Keynote Address:
The 2009 Economic Crisis: Situational Analysis & Strategic Responses for HR
Human Resources is certainly not responsible for the current economic crisis, but in order to make it through the storm, organizations of all sizes are turning to HR to help guide the way back to calmer waters and safer shores. So, how is your human resources department responding to the crisis? Would you like to hear what other organizations are doing to be proactive? Interested to learn how HR is positioning certain companies for unprecedented success once the harsh business conditions begin to stabilize again? This keynote session will examine the current economic crisis from several points of view. Employing an engaging and informative format, our panel of experts will offer insights from a wide range of backgrounds and insider perspectives. With their finger on the pulse of the human resources community and the regional business conditions, the topic experts in this unique, interactive keynote session will highlight the responses and strategies that leading organizations are embracing to make it through these challenging economic times.


After the Dust Settles: Rebuilding Trust and Motivation after Major Organizational Change
Katherine Anttila
Partner, Barchas Anttila & Blew
During these turbulent economic times, many organizations are struggling with how to communicate bad news. But communicating before and during the change is only the beginning. The more critical challenge for your organization is how to rebuild trust and motivate those who remain once the change takes place. After layoffs and other major organizational shifts, “survivors” often experience a range of emotional reactions, such as grief, fear, anger, denial and even guilt – all of which can damage morale and impede productivity. Further, these feelings can be compounded by resentment about having to assume additional responsibilities. This practical session will help you understand how effective communications can boost morale, restore trust and fuel productivity after a major change occurs. This unique presentation will cover:
• Understanding your employees: The psychological impact of major organizational change.
• Identifying appropriate goals: What is reasonable to achieve in this situation, and how long might it take?
• Messages that work and those that don’t: What survivors really want to know, what messages are most useful in reinforcing organizational goals and which tend to do more harm than good.
• When to communicate: how to time the delivery of your messages to your best advantage.
• Evaluating your results: when and how to get input from employees.


FMLA v. CFRA: How to Reconcile the New FMLA Leave Provisions with California Law
Tracy L. Cahill, Esq.
Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Leave laws have changed dramatically in the past twelve months. Most imperatively, the federal Department of Labor (DOL) recently finalized its regulations changing the interpretations of key Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions. In addition, Congress amended the FMLA to offer new types of leave for certain family members of military service members. Now, the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission (FEHC) has weighed in and promises additional changes. This informative session will not only consider the new FMLA leave provisions on the federal side, but it will also address the many difficulties faced by California employers as they attempt to reconcile California law with the FMLA. In doing so, the presentation will provide the latest information concerning the interpretations by the DOL and the FEHC while also covering the most important, up-to-date court cases to keep you in compliance with leave requirements. If you are responsible for supervising, overseeing or administering FMLA/CFRA leave policies, this session is a must for you.


Key Wage & Hour Issues: Staying Ahead in Challenging Times
Michael Hoffman, Esq.
Partner, Arena Hoffman LLP
Due to challenging economic conditions and increased litigation, many companies are re-evaluating their wage and hour practices. New work schedules, restructured commission and bonus plans, and employee furloughs are but a few examples of the compensation challenges facing human resources professionals. In this session, we will review the key wage and hour issues, recent developments, and important decisions that continue to percolate through the courts – often with conflicting and confounding results for employers. Topics include:
• Meal and rest period compliance
• Overtime exemptions
• Tip-pooling
• Off-the-clock work and paycheck requirements
In addition, as your organization seeks to reduce expenses, we will address the risk of wage law violations and solutions for maintaining compliance, such as furlough programs, alternative work schedules, the proper use of independent contractors, pay reductions, expense reimbursements, and commission or bonus plans. As your organization tries to survive and even thrive in this economy, help to ensure that it does not invite a wage and hour class action.


Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations
Jane Kow, Esq.
Principal, Jane Kow & Associates
This session is designed to provide human resources professionals with practical guidelines on how to effectively conduct an investigation into a complaint of discrimination or harassment to minimize the risk of litigation and prevent liability. In particular, this program reviews the company’s legal obligation to conduct a prompt, thorough and objective investigation in response to workplace complaints as well as the critical importance of the investigator’s role as a neutral fact finder. By attending, participants will learn/review:
• How to set clear objectives at the outset of the investigation.
• How to overcome common mistakes and roadblocks in the investigation.
• How to effectively interview the complainant, the alleged harasser as well as third parties with knowledge of the underlying facts.
• How to ask questions that will overcome witness resistance and put them at ease while obtaining essential information.
• What should be transcribed in the investigator’s notes during the investigation to facilitate preparation of the summary report.
• How to organize the information gathered, analyze the key factual findings and assess witnesses’ credibility in an objective manner to reach a conclusion on the merits of the complaint.


How to Become a Successful HR Business Partner
Valerie Frederickson
CEO, Valerie Frederickson & Company
HR’s contribution is increasingly being measured by how well it supports the company’s business objectives and addresses the strategic people issues – and not by administrative efficiencies and cost-controlling capabilities. As a result, a new role is rapidly emerging to build the alignment between human resources and business operations: the HR Business Partner. This session will provide participants with a detailed guide for how to become the kind of HR Business Partner that every CEO wants and needs, especially in this economy. The presentation will begin with a brief study of the four, primary skills that all HR Business Partners should possess:
1) Facilitating change management
2) Assessing organizational needs
3) Handling conflict
4) Dealing with the “unsolvable”
Then, using several real life case studies, the audience will have the opportunity to begin thinking and acting like top HR Business Partners. Interacting with their fellow participants, attendees will have a chance to work through the most common challenges that HR Business Partners are facing today: reductions-in-force, compensation, conflict resolution, communications, change management and strategic planning. This interactive workshop will offer HR professionals a glimpse into the life of an HR Business Partner, as well as provide them with the basic tools to be successful in that role.


The Impact and Promise of Social Media for HR
Debbie McGrath
CEO, HR.com
Although various forms of online social media have been around for over fifteen years, only now are we just beginning to harness its potential as a multi-faceted resource for doing business. What began as an easy way for friends and colleagues to communicate, share ideas and stay in touch with each other has blossomed into a vast universe of possibility with a myriad of different uses and applications for just about every profession, industry and intention. Human resources is already benefiting from social media with its cost-effective alternatives for keeping employees engaged, informed and productive. This session will focus on how HR professionals can strategically use social media to manage, grow and improve their organizations. In particular, you will learn how to use social media to:
• Find top talent.
• Manage teams and networks.
• Create knowledge hubs for mentoring and onboarding.
• Build your employment brand.
• Develop your HR value proposition.
• Improve employee, partner and client communications.


Employee Recognition During Challenging Times
Cindy Ventrice
President, Potential Unlimited
Layoffs. Paycuts. Furloughs. Yes, these are indeed very challenging times. To maintain morale and productivity as remaining employees take on the extra load, organizations need employee recognition now more than ever. So what approach works best for organization-wide recognition when the budget is virtually non-existent? Join Cindy Ventrice, the author of Make Their Day! Employee Recognition that Works, for this fast-paced and informative program. By attending, you will learn:
• The secret to morale-boosting recognition.
• How to engage managers in the recognition process.
• How to address the time dilemma for recognition.
• What employees need the most right now and what they are expecting from upper management.
• A simple formula for getting the best possible return from your recognition program investments.
• Several inexpensive ideas that other organizations are implementing right now.
In addition, all session participants will receive a free copy of, The Secret to Recognition Programs That Work.


High Deductible Health Plans: Finding the Best Fit, Easing Implementation and Providing Effective Communication
Michelle King, CFC
Independent Benefit Consultant, Pension Dynamics Corporation
Employers continue to look for creative ways to control health care and benefits costs, but at the same time employers remain reluctant to saddle employees with potentially unmanageable health care expenses. The introduction of High Deductible Health Plans has added a new dimension to the ever-evolving world of employee benefits. When properly implemented, along with a tax exempt Medical Expense Reimbursement Vehicle, there is the potential for added value as well as cost savings for both employers and employees. In addition, many employers now offer Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA’s) with their traditional insurance plans. Understanding the parameters of how FSA’s interface with other benefits allows employers and administrators to create a plan design that maximizes the advantages of both. However, it is critical for organizations to understand the various options and their differences in order to determine the best solution for their business and benefits strategy. Once the determination has been made to either replace traditional coverage with a high deductible product or to coordinate the product with an existing program, the resulting product needs to be integrated into the overall benefits package. It also means that employees need to be educated about the new program. This session will give attendees a deeper understanding of the various plan design options, the pit falls to watch out for, and the key communication points for getting employees on-board once the decision for change has been made.


