Oriel Incorporated offers two project management training courses to give you the proper tools to create and deliver your organization’s products and services in the most effective manner possible.

From general definitions to the specific skills and techniques of scheduling, team management, communication, and more, our courses will teach you the latest and most effective project management techniques. Created in partnership with Boston University’s Corporate Education Center, these courses are presented by a stellar group of highly experienced professionals who have successfully employed project management across a host of industries.

Whether you are new to the field of project management or are an experienced manager who wants to keep up with the current trends, turn to Oriel. Our core material can also be customized to address the unique elements of your particular organization.

Our courses include:

• Principles and Techniques of Project Management
• Project Management Fast Track

Principles and Techniques of Project Management (3 days)
Learn how to effectively balance the weight of your managerial responsibilities with the expectations of different stakeholders.  This course provides an overview of the concepts and principles of project management, which will enable you to oversee your projects efficiently and effectively.  An integrated case study gives you a first-hand opportunity to practice the theories and concepts discussed in the course.  This class is 100% compliant with the current Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) from the Project Management Institute (PMI®).

In this course, you will learn how to clearly differentiate among project, program, and subproject, identifying contrasting and related characteristics of each;  compare and contrast project management to strategic management, operations management, and crisis management, understanding your role in all of these relationships;  define the role of project manager while addressing the expectations of different project stakeholders;  and develop essential management deliverables such as project charters, scope statements, work breakdown structures, activity lists, duration estimates, network diagrams, and risk analysis.

Project Management Fast Track (5 days)
As a project manager, do you feel confident in your ability to effectively plan, execute, control, and close the projects that are assigned to you?  If not, or if you’d like to learn to perform your job more easily, look no further—this five-day class from Oriel, offered in partnership with Boston University’s Corporate Education Center, will give you the background and tools you need to optimize your role in the project management process.  Even better, this course will help you prepare for Project Management Professional®  (PMI) certification from the Project Management Institute® (PMI).

A case study is threaded throughout the program and includes activities that enable participants to apply the lessons that they’re learning.  The curriculum is presented in dual fashion: PMI theories are presented and then supplemented with examples from the course instructors’ project management experiences.  This combination of theoretical and practical will give you a more intensive presentation of the material, so that you can absorb—and retain—it more thoroughly.

Prerequisites for this course are a minimum of 2–4 years experience working in a project manager role and leading a team, familiarity with and understanding of PMI® and the PMBOK® Guide, and/or interest in and sufficient experience (4,500 hours over 5 years) to take the PMI certification exam.

Regulator Follow Up Action

Predictably, this week, ASIC was ordered to pick up the tab for Rich and Silbermann. Not so predictably ASIC got another kick in the teeth with a Victorian Supreme Court Judge delivering a broadside as to the regulator’s handling of its case against former AWB executive Andrew Lindberg. Not surprisingly numerous “we told you so” commentators have come out to advise ASIC that it should change its litigation strategy to avoid mega claims and keep future actions “short and sweet”.  James Hardie has been put forward as an example of ASIC successfully taking a more defined approach.

The ATO hit back at those that criticised its handling of its $678 million dollar claim against international private equiteers TPG, explaining in detail, to those that were interested, the difference between revenue and capital gains.  Tax practitioners say that the ATO is preparing three separate rulings which are expected to redefine the ATO’s treatment of such deals. These rulings are expected to force fundamental changes to the way private equity, and other international finance transactions are structured.

In other regulator news AUSTRAC continued its strong compliance stance accepting an enforceable undertaking from PayPal Australia after its investigations revealed deficiencies in the systems PayPal had in place to assess and manage its money laundering and terrorism financing risk.

Ripoll Report Falls Flat

The Ripoll report into financial products and services was finally released after months of hearings and came up with 11 key recommendations (http://ow.ly/FoWt).  The initial response was a flurry of headlines noting its criticism of ASIC’s handling of Storm and its call for sweeping reforms of the financial planning industry.  Once the commentators had a chance to dig a bit deeper the general consensus appears to be that Bernie and his mates have missed a golden opportunity to actually do something to address the basic conflict of interest in the industry, being the fact that most planners are not being rewarded for providing good advice but rather for flogging products with nice trailing commissions. The fact that the report was almost universally welcomed by the financial planning industry should give up some clues as to who are the winners here.

Workplace Relations

Whilst the politicians and the press focus on the ETS / liberal leadership debate, there has been very little comment or analysis around the new Modern Awards and the National Employment Standards which are due to commence on 1 January 2010.  Given that these new laws will affect nearly every employer in the country is it remarkable that there hasn’t been at least some government advertising of the changes.  A cynic would suggest that the Rudd government doesn’t need to advertise at the moment. It’s ironic that in the background the Fair Work Authority continues to successfully pursue employers who are underpaying workers largely because they didn’t understand their legal obligations under the old award system.

The gender equality debate continued during the week with the traditionally conservative Australian Institute of Company Directors finally coming out and calling for companies to set goals and report annually on policies and progress in increasing gender diversity on boards and at senior management level.  Almost simultaneously the Federal Government Agency for Equal Opportunity for Women published the names of 12 companies including Rivers & Tyrrell’s Wines for breaching national Equal Employment Opportunity laws.  It seems some directors and senior managers simply don’t get it.

Profile of a Travel Nurse

by Amy Nutt

Travel nurses are nurses who travel to different locations for short-term working assignments. Travel nurses often work for hospitals, doctors offices, and in the medical administration field. Travel nurses are usually hired to fill temporary work shortages such as peak work times, maternity leave, and long term illnesses of permanent workers. Medical facilities will pay a high salary to fill short term periods. Assignment can be a few days or several months. An assignment usually runs for about- weeks.

To obtain a career in travel nursing, you must first have the appropriate credentials. The usual requirements for becoming a travel nurse are a minimum of one year of clinical experience and a state employment license granted by the states nursing board. You should have a nursing degree from a recognized nursing school and have all the skills needed to fill a particular position. Not all hospitals recognize one year vocational diploma programs. Medical facilities expect travel nurses to know what they are doing on the first day of the assignment. That is one reason why they pay top dollar for a travel nurse. They expect the travel nurse to have the knowledge and skills to adapt quickly and efficiently.

There are a number steps to achieving a career as a travel nurse. First, one should apply to a travel nurse agency. These agencies are actively involved with hospitals across the country and with many International hospitals. They have the knowledge of open travel nurse positions and they match the travel nurse with the staffing needs of the medical facility.

Once a person is accepted into the travel nurse agency, the recruiter will match that person with the assignment. The recruiter will help the travel nurse with the interview process, obtain essential state licenses, assist with housing and travel, and arrange for the appropriate benefits and pay. The recruiter receives a fee, but the travel nurse receives their knowledge and experience.

Although each state has its own nurse licensing requirements, they do provide temporary licenses. Some temporary licenses can last up to a year. Registered nurses have the advantage because their national board exam covers state requirements. Having a nursing agency recruiter can be helpful as they will assist you in securing your temporary license.

