HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
UNION GRADUATE
COLLEGE
SCHOOL OF
MANAGEMENT
HR in the
NEWS
September
6, 2008
SHRM NEWS
SHRM recently announced its new President and CEO,
Laurence O'Neil, who will take office on October 1. Mr. O'Neil
had been senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Kaiser
Permanente. According to O'Neil: "I am
dedicated to strengthening the Society's commitment to the profession and to
the people who fulfill this essential mission around the world every day."
NATIONAL HR NEWS
EEOC Deals with
Religious Discrimination
According
to the EEOC's 2007 data, 2,880 complaints of religious
discrimination were filed, more than twice the number
filed in 1992. EEOC
spokesperson, Christine Nazer,
stated the following regarding the increase in
complaints: "Some of the reasons we think this
may be happening may be due
to a more diverse workforce throughout the country.
Diversity is not just race
and gender, and that may be contributing to the
increase."
EEOC
has recently issued a new Compliance Manual Section under Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This guidance addresses
the following issues:
religion-based harassment, retaliation, reasonable accommodations
for religious
observances, and disparate treatment based on religion.
Information
about the guidance may be obtained at www.eeoc.gov.
NEW HR PUBLICATIONS FROM
SHRM
The following may be
ordered online from the SHRM bookstore:
www.shrm.org/shrmstore
Effective Succession
Planning by William Rothwell
Auditing Your Human
Resource Department by John McConnell
Create Your Own
Employee Handbook by Lisa Guerin and Amy Delpo
2600 Phrases for
Effective Performance Reviews by Paul Falcone
HR CONFERENCES and MEETINGS
HUDSON-MOHAWK CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
"Put Your Passion to Work"
Speaker: Lisa Sheridan
September 9
Network for Enterprising Women, Adirondack Regional
Chamber of Commerce
Noon, Queensbury Hotel
Contact: Patti Pep at 798-1761
"Woman-Owned Business Certification"
The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County
Women in Business Brown Bag
Noon
Chamber Office, 15 Park Avenue, Clifton Park
Contact: Lix Roggenbuck at 371-7748
"Tapping the Wisdom of the Ages"
Speaker: Corey Jamison
September 19
Marriott Hotel, Albany
8-11 AM
Contact: 861-6324
SHRM'S STRATEGY CONFERENCE
September 24-26
Palm Springs, CA Westin
www.shrm.org
COLUMBIA/GREENE JSEC
BREAKFAST MEETING: "UNEMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE--WHAT EMPLOYERS NEED TO KNOW"
Speaker: Michael Murphy
September 25
Columbia Green Community College
8-10 AM
HUDSON-MOHAWK CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
October 17
8-11 AM
Speaker: Denise Ringer
Marriott Hotel, Albany, NY
SHRM DIVERSITY CONFERENCE AND EXPOSITION
October 27-29
Atlanta, GA Marriott
www.shrm.org
CAPITAL REGION HUMAN RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
SEPTEMBER MEETING
The Capital Region
Human Resource Association is holding its September meeting on Wednesday,
September 10, from 7-9 at the Holiday Inn, Wolf Road. Contact Michele
Paludi if you would like to attend: paludim@union.edu.
The topic of this
meeting is "Living with FMLA, Workers' Compensation, and NYS
Disability: Practical Tips and Applications for HR Professionals."
DIVERSITY AWARD INITIATIVE
The Capital Region
Human Resource Association recently announced the 2008 recipients of the Top
Five Spectrum Award: A Celebration of Workplace Diversity. The
following organizations were honored for their diversity management programs,
including training programs, linking incentive and compensation pay to
diversity efforts, and ways diversity is
leveraged:
Capital District Child Care Coordinating Council
Center for Disability Services
Nixon Peabody
Strategic Resources
Time Warner Cable
HR in BRIEF
SHRM provides daily
information related to all HR functions (recruitment and selection, training
and development, motivation and maintenance). Contact www.shrm.org to
learn more about the following HR news in brief:
U.S. unemployment rate hit a five year high: 6.1%
Recent research indicates employees are more likely to lie in an e-mail
than in a
handwritten letter
In the past 12 months, the average total compensation of top
executives at
U.S. publicly
traded companies fell by 7 percent, representing the first such
decrease since 2004
NEW
YORK STATE LEGISLATION UPDATE
New York A.B.
1222: Employment Discrimination
Sponsor: Amy Paulin
Summary:
Prohibits an employer or licensing agency, because of the actual or perceived
status of an individual as a victim of domestic violence or stalking, to refuse
to hire or employ, or to bar or to discharge from employment an individual or
to discriminate against such individual in compensation or in terms, conditions
or privileges of employment.
