To my fellow HR Professionals in Maine,

 

It's hard to believe that we are into the holiday season and the end of 2015!  Most of us are already well into thinking about plans and goals for 2016. 

 

2015 has been an amazing year and I have been extremely honored and proud to have led the SHRM Maine State Council as Director.  I am looking forward to one more year in this role. 

 

Our council is extremely active in executing our mission of serving Maine HR Professionals and advancing the HR Profession.  I would like to thank everyone on the Council and Chapter Boards for their amazing contributions to our profession this year.  I will miss those who are leaving the Council but look forward to getting to know and working with our new council members.

 

MESHRM had the pleasure of recently sponsoring HR Day at the Maine Department Of Labor on October 30 and November 30.  Our Membership Director, Rachel Theriault, and I met many new faces and added many new contacts to this newsletter and I welcome you to our network!

 

For those of you who aren't members of chapters, I encourage you to check out your local chapter for at least one meeting in 2016.  I can't stress enough how amazing and important these networks are to this state and the HR profession in Maine.  If you are a chapter member already and have been thinking about taking on a volunteer role or committee role - I also encourage you to take that step in 2016.   

 

We still have a few openings on the Council for next year: SHRM Foundation Director, Scholarship Director and Website/Communications Director.  It's not too late to learn more about these amazing volunteer positions!  Please email me if you have interest.

 

It is never too early to start thinking about your May State Conference!  Mark your calendars for  May 10-13.  As always, this conference will provide excellent learning and networking opportunities.  Through my travels for SHRM in my MESHRM volunteer position, I hear regularly from other state's volunteers and SHRM staff about our state conference's reputation of being one of the best.

 

Finally, I also encourage you to contact me, or any member of our state council, if you have recommendations, ideas, or would like to get involved in HR in Maine.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a bright beginning to 2016.

LiveandWorkinMaine.com is a new website designed to engage job seekers from outside Maine, providing information about employment opportunities and Maine's unsurpassed quality of life. The site will serve as the cornerstone of a community-based marketing and awareness effort designed to promote the Maine employment brand to the national talent market.

The site also intends to showcase Maine employers who offer internships and post-graduate career opportunities, creating a marketplace for Maine-based college students to identify and apply for opportunities that exist here in Maine.
A key element to the success of the website is the creation of a robust Employer Profile database. Over 120 employers from across the state have already created their employer profile. Those already present on the website include large employers such as IDEXX, LL Bean, WEX, MaineHealth, MMG Insurance, Eastern Maine Health Systems and AthenaHealth to smaller employers the likes of Androscoggin Savings Bank, Putney, Maine Woods Company and over 100 more....

Simply log on to www.liveandworkinmaine.com and click on the "Create Your Employer Profile" link to create your FREE profile.

For more information or to answer any questions you may have please email [email protected]

Businesses looking to retain and attract quality employees should explore incorporating the Opportunity Maine program into their benefit offerings.

Employers may claim the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit (EOTC) for the amount of eligible education 
loan payments made directly to a lender on behalf of an employee, as long as the employee meets the following eligibility criteria, including, but not limited to:

* Graduated on or after January 1, 2008 and continue to live and work in Maine

* Graduated with an associate's or bachelor's degree from an accredited Maine college or university

An extremely attractive benefit for employees, who are relieved of the stress and burden of their student loan debt, businesses can offer this distinctive perk at a very low cost due to the tax credits they may receive through the program:

* Maximum annual credit, over $4,000 for a bachelor's or nearly $800 for an associate's, per eligible employee

* Credit amount is based on year of graduation, type of degree, and student loan payments made

Visit http://www.opportunitymaine.org to review complete eligibility requirements and program details.