welcome New Member

The new member listed below represent 
employers within the West Michigan area who have joined the ranks of those committed to strong, positive employee/employer relations. It is a pleasure to welcome this new member into our TEA(M).

*Autocam Medical
New Website with Member Engagement Tools

 
Watch for updates regarding TEA's NEW WEBSITE with interactive MEMBER ENGAGEMENT TOOLS being developed for release later this summer. Members will now have the ability to:

  • Access member account information (security levels assigned to designated employees).
  • View history of paid TEA invoices including dues, training, surveys, meetings etc. and view open invoices with the ability to pay online.
  • Register for TEA events, including seminars, HRG Meetings, Round Table meetings etc. with credit card or Paypal account and view history of employee training or attendance in any TEA meetings.
  • Access and print certificates of completion for any attended TEA seminar (provided all seminar requirements have been met.)
Read the article "From the President" above and watch for more details to follow!


Providing practical solutions to Human Resource-related issues BEFORE they escalate into legal problems.
Federal Mandatory Poster Update

As a benefit of your TEA membership, we would like to make you aware of a mandatory poster change that we were just notified of last week concerning the FLSA and EPPA postings.

Effective August 1, 2016, employers must post new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) postings.

The Department of Labor has removed penalty amounts from the posters and has added a section about the rights of nursing mothers to the FLSA poster. Employers are required to post the revised versions of these federal posters.

To purchase a new poster, please click here. (All-in-One, State only, and Federal only posters are available on our site. For state posters other than Michigan or Spanish posters, please contact Marla via e-mail or phone at 616-698-1167.)

To make compliance as easy as possible you can simply print the new updated FLSA poster and put it up with your current poster(s) to be in compliance.

If you have any questions about these updates please contact Marla at mholzapfel@teagr.org.

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Do You Have a Harassment Free Culture?
by Jason Reep, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Director of Learning & Inclusion

Does an anti-harassment policy create a culture free from harassment?  Most people would say, "No, a policy does not create the culture" but many organizations still expect the policy to drive behavior.  Some organizations take the next step and provide training to remind employees to treat each other appropriately.  Few less expect (or equip) their leaders to check in with employees ensuring there is no harassment occurring.

A recent report from the EEOC showed that most interventions have had little impact in the rates of workplace harassment claims and that harassment in all forms is still a large problem in both public and private sector workplaces.  They offer a number of recommendations to reduce workplace harassment covering leadership and accountability, policies and procedures, various types of training and other forms of education, outreach to youth and others in the community, and reinforcing expectations of all employees (especially "bystanders") to eliminate the tolerance of harassing behavior.

Harassment includes sexual harassment as well as harassment directed at employees because of their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, national origin, color, pregnancy, veteran status, and genetic information (in Michigan it also includes marital status, height, and weight).  These are the characteristics that are legally protected from harassment but there are other forms of inappropriate behavior that could set the stage for more severe behavior if not addressed.

A challenge in eliminating inappropriate behavior is that it is part of the culture in many organizations.  The Employers' Association works with many different industries and different sized organizations located in different parts of the community and we know that this challenge cuts across all variables.  Some of our members have been diligent in sending and reinforcing a clear message that harassing conduct is inappropriate.  We see others, however, that expect employees to act maturely and professionally but do not follow that up with specific behaviors that are (and are not) acceptable.

The good news is that most workplaces do not have a lot of harassment.  The bad news is that it only takes a little harassment to have a significant negative impact. The impacts can be things like decreased teamwork and communication, decreased productivity and creativity, increased turnover and sick time, increased accidents, damaged reputation, and potentially high legal costs.  We also know that organizations working to eliminate harassment see the flip side of all the negative impacts.  Addressing harassment in the workplace benefits an organization financially, professionally and within the community.

Organizations should not wait for complaints to come in - they should be proactive in assessing the environment employees work in.  That can be done through engagement/satisfaction surveys, coaching and 1:1 meetings, open door policies, etc.  It is estimated that about 90% of employees who are harassed do not report it - they suffer in silence, tell their co-workers, call in sick, quit (or stay but put forth no discretionary contribution), etc.  Leaders need to actively and deliberately ensure that no one is being harassed and check in with employees periodically.

Providing training is an important component of reminding employees of both their rights and responsibilities to ensure a workplace free of harassment and other inappropriate behavior.  A training done every few years does not send a consistent message, however, to the employees who joined the organization two years ago and have not yet received the message.  Leaders need additional training to spot and address harassing behavior as well as setting the tone for how employees interact with each other in the workplace - and to establish the communication chain that can be trusted to report issues and concerns.