Because of the travel arrangements that need to be made for each assignment, travel nurses tend to prefer recruiting agencies. These agencies are experienced and can make travel arrangements quickly and efficiently. If traveling out of the country, one needs to secure a visa and have proof that they are a graduate of a reputable institution. It is important to maintain a current resume with valid supporting documents.

The life of a travel nurse requires maintaining a constant travel schedule that includes:

Maintaining a Check List: A week before you depart, have a list of all the necessities you need and check them off as you pack. This includes documents, clothing, books, etc.

Research Work Location: Prepare for cultural differences, personal safety issues, and proximity to stores, restaurants, and supermarkets. This will minimize unexpected stressful events.

Move In Early: Moving in a day or two early will allow you to become familiar with youre your work location and the surrounding community.

Most nurses enter the field of travel nursing jobs so they can travel, experience different work environments, make a good living, and maintain a flexible work schedule. Travel nursing is also an excellent way for recent graduates to find out where they would like long-term employment. The Professional Association of Nurse Travelers, a non-profit national organization representing nurse travelers in the US, is a great organization to consult with regarding a career in travel nursing.There are also many traveler nurse blogs and forums where one can gain more insight into the pros and cons of travel nursing.

About the Author:

One of the countries
largest Healthcare staffing company can help place you with travel nursing jobs, family physician jobs and speech pathologist jobs.

Join a HEALTH & WELLNESS Program

• Salary: £19K
• Location: East Midlands
• Date posted: 24/11/2009
• Date expires: 25/04/2010
• Position Type: Full-Time

Enterprise is a major support services company that maintains the infrastructure throughout the UK, working with large utility companies and the public sector we are well established but still growing, we have over 40 years experience and provide jobs for over 15,000 employees and operatives across 170 sites throughout the UK.
We supply services such as grounds maintenance, property refurbishment, refuse collection, leak detection and repair, and high voltage power supply renewal. We use our bespoke IT systems and unique scheduling software to manage many tasks such as the maintenance and repair of gas and water pipes, the replacement of telecoms and power cables, the collection of refuse, the maintenance of streets and highways, the repair of social houses and commercial properties and much more. We maintain the infrastructure of the UK.
Many of our customers are household names and include: BT, Ministry of Defence, National Grid, Severn Trent Water, London Underground, The Highways Agency and numerous London Boroughs and County and City Councils.

Job Description
The Human Resources department consists of various teams that each look after a different aspect of employee well-being and relationships. The Training team collates and maintains records for all employees and arranges tailored training courses to encourage our people to realise their full potential. The Learning and Development team co-ordinates the development of Managers and Graduates at Enterprise and undertakes Talent Management activities. The core Human Resources team handles employee queries, liaises with Trade Unions, maintains personnel files and supports transfers and mobilisations both internally and externally.

This scheme lasts for two years with the opportunity to pick up the ILM qualification and a permanent job in middle management at the end. Graduates will gain exposure across the division, take part in charitable events and spend 4 days with the MoD on a leadership challenge.

The salary is £19,000 + increments off £1000 every 6 months based on performance.

To Apply: Please register at http://bit.ly/gradstudent and apply under ‘Human Resources and Personnel’

Join our facebook group and keep up to date with new jobs http://bit.ly/fbjobs

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/gradstudentjobs

FREE 3 MOBILE SIM CARD FOR EVERY READER. CLICK HERE TO CLAIM.

The numbers of people applying for jobs these days has grown to enormous proportions.

HR departments are over busy trying to sift and filter applications and review candidates’ applications, using a wide variety of strategies, approaches and homemade tools.

Innovation in this area has grown enormously and led to some imaginary and dubious selection methods being adopted, one of which is posted here.

On average, 200 people apply for one position, depending on the level of experience and qualifications required.

Clearly the non-skilled and semi-skilled marketplace is much more competitive.

This innovative method is called: Watching how candidates cross the street.

Location, location, location
Now the first problem with this approach is, location. It can be difficult to arrange for an interviewee to cross the street within view of the HR interviewer. Perhaps they need to cross the road to enter your building, if not try to arrange for the interview to be held at a local Starbucks, cafe or restaurant. As long as it is near a busy road. Any reasonably busy city street will do.

Close Observation
The next skill is to be able to watch carefully and take notes. There is little need to undertake secret videotaping, but you can if it is particularly interesting to you.

The innovative thinking on this approach is that these few seconds of interactivity involving a sprinkle of stress / problem solving /danger, will tell you more about their workplace capabilities than an hour of tough questioning.

Consider the five standard types of crosswalkers and how it is claimed, they would perform in the workplace:

The Matador(ess).
A fearless player, the Matador(ess) flaunts their vulnerability. They think nothing of daring the cars and taxis with their elegant dance and slalom through traffic. Pedestrian crossings are just paint on the road to a Matador(ess). Red lights are mere street decorations.

The Matador(ess) cares not if the oncoming traffic shows no sign of swerving or stopping and will risk the possibility of a glancing blow.

Best Roles: These people are best suited to be entrepreneurs, super sales makers /closers, high risk financial mavericks, etc.

Caution! They are also likely to be reckless, head-strong, egotistical and difficult to control. They will need strong leadership and strategic management.

The Wader.
Bold but more attentive than fearless, the Wader is determined and eager to cross, demonstrating ample initiative but a little more common sense and less risk.

Waders may also be on the phone and texting while they are on the move but they will desist when venturing into traffic. They will consider that getting struck by any part of a vehicle, however minor, is a bad thing.

They will eagerly follow a Matador(ess) and let them run interference, slowing traffic and creating a diversion, taking advantage of any safe opening created. While the Matador(ess) is testing their luck and confronting taxi drivers, the Wader will skip to the other side first, with little effort and time to spare.

Best Roles: Excellent CEOs, vice presidents, software designers, project leaders and design heads.

Caution! They can be attentive team players, sensitive to the feelings and emotion of others but can also be non-confrontational, evasive, manipulative, somewhat Machiavellian in approach etc. and will need an intelligent leader that can see the multi-plays in motion and use the excellent team attributes on offer.

The TextWalker.
Having mastered typing, talking and walking at once, the TextWalker tends to forget that crossing a busy road is ‘real’ life and tapping keys on a little plastic box, is ‘virtual reality’. The division between the real world and Second Life is difficult for them to sustain.

TextWalkers may appear to be assertive on the surface, a bit like the Waders or even a pseudo Matador(ess), but they have one critical distinction—progress in their case, is not so much to do with crossing the road but in moving forward with the multiple tasks and ideas that they started in the early hours of the morning.

So progress, e.g. crossing the road to get to an interview or to achieve a specific task, can be more illusionary or conceptual.

The Textwalker will meander, drift, and even pause for thought and re-assimilation midway. They may even retreat momentarily before moving forward again.

They lack the single-mindedness, concentration or presence of mind to stay on task. Especially if that task is mundane or unchallenging.

Best Roles: They are creative thinkers, conceptual designers and programmers. They exhibit creative flashes of raw talent.

Caution!: They are ill-suited and in this form, not yet ready for management or higher-levels of responsibilities and are difficult to integrate as team players. They can lack structure and good communication strategies.

