Quarterly News from Kansas SHRM

August 2022

Hello All,

I hope this newsletter finds you all doing well. It has been an interesting half year so far with Covid still hanging around, the cost of everything from fuel to food going through the roof, and the temperature outside has been extremely hot. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the temp outside will begin to ease and maybe some of these other struggles will as well.

As we progress through 2022 many of us have wished for a return to normalcy with more in person gatherings. As the restrictions have eased we thought the return would follow. I am left scratching my head and still hoping for more in person meetings. It would seem a fair number of us have grown accustomed to the virtual options that have become so common in our current workdays. As we are gearing up for our KS SHRM State Conference being held in September in Manhattan, KS, I pray that we can all be there together in person and remain safe. Go to our website at KS SHRM and check out some of the speakers and fun being planned and get registered if you have not already done so.

As we continue to return to a “new normal” (I wasn’t going to using that cliché but couldn’t help it) take time for yourself, continue to do those things that feel normal as they will give us comfort and strength and we can continue to overcome these strange new challenges.

David Love, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

2021-22 Kansas SHRM Director

Workers Compensation Tip:

Be Aware of Where Job Offers are Made

By Fred Greenbaum, MVP Law

Workers Compensation cases commonly acquire jurisdiction in 3 ways:

The State where the accident occurred,
Employees principal place of employment or
Where the last act necessary occurred to formulate the contract of employment occurred.

These are essentially the standards in both Kansas and Missouri. However, problems arise where a telephone or email hire occurs with acceptance of employment in a state where the employee does not ever work. Therefore, if a Kansas employee can prove his acceptance of employment occurred in Missouri, he can file a Claim for Compensation and prove Missouri jurisdiction. Meaning a Kansas employee who despite never working a day in Missouri can receive Missouri benefits. This is a problem as Missouri benefits can be far more than Kansas benefits in certain instances. For example, Missouri Permanent Total benefits are lifetime where Kansas has a cap of $155,000.

If you have any questions regarding this issue, please contact you legal counsel to discuss or reach out to Fred @ fgreenbaum@mvplaw.com.

Love Letters to HR

Celebrate SHRM’s 75^th Anniversary By Sharing Some Good News!

As SHRM prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2023, we are conducting research to gather good news stories to document unique times in which HR truly made a difference in the lives of employees in organizations across the globe. We know our volunteer leaders often have great news to share – so we are reaching out to you to gauge your interest in participating in this exciting project!

Dr. Alex Alonso wants to publish a compilation of stories to celebrate SHRM’s 75th anniversary next year. SHRM plans to publish Love Letters to HR to demonstrate to organizations how their HR department can go above and beyond to care for its employees. Some organizations already do this, but some organizations need help thinking of solutions they can use in their workplaces. Your solution to a challenging issue may be one of them!

SHRM will use the Critical Incident technique to gather data for this good news. There is only a simple guideline to steer the contributor’s thinking: we want to hear about the times when you or one of your employees faced a hardship, challenge, or difficult time personally or professionally, or struggled to integrate life and work—and further, we want to hear about what HR did to demonstrate an above-and-beyond-expectations solution to show support, caring and compassion to the individual while navigating through and solving the situation.

If you would like to share your story so it can serve as a role model to other organizations, please complete this online form. Nancy Woolever, SHRM-SCP, vice president, certification, will review with you a short template for you to record your story using the critical incident technique. SHRM will then review all the stories submitted and contact you to follow up with a brief interview if needed. We will publish the stories anonymously in a compendium of Love Letters to HR (or Love Stories to HR, title to be finalized).

Interested? Complete the online form here no later than August 31, 2022!

The 2022-2023 Certification Grant recipient sponsored by Kansas Council of SHRM is Unique Hiram!