Generating Success: New Work Options for Baby Boomers & Helping Bridge Generational Differences
Helen Peters
Senior Vice President, Leadership Development Services, Torchiana, Mastrov & Sapiro, Inc.
The 78 million Baby Boomers have redefined life every step of the way from kindergarten to career. Responding to the global economic meltdown that has dwindled assets will be no exception. Rather than dropping out of the workforce as full-time retirees, most Boomers will pursue new work roles and new life strategies as they grow older. By 2016, one-third of the total U.S. workforce will be age 50 or older. In the wake of the aging Boomer generation, the changing face of the American workforce has created new challenges for managers and for human resource professionals alike. In response, intelligent organizations will need to create new options for engagement with the Boomer generation. Besides the practical realities of managing different age groups, there are the ever increasing productivity issues that stem from the potential disharmony associated with generational differences. This future-focused session will take a look at the existing work options for Boomers, examine how they are once again changing the world of work, and reveal how organizations are finding creative responses to the changing demographics of the workplace. This session will also offer practical ideas for helping bridge the culture gap and improve teamwork when generational differences impact performance.


Pay Management Strategies: Questioning Conventional Wisdom
Shari Dunn
Managing Principal, CompAnalysis, Inc.
Most employers want to establish base pay practices that result in competitive, equitable, motivational, legal and cost-effective salaries. In today’s tumultuous economic climate, given that payroll is nearly always among the largest components of an employer’s budget, it is more critical than ever to re-examine your organization’s base pay practices. In fact, among the 154 organizations participating in the most recent CompAnalysis Greater San Francisco Bay Area Compensation Survey, “tight salary budgets” was ranked as one of the top three concerns. This presentation will offer new ideas for managing salaries that address whatever economic reality you may be facing, even if your company has frozen and/or reduced base pay. Specifically, you will find new opportunities in learning how to replace dysfunctional, traditional practices such as COLA increases, merit increase matrices and even traditional salary ranges with analytical and administrative approaches that actually result in competitive, equitable, and motivational pay. By questioning conventional wisdom in this respect, you will expand your thinking about base pay management beyond the traditional approaches so you may achieve the results that you want and need from your pay plan.


Retirement Plans: New Fiduciary Responsibilities & Mitigating Your Liability
George Fraser
Vice President, Filice Retirement Services
As the past few months have revealed, it is crucial for all HR professionals to understand their role in helping to manage an organization's retirement plans. From providing education for plan participants to keeping up with the latest legislative demands to helping older workers prepare for retirement, the responsibilities are varied. Unfortunately, so is the liability. Most HR professionals do not realize that they function as a fiduciary for their company’s retirement plan. Moreover, most are not aware that any fiduciary liability extends to personal and private assets, too. This personal liability has become even broader in the past year with two, key court cases that make it easier for any employee to sue. Luckily, plan sponsors have the ability to mitigate their liability and reduce their legal exposure. Essentially, the process becomes more important than the investment results. This practical workshop will focus on four areas:
• Recent court cases and their impact on the fiduciary responsibilities of the HR professional.
• What the process steps are to reduce your personal and organizational liability.
• Demographic waves - like the Baby Boomer phenomenon - and their impact on a company's benefit planning matrix.
• A review of the retirement plan options outside the traditional 401(k).


Conducting Background Checks in the Age of MySpace: The Treasures and Pitfalls of Social Networking Sites
Lester Rosen, Esq. and Jared Callahan
President and National Director, Employment Screening Resources (ESR)
Are you currently using social networking sites such as MySpace or FaceBook when screening or sourcing candidates? When more than 75% of job applicants who were surveyed say they have their own web pages, it is easy to see why employers are tempted to check out applicants' profiles online. But what about using information from a person's web page against them in the hiring process? Another consideration is what to do when negative information turns up on a current employee's web page. When privacy issues and due diligence attempts collide in the Internet space, it makes for spirited debate - often with more questions than answers. In addition, employers also face potential legal challenges. This session will discuss the use of search engines, blogs and other Internet resources as tools when screening candidates or current employees. Come learn about how to avoid opening Pandora's Box, what to do if has already been opened and how to effectively apply social networking sites when screening and sourcing your candidates. As a bonus, this session will also focus on unique, "only in California" aspects of certain background checks.