They will require a good paternal leader that can capture their enthusiasm and creativeness and channel them effectively. Someone who has the time and energy and can coach and mentor them in a structured and methodical way.

The Light Jumper.
The Light Jumper is an opportunist. They start out determined to comply and follow the letter of the law, but they are impatient. So, when the crossing light turns from Green to flashing yellow, they can’t help but jump.

The placid, rational Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde and once they have embarked on their course, nothing is going to deter them. A Light Jumper is not above shouting and glaring at motorists who narrowly miss them, even though the traffic have the right of way.

Best Roles: Strong civil rights lawyers, human rights campaigners and charismatic managers with badly hidden tattoos.

Caution! These people are looking for a ’cause’ or a ‘calling’ and are excellent drivers in charities and non-profit organisations. They need managers with high scruples and integrity because once they are disillusioned they will become very ‘anti’ and strongly negative.

The Kerb Huggers.
No matter how empty the road is, Kerb Huggers would never dream of stepping off the pavement and onto the crossing before they have the ‘authority’ to do so. They will not move a second earlier than the law, or the “Walk” sign, allows.

Ironically, Kerb Huggers rarely make it across the road before the light turns red and, by delaying their walk across the road, they are often victims of anyone who enjoys jumping red lights. Kerb huggers sometimes find themselves having to run or jump the remaining yard or two.

Best Roles: Compliant tax accountants, statisticians, quality management, regulatory or rules-based occupations. Excellent at scheduling, writing agendas and attending meetings, especially when the purpose is to schedule new meetings, if it’s on the agenda.

Caution! This group of people are possibly unexciting but easily managed. If you have a suitable rule book that covers all circumstances, just give them that and ask them to check in occasionally. They are not creative or imaginative risk takers and should not be expected to do anything other than follow instructions.

Anecdote
At the risk of re-enforcing misconceptions of stereotypes, I have seen people standing at a pedestrian stop sign at 02.00 am in the middle of the night, waiting for the lights to change to green, when there is no traffic and no threat of traffic for several hours. They will not cross the road until the light changes to green, under any circumstances.

Unfortunately, in my experience, this occurs most often in England, Germany and Sweden but don’t take my word for it, set your alarm clock for the middle of the night and go see for yourself.

Let me leave you with another thought; How do you cross the street, and what does that say about your personality and outlook on life?

Dear everyone,

Business is really good now in the Philippines. Yes, I know, many will contest what I am saying. Truth is relative to most people anyway.  This is also true for me. And this is the reason why I say that business is really good.

At the start of this year, many of my friends in the training business said that seminars and workshops will be the first one to be affected. This is because for many companies, the budget for training is the first to be sacrificed to save a company. I agree. Many companies think of training as something that you do when you are doing well.  But smart executives understand that training is most needed in times of crises.  And I know that there are many smart executives in this country. So, either they find me or I find them. Unahan na lang.

There are many freelance trainers who are looking for business. There are many companies which are looking for less expensive, but very effective training providers in the Philippines. But they seldom meet. For some companies, the only training providers they know are those who advertise themselves big time. Or those training providers who spam them with announcement for new seminars. I wonder how many of your receive those spam announcements.

Again, business in the Philippines has been good to me. I typically get two to five inquiries everyday about the training programs that I conduct. Not every program proposed is realized, but the mere fact that I get inquiries simply means that there are people who are interested to get their people trained. So, yes, this year is good for me. Next year will even be better.

This is why I have decided to form my team of trainers and speakers.   A team whose purpose is help companies build organizational excellence, improve customer service, equipped their people, and of course increased revenues.  A team which values service, integrity, excellence, expertise, and fun, fun, fun!

Who are these people whom I want to get into my team?  There is no particular DNA or blood type really. But I am thinking of

• The experienced professionals who desire to share their knowledge to the world.  They can be trainers and speakers who have been in the business for the last 15 years who still welcome opportunities to learn new techniques in training and speaking.  They who desire to make training effective and a whole lot of fun doing.
• The company executives who because of their expertise have been training people in their respective fields. If they are willing to learn how to take boredom out of their lectures, they are welcome. If they are willing to prepare for their programs and make sure that they only give the best every time they speak and train, then they are welcome.
• The new blood in the workplace who are willing to learn from the “experienced” and older guys like us. If they want to explore the beautiful world of speaking and training, learn how to sell their ideas and inspire people, then  they are welcome.

Which programs do we offer?

• Leadership seminars
• Personal Development
• Teambuilding
• Mentoring
• Coaching Skills
• Customer Service
• Stress Management
• Time Management
• Presentation Skills
• Confidence Building
• Public Speaking
• Other people skills programs

What are you going to get? Let me mention the obvious.

1. Because you are with a team whose interests are the same with yours, you will achieve your goals faster. Do you like to learn new techniques? Do you want to learn the empowering principles followed by effective trainers and speakers? Do you like to make a difference in the lives of people?  Do you want to follow your passion?
2. Because we will push to the front. There are many very good trainers who don’t get invited simply because they are not visible.  You may be remarkable. And if you really are remarkable then the world needs to see you. We will help you become visible to those who need you.
3. Because you will earn more as you learn more.

Are you interested? Email me and let’s converse about your plans. Let us schedule this conversation. I prefer that we talk through skype:  jef.menguin

What's the connection to this post? Sunflowers are one of my favourite things! And I'll consider bribes. There's no connection between the two. I'm just sayin'.

I missed out, big time, on a blog topic so readily available to me – Canada’s Thanksgiving Day, back in October.  Well call me an opportunist, I’m hopping on the American Thanksgiving bandwagon for today’s theme:  Things I’m thankful for in my job!

1.  I work with a great group of people.  I empathize with my fellow HR’ers who have to work with or for terrors.  Why is this still happening in our workplaces?  “Ethical treatment is a fundamental human right.”

2.  Have a great idea?  Do it.  Don’t know how to do it?  There’s enough expertise + smarts that between us, we’ll figure it out.

3.  The office Christmas party.  Sure, there may not be any crystal chandeliers to swing from, but a great meal with my coworkers is always a fun time to bond.

4.  A fair compensation plan.  Between news of abysmal child poverty rates and stratospheric executive compensation, it puts things into perspective.

5.  I’m measured on my deliverables.  It’s all about whether I got the job done and how well, not at what time I turned on my computer.

6.  The results of my performance review is never a surprise.  I’m kept up to date on my progress on a regular basis and feedback is a two-way street.  Likewise, I do my best to never surprise my boss.  I said I do my best… but I’m not perfect.

7.  My coworkers offer suggestions to make my work better.  I listen to them because they’re experts at what they do and they care about good work.  They listen to me when I apologize for having Monday morning grr’s.

8.  My daily can of diet Root Beer.  Sometimes, happiness is as simple as sugar-free caramel-flavoured fizzy water.

9.  Support for learning.  It helps that my organization offers some great workshops.

10.  I can log on to Facebook and LinkedIn and do the social networking thing without being questioned on whether or not I’m working.  I feel sorry for people who have these websites blocked at work because social networking is not seen as a business tool.

