Next HRM-RI Breakfast Meeting on January 7, 2009: Use of Incentives in Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits

Strategies to Control Health Care Costs Now and in the Long Term

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours (General) toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).  For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit   This meeting will also feature a brief presentation by Shape Up RI. Join us for breakfast at the Radisson Hotel in Warwick, RI, on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, when our speaker will be Michale J. Follick, PhD., CEO of Abacus Employer Health Solutions. The topic of this meeting will be the Use of Incentives in Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits. Dr. Follick will review current prevalence and projections for chronic illness; the economic burden that they create for both employers and their employees; and approaches to management with an emphasis on plan design. Although health care options often differ between small and large employers, similar strategies are emerging to control costs. The pluses and minuses of all strategies from wellness to consumer-driven (high-deductible) health plans will be addressed. Case studies from successful companies will be presented along with a discussion of both the short and long-term ROI to employers. Part of the discussion will include how the Human Resource professional ties the ROI into the corporate business plan, and key selling points that truly position the HR professional as an integral contributor to the organization's financial success. Healthcare "incentives" will be translated into "business reasons why."

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE OR REGISTER NOW!

We wish to thank our January meeting sponsors:
Cox New England Partner Rewards Program Craig.barbarino@cox.com	Rhode Island Free Clinic www.rifreeclinic.org

Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) Becomes Effective January 1, 2009

On September 25, 2008, the President signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), which unanimously passed Congress. The ADA Amendments Act was introduced to make legislative fixes in light of several court rulings that had limited the scope of protections offered under the statute. Key provisions include clarification of the definition of disability, exclusion of consideration of mitigating measures, expansion of the "regarded as" disabled prong and additions to the list of major life activities. The new law becomes effective on January 1, 2009. To learn more, click here.

HRM-RI 2008 Holiday Initiative Results in Donation of
$2,000 to Crossroads RI

Thank You to All Members Who Contributed So Generously!

 
by Judy Clare, Chair, HRM-RI Business & Education Committee

Many, many thanks to the HRM-RI members who generously contributed to our Holiday Giving Project. Collectively we received $1,004 and HRM-RI added to that amount, resulting in a total donation of $2,000!

The organization chosen this year is Crossroads RI, who works with and helps the homeless population in RI. Judy Clare met with representatives from Crossroad RI who suggested that we purchase Walmart gift cards so parents could select gifts for their children.
  
There are 17 homeless families in temporary housing at Crossroads RI who are the recipient of your generosity.
 
The gift cards were delivered to the Crossroads representative who was very touched by the generosity of so many HRM-RI members. Feel good knowing that many homeless children will have a gift or two from Santa on Christmas morning as a result of the money that our members and organization contributed.

A very sincere thank you to all HRM-RI members!

Meet Your New HRM-RI Executive Committee!

by David Goldman, SPHR, out-going President of HRM-RI

Our 2009 HRM-RI Elections are complete, and the votes are in.

The HRM-RI Executive Committee for the 2009 - 2011 term consists of:

All are hard working, dedicated HR professionals, who will continue to provide us the same level of information and useable tools that we have come to expect from this organization. Also hard working and dedicated are the other Board and Committee members that equally serve the needs of HRM-RI.

In addition, let us also keep in mind that several other honorable HRM members were also nominated for these offices. I invite those people, and all of you, to become more involved by joining a committee, thereby sharing your experience and knowledge.

It has been a privilege working for the members of this chapter, and a privilege to work alongside the Board and Committee members of HRM-RI. I will continue to take an active role - to support the next group of volunteer leaders. I hope you will do the same.

Have You Designated HRM-RI As Your Chapter?

by David Goldman, SPHR, out-going President of HRM-RI

SHRM affiliate chapters, including ours, rely on direct and indirect sources of revenue to bring quality programs to their members. One such source of revenue is from SHRM itself. The CFSP (Chapter Financial Support Program) sends money back to the chapter each quarter. This additional source of revenue costs you nothing, but it provides HRM-RI with much needed revenue.

How does it work? We get credit for each chapter member who is ALSO a member of SHRM. However, SHRM only knows this to be the case when these members designate us as their official local chapter.

This is easily accomplished by completing the Chapter Designation Form, found on our website under the “Members Only” tab. Simply print, complete, and mail the form, and you’re all set!

Click here to login and access the Chapter Designation Form

If you are a Dual Member (a member of both SHRM and HRM-RI), please complete and send this form at your earliest opportunity.

If you are NOT a member of SHRM and want to consider joining, please send an email to any of the Officers or Board Members for more information. First time SHRM members may also qualify for a discount on their first year of membership. We’ll be happy to answer your questions.

The Cox New England Partner Rewards Program

Employees of HRM-RI member businesses receive 50% off any new Cox service for 6 months, plus FREE professional installation!

by Craig Barbarino, Cox New England Retail Partnership Manager

As a Cox Partner, we value our relationship with HRM-RI and would like to give employees of HRM-RI member businesses the best in preferred service and savings on all of our products for their homes.

• Cox Digital Cable
• Cox High Speed Internet
• Cox Digital Telephone
• Cox High Definition Service
• Cox Digital Video Recorder

To get the latest and greatest Cox service at prices not available to the general public, simply have your business join the Cox Partner Rewards Program by contacting Craig Barbarino at Cox at 401-615- 1586 or by email at craig.barbarino@cox.com

Employees of businesses that have not joined the Cox Partner Rewards Program are not eligible for these exclusive discounts. So don't hesitate. There is no cost or obligation to your business. Join today and your employees can start saving money today!

What You Can Do to Help Employees in Uncertain Times

by HRM-RI Member Norma Conley, owner of HR Business Partners, LLC, and Chairperson of the
Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Employee Assistance Services (RIEAS)

In these difficult times, employees will frequently look to their management teams for assurance or guidance as they work through their anxiety about the economy.  Depending upon the company, employees may be anxious about their own immediate future or believe that the company could do more. Now is the time to provide assistance to whatever extent possible... To read all of Norma's article, including specific suggestions on programs employers can offer, click here.
		Norma Conley normaconley@yahoo.com 401.632.0127

(Norma's suggestions originally appeared on the hrmissues listserv, a private listserv for HRM-RI
members only, which is sponsored by RIEAS. If you are a member of HRM-RI and you are not already subscribed to the hrmissues listserv, please consider signing up today.  Click here to learn more.)

Bye-Bye Baby Boomers!

What to Do When 50% of the Experienced Workforce Vanishes

		In a recently published article, Dana Borowka, MA, CEO, Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC, presents the following grim statistics about how the retirement of baby boomers will affect the talent pool:    While the U.S. workforce grew by 54% from 1980 to 2000, it is only expected to grow by 3% from 2000 to 2020. On top of that, the percentage of the U.S. workforce with college degrees rose by 43% during the '80s and '90s, but over the next 20 years will grow only a paltry 7%.  According to the U.S. Department of Education, 60% of the jobs in the 21st century will require skills possessed by only 20% of the talent pool.
Dana Borowka

Borowka offers five recommendations on how to tackle this brain drain.
Click here to read his article.

(Article republished with permission of Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC.)

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