An important consideration with training is the expectation of what happens after the training.  Keep in mind that when people are reminded of their right to work in a workplace free of harassment they may come forward to tell the organization it is not living up to its promise.  There may be more complaints after a training is provided.  In addition, a training that tells people what they cannot do is only half of the equation.  Employees should also learn how to respectfully interact with each other.  This is why The Employers' Association has begun to encourage businesses to partner training regarding inclusive behaviors and attitudes as an important component to a productive, safe, and engaging culture.  Connecting what should not occur (harassment) with what should occur (inclusion) encourages the culture to shift in a direction that benefits everyone.

If you are interested in learning more about how TEA can help assess your culture by reviewing your policies, employee engagement/satisfaction surveys, investigations, coaching, and Workplace Harassment Awareness programs and Workplace Inclusion programs please contact Jason Reep at jreep@teagr.org or 616-698-1167.

Reminder - the EEO-1 Survey is now open and is due by September 30, 2016. 
Generational Stereotypes Reduce Predictability and Productivity
from Ron Scott, SPHR, Director of Member Engagement

It is common for people to stereotype others into categories when interacting with them.  For example, if an employee comes to work dressed casually and asks to skip a scheduled meeting today because he must participate in a webinar at the same time, the reaction from management might (after the initial surprise) be a suggestion to others that "the employee must be a millennial."  We often assign labels to people as a way to categorize behavior that is different than our own.  When we see something that is not predicted and requires a response, tension often enters our world if we choose not to address such a situation.  Sometimes we fail to acknowledge OR work with differences of habits, cultural preferences, dress and/or values/responses, creating tension that reduces quality, efficiency productivity and profitability.  We OFTEN recognize differences and choose to not address the root cause of the problem, choosing instead to settle for a trivial label that can become demeaning, diminishing and divisive.

We are often guilty of stereotyping people based on our past life experiences, education and upbringing.  Our mind seeks to "house" people into categories that define their general characteristics and abilities to aid in organizational predictability.  When we see a person walking down the sidewalk, our mind catalogs the person by his/her age, height, athletic prowess, background, etc., in an attempt to define another's behavior based on our own life experiences.  When we define and maintain a level of predictability we can move into a conversation with less stress because our minds have reduced some of the unknown.  The problem with stereotyping and looking for predictability, however, is that the person being evaluated may NOT be like the other people you have met in life and you may categorize them unfairly and inappropriately based on your pre-conceived notions.  Some of the more common areas of generational stereotyping would include.

Age: When we meet someone at work who is more mature, we think to ourselves that they are most likely quiet, organized and structured because that is what "Veterans" should be.  We assume that they are working deliberately and in a predictable order - doing what they are told and nothing less - because that is what we have seen and experienced.  The challenge of this characterization is that most people who are over 55 tend to work slower, quieter and in an orderly fashion because they have learned to cope with their physical and mental stage of life.  It is not because they are of the Veteran's Generation, or the Silent Generation.  This age group had life experiences with war and the industrial revolution that influenced their perception of work and ethics.  They are, however, much more than silent, organized and non-technical in nature.

When dealing with people we should try to find out as much as possible about them INCLUDING learning about what motivates them. By pulling back from general "predictable" stereotypes, we may find that the person is different than we thought they would be.

Communication: Most of us have adjusted to communicating via email and voicemail.  We have also adjusted to webinars and even a Skype interview from time to time.  We have learned over time to trust these methods of communications BUT not all individuals are as comfortable with technology.  Some individuals prefer "the written" or "spoken" word and we must vary our styles to appeal to everyone.  (Note that the generation we are hiring at this time is fully immersed in the "electronic" but disregards a written note).  While some would rejoice at receiving a letter, today's workforce tends to want more - right now - as they are adjusted to technology, computers and open information.

Today's emerging workforce has adjusted to new media like text, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat at work.  The challenge for the previous generation is to trust these new forms of communication and getting out of the way when these new workers begin to chase a dream.

It is common for the previous generations to ask the new employees to use "only what we use".  This limited use of communication causes friction and agitation of the newer employees.

Technology is always changing and adjusting to meet the needs of customers.  For the previous generation that has learned the current technology, it is easier to stay with the programs that are working.  For the newer employee, the challenge of trying something new and looking for ways to improve technology.

It is common for the previous generations to ask the new employees to use "only what we use."  This limited use of communication causes friction and agitation for newer employees while frustrating and disengaging a more mature workforce.  The challenge is not to hold tight to what we have as much as what changes will benefit the organization and customer experience.