So, there’s a lot to be thankful for.  Sure, everyone has days when they would rather not do what they’re doing and wish they’d win the next Lotto Max jackpot.  Hey, that’s life!  But during those moments, I’ll try my best to remember the above instead of blowing $10 on a quick pick.

Our AMA New Media team will be doing a webinar with Paul Falcone, author of 101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees next week. He will be sharing how to turn painful conversations into positive results.

Difficult Performance Reviews: How To Turn Painful Conversations into Positive Results.

December 03, 2009

1:00 PM-2:30 PM Eastern

Price: $149

REGISTER HERE.

How to Deliver Positive Feedback in Tough Conversations

For most managers, the toughest discussions of the year are coming up soon in the form of annual performance reviews.

Naturally, these sessions can lead many to feel uncomfortable.

The way you handle these conversations is even more difficult when you have to deliver feedback in this environment of economic uncertainty.

However when conducted properly, these sessions provide you with a great opportunity to help your employees focus on their goals and boost their morale—while correcting flaws that can hold them back.

This 90-minute interactive Webinar provides tested methods to help you prepare for and conduct these discussions in a way that invites balanced participation, stays true to your message, focuses on performance, gains acceptance and reduces defensiveness.

Paul Falcone is Vice President of Employee Relations at Time Warner Cable in Los Angeles and was formerly Vice President of Human Resources at Nickelodeon. He is the author of 2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews, 101 Sample Write-Ups for Documenting Employee Performance Problems, 96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire, The Hiring and Firing Question and Answer Book, and his latest, 101 Tough Conversations to Have With Employees. In addition to these books, Falcone is a regular contributor to HR Magazine and is a well-known presenter at events for the Society for Human Resource Management.



Lowongan Kerja HRD – Pabrik Komponen Otomotif

Pabrik Komponen Otomotif yang sedang ekspansi di Kawasan Industri Lippo Cikarang membuka kesempatan berkarir untuk posisi :

1. Management Trainee (MT)
Untuk di kader menempati posisi leader (pengalaman) dan staff di Engineering-QA-QC-QS-MTC-PPIC-IT-HRD-Personalia-Finance-Accounting-Marketing.
Pria / Wanita, D3 / S1, semua jurusan, bisa computer

2. HRD (HR)
S1 Psikologi, pengalaman, mampu membuat / mengadakan training, menguasai alat test Psikologi

3. Kabag Finance & Acounting (FA)
S1, pengalaman, mampu membuat dan menganalisa laporan keuangan

4. Dies Maintenance (DM)
Pengalaman, menguasai setting, perawatan / preventive dan perbaikan / repair dies stamping / mould

5. Security (SC)
Max 35 tahun, punya sertifikat pelatihan security

Tulis kode di kiri atas amplop lamaran dan kirim ke :

Sie HRD
PO BOX B85/BKS LC
Bekasi 1755A

Valid until : —

Info Lowongan Lainnya :
Lowongan Marketing – Medical Equipment
Lowongan Medical Representative – Vitabiotics
Lowongan Desain Grafis – PT Presscheck
Lowongan Center Director – English Course
Lowongan Operator Produksi – Industri Manufacture

HR professionals should be more concerned for company business. The more they understand a particular business the more they know about the secret of the success in that business arena. HR itself shouldn’t be a composite of different applications applicable in everywhere / every business in a same way (more or less). Rather HR should be distinctive with expertise in a particular business.

Though it is said that HR strategy is always aligned with the company level strategy which does necessarily not urge that HR professionals should know the business thouroghly. But once HR professionals learn the dynamics of a particular type of business, they are surely to contribute in the business directly and more positively.

By knowing business HR can be a busniess partner instead of just facilitating work people.

Josh Liebner, Gershon Mader, and I ended up on an interesting tangent about the role of human resources in driving strategic commitment (previous posts here and here).  Both authors shared my frustration about HR’s inertia when it comes to transformation efforts.  In no small measure, this frustration comes from believing that HR should be in a unique position to drive change because they often know “what is really going on” or “what people really believe/think”.

We kept coming back to one question:  Does the human resources field attract people who can’t or don’t want to lead?  Our answer was “too often” and the discussion identified three drivers:

1. The reputation of HR as a leadership backwater is an on-going barrier to attracting risk-taking leaders.  Many people recognize that HR could be more, but ultimately…
2. The transactional nature of many core HR functions shapes its own org design.  What parts of HR must be done?  Well, they are the compliance, recruiting, and benefits administration functions.  Therefore, there is something about the work that attracts…
3. Gatekeepers.  Compliance-heavy functions require formal and structured lines of authority, which are quite easy to hide behind or to substitute for business decisions.

This last point highlights the position that HR has gotten itself into: gatekeeping may give it formal authority, but strategic imperatives don’t respect formal authority.  Emergent and adaptive systems will almost always find workarounds.

To that end, Josh and Gershon both suggested that a coaching and mentoring model is the best way for HR to engage in strategy.  This approach leverages the strength of HR — knowing the lay of the land — with a softer, less rules-bound style.  Acknowledging and shaping emergent behavior will be more fruitful than trying to ban or control it.

Apto Solutions would like to wish our staff a Happy Thanksgiving. We will be closed for business the day of Thanksgiving and the day after. Thanks to Bill for bringing in the Krispy Kremes, they are always appreciated.

It’s almost the end of November and I just can’t wait to hit the holiday season. But, before that, there are issues to work on, chapters to close and of course, Read Up!

So, here are a few things that I found to be very interesting:

• Want to increase your effectiveness at work? Check out the 3 mindsets that are going to support you in getting there.
• I stumbled on the “Who Needs Employees Anyway?” blog, which has some great data on engagement. Always a good read.
• If you are not doing it already, I recommend following Gurprriet Siingh’s blog. He always comes up with thought-provoking, insightful posts. Some of his recent ones are on Choices, Do Nothing and Engaging Today’s Employees.
• Are there any bright sides of the underutilized (but over-capable) employee you have in your team? Find out here.

Finally, I once again had a conversation on employee satisfaction vs. employee engagement. I could go on and on about it. But, out of impulse, I ran a Google Trends on these two terms. the graph below shows the search volume index for these two terms. At the bottom, you also see a mini chart on the “news reference” for these two terms.

What’s happening here?

Every morning, you know how it goes- the alarm goes off, the kids wake up, the dogs need to be let out, the cat wants to be fed, the kids need breakfast, the garbage needs to go out, and you still have to shower, but you haven’t even had your coffee yet.   On top of all that, now you’re going to be late for work.   By the time you finally get to work (late), you are exhausted from the morning routine and can’t concentrate on doing your job.

Mornings are not easy for anyone, especially for those with children and other responsibilities.  Life has a way of getting in the way of responsibilities and there’s not much we can do to stop it.  Our current economy requires most of us to work (if we can) full time or more, but we can’t neglect our other “jobs” either.   There’s a balance game we must all learn to play- a teeter-totter of family and work.  Sometimes one wins out over another, but the one that loses often suffers dire consequences.  It’s a catch twenty two for working families- do I take care of my child or do I get to work on time?  Sadly, it comes down to taking care of a child versus paying the mortgage or buying groceries- a choice we shouldn’t be forced to make.