Status:
Introduced and referred to Government Operations Committee January 3, 2007.
Passed committee and referred to Codes Committee April 17. Passed Codes April 17. Passed Assembly, received in
Senate and referred to investigations and government operations committee April
24. Returned to Assembly January 9, 2008. Amended January 15. Passed Assembly, received in
Senate and referred to Investigations and Government Operations April 30.
The sponsor is a
member of the majority party in the Assembly. The legislation lacks a
majority sponsored companion in the Senate, which is essential for a bill's
passage in the NY legislature.
NY A.B. 2196:
Employment Discrimination
Sponsor:
Deborah Glick
Summary:
Provides that employers who extend funeral or bereavement leave to an employee
for the death of a spouse, child, parent or other relative shall not deny the
same leave for the death of an employee's same-sex committed partner; defines
same-sex committed partners as those who are financially and emotionally
interdependent in a manner commonly presumed of spouses.
Status:
Introduced and referred to Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations
January 16, 2007. Passed committee and referred to Ways and Means
Committee, June 3, 2008. Passed Ways and Means Committee, referred to
Rules Committee and passed committee, June 16. Passed in the Assembly but
failed to move in the Senate. This bill lacks majority sponsored
legislation in the Senate.
NY A.B. 6584 Employment Discrimination
Sponsor:
Richard Gottfried
Summary:
Prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression. Defines gender identity or expression as having or being perceived
as having a gender identity, self image, appearance, behavior or expression
whether or not that gender identity, self image, appearance, behavior or
expression is different from that traditionally associated with the sex
assigned to that person at birth.
Status:
Introduced and referred to Governmental Operations Committee March 14,
2007. Referred to Codes April 24. Referred to Governmental Operations January 9, 2008.
Passed committee and referred to Codes, April 30. Passed committee,
passed assembly, received in Senate and referred to Rules Committee June 3.
The sponsor is a
member of the majority party in the Assembly. This bill has companion
legislation in the senate, S.B. 3753. However, it is not majority sponsored.
NY A. B. 10291 Work Environment
Sponsor: Steven
Englebright
Summary:
Establishes a civil cause of action for employees who are subject to an abusive
work environment. Requires that an employer shall be
civilly liable for the existence of an abusive work environment.
Status:
Introduced and referred to Labor Committee March 17, 2008. This bill
lacks a majority sponsored companion in the Senate.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD UPDATE
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H.R. 3685, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 (ENDA),
sponsored by Representative Barney Frank (D-MA)
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The bill would prohibit
employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
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H.R. 3685 was passed by the
House by a vote of 235 – 184 on November 7, 2007. H.R. 3685 was reported by
the Committee on Education and Labor on October 22, 2007 and was originally
introduced on September 27, 2007.
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Senate Health, Education, Labor
and Pensions Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) said he would bring up the
House-passed bill in the Senate in 2008. In October 2007, the White House
issued a veto statement on H.R. 3685 based on constitutional concerns.
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H.R. 853, the Wellness and Prevention Act,
sponsored by Representative Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)
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Under the bill, employers would
receive up to a $200 tax credit per employee that joins the wellness program.
Employees would also receive a $200 tax credit for participating in the
wellness program and meeting certain requirements.
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H.R. 853 has been jointly
referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means.
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While the legislation enjoys
bipartisan support, it is unclear whether it will advance in the 110th
Congress.
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H.R. 3686, a bill to prohibit employment discrimination based on gender
identity, sponsored by Representative Barney Frank (D-MA)
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The bill would prohibit
employment discrimination based on gender identity.
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H.R. 3686 was introduced on
September 27, 2007, and has been referred to four House committees.
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Due to the advancement of H.R.
3685, H.R. 3686 will not likely be considered as a standalone measure. But
proponents of H.R. 3686 continue to press for the inclusion of gender
identity provisions in an ultimate Employment Non-Discrimination Act. H.R.
3686 was introduced on September 27, 2007.
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H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and
Addiction Equity Act of 2007, sponsored by Representative Patrick Kennedy
(D-RI)
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The bill expands the Mental
Health Parity Act of 1996 by requiring group health plans that offer benefits
for mental health and addiction to do so on the same terms as care for other
diseases. H.R. 1424 is more expansive than the Senate bill.
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H.R. 1424 passed the House of
Representatives on March 5, 2008, by a vote of 268-148.
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With passage of mental health
parity legislation in both the House and Senate, sponsors of the bills are
now working to resolve differences between the two bills.
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Please send contributions for the HR Newsletter to Michele
Paludi: paludim@union.edu.
