2009 marks a very special event for Astron Solutions – our 10th
Anniversary! Astron Solutions would like to thank you for making this
possible by having an Open House. Astron is planning an open house
birthday celebration on Thursday, January 22nd 2009 from 9:00 AM to
6:00 PM.
Click here to see full details and how to RSVP. See you there!
Fact or fiction: It’s possible to send over 10,000 text messages in a month.
Fact
A 13-year-old girl probably broke a world record by sending 14,528 text
messages in the span of a month. That’s just SENDING; if the total
includes receiving that number is probably somewhere near 30,000. The
math comes out to roughly one sent message every two minutes for every
waking hour (based on 16 hours awake a day). Stories like these are the reasons why organizations
impose rules on personal communication in the office. Imagine having an
employee who just sits at their desk and texts ALL DAY? Imagine if an
employee had this type of productivity with something else? The
potential is amazing.
For an article on the story, including an interview with the father of this girl,
click here.
The New Year is here! Now it’s time to grab your calendars and mark
Astron’s first Road Show event of 2009. Our first appearance of the New
Year is in Houston, TX. National Director, Michael Maciekowich, will
present at the Houston Society of Healthcare Human Resources
Administration conference held on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009.
Astron’s Director, Client Services, Paul Hart Miller, will also be
present for the event. For more information, please
click here.
We hope to see you there!
From all of us here at Astron Solutions, we wish you, your family and
friends, and everybody else who may read this, a Happy and Healthy
2009!
Changes. Without them, there’s no indication of
progress. As we prepare for the extensive work ahead of us to make 2009
a successful year professionally, it is beneficial to take a look at
what may be in HR’s future. Keeping current with possible changes
allows one to be prepared to handle any potential challenge and make
adjustments smoothly. Being aware of changes in the ever evolving field
of HR is important as HR impacts an organization’s livelihood and
success. The Astron team has identified 4 areas of change in 2009.
FMLA Changes in 2009
Taking affect very soon – January 16, 2009 to be exact! – the
Department of Labor (DOL) has issued the final regulations on the
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Why are these modifications
important to the HR world? Consider these facts from
a recent HR article:
• “An estimated 7 million employees take FMLA leave each year, and the
DOL estimates that an additional 139,000 will actively seek family
military leave each year.” • “The DOL estimates that the financial impact on employees
and employers will be roughly $327.2 million…with possible reoccurring
costs of $244.4 million.” No organization wants to be accused or exposed of not
following such laws in court. No organization can afford to lose money
from obliviousness.
Plenty of adjustments have been made to the law. They are not all easily understood. For starters,
employers are required to provide newly hired employees
with a general notice of the FMLA (by poster, employee handbook, or on
day of hire), an eligibility notice, a rights & responsibilities
notice, and a designation notice. Employers will have up to 5 days to
provide such notices upon hire. There are also major adjustments in the procedures for
substitution of paid leave that will permit an employer to require
employees to take accumulated paid vacation, personal, family, or sick
leave in conjunction with FMLA leave. However, at organizations covered
by FMLA protections, an employee will always be entitled to FMLA leave
whether or not they meet an employer’s qualifications for paid leave.
Other changes include clarification of when medical recertification is
required, changes in the process for fitness-for-duty certification,
and
two new leave entitlements.
Due to the importance of these new regulations, it is imperative that
we fully understand the adjustments. A solid first step is viewing the
Department of Labor’s website and
examining the changes. Contacting labor and employment law firms can be useful as well. Additionally,
attending seminars and workshops that are aimed in addressing the changes can be beneficial.
From ADA to ADAAA
Changes in the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be found in the
new ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA). While a lot of things have not changed
in this new documentation, the government used the legislation to
clarify and broaden several definitions.
Some items addressed include a definition of “major life activities.”
In the definition there are two non-exhaustive lists: General
Activities and Major Bodily Functions. Also, episodic or remissive
impairments can be considered disabilities if they limit a significant
life activity.
Mitigating measures can not be considered when determining if a person is disabled.
