| December 10, 2009 | 46th Annual Conference Sept. 25-28, 2010 |
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President's Message Dear members: This has been an extraordinary year for health care human resources professionals. We have been asked to deliver results in every dimension of our HR leader model -- cost effective and efficient HR service delivery; people strategies to improve engagement; community partnerships to improve the health of the communities we serve; health care business knowledge and advocacy to influence health care reform; and the most critical dimension, personal leadership to deliver meaningful results. Based on what I've heard from many of you across the country, you have delivered extraordinary results, and you should be proud of your accomplishments. As my year ends, I'm proud to report that ASHHRA delivered extraordinary results in tough times too. We continue to have incredibly committed business partners, our membership remains stable, and we have an ASHHRA staff committed to delivering timely services and education for our members. While I'd like to take credit for these results, I can't. Some corporations have a secret "formula" for the success of their product; we have a secret "ingredient" as well. You might guess that it's a great board committed to making our organization better, or strong business partners willing to support us, but that's not the secret. We're also part of the American Hospital Association, but that's not the secret key to our success either. The secret "formula" is our members -- each one of you. We have a membership team who is dedicated to both our industry and to supporting each other. This is what makes ASHHRA a great organization today and what will keep us strong in the future. It has been my pleasure and honor to lead this organization. As we move forward into 2010, ASHHRA is fortunate to have a leader with great vision and energy. Jeff Payne, Vice President of Lakeland Medical Center, will assume the role of president for ASHHRA, and he will lead a critical strategic regional planning process for our organization. I'm confident that Jeff and the board will define a path that will move us closer to our mission: "For our members to become more effective, valued, and credible leaders in health care human resources." The board and I are privileged to serve you on your leadership journey. As we continue to look for new ways to serve you, please continue to share your feedback with us. Best Regards, Dan Zuhlke Legal Workforce Compensation General HR Benefits Physicians Management & Leadership Legal It looked as if the move to mandate paid sick leave was dead in Washington. Now, it has gained new life via some creative legislative proposals. The latest Senate attempt at passing a paid-leave bill is called the Pandemic Protection for Workers, Families, and Businesses Act (H.R. 4092/S. 2790). If passed, it would be a "temporary" law that's supposed to expire two years from enactment. Skeptics are focusing on the word temporary, figuring that once Congress pushes the law through, it'll be with us permanently. The employment-related provisions of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) became effective Saturday, Nov. 21. Title II of GINA prohibits the use of genetic information in employment and the intentional acquisition of genetic information about applicants and employees. Genetic information includes information about an individual's genetic tests, genetic tests of a family member and family medical history, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Employers are prohibited from requesting or requiring individuals to undergo genetic testing. Workforce Do your remote workers have the proper security measures installed on their laptops and smartphones to keep your business safe? Even if you don't have employees who work from home now, you should still have a telecommuting plan -- and the security measures to back it up -- in the event a natural disaster keeps them from getting to the office. ESecurityPlanet.com looks at the latest report from Cisco on the state of remote-worker security and disaster readiness. An encouraging jobs report underscored the growing prominence of temporary workers who some experts predict could constitute up to a quarter of the workforce in a few years. A big reason employers shed a far-less-than-expected 11,000 jobs last month is that temporary staffing agencies found slots for 52,000 additional workers, the most since 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said. That's a good sign because cautious employers typically hire temps in a recovery before bringing on full-time staffers. After six years of running a nonprofit organization, Colleen A. Fitzgerald was worn out -- mentally, physically and spiritually. So the 57-year-old "went from full tilt to full stop," she recalled. For three months in early 2009, she holed up in the mountains of New Mexico and the lake country of southeast Wisconsin, reading, painting, hiking and thinking. She emerged from the sabbatical with "more energy, more bold ideas, more enthusiasm and conviction," she explained in an essay recounting her experiences. Fitzgerald had certain advantages: She was her own boss, her son is grown, and her husband was supportive and had a job that provided health insurance during her time away. But the idea of routinely offering sabbaticals is starting to creep into private business, both as a way of retaining experienced employees and helping recruit younger ones. Compensation Human resources professionals answer questions about holiday pay for employees on unpaid FMLA leave, use-it-or-lose-it vacation policies, pitfalls to avoid during conversations about changes in FLSA status and more. The first checks from an emergency unemployment extension have started going out, but about 80,000 Floridians may not see any money for another two to three weeks. Those people do not automatically qualify for the latest round of benefits, so they will have to apply online or by mail. Once they do -- the application window opens this week -- it's not clear how quickly payments will be processed. Officials with Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation, the office that administers unemployment, have said checks could arrive in as little as a few days or as long as two to three weeks. General HR The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics has revised its report on productivity in the third quarter of 2009. The bureau revised productivity down from 9.5 to 8.1 percent. Still, the productivity increase was the largest since the third quarter of 2003. The 8.1 percent gain reflects a 2.9 percent increase in output and a 4.8 percent decline in hours worked. The Internal Revenue Service has issued the standard-mileage-reimbursement rate for 2010. The standard-mile rate for business miles driven will be 50 cents per mile in 2010, down from 55 cents per mile in 2009 and from 58.5 cents in the second half of 2008. The mileage rates for 2010 reflect lower transportation costs compared to a year ago. The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. Benefits Next year is likely to be challenging for benefits and HR pros -- which means now's a good time to discuss long-term strategies with upper management. So what do your employees want? Here are four resolutions that'll keep them happy. The health care reform legislation in the Senate would have a relatively small effect on premiums for employer-based health care insurance, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO compared premiums that employers would pay under current law in the year 2016 and those they would pay in 2016 if the health care reform legislation in the Senate becomes law. For employers with 50 or fewer employees (small group market), the CBO projected that if the legislation becomes law, the average premium could be as much as 1 percent higher to as much as 2 percent lower per person in 2016 (relative to current law). For employers with more than 50 employees (large group market), the CBO projected that that if the legislation becomes law, premiums could be as much as 3 percent lower in 2016 (relative to current law). Physicians Pediatric researchers have found that a gene already implicated in the development of Type 2 diabetes in adults also raises the risk of being overweight during childhood. The finding sheds light on the genetic origins of diabetes and may present an avenue for developing drugs to counteract the disease, which has been on the upswing in childhood and adolescence. One physician says pharmacists' long years of training -- at least six and as many as eight -- make them 'walking encyclopedias' on drug effectiveness, side effects and interactions. "In terms of the number of hours spent studying drug effectiveness, pharmacists are better trained than physicians," says Julie Donohue, an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh. Management & Leadership Let's face it: You're probably not handing out big raises right now -- and that can put a damper on morale. But savvy managers have found ways to keep employees upbeat -- and performing -- without breaking the bank. Here are four incentives keeping workers happy. Giving feedback, particularly constructive feedback, is often a stressful task. As counterintuitive as it may seem, giving feedback to a top performer can be even tougher. Top performers may not have obvious development needs and in identifying those needs, you can sometimes feel like you're being nitpicky or over-demanding. In addition, top performers may not be used to hearing constructive feedback and may rankle at the slightest hint that they're not perfect. |
ASHHRA Mission ASHHRA leads the way for members to become more effective, valued, and credible leaders in health care human resources administration. As the foremost authority in health care HR, ASHHRA provides timely and critical support through ongoing learning and development, products and resources, and opportunities for networking and collaboration. Contact: ASHHRA |
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