July 2022 | 25th EDITION NEWSLETTER |
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The Pandemic Led to Extra Perks for Workers — Will the Pendulum Swing Back?
HR Brew | Susanna Vogel | June 24, 2022
If the SHRM 2022 agenda was any indication, HR professionals might be readying to have some tough talks. Pandemic pressures and high resignation rates have had HR professionals doing everything short of belting out High School Musical’s “We’re All in This Together” to demonstrate their dedication to employee well-being. Some have expanded mental health benefits, PTO, and sick leave, and hosted event after virtual event to make workers feel seen, valued, and heard.
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‘9 To 5’: What HR Professionals Can Learn from The Classic Comedy
HR Brew | Sam Blum | June 16, 2022
Over 40 years later, the workplace revenge fantasy can still teach HR professionals a thing or two.
Most workplace-training videos are either sleepers, or worse—woefully out of date. But there’s at least one that’s both entertaining and speaks to the host of dilemmas facing the humble HR professional, and it’s a 42-year-old comedy in which Dolly Parton fantasizes about hog-tying her loathsome boss. The entire HR field stands to learn something from 9 to 5.
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"I’ve attended this conference for 16 years. It is a great way through a variety of topics so you can stay current on laws, trends & creative approaches to challenges you may face. Most important to me are the relationships built over those years. I have met wonderful people & have resources that I can call on. I think this is invaluable. There are many ways we can keep ourselves updated on HR related laws & topics, but I truly believe this conference is one of the best ways to accomplish that. If you haven’t – check it out!"
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Attendee Brian Coy
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Considerations When Building a Remote-First Company
HR Brew | Kristen Parisi | June 24, 2022
Remote workers spread across different states means more registration and regulation. Remote life can be grand, amirite? Overhead per employee is low, employees can have actual work-life balance, and small businesses can source the best talent from all over, not just from where is immediately available. But for all the perks of a remote-first business model, there are plenty of potential compliance issues that HR leaders should have on their radar.
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Supreme Court Clarifies First Amendment’s Application to Public Employees
SHRM | Allen Smith | June 27, 2022
The U.S. Supreme Court clarified the scope of the First Amendment's application to public employees June 27 in a case involving a football coach, Joseph Kennedy, who was fired for praying while at school and visible to students. The school district disciplined the coach "because it thought anything less could lead a reasonable observer to conclude (mistakenly) that it endorsed Mr. Kennedy's religious beliefs," the court wrote.
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Workplace Romance Is on the Rise
SHRM | Susan Milligan | June 7, 2022
Even amid the growth of remote and hybrid work, intimate relationships among co-workers are increasing. So it’s essential for HR leaders to have a policy in place.
A married executive insisted the subordinate he was romantically involved with would voluntarily leave the company so they could be together. She didn’t agree with those terms; he ended up out of a job. When a couple at another company broke up, the man didn’t take it well and showed up at work with weapons to convince his ex-girlfriend to go with him. Another couple who worked together thought the parking area was a good place for a sexual romp. They didn’t know about the security cameras.
Ain’t love grand?
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"Great information from Daniel Zinnel on Power, Privilege, Leadership and Moore. Thank you for such an insightful presentation – great takeaways!"
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Attendee Shelby Hagan
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8 Technological Solutions to Improve Employee Experience In 2022
HR Today | Johanna Gruber | June 22, 2022
Most HR professionals and business leaders can confidently say that investing in the employee experience. is well worth the effort. But how exactly do you improve the employee experience?
Smart office technology is no longer a luxury but rather a need. Luckily, technology provides some of the best solutions to boost the employee experience at any workplace effectively. Here are the top 10 practical technology solutions worth implementing.
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9 HR Trends to Watch Out for in 2022
HR Today | Bhagyashree Shreenath | June 2022
Over the course of the 2010s, the scope of human resources expanded and evolved along with changes in how organizations function, how teams are managed and employee expectations when it comes to work. In the last couple of years, the human element and employee engagement became a primary focus of HRs. However, as the new decade began, change was thrust upon industries across the world due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
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6 Must-Ask Questions for A Mid-Year HR Tech Review
HR Executive | Steve Boese | June 28, 2022
As the first half of 2022 winds down, it’s a good time to conduct one of the workplace’s most exciting exercises: the mid-year performance review. Actually, I am kidding about the “exciting” part; we all know that most performance reviews stink, but that is a topic for another time. This mid-year review is concerned with how well your organization’s HR technology solutions have been performing, including the questions to ask to make that determination and a few ideas for improvement (if your HR tech doesn’t rate with “exceeds expectations”).
I applied a few of the more common discussion points managers often use in employee performance reviews to help you assess the performance of your HR tech. Let’s get on with the fun!