Unique Hiram is a Human Resource Technician II, Talent Acquisition at the City of Manhattan, KS. Her primary role is recruitment and onboarding for the local municipality serving approximately 400 full-time and part-time employees with the addition of a number of seasonal hires. She is also a 21-year, retired Navy veteran. Volunteerism is near and dear to Unique's heart. She has served in various roles on the board for the Human Resource Management Network, Manhattan KS and on the Kansas Society of Human Resource Management State Council. Currently, she is the College Relations Director for her local chapter and Membership Director for the state council. In addition to those roles, Ms. Hiram serves on the Board of Directors in the role of Treasurer for New Church of the Living God in Junction City, KS where she attends with her family. Ms. Hiram earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Life University. She also earned an Applied Associate in Accounting from Chattahoochee Technical College.

Kansas SHRM Diversity Series

Recordings are available of all past Diversity Series and are available on the KS SHRM website. Sessions that have been presented in 2022 are:

Hello...Let's Talk About Pronouns

by Mona Martin, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, HM Dunn AeroSystems, Inc.

This program is an inclusive workplace recognizes and celebrates the many ways that we are all different. This presentation will explore gender pronouns and provide information to help us better understand what they are and why they matter.

Learning Objectives:

Learn what gender is and isn’t
Discover the history of non-binary pronouns
Explore forms of bias
Understand common pronouns and why they matter
Talk about how to ask for and offer pronouns
Things to think about when drafting a pronoun policy

The Do's and Don'ts of creating, building, and maintaining a DIY DEI program

by Ashlyn Lindskog, Martin Pringle Law Firm

The idea of creating an internal diversity, equity, and inclusion program can be daunting. You know it is critical work and you want to do it the right way. As someone who has both created and managed an internal DEI program and advised clients who are doing the same, Ashlyn has learned a few things along the way. The aim of this discussion is to provide a useful and practical starting point for those interested in creating authentic, active, and healthy DEI programs and policies in their businesses or workplaces.

Learning objectives:

Practical suggestions for starting DEI programs
How to implement companywide participation
Learn what should be measured to show success

Advancing DEI in a Hybrid Work Environment

by Lonnie Walker, Jr., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas

Post-pandemic, our working environment has shifted. There is more of a demand for flexible work opportunities. Not only that, there has been an increase in calls for organizations to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). But, how can an organization advance DEI effectively while some staff work in the office, others from home, and some doing both? How do you ensure that employees, no matter their location, stay engaged with the culture? Advancing DEI In a Hybrid Work Environment will address these concerns and more. Learning objectives: Participants will…

Gain insights and discuss the change in the labor landscape and the current “war on talent.”
Learn various ways to initiate a DEI program.
Be provided tools and tips to advance DEI and keep employees engaged from wherever they work.

Closing Keynote for the Diversity Series taking place at the KS State SHRM Conference

by Brian A. Black is director, Diversity and Inclusion, Customer Channels Group (CCG) and Corporate Information Technology for Thermo Fisher Scientific.

In his role, Dr. Black provides guidance to the CCG and Corporate Information Technology executive team in diversity-related activities including talent acquisition, leadership training, performance management, total rewards, recognition, succession planning and employee resource groups. He plays a pivotal role collaborating across the enterprise to ensure alignment in executing the diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.

Click here to watch the recordings!

Kansas Unemployment Insurance Update: July 2022

By Phillip M. Hayes

The sheer number of Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims early in the pandemic overwhelmed the Kansas Department of Labor, leading to many overpayments. While some of these were the result of simple administrative errors, a large percentage were deliberate cases of fraud. As the cost of these claims ultimately falls on businesses, it’s crucial for state and federal agencies to crack down on UI fraud. And, as employers, we have a part to play moving forward.

Chapter Updates!

Central KS SHRM:

UPCOMING EVENT: Join Melody Rayl, Lauren Sobaski, and Laura Brown from Fisher & Phillips, LLP as they speak about various topics that affect HR Professionals on Wednesday, October 5 in Hutchinson, KS!