Employers are coming into the 21^st century and realizing it’s difficult (near impossible) to balance everything going on in our lives and still be a good employee, parent, pet owner, etc.   They have figured out that making things easier and helping employees balance their responsibilities makes them better performers at work.  Some of these businesses are offering their employees the opportunity to use flex time.   Flextime can be defined in a few different ways- usually by the employer offering it.  It can mean working from home, staggering hours, working 4 ten hour days, etc.

What this does for employee performance is immense.  This relieves stress, reduces costs spent on commutes, allows parents to spend more time with their children, and gives employees a newfound respect for their employers.  When employees are offered these opportunities, they feel valued as a team member- trusted.  This makes employees want to give more effort back to their employers.

The benefits of flextime for employees are obvious- but did you realize the benefits to the employer are just as good- and maybe even better?  Here are 8 reasons to offer flextime to your employees-

1. It’s FREE!  It’s a benefit you can offer to your employees that costs you NOTHING.  How many benefits offered to employees cost the employer nothing?  We can’t think of too many.
2. Less sick days taken = more work days produced.  Sick days are virtually eliminated with flextime.
3. Increased morale- a happy employee is a hard working employee.
4. No more tardiness- they set their own schedules and allow time to get everything they need to get done before work.
5. Productivity increase- your employees are eliminating commutes, and giving themselves more time and less stress resulting in better job performance.
6. Lower turnover.  When you are flexible, you are desirable as an employer.
7. With new advances in technology such as GoogleWave, GoogleDocs, Twitter, Webinars and more, it’s virtually (pun intended) the same thing as being in the office.  And- many of these tools are free!
8. Improved customer service.  Your customers/clients will be working with employees who are less stressed and more focused- on the CUSTOMER.

Providing for your employees, and showing them that you are working together, not against each other is a simple, yet underused practice.  Offering some of these benefits to your employees will help increase human performance and ultimately, help your business grow.

For more information on the Roosevelt University Human Performance Improvement Graduate Degree and certificates visit our website at http://www.roosevelt.edu/trdv

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-playing_against_type-241

It is interesting reading articles like this and see how professionals can take information and generalize! Myers Briggs is based on preferences and it does change from person to person. Not all TJs are the same!

Type stereotyping is wrong and it can prevent Myers Briggs practitioners from successfully administering the instrument. There are so much more than just the four letter types; for example, so many other dimensions that it’s just not fair to make such statements.

This holiday season is a welcome distraction to our personal financial woes.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner with Christmas nipping at its heels.  As the news stations warn about expected flight delays and record breaking traffic, the prospect of spending time with friends and family trumps the certain headaches of getting to our destinations.  Who cares about the Dow Jones Industrial Average when Santa is coming down the chimney?   Across the country, companies are seeing a dip in job inquiries.  Could it be that HR departments and Hiring Managers are experiencing the same holiday anticipation as the general population?  A lack of focus is systemic around the workplace this time of year, but the hiring departments are only partially to blame.  When it comes to the holidays, job hunters have a tendency to slide into home plate; and who can blame them.

Examining the search trends for major keywords like “jobs” shows a clear yearly drop off in volume.  This year’s decline is actually part of a consistent yearly trend of decreasing search traffic for job related terms during the holiday season.  As job searches taper off, searches related to toys reveal a major spike in traffic.  Of course we all expect the demand for toys to build into the Holiday season, but with so many folks out of work the decline in job searches is revealing of the average person’s psychology.  When it comes down to it, after being beat up during the last year, maybe we just need a break in the action.  Maybe seeing Grandma is just more important than hitting the jobs boards one last time.

Search Trends 2008: Jobs vs Toys

Companies need to prepare themselves for the dip in interest.  Despite the fact that there are more job hunters than jobs lately, the best prospects are still subject to the whims of the holiday season.  Even the hotshot, rock star employees of this world are subject to the “after the holidays” mentality.  How can companies hang on to those prospects that have real potential?  In any situation subject to distraction, organization is the key to success.  This axiom holds true for the layout of fighter jet cockpits as well as it applies to your HR department.  Stay on the ball, force your key players to follow up and hold people accountable.   New applicant tracking software provides a simple solution to clearly track the recruiting process and highlight any bottlenecks.  Not that Sandy the hiring manager doesn’t deserve a piece of holiday cheer, but if she takes 4 days to follow up with your potential new VP of Marketing, then someone in HR should know.  These new programs can provide in depth statistics and h
elp simplify communication within the company and between the company and the candidates.

Some people will make the decision to wait until after the holidays.  For those people there is nothing an HR department can really do.  Every once in a while people deserve a truly stress free break in the action.  For the rock stars on the fence, an aggressive recruiting program can make the difference between a White Christmas and a White Christmas with a job offer.  Given the current economy, a new job might be the best gift you can offer.

Dan maar eens een klassiek Change Management onderwerp: weerstand. Iedereen krijgt er vroeg of laat mee te maken. Elk Change Management initiatief wekt weerstand. De wijze waarop de weerstand wordt geadresseerd, bepaalt voor een belangrijk deel de slagingskans. Weerstand kan een blokkerende werking hebben, maar kan ook leiden tot een beter verandertraject omdat weerstand ook de aandacht kan vestigen op de zwakke plekken . Daarom is weerstand eigenlijk een ‘Januskop’.  Het heeft zowel negatieve als positieve aspecten in zich.

Nu kwam ik laatst een bijzonder aardig filmpje tegen over weerstand van de veranderkundige Rick Mauer. Hij ziet drie oorzaken voor weerstand gedurende verandertrajecten:

1. Onbegrip voor het waarom van een verandering

2. Onwil vanwege vermeende negatieve consequenties van de verandering

3. Problemen omdat de manager of leider niet wordt geaccepteerd

Hieronder vind u het fimpje dat ca. 10 minuten duurt en dat zeer informatief is:

Hierbij de link naar het bijbehorende artikel: Resistance to Change

.

Rem koolhaas kommer gående på en byggeplads. Han møder en mand i hvidt arbejdstøj og spørger: “hvad laver du?”, og manden svarer: “Jeg lægger sten på sten på sten.” (opgave)

Koolhaas går lidt videre og møder så endnu en mand i hvidt tøj og stiller ham samme spørgsmål, og manden svarer: “Jeg bygger en mur, der skal være X meter høj og Y meter lang”. (mål)

Lidt længere fremme møder han en tredje mand i hvidt arbejdstøj og stiller ham det samme spørgsmål, og manden svarer: “Jeg bygger et hus, hvor jeg lige nu er ved at finde ud af, hvor mange vi skal være om at bygge huset for at blive færdige til tiden”. (strategi)

Koolhaas forsætter og møder en fjerde man i hvidt arbejdstøj og stiller ham samme spørgsmål, og han svarer: “Jeg bygger en kirke, og når jeg engang får et barnebarn, vil jeg vise den frem og fortælle, at den har bedstefar bygget”. (mission)

Til sidst møder Koolhaas en sidste mand i hvidt arbejdstøj og stiller ham det samme spørgsmål som de fire foregående, og manden svarer: “jeg bygger et rum for ånd og sjæl”. (værdier)

.