Adapting to and Rewarding from a More Flexible Approach to Work
Sally Thornton
President, Flexperience Inc.
In tough economic times such as these, flexible work options can be quite compelling for both short-term and long-term success, especially as companies embrace work that is more results-based and less rooted in face-time. Besides offering the potential for greater productivity and a happier, more motivated employee base, flexible work options can also benefit the bottom-line. For instance, flexibility can be a tool to lower real estate costs like Sun Microsystems has by $68 million annually. It can keep high-performing employees fully engaged and effective during otherwise distracting conditions as it is doing at Genentech. Finally, it can be a creative way of improving net income by reducing payroll costs in offering more part-time roles thereby minimizing the high cost of layoffs. In this fascinating presentation, you will hear about the innovative Bay Area companies that are leading the charge as well as the practical lessons they are learning along the way. This session will share the successes of those who have seen a clear ROI with workplace flexibility as well as the challenges that some have experienced in adapting to a more flexible approach to work.


Immigration: Hiring and Retaining the Best and Brightest in an Economic Downturn
Norman C. Plotkin, Esq.
Partner, Jackson & Hertogs LLP
HR professionals face difficult decisions with respect to employees who are foreign nationals. How can you hire top-notch talent if your department has been reduced, your budget has been cut, and there is a shortage of H-1B visas? How can you retain your talent when you either cannot file a PERM application due to layoffs or you can file but may find available U.S. workers when you recruit for the position? This session will address these topics along with several other issues that are critical to employers, including:
• The latest on the H-1B cap.
• An update on I-9s and the new I-9 form.
• E-Verify.
• Current processing times at CIS and DOL.
• Delays in PERM.
• Impact of the economic downturn on the immigration caseload.
• Best practices for immigration issues related to layoffs, reduced hours, and/or salary reductions.
Immigration law and policy is dynamic, yet staying abreast is crucial when it comes to hiring and retaining the best and the brightest employees in 2009 and beyond.


The Bully and the Bottom-Line
Allison West, Esq., SPHR
Managing Principal, Employment Practices Specialists LLC
When managers attempt to motivate employees through yelling, abusive behavior, aggression and intimidation, they adversely impact morale, retention and productivity. But when bullies are also viewed as outstanding performers, upper management often simply looks the other way, dismissing the behavior as innocuous. While bullying per se is not unlawful in a strict legal sense, bullying not only causes emotional wreckage, but it also brings risk and exposure to the organization. This information-packed session will explore how bullying behavior affects the bottom-line and creates potential legal claims. Using case studies and real-life examples, attendees will learn practical tips and tools for handling bullies and creating a safer workplace. By the conclusion of this unique and important presentation, attendees will:
• Have a working definition of bullying and see how it undermines productivity.
• Understand the characteristics and motivations of a workplace bully.
• Recognize the effects of bullying on co-workers and culture.
• Understand the costs and legal issues surrounding bullying.


Going Green in HR and Payroll: The Legal Ramifications of Going Paperless
Henry Lonsdale
President and Founder, California Payroll
Is your company thinking about becoming more eco-friendly? Good for you! But before you take the paperless plunge, there are some legal issues and pitfalls to take into account, especially if you are doing business in California. This session will focus on the advantages and significant issues that you may encounter when going paperless. By attending, you will learn how to determine whether or not your company is ready to go paperless, as well as what payroll options are available to help in this process. In addition, the presentation will address the all-important legal issues and other salient factors an employer must consider such as whether or not you can mandate direct deposit and what types of data you are and not allowed to send via email. Specific topics will include:
• How paper intensive are you? Learning to calculate the cost factor for your payroll paper usage.
• Is your company ready? Points to ponder to determine if your company and employees are ready for a paperless transition.
• Taking paper out of the payroll process. Services to consider and steps to take in order to ensure a successful transition.
• Is it legal? The pitfalls and California legal issues to account for when going paperless in HR and payroll.