President’s Pen
by Betty Lonis, SPHR

We’re getting close – the Indiana State Conference will be here very soon, August 26– 28. If you’ve attended our last two monthly meetings, you know that we are again offering up to 25 members an opportunity to win free registration to the conference. And, it’s not too late to enter. Simply attend the July meeting - you will be registered by dropping your business card in the bowl at the meeting. If you’ve attended the prior meetings in May and June, your card will remain in the bowl for a chance at the July meeting. You must be present to win, so make plans now to attend.

Have you noticed the new HRACI logo shirts? Wouldn’t you like to have one? What better way to represent your chapter at the Indiana State Conference than by wearing an HRACI shirt? We will have shirts for sale again at the July meeting – the cost is $35. Or, you can order a shirt on the website and we will have your shirt ready for you to pick up at the July meeting.

We have finally completed assigning volunteers to our committees. We had an introductory session at the June luncheon meeting. The committees will be getting underway shortly – look for great things coming out of these committees in the very near future! And, thank you again for everyone who volunteered.

And finally, I am pleased to announce the winner of the HRACI annual scholarship for 2003. Holly Kuznicki is the recipient of this year’s scholarship. Holly is an honors student in her junior year at IUPUI-Columbus majoring in Organizational Leadership and Supervision. In addition to her studies, Holly works full time as a Branch Manager for Kelly Services. Holly is a new member of HRACI.

Please feel free to contact me at 317-277-5345 or president@hraci.org.

I look forward to seeing you at the July meeting!

Strength-Based Organizations

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Before trying to 'fix' a perceived problem in your organization, first stop and take a moment to check your premises. That is the message shared by Gallup CEO Jim Clifton at the 2002 SHRM Foundation Thought Leaders Retreat. Based on the polls and research conducted by the Gallup Organization, Clifton asserted that most thought leadership today is either wrong or just a little bit off. Poor decisions in politics and business are often based on wrong premises due to ignorance of pertinent facts on the part of the decision-makers. Before taking action, leaders must take time to listen to the people whose lives are affected. Unfortunately, leaders seldom examine premises. They often accept them as true. People then build their business and people management strategies and programs on these untested assumptions.

For example, we assume that CEO's care about the people in the organization, when in reality they are most concerned with bottom line business results. This means that if HR recommends a new program because it is "good for employees," the CEO is not likely to accept it. HR must build the business case for investing in people based on hard data. HR professionals must become far more financially literate. They must focus on research rather than instinct and assumptions as the basis for their recommendations regarding people management. To be effective, HR must learn to check its assumptions and bring a hard analytical approach to soft people issues. Research has proven that having a spirited and engaged workforce impacts bottom line results, and HR is uniquely positioned to provide strategic leadership in this area.

To read the entire text of Jim Clifton's remarks, visit www.shrm.org/foundation.

The SHRM Foundation: Investing in Your Future as an HR Leader

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Holly Kuznicki is the 2003 recipient of the HRACI (Human Resource Association of Central Indiana) Scholarship Award. Kuznicki was selected to receIve the $1,500 scholarship as a result of her academic merit and her commitment to the human resources profession. Kuznicki, a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) is working toward her Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision at IUPUI-Columbus. She also works full time as a Branch Manager for Kelly Services.

HRACI created the scholarship to encourage students to pursue and advance their careers in the human resource management field. HRACI is an affiliate chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and has served Central Indiana as the premier Human Resource organization since 1974. The organization’s objective is to provide human resource professionals with the resources and tools necessary for them to meet the basic needs of their position and support the entities they serve.

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Overtime: Pay It Now or Pay Much More Later
By Michael D. White

This is the time of year when many communities spruce up their properties for the peak-renting season. This often means maintenance staff must work additional hours and there is an increase in overtime pay. The financials will suffer and managers may be tempted to circumvent overtime regulations. Don’t give in to this temptation. The consequences can be far worse. Failure to follow the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) could result in a Department of Labor (DOL) investigation. If the DOL finds a violation, the expense to your company can be significant. The penalties and/or payments can include overtime pay retroactive to three years, liquidated damages (up to two times the rate of pay) and attorney fees. Click here to read the entire article.

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Legislative Update by Patricia Edwards

A sudden change in a model employee’s behavior may itself be notice of his/her mental illness under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) … click here to read the details on this legislative update as well as other legislative issues.

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