Når man læser den let pimpede historie ovenfor, så er det jo super let at forstå. Men alligevel er det svært for rigtig mange ansatte arkitekter at forklare hvad deres arbejdsplads bygger på, og arbejder henimod…eller hvordan de så lige selv skal planlægge deres fremtidige karriereudvikling. Det nytter jo ikke at det er ledelsen der fortæller hvordan de skal udvikle sig (hver gang). Oftest finder man tegnestuens værdigrundlag og egentlige mission på første side i personalehåndbogen…og undtagelsesvis på websitet. Det hele kan ofte lyde meget  meget rigtigt…men alt for ofte er der ikke den store forskel tegnestuerne imellem. Og hvis der endelig er beskrevet noget virkelig unikt, så er det mere reglen end undtagelsen, at det ikke er indarbejdet i tegnestuens organisation!

Her til morgen kan vi fx se, at CF. Møller er valgt til FN´s klimakampagne (se filmen “CF Moller – Designing the buildings of tomorrow, today”)- Ingen tvivl om at det forstærker medarbejdernes selvopfattelse. Bæredygtighed er også i CF. Møller blevet en del af grundværdierne, og der følger en lang proces før at værdigrundlaget bevæger sig ned gennem organisationen til mission, strategi, målsætning, og endeligt, den enkelte opgave….Men men, man kan sige at processen er endnu længere før at man kan vende hele remsen på hovedet og medarbejderen virkelig kan se og forstå sine egne opgaver i forhold til målsætning, strategi, mission, og endeligt, tegnestuens grundlæggende værdier!! Det kræver gennemsigtighed og medindflydelse – og det er ikke noget vi ser meget af i branchen! (og nej, det er ikke nok at det hedder sig, at vi har “fladt hieraki” på tegnestuen!!)

Tegnestuerne efter en krise
En af de ting som den såkaldte krise har sat fokus på, er hvor vigtigt det er for en tegnestue at have de rigtige medarbejdere og især dem med de rigtige kompetencer (Rette medarbejder på rette plads på rette tid) – man kan sige at firmaerne lige nu trækker vejret gennem et sugerør alt imens de prøver at løbe hurtigere for at få nogle opgaver i hus. Og der er vist ingen tvivl om at medarbejderne (også) betaler deres del af prisen!

De fleste arkitektfirmaer har i de sidste 4 år – de såkaldte “gode tider” – investeret i nye lokaler, nye maskiner, der var arbejde til alle og overskud til at satse på nye markeder. I top tempo har vi optjent flere mdrs afspadsering hvert år…men MUS (MedarbejderUdviklingsSamtalerne) havde stadig en tendens til at ryge i svinget! Hvorfor virker denne del af arkitektfaget så sindsygt dårligt? Hvorfor er det stadig svært at få en velkomponeret stillingsbeskrivelse, som kan sammenholdes med dine videre udviklingsmuligheder. Hvorfor er det svært gennemskueligt hvordan man kan avancere i virksomheden – gøre sig uundværlig. Nytter jo ikke noget hvis over halvdelen af de ansatte er enten sagsarkitekter eller associerede partnere! Og stadigt flere føler sig på glat is når prikkerunden går igang – er de købt eller solgt? eller fyres der kun ud fra hvem der ingen opgaver har pt? For mange er det dybt umotiverende og med en følelse af at arbejde i blinde. Og jeg er sikker på at der en forbindelse mellem denne situation og det resultat jeg for få måneder siden fik på spørgsmålet: “Arkitekt: ansat eller selvstændig” (75% går faktisk efter at blive selvstændig!?)

Medarbejderne er vist nok stadig det vigtigste
De større tegnestuer har efterhånden fået sig en HR- Human Resources ansvarlig – en der på ledelsesniveau skal rådgive ledelsen til at tænke medarbejdernes kompetencer ind i tegnestuens mål, visioner og strategier…og omvendt!. Som udgangspunkt er det vigtigt at tegnestuens mission og værdier synliggøres for medarbejderne! Hvis du ikke selv har den opfattelse af HR, så er det fordi at netop denne stilling ofte indskrænkes til en administrativ rolle der kun sørger for rekrutering og opsigelse. Flere tegnestuer har for tiden obs på videndeling (eller mangel på samme), men det kunne være fint at starte med en videndeling af hvad tegnestuen egentlig er, gør og vil – læs fx Lars Kolinds idé liste til hvordan nye medier kan tages i brug: “HR og Blogging”. Det er nu engang vigtigere at den famøse tegnestuehåndbog bliver kommunikeret og løbende opdateret, end at hver tegnestue har et eget in-house Byg-Erfa!…jeg vil gå så langt, som til at sige, at det rent faktisk ikke kan lade sig gøre før ledelse og medarbejder har fuld forståelse for hinanden!

Den bedste arbejdsplads
Idag kom 2009 resultatet for hvad der er Danmarks bedste arbejdsplads - Great Place to Work. Desværre har vi endnu ikke set nogle arkitektfirmaer heriblandt. Går man lidt tættere på metoden bag undersøgelsen, så er den delt i to dele: 1. Kulturprofil (spørgeskema til ledelsen), 2. Trust Index (et medarbejdsspørgeskema, der måler niveauet af troværdighed, respekt, retfærdighed, stolthed og fællesskab). Altsammen det der skal til for at du kan yde dit bedste (og er motiveret til at yde dit bedste).

Updated Employment Poster, Policies & Procedures Required Immediately

Employers, unions, employment agencies, employment training agencies and their agents face significant new employment discrimination liability risks if they violate new genetic information-based employment non-discrimination or fail to comply with genetic information confidentiality requirements that took effect under Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) on Saturday, November 21, 2009.  Employers need immediately to update their employment posters, carefully audit their existing records and practices to identify existing information and practices that may create special risks under GINA and take appropriate action to comply with the GINA rules. Employers needed an updated poster can find a copy on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website here.

Under the newly effective employment provisions of Title II of GINA, Federal law now prohibits employers of 15 or more employees and certain other entities from using individuals’ “genetic information” when making hiring, firing, job placement, or promotion decisions, requires “genetic information” be kept separately and confidential, and prohibits retaliation. 

When assessing their risk under GINA, employers should be careful not to overlook or underestimate the genetic information collected or possessed by their organizations and the risks attendant to this information.  Many employers will be surprised by the breadth of the depth of “genetic information.”  The definition of “genetic information” GINA defines “genetic information” broadly as including not only information about genetic tests about an individual or his family member as well as information about the “manifestation of a disease or disorder in family members of such individual, GINA also specifies that any reference to genetic information concerning an individual or family member includes genetic information of a fetus carried by a pregnant woman and an embryo legally held by an individual or family member utilizing an assisted reproductive technology.  Pending issuance of regulatory guidance, GINA’s inclusion of information about the “manifestation of a disease or disorder in family members” is likely to present a liability trap door for many unsuspecting employers.