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Worried About Layoffs? Here’s What HR Should (And Shouldn’t) Do
HR Executive | Tom Starner | June 27, 2022
The economy is cooling off. Inflation is at a 40-year high. And the Federal Reserve recently put in place the highest interest rate hike in nearly three decades.
Add it up, and some analysts believe that the Great Resignation’s hiring binge could be transforming into corporate job-shedding in the near future. For instance, companies such as Compass, Redfin, Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced layoffs in recent weeks. According to Bloomberg, the tech, cryptocurrency and real estate sectors are being particularly hard hit, with an estimated 37,000 workers laid off in those industries since May.
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"I had an amazing time speaking and engaging with the professionals at the Iowa Employment Conference. So many great speakers, topics and points of discussion over two days."
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Speaker Bill Dean
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6 Strategies to Maximize Success with Your Growing Contingent Workforce
HR Executive | Bhushan Sethi | June 23, 2022
Company leaders have weathered unprecedented chaos over the last year, from the Great Resignation and a growing skills gap to inflation and rising interest rates. Consequently, more companies now consider the value of contingent workers—whether they be independent contractors, part of a staffing firm or a service provider with specific skills and expertise.
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Life Happens: How to Build Supportive Leave Programs During Times of Crisis
Forbes | Cara McCarty | June 29, 2022
As a longtime HR leader, I considered myself an expert on leave programs. I directed HR for a tech company in Austin, after all. My job was helping other employees navigate through crises in their own lives—and I prided myself in doing this work well.
Then, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
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Upskilling The Evaluation Procedure
Forbes | Anand Inamdar | June 29, 2022
Upskilling is an integral part of the development of organizations, and its importance is increasing in today's rapidly evolving business environment. The task of upskilling is usually the domain of managers, and they are expected to instill confidence in their team members, communicate clearly and effectively, motivate their team to be engaged at work, and more.
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Monitoring Employees Makes Them More Likely to Break Rules
Forbes | Chase Thiel, Julena M. Bonner, John Bush, David Welsh, & Niharika Garud | June 27, 2022
stockce/Getty Images
In April 2020, global demand for employee monitoring software more than doubled. Online searches for “how to monitor employees working from home” increased by 1,705%, and sales for systems that track workers’ activity via desktop monitoring, keystroke tracking, video surveillance, GPS location tracking, and other digital tools went through the roof. Some of these systems purport to use employee data to improve wellbeing — for example, Microsoft is developing a system that would use smart watches to collect data on employees’ blood pressure and heart rate, producing personalized “anxiety scores” to inform wellness recommendations. But the vast majority of employee monitoring tools are focused on tracking performance, increasing productivity, and deterring rule-breaking.
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"My first in-person presentation in a loooong time. Thanks to the Iowa Employment Conference for packing the room and letting me speak about Leveraging Problems into Possibilities."
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Speaker Dave Dubczak
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Are Your Organization’s DEI Efforts Superficial or Structural?
Harvard Business Review |Tsedale M. Melaku & Christoph Winkler | June 29, 2022
Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are not a “thing” like a program, office, or title. They cannot rest on a single person, initiative, or place. For too many organizations, DEI ends up a mere scaffold that does little to bring about actual, substantive change. And scaffolds are additive, instead of becoming integral parts of the existing organizational structure. We have watched these scaffolds evolve in a number of ways over the last two years, including the spate of organizations hiring Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs), frequently women of color, without empowering them to root out the cause of systemic inequities.
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Does Your Strategy Have a Spine?
Harvard Business Review | Rita Gunther McGrath |June 29, 2022
For all the ink spilled on the concept of strategy, it continually proves to be a surprisingly slippery idea. In practice, leaders often struggle to define and communicate strategies to their team. In their 2008 article, “Can You Say What Your Strategy Is?” David Collis and Michael Rukstad don’t mince words: “Most executives cannot articulate the objective, scope, and advantage of their business in a simple statement. If they can’t, neither can anyone else.” Here, I’m going to describe a document that you can think of as a bridge between your strategy and the seemingly endless communications you need to make to get various stakeholders comfortable with backing it.
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Forms
These are the most frequently requested U.S. Department of Labor forms. You can complete some forms online, while you can download and print all others.
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This section provides information for employers and other participants about the verification process, including detailed instructions on handling an employee’s Tentative Nonconfirmation and other related topics.
For the latest about E-Verify, check out What's New.
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"WOW! That is all I can say. This keynote speaker at the Iowa Employment Conference was quite honestly, life changing! Beth Shelton made me cry, made me laugh and all the feels. Her keynote was real and raw. Two take aways 1. The things that make your employees and coworkers are carrying with them every day. 2. Create a life that you don’t want to escape from. #empoweringwomen"
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Attendee Chrissi Wiersma
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Want to provide content for this newsletter distributed to 30k+ local business professionals? |
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Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace
Purpose
This guidance is designed to help employers protect workers who are unvaccinated (including people who are not fully vaccinated) or otherwise at-risk (as defined in the text box below), including if they are immunocompromised, and also implement new guidance involving workers who are fully vaccinated but located in areas of substantial or high community transmission.
