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Legislative Update
HRM-RI Member Elissa O’Brien, One of 15 Invited
Panelists, Discussed Workplace Flexibility & FMLA Issues at
D.C. Roundtable
On Monday, January 24, 2005, in Washington, D.C.,
HRM-RI member Elissa O'Brien was asked to give the Human Resource
Professional perspective on Workplace Flexibility as it pertains
to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
The goal of this panel discussion, hosted by Georgetown University School
of Law as part of its Workplace Flexibility 2010 project,
was to bring together a range of Washington players (and a few academics)
in a roundtable format to talk about workplace flexibility issues.
Chai Feldblum, Project Director, was the moderator for this event.
The three main goals of the event were:
- To take back the word "workplace flexibility" by demonstrating
that it includes a range of issues (sick leave, short-term disability leave,
part-time work etc.);
- To demonstrate, by the range of participants at the event -- including
folks representing religious groups, disability groups, education groups,
business leaders, etc. -- that there is a broad range of folks who care about
and are affected by this issue; and
- To surface, but not to resolve, the differences in policy approaches that
the current players in the game take to workplace flexibility issues.
Workplace Flexibility 2010, an Alfred P. Sloane Foundation
initiative, is based on a stated commitment to working with the current
stakeholders from different communities, i.e. business and labor, in
a non-partisan way, to find solutions that work for both employees
and employers.
To view the entire web-cast, you can log on to:
www.workplaceflexibility2010.org
For links to information about laws impacting workplace flexibility,
click here.
Other panelists at the January 24th event ncluded:
Mike Aitken, Director, Governmental
Affairs, Society for Human Resource Management
Lissa Bell, Senior
Policy Associate, National Partnership for Women and Families
Sandy
Boyd, VP, Human Resources Policy, National
Association of Manufacturers
Sharon Daly, Senior
Public Policy Advisor, Catholic Charities USA
Fred Feinstein, Senior
Fellow, University of Maryland ,
School of Public Policy,
Former General Counsel of the NLRB
Irasema
Garza, Director, Women's Rights
Division, AFSCME
Mark Ginsberg, Executive Director,
National Association for the
Education of Young Children
Janet Gornick, Professor,
Baruch College, CUNY
Andy Imparato, President and CEO,
American Association of People with Disabilities
Patricia Kempthorne, VP,
Center for Emerging Futures
Mary Anne Mahin, VP & Chief
Human Resources Officer, Georgetown University
Jean McGuire, Lorraine
Snell Visiting Professor, Bouve College,
Northeastern University
Elissa O’Brien,
SPHR, VP Human Resources, Cranston ARC
Sara Rix, Senior
Policy Advisor, AARP Public Policy Institute
Peter Sprigg, Senior
Director of Policy Studies Family Research Council
Department of Health Holding Hearing on 11/29: Proposed Rules/Regulations
Pertaining to The Public Health & Safety Act
by Linda S. Lulli, SPHR, Legislative Affairs Director, RI State
Council of SHRM
The Director of the RI Department of Health (DOH) has issued a
"Notice of Public Hearing" related to proposed rules and
regulations that the DOH has promulgated as a result of the enactment
in June 2004 of "The Public Health and Workplace Safety Act."
The hearing is scheduled for Monday, November 29, 2004 at 10:00
AM in the Auditorium of the Cannon Building (RI DOH) in Providence,
RI. Individuals will have an opportunity at the hearing to provide
perspectives and concerns related to the proposed DOH rules and
regulations.
"The Public Health and Workplace Safety Act," repeals
certain provisions within Section 2 of Chapter 23 of the RI General
Laws ( "Health and Safety") related to "Smoking in
Public Places" (i.e., Chapter 23-20.6, 20.7, and 20.7.1) and
replaces them with "The Public Health and Workplace Safety
Act" (to become Chapter 20.10 under Title 23 of the General
Laws of RI).
This act broadens the prohibition of smoking in enclosed areas
from "certain public places" to "all public places"
in the state of RI and includes exemptions for specific locations
such as hotel/motel rooms designated as "smoking rooms,"
designated rooms and areas in assisted living and nursing home facilities,
and outdoor smoking areas of places of employment. The Act mandates
that outdoor smoking areas of places of employment must be physically
separated from the enclosed workplace so as to prevent migration
of smoking into the work environment, and also requires posting
of "no smoking" signs in specified locations where smoking
is prohibited.
The DOH has made available on their website (www.health.ri.gov/news.php)
a copy of the proposed regulations. The provisions of "The
Public Health and Workplace Safety Act" can be accessed at
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Billtext/BillText04/HouseText04/H8392aa.pdf
Follow-up on FLSA Reform
Thank you to all those who wrote letters or made phone calls to their
legislators regarding FLSA reform. Linda Lulli, State Council Legislative
Affairs Director, has provided an update on the outcome of recent votes and
the impact on HR policies and practices. Learn more.
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