Presentation Topics

Legal Update: Extra! Extra! The Latest News from Courts, Regulators, and Litigants!
Diagnose This! 2022 Leave Law Trends
When Was the Last Time Your Company had an HR Checkup?
Shhh! Not at Work! Controversial Topics in the Modern Workplace

Cost is $60.00 per registrant

Snacks and Lunch are provided

HR-PAGE:

EVENTS:

HR-PAGE hosted their Emporia Area Business Conference on Wednesday, July 13^th, 2022. We used this as a membership drive and we gained 4 members from it. We had the following guest speakers:

Nyk Robertson, Sr. Director of Diversity, ESU [Presentation on “Building an Inclusive & Supportive Workplace for LGBTQ+ Employees”]
Tim Davis, managing partner with Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP [Presentation of “Last Dance with Mary Jane: An Employer’s Guide to Changing Laws on Marijuana in the Workplace”]
Curtis Sneden, Senior VP Government Affairs, Greater Topeka Partnership [Legislative Update]
Shelly Freeman, FineLine HR Consulting [Presentation on FMLA]
Jeanine McKenna, President & CEO Emporia Area Chamber and Visit Emporia [Presentation on “All That We Share”]
Michelle Moe Witte, Martin Pringle [Presentation on “Ethics for HR Professionals: What Would You Do?”]

Below is some feedback received form the conference:

"This was my first year at the EABC, and the bar was set very high. The speakers were fun and interactive, the topics were relevant to what we need to know in the workplace. I'm excited for next year!" - Karis Williams

"Well organized conference with high quality speakers. The material content was very informative, engaging and helpful in my profession. Provided opportunity for interaction during the sessions as well as a great networking opportunity." - Karen Brown-Gentz

They have set a tentative date of Wednesday, July 12, 2023, as their next EABC!

CERTIFICATIONS:

Callie Lowry – Passed her SHRM-CP Exam

SHRMJC:

EVENTS:

SHRMJC has been up to a lot recently including:

SHRM JC hosted their monthly meeting with many people in attendance. See photo below.
They participated in the Golden Scoop Ice Cream Social and Anniversary to promote D&I of individuals with developmental disabilities.
They held a Clothing Drive to support Shawnee Community Services to assist in Workforce Readiness at our July Chapter meeting.
SHRM JC Partnered with Baker University to enhance the HR profession through educational opportunities.

CERTIFICATIONS:

Morgan Isem, Melissa Stacy, and Krystyna Nunez have all obtained their SHRM certification.

CHAPTER MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:

Pictured: Michael Wilson, Director of Social Media at SHRMJC and Cindy Volanti, Future President at SHRMJC will be co-hosting the 2023 Annual KS SHRM Conference.

SHRM Topeka:

EVENTS:

The SHRM Topeka chapter hosted a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Panel and Training on July 21st. We had a great group of panelists and an awesome speaker, Jermaine Jamison, that led our "Starting with Inclusion" training session.

Panelists pictured L to R are: Saida Bonifeld, Michael Odupitan, Glenda Washington, Jermaine Jamison, and Luis Estrada

Wichita SHRM:

EVENTS:

Wichita SHRM has had several events including:

Several Volunteers participated in a mock interview workshop with the International Rescue Committee where we assisted a number of recent Afghan refugees with job search preparation.
We held our July meeting at a new venue in downtown Wichita – Groover Labs where national speaker Mike Henke shared a program about the future of our workforce in the next 10 years.
On August 2^nd, we were invited to participate in an employer panel to share with career and technical secondary educators what employers are seeking in new employers and to learn from educators about their focus and classroom objectives as a way to help connect the classroom with the workplace.

Pictured below are Mona Martin, HR Director with HM Dunn AeroSystems, Teresa Bengston, VP of HR with Legend Senior Living, Makala Navarro HR Director with the City of Augusta, Nikki Beyrle CHRO with LDF Companies and Kerri Resser, HR, Labor Relations with Agco. The session was moderated by Patrick Salmans, HR Director with Star Lumber. Not pictured is Sharon Etheridge, HR Manager with Mahaney Group.

AWARDS:

Lindsey Lankford was selected as the 2022 Wichita Chapter HR Professional of the Year, see the link to our chapter’s LinkedIn post:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wichita-shrm_congratulations-to-lindsey-lankford-hr-director-activity-6947933271703908352-vvMP?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web

Upcoming Chapter Events

Our Kansas Chapters are hosting incredible events all across the state! Many are happening virtually with the COVID challenges we are facing. You can click here or on the Affiliate Chapters tab to find any one of our chapters to be directed to their website to find upcoming events.