Work-styles:  As technology increases it offers more options for people to work in different locations and different times of the day.  The challenge is management of the work and the accountability for getting work done without feedback.  Individuals working at home have many challenges (and opportunities) to address if they are to make themselves as invaluable.  The expectations of showing up for work and being available for questions and/or meetings gets pushed aside when we consider using technology to change the way we work.

For the manager to work with people who have very different expectations of communication, technology use and work-styles, it is important to state WHY we work a certain way and to focus on the objectives rather than becoming bogged down in the process.  For the newer employee having ideas and is more comfortable with flexibility and technology, it is important to engage with the current systems and develop respect for the processes that are in place.

Predictability offers us the opportunity to work faster and more efficiently because we have reduced the variables to a minimum, narrowing our focus on a few variables that we may want to change (or intentionally leave the same).  When employees challenge the status quo it can provide variety and enthusiasm at work. If however, an employee challenges the work communication, technology and work-styles on a frequent basis, it can become an issue of discussion, standing in the way of continuous improvement.  If we can reduce stereotyping people with a label, (Millennials, "x-ers," Boomers, etc.) and focus on workplace communication, technology and work-style needs, we reduce the friction that so often occurs. When used frequently, labels becomes a form of aggression - creating an environment where people become defensive rather than contributing - stressed rather than ingrained.

The Employers' Association provides Human Resources training programs on issues such as generations at work, leadership skills and managing performance that provide education in all of the areas listed above.  Give any of our professional staff a call at 616.698.1167 to learn how we can help.
TEA Partnership Helps Employers Comply with New OSHA Reporting Rules
from Rob Strate, SPHR, Director of HR Services

While there has been a lot of discussion regarding the Department of Labor's recent release of the much-anticipated overtime regulations, some employers may have missed the issuance of another significant rule from the Department.

On May 12, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its final rule requiring certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness data and engage in other actions that promote accurate employee reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses.  While the rule did not get as much publicity as the overtime regulations, it does contain significant new obligations and related implications of which employers need to be aware.

To assist our members in complying with the new reporting rules, TEA is pleased to announce a new benefit offering from one of our Valued Partners.  The Boss Team at Ottawa-Kent Insurance as created a web-based OSHA compliance and injury management platform that enables employers to create accident reports, track injuries, print all required OSHA reports, and view injury metrics in real-time.

To learn more about this simple to use online application which takes all the guess work out of OSHA recordkeeping and TEA member discount information, click image below, or here.
 
It Is Official: Paid Sick Leave - For Some
by Maggie McPhee, SHRM-CP, PHR, Director of Information Services

In keeping with Executive Order 13706 which President Obama signed in September last year, Federal Contractors and sub-contractors will need to provide employees with up to the seven days of paid sick leave per year should they receive or renew contracts after January 1, 2017.

Under the new Order, employees working on contracts initiating after the first of the year must accrue one (1) hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours of work (an hour of work is any time spent working or in paid time off status) to a maximum of 56 hours.  Unused time may be carried over from year to year but cannot exceed 56 hours total.  Should the balance of an employee's paid sick time drop below 56 hours, accruals will start until the maximum of 56 is reached.  Contractors cannot limit the use of paid sick leave or the amount of use at any one time BUT it can be used ONLY for the following reasons:
  • Physical or mental illness, injury or medical condition
  • Obtaining diagnosis, care or preventive care from a health care provider
  • Caring for child, parent, spouse, domestic partner or any other person related by blood or affinity
  • Situations related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking
Similar to FMLA, employees should provide at least 7 days' notice when the absence is foreseeable, and as much notice as is practical when it is not.  Certification can required for the use of paid sick leave, but there are no specific forms that can be used or required - a medical professional's note is all that is needed.  Should clarification for the absence be needed, the Human Resources (or other management official) can contact the medical professional to receive information not otherwise protected or considered confidential.  Paid sick leave may be used concurrently with FMLA to cover unpaid time off.  Further, should an employee working on a Federal Contract ending his/her employment (voluntarily or involuntarily) be rehired within 12 months, any accumulated paid sick leave balance available at the time of termination must be reinstated.

While only employees spending more than 20% of their time fulfilling the work required to fulfill a Federal Contract, it is expected that over 800,000 employees will receive additional paid sick leave within five (5) years of this Order's implementation.  For further information please contact Maggie McPhee at mmcphee@teagr.org.
This newsletter is published at 5570 Executive Parkway SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan as a general information service to all members and offers data from many sources. It is not designed to render legal advice or opinion. Such advice may only be given when related to actual situations. Our staff can assist you in interpreting and applying this information to your needs.  For questions or replies to this newsletter, email pmollica@teagr.org.  
 
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