Failing to properly address GINA compliance could expose employers to substantial risk.  Violation of the employment provisions of Title II subjects an employer to potentially significant civil judgments like those that generally are available for race, sex, and other federal employment discrimination claims covered by the Civil Rights Act.  Accordingly, employers and others who have not already done so should act quickly to review and update their policies and procedures to manage their new compliance and liability exposures under GINA Title II.

While the agency responsible for construing and enforcing Title II of GINA, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), to date has published only limited guidance about it, the absence of this final guidance should not be read by employers as a sign their compliance may be delayed.  While not yet issued in final form, proposed regulations interpreting Title II of GINA accessible here published by the EEOC in March, 2009  and a subsequently released factsheet accessible here published by the EEOC in May, 2009 titled “Background Information for EEOC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking On Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008” provide insights about how the EEOC may be expected to view its provisions.   While many employers have delayed taking action to update their policies and procedures in hopes that final guidance would be forthcoming before Title II took effect, time has now run out.  Accordingly, employers who have not already done so should act quickly to implement all necessary changes to position themselves to defend against a potential claim that their organization may have violated GINA Title II. 

Employment-Related Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Rules In Focus

Applicable to employers, unions, employment agencies, employment training agencies and their agencies based on genetic information by employers, Title II imposes sweeping prohibitions against employment discrimination based on genetic information.  Title II generally has three components:

Employment Discrimination Prohibited.  Section 202 of GINA makes it illegal for an employer:

• To fail or refuse to hire, or to discharge, any employee, or otherwise to discriminate against any employee with respect to the compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment of the employee, because of genetic information with respect to the employee;
• To limit, segregate, or classify the employees of the employer in any way that would deprive or tend to deprive any employee of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect the status of the employee as an employee, because of genetic information with respect to the employee; or
• To request, require, or purchase genetic information with respect to an employee or a family member of the employee except as specifically permitted by GINA and otherwise applicable law.

GINA §§ 203 and 204 extend similar prohibitions to employment agencies, labor unions and training programs.

Confidentiality Mandates. Under GINA § 206, an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee that possesses genetic information about an employee or member must protect the confidentiality of that information.  Under its provisions, employers and other covered entities must:

•  Treat the genetic information as a confidential medical record of the employee or member and maintain it on separate forms and in separate medical files in the same manner as required for other medical records required to be maintained as confidential by Americans With Disabilities Act § 102(d)(3)(B); and
• Only disclose it in the narrow circumstances specifically allowed by GINA.

Anti-Retaliation.  GINA also prohibits retaliation or other discrimination against any individual because such individual has opposed any act or practice prohibited by GINA, for making a charge, testifying or assisting or participating in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under GINA. 

GINA’s Additional Group Health Plan Nondiscrimination & Privacy Rules Also Require Attention

In addition to taking appropriate steps to comply with the employment rules of Title II of GINA, employers and their group health plan fiduciaries and service providers also should ensure that the group health plan has been appropriately updated to comply with the group health plan nondiscrimination and privacy mandates of Title I of GINA. 

Effective for all group health plan years beginning on or after May 21, 2009, GINA’s new restrictions on the collection and use of genetic information by group health plans added under Title I of GINA are accomplished through the expansion of a series of already existing group health plan nondiscrimination and privacy rules.  GINA’s group health plan provisions amend and expand the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Public Health Service Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to implement sweeping new federal restrictions on the collection, use, and disclosure of information that falls within its broad definition of “genetic information” by  group health plans.  For individual health insurers, GINA’s restrictions take effect May 22, 2009.  The broad definition of the term “genetic information” in GINA will require group health plan sponsors and insurers to carefully review and update their group health plan documents, communications, policies and practices to comply with forthcoming implementing regulations to avoid liability under new GINA’s rules governing genetic information collection, use, protection and disclosure in a series of areas.  

In this respect, wellness and disease management programs are likely to require special scrutiny and attention. GINA’s inclusion of information about the “manifestation of a disease or disorder in family members” raises potential challenges for a broad range of group health plan health assessment and other wellness and disease management programs which provide financial incentives or condition eligibility on the provision of family health histories or other information that could be construed as genetic information.  The implications of these GINA prohibitions are further complicated by recent changes in the disability nondiscrimination rules and guidance under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Title I of GINA generally prohibits group health plans from collecting genetic information for underwriting or eligibility purposes.  It also expands already existing federal rules prohibiting group health plans from discriminating among individuals for purposes of determining eligibility or setting premiums based on health status previously enacted as part of HIPAA.   These existing rules already prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers from discriminating based on health related factors including genetic information for purposes of determining eligibility or premiums. GINA expands these existing nondiscrimination requirements to further regulate group health plan’s use and collection of genetic information.   Under GINA’s nondiscrimination rules, group health plans and health insurers may not:

• Request, require or purchase genetic information for underwriting purposes or in advance of an individual’s enrollment;
• Adjust premiums or contribution amounts of the group based on genetic information;
• Request or require an individual or family member to undergo a genetic test except in limited situations specifically allowed by GINA;
• Impose a preexisting condition exclusion based solely on genetic information, in the absence of a diagnosis of a condition;
• Discriminate against individuals in eligibility and continued eligibility for benefits based on genetic information; or
• Discriminate against individuals in premium or contribution rates under the plan or coverage based on genetic information, although such a plan or issuer may adjust premium rates for an employer based on the manifestation of a disease or disorder of an individual enrolled in the plan.

GINA also prohibits insurers providing individual health insurance from establishing rules for eligibility, adjusting premiums or contribution amounts for an individual, imposing preexisting condition exclusions based on, requesting or requiring individuals or family members to undergo genetic testing.

Of particular concern to many plan sponsors and fiduciaries are the potential implications of these new rules on existing wellness and disease management features group health plans. Of particular concern is how regulators will treat the collection of family medical history and certain other information as part of health risk assessments used in connection with these programs. Although official guidance is still pending, many are concerned that regulators will construe certain commonly used practices of requiring covered persons to provide family medical histories or other genetic information through health risk assessments (HRAs) to qualify for certain financial incentives as a prohibited underwriting practice under GINA.  Even where health risk assessments are not used, however, most group health plan sponsors should anticipate that GINA will require specific amendments to their plan documents, communications and processes.

Taking timely action to comply with these nondiscrimination and collection prohibitions is important.  Under amendments to ERISA made by GINA, group health plan noncompliance can create significant liability for both the plan and its sponsor.  Participants or beneficiaries will be able to sue noncompliant group health plans for damages and equitable relief.  If the participant or beneficiary can show an alleged violation would result in irreparable harm to the individual’s health, the participant or beneficiary may not have to exhaust certain otherwise applicable Department of Labor administrative remedies before bringing suit.  In addition to these private remedies, GINA also authorizes the imposition of penalties against employers and other sponsors of group health plans that violate applicable requirements of GINA of up to $500,000. The minimum penalties generally are set at the greater of $100 per day or a minimum penalty amount ranging from $2,500 for de minimus violations corrected before the health plan received notice of noncompliance to $15,000 in cases in which the violations are more than de minimus.  GINA also includes language allowing the Secretary of Labor to reduce otherwise applicable penalties for violations that could not have been identified through the exercise of due diligence or when the plan corrects the violation quickly.