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"Fun this morning presenting my “Keeping Your Head Above Water” wellness breakout session at the Iowa Employment Conference."
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Speaker Sally Shaver DuBois
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CONFERENCE ON THE BRAIN... |
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"Hip Hip Hooray for training!! We got to attend the Iowa Employment Conference again this year, and it was AMAZING, as always. Even better to be back in person for these great sessions and an absolutely phenomenal, moving, and inspiring keynote from Beth Shelton!"
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Attendee Sara Blair
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SAVE THE DATE
---October 19, 2022---
Fall Conference!!
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The IEC article library is growing monthly with valuable information relevant to the ever-changing work environment. Check the website frequently for updates. If you have something important for our readers to benefit from, reach out to us to be included in the next newsletter or article library! |
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"I really enjoyed the conference! I found the information conveyed by the presenters to be insightful, useful and enjoyable. I look forward to attending the next event."
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Attendee Dawn Bowman
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A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS... |
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A special THANK YOU to all 2022 Conference Sponsors! Sponsor support is integral in continuing the growth, quality & integrity of the continuing education unique to this conference year after year. You are appreciated! |
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"Congratulations!!! It was a great conference! Thank you to all who put this together!"
Spring 2022 IA Employment Conference Attendee Orlinda Robertson
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"Your conference is the best conference we attend. We sponsor every year."
Spring IA Employment Conference Sponsor Representative Dave Zahn
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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Looking to move forward with your career? Check out the amazing opportunities our sponsors have to offer within their organizations.
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STRONG MINDS | STRONG HEARTS |
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Ways to Help Us
Thanks to passionate supporters like you, Make-A-Wish shines a light of hope for children fighting critical illnesses when they need it most. Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses during their darkest days. Whether you are an individual donor, corporate sponsor, fundraising advocate or volunteer, your generous support transforms lives, one wish at a time.
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Do you know someone in your HR department (or company-wide) who deserves to be recognized for making a positive impact in your company from day to day??
Whether personal or professional, in a big or a small way, we all know those people who go above & beyond for the greater good.
We want to help these everyday (H)eroes be (R)ecognized! Send your nominations to us & one deserving person each month leading up to the current conference will be selected to receive a free conference registration + a $50 VISA gift card! We will announce the winner in the following month's newsletters.
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55 summer shows in central Iowa from Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani to 'My Fair Lady'
Des Moines Register | Isaac Hamlet & Susan Stapleton | June 15, 2022
Summer is nearly here and with the arrival of the season comes a slew of concerts, festivals and other in-person events. While some events that happened last year, like the Riverview Music Festival and Big Country Bash, will be absent from central Iowa this year, here are more than 55 events Iowans can look forward to this summer.
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These 80 Amazing 4th of July Recipes Will Be the Hit of Your Star-Spangled Party
Parade Magazine | June 2022
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JULY IS OFF WITH A BANG 💥
I want to take this space to recognize my wonderful team and all the work they do behind the scenes to ensure the conferences go off without a hitch.
Sarah Towns, Business Manager - Sarah and I have been working together for over 20 years. I’ve said that Sarah and I share a brain. She can literally finish my thoughts, know what I’m going to ask for and produce it before I can get it out of my mouth! Sarah is a wonderful person, my friend and one of the largest assets to our companies.
Lisa Bunkers, Event Manager - Lisa brings a fresh set of eyes to us. In having her own business for several years she brings insight to our team. She is creative and is willing to do what it takes to ensure the conferences are smooth. During Covid over the past couple of years the conference had to move to virtual. Lisa took on learning every aspect of Zoom. within two weeks set up 56 sessions, trained and practiced with our over 60 speakers on Zoom & taught our team. She became Zoom University! She also brings a wonderful, positive attitude with a huge smile on her face.
Michelle Nelson, Event Coordinator - Michelle's smile, efficiency and kindness ooze out of her. She bends over backwards supporting our team on conference days to make sure your learning experience is top notch.
Sue Kmet - Sue is our go-to for knowledge! She loves to read, continue earning certifications and learn everything she can about HR. She has been our secret weapon when it comes to getting all of our speakers' sessions approved with all the accreditations!
I am so incredibly thankful for our small-but-mighty team!
Nan
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We hope you celebrate the Independence Day holiday with loved ones.
Stay safe!
Iowa Employment Conference Team,
Nan, Sue, Lisa, Sarah and Michelle
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Nan's baby, Sugar, celebrating the 4th! |
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www.IowaEmploymentConference.com |
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