Many of these changes were brought on by previous
Supreme Court decisions such as,
Sutton v. United Air Lines (1999),
Murphy v. United Parcel Services (1999),
Albertsons Inc. v. Kirkingburg (1999), and
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky v. Williams (2002). Due to the greater clarification in the ADAAA, many more Americans will be covered than under the previous ADA.
One useful resource in learning about the ADAAA changes is
The Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) website.
In particular, the law section of the site contains many articles and
completely covers the new ADAAA. Human Resource professionals will need
to take special care when dealing with ADA issues, as mistakes could
possibly result a variety of actions including lawsuits.
Taking note of the modifications found in the ADAAA and showing proof
of acknowledgement will promote a sense of organizational awareness to
employees. This may make employees feel secure in knowing their
organization is fully safeguarding their rights as employees. Ways in
which an organization can demonstrate awareness could be in a simple
bulletin, e-mail, or paper document notifying the staff of some of the
changes found in the ADAAA. Thorough training with EEO officers and
other HR professionals on these changes is also highly recommended.
Enter The Employee Free Choice Act?
Astronology readers are familiar with what the
Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) may bring through
past articles. EFCA is proposed legislation that would amend the National Labor Relations Act.
Many business professionals severely oppose the EFCA as they believe it
would give unions the strength to dominate collective bargaining. They
also believe EFCA is only being used
to heighten dipping union membership numbers.
There is also expressed concern regarding the card-check system,
suggesting that an employee loses their right to a secret-ballot
election. In 2007, the bill passed through Congress. In 2008, we
saw both presidential candidates state their perspectives on the bill.
Republican John McCain strongly opposed EFCA whereas
Democratic Barack Obama supported the bill. Even though President-elect Obama
has been mum about his intentions on if and when he will sign the bill after inauguration, there is a
strong indication
that he most certainly will commit to EFCA’s passing. For this
particular change in 2009, we will have to stay tuned. Now is the
perfect time, however, to learn about the bill and what its enactment
could mean for your organization.
2009: The Year of the Talent Retention Crisis?
Talent Retention is slowly, but steadily reaching crisis status, despite the current US economic status.
Deloitte Consulting reported on the possibility of a talent retention crisis in 2005. Their studies indicated that out of 123 respondents:
• 70% stated that incoming workers with inadequate skills pose the greatest threat to business performance by 2008
• 61% believed that Baby Boomer retirement would be the 2nd great threat to business performance by 2008
• 55% believed the inability to retain key talent was the 3rd great threat to business performance by 2008.
Now more than ever, HR specialists should review their organizations to
determine if these possible threats are of genuine concern. The
Taleo Corporation
conducted a study in June 2008 consisting of 2,045 adults (888 college
graduates) on their first job and their first employers. Study findings
include the following:
• 43% that received a job after college graduation remained at this job less than 2 years.
• When asked how their first job made them feel:
• 13% reported that they couldn’t wait for Friday
• 10% wanted to quit every day
• 8% felt it was a waste of their time.
These numbers suggest part of a larger trend that as time goes by it becomes harder for organizations to keep talent.
Some reasons for this include the rocky economy and even the fast pace American lifestyle. There is a growing tendency for mobilization, which results in frequent job changes. While presently
this trend has slowed down relocation is still a factor in the talent retention topic.
2009 will be a year of change. Whether your organization is able to
adapt to these changes will rest solely on the willingness of the
entire organization to adapt and move proactively. HR specialists play
a special role in making such transitions smooth and effortless. In
order to be duly prepared, it is essential to take precaution now and
ensure that everyone is updated on changes. To support your
organization’s success in 2009, take the time to not only be fully
aware of these particular issues, but also to reflect on and create
innovative strategies to make 2009 a triumphant year. We here at
Astronology will do our best to support you by bringing to light
pertinent topics in HR in each and every issue!
Wonder what your fellow readers think about critical HR topics? Is your organization unique from or similar to others?
Click here to view the results of our past polls!
A Look Back at All That Happened in 2008
Fact or Fiction
If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some
feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us! Simply reply to
this e-mail. See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an
upcoming issue of Astronology. Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource
organization's meeting? Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich
present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee
retention issues. For more information, send an e-mail to
info@astronsolutions.com.
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Copyright 2008, Astron Solutions, LLC
ISSN Number 1549-0467
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