GINA Amendments To Health Plan Privacy Rules Under HIPAA

In addition to its nondiscrimination rules, GINA also amends HIPAA to make clear that “genetic information” as defined by HIPAA is protected health information protected by HIPAA’s Privacy & Security Standards of HIPAA. This means that it will require that all genetic information be treated as protected health information subject to the Privacy and Security Standards applicable to group health plans covered by HIPAA. Although the statutory provisions that accomplish these changes are deceptively simple, compliance with these requirements likely will require group health plans and their business associates to amend existing privacy policies, notices and practices to appropriately restrict disclosures for underwriting, operations and certain other uses to withstand scrutiny under the GINA privacy rule amendments. 

When contemplating these changes, many plan sponsors and administrators also will want to consider and begin preparing to comply with other refinements to their existing privacy and security practices required in response to HIPAA privacy and security rule amendments enacted as part of the HITECH Act provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH Act”) provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).  As GINA specifies that violations of its privacy rule restrictions trigger the same sanctions as other privacy rule violations, group health plans and their business associates also should give due consideration to these penalty exposures.  The HITECH Act amended and increased civil penalties for HIPAA privacy violations in many circumstances effective February 17, 2009.  

GINA’s fractured assignment of responsibility and authority to develop, implement and enforce regulatory guidance of its genetic information rules can create confusion for parties involved in compliance efforts. Because the group health plan requirements of Title I of GINA are refinements to the group health plan privacy and nondiscrimination rules previously enacted as part of HIPAA, GINA specifically assigned authority to construe and enforce its group health plan requirements to the agencies responsible for the interpretation and enforcement of those original rules:  (1) the Department of Labor Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA); (2)  the Internal Revenue Services (IRS), and (3) the Department of Health & Human Services. 

These three agencies in early October published the interim final regulations construing the group health plan manatees of Title II of GINA, which are available for review here.  Group health plans, their employer and other sponsors, fiduciaries and service providers should act quickly to review and update their group health plan documents, procedures and other materials to comply with these new mandates.

Cynthia Marcotte Stamer and other members of Curran Tomko and Tarski LLP are experienced with advising and assisting employers with these and other labor and employment, employee benefit, compensation, and internal controls matters. If your organization needs assistance with assessing, managing or defending these or other labor and employment, compensation or benefit practices, please contact the author of this article, Curran Tomko Tarski LLP Labor & Employment Practice Group Chair Cynthia Marcotte Stamer.  Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and Chair of the American Bar Association RPTE Employee Benefits & Other Compensation Group and a nationally recognized author and speaker, Ms. Stamer is experienced with assisting employers and others about compliance with federal and state equal employment opportunity, compensation, health and other employee benefit, workplace safety, and other labor and employment laws, as well as advising and defending employers and others against tax, employment discrimination and other labor and employment, and other related audits, investigations and litigation, charges, audits, claims and investigations by the IRS, Department of Labor and other federal and state regulators. Ms. Stamer has advised and represented employers on these and other labor and employment, compensation, health and other employee benefit and other personnel and staffing matters for more than 22 years. Ms. Stamer also speaks and writes extensively on these and other related matters. For additional information about Ms. Stamer and her experience or to access other publications by Ms. Stamer see here or contact Ms. Stamer directly.   For additional information about the experience and services of Ms. Stamer and other members of the Curran Tomko Tarksi LLP team, see here.

Other Information & Resources

We hope that this information is useful to you. If you or someone else you know would like to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns, please be sure that we have your current contact information – including your preferred e-mail – by creating or updating your profile here or e-mailing this information here or registering to participate in the distribution of our Solutions Law Press HR & Benefits Update distributions here.  

For important information concerning this communication click here.   If you do not wish to receive these updates in the future, send an e-mail with the word “Remove” in the Subject here.

©2009 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer. All rights reserved. 

Hace aproximadamente un año me uní al mundo de Twitter, por sugerencia de uno de los “gurús” del Social Media a quienes seguía (quien ya se retiró del mundo del internet, debido a constantes amenazas de terceros contra su persona y su familia). Mi principal meta era lograr conocer nuevas personas con quienes pudiera hacer negocios, iniciar amistades, o simplemente informarme sobre lo que pasaba en el mundo. Rápidamente comencé a ganar followers y nuevos amigos, así como contactos con personas de quienes he aprendido mucho sobre Marketing, social media y también sobre la vida.

En la empresa en que trabajo, donde me desempeño como ejecutivo de Recursos Humanos, estamos empezando a lanzar una estrategia de Social Media, y al ser la persona más experimentada y con mayores conocimientos de entre mis colegas, me han encomendado la labor de llevar a cabo un Training explicativo y estratégico sobre Twitter en particular. Cómo utilizar Twitter para empresas, para lograr nuevos contactos, posicionamiento, branding y finalmente, generar ventas.

Está claro que a estas alturas del partido toda empresa global debe estar inmersa en el mundo de Internet, y Twitter es una herramienta clave para cualquier estrategia online.

El objetivo de este post, es contar con sus sugerencias. La idea es que el Training irá dirigido a personas que no saben sobre Twitter, pero sí saben mucho sobre Marketing y Ventas, pero al estilo “old school” (utilizan LinkedIn de vez en cuando, pero no es lo mismo).

• ¿Qué es lo esencial que una persona debe saber para iniciarse en el mundo de Twitter?
• ¿Qué errores deben evitar quienes quieran utilizar Twitter para posicionar sus empresas?
• ¿Cuál es la mejor manera de hacerse notar en Twitter, conservando la seriedad y el profesionalismo?
• ¿Qué consejo personal darías tú a una persona que es nueva en Twitter?

Espero sus sugerencias en los comentarios!

Das Wichtigste ist die Lernfähigkeit. Reflektiert jemand über seine Erfolge und vor allem Misserfolge und versucht neue Wege, dann wird er sich weiterentwickeln und letztlich Erfolg haben.

Ein Weltbild, in der Erfolg ohne Humanismus kein echter ist, sollte in unserer Gesellschaft wieder mehr greifen. Es geht in unserem Leben um mehr, als Geld zu verdienen, und in Unternehmen um mehr als Quartalsgewinne. Wir haben als Menschen und Unternehmen die Aufgabe, unsere Auswirkungen auf Umwelt, Gesellschaft, Mitarbeiter/innen und Kund/inn/en in einem umfassenderen, humanistischen Sinn zu sehen. Arroganz sollte als eines der größten Grundübeln noch viel mehr gebrandmarkt werden. Dazu P.Oswald, Mondi CEO: „Wohlstand ist ohne Rechtsstaatlichkeit, persönliche Freiheiten, Schutz von Eigentum, Demokratie, eine funktionierende Marktwirtschaft, Sozialkapital, Unternehmertum und konstante Suche nach Innovationen nicht möglich.”

Article published in HR Leader magazine: Getting on a pay roll.

Payroll is constantly faced with the need to improve cost efficiencies while maintaining an important focus on compliance and customer service delivery. HR leader looks at some of the latest trends and reveals some important developments for payroll professionals. See the full article here …