Some have said human resources is a declining field. Other have put it more dramatically, saying that the HR department is doomed.

Don’t worry. They’re wrong.

Undoubtedly software has changed how HR functions, and those changes are here to stay. But rather than mean the end of the HR department, the nine HR technology experts and practitioners that Software Advice interviewed predicted these changes will provide HR professionals with opportunities for growth. This article lays out what will change and why, as well as how HR professionals can prepare. Change, it seems, is good.

Prediction 1: In-house HR will downsize while outsourcing will increase.

This prediction might seem somewhat, well, predictable. However, the reasons our experts give for the change may surprise you.

Brian Sommer, industry analyst and founder of TechVentive, claims HR departments will become smaller as new technologies allow employees to participate directly in HR processes. He explains, “Many businesses are going to get a lot of capability done by better technology, more self-service and the employee doing a lot on their own.”

And while employees begin to shoulder a larger part of HR’s administrative duties through self-service portals, Dr. Janice Presser, CEO of The Gabriel Institute, predicts many transaction-heavy HR jobs will be outsourced entirely. In fact,  Dr. Presser goes so far as to say, “Entry-level HR jobs, as they currently exist, will all but disappear as transactional tasks are consigned to outsourced services.”

But despite the shrinking size of in-house HR, the human resources function will endure. As Chip Luman, the COO of HireVue, explains, “Given the ongoing regulatory environment, the need to pay, provide benefits, manage employee relations issues, and process information will go on.”

Prediction 2: Strategic will be in-house HR’s new core competence.

The smaller HR department that remains in-house will have to reposition itself as a strategic partner within the business. In fact, over half the experts emphasized that the move toward strategic partnership must happen--or else. Dr. Presser says in-house HR will need to have, “The ability to make accurate projections based on understanding the goals of the business and using metrics that describe more than lagging indicators, such as how long it takes to fill a job or the per-employee training spend.”

The strategy role cannot be outsourced--good news for all those in-house HR folks. As Dr. Presser says, “Strategic planning requires in-house expertise.”

In fact, Brashears, the director of Human Capital Consulting at Trinet HR, predicts the swing toward more strategic roles may even drive the creation of new job titles. As she explains, “HR Professionals will likely transition into HR Business Professionals who not only understand HR implications but also business operations and strategy.”

Prediction 3: The pendulum will swing back to the specialist.

Janine Truitt, the founder of The Aristocracy of HR blog, says she has observed a generalist-specialist cycle in the HR field during her time in the industry. As she explains, “Every decade or so we fluctuate back and forth from the paradigm of the independent contributor/specialist to the generalist practitioner. We were in a ‘generalist’ mode and now I think the pendulum may be swinging back toward the specialist.”

But for Luman, there will be no future shift back toward the generalist. He states, “HR generalists as we know them will disappear.”

Brashears agrees, noting “There will be more specialized roles. I believe this to be the case as the employment landscape becomes more complex with changing regulations around employment law and benefit compliance with the Affordable Care Act.”

Preparing for 2020

As strategy becomes more important for in-house HR, and specialists become more prevalent, what can current HR professionals begin doing now to prepare? The experts all endorse one tactic: keep learning---risk-taking and networking will help, too.

Dr. Presser advises those in the field to “Get ahead of the curve. Realize that many of today’s ‘best practices’ evolved under very different business conditions, and may well become obsolete within this decade. Learn everything you can about your industry, your competitors, and pending legislation that affects your business operations. Most of all, define yourself as a businessperson and act accordingly.”

Additionally, Lynda Zugec, Founder and Chairman of The Workforce Consultants, says in this brave new world, failure should be welcomed as a learning tool. As she says, “In the changing HR landscape of today, failure is embraced because it means that you were brave enough to ‘give it a shot’ and also that you now have more information regarding what works and what doesn't work than before. Eventually, if you keep exploring different avenues, you are bound to succeed.”

Finally, Luman encourages HR practitioners and analysts to develop their own personal brand. As he says, “Network inside and outside of your field. Blog, communicate, read and help others achieve success. If you are not outside of your comfort zone, you are stagnating.”

Erin Osterhaus is the managing editor of Software Advice's HR blog,The New Talent Times. She focuses on the HR market, offering advice to industry professionals on the best recruiting, talent management and leadership techniques. You can follow her on Twitter and Google+ or, contact her directly at erin@softwareadvice.com.

 

Would you like to learn how ClubPay's managed HRO service can help your Club stay compliant?

 

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued figures related to workplace discrimination charges filed with it in fiscal year 2012.

 

It received 99,412 private sector workplace discrimination charges during the year, with retaliation (37,836), race discrimination (33,512), and sex discrimination (30,356) the most frequently filed charges. The EEOC filed 122 lawsuits including 86 individual suits, 26 multiple-victim suits (with fewer than 20 victims) and 10 systemic suits.  That is a 20 percent reduction from fiscal year 2011, bringing the inventory to 70,312.

The agency also obtained $365.4 million from private sector and state and local government employers through it administrative process.

Overall, the agency secured both monetary and nonmonetary benefits for more than 23, 446 people through administrative enforcement activities

Notable findings gleaned from this data include the following:

• The most prevalent charges filed with the EEOC in 2012 alleged retaliation; race discrimination and sex discrimination. The claims alleging sex discrimination included allegations involving sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination.
• The most common types of discriminatory actions alleged under all statutes were discharge, actions affecting the “terms and conditions” of employment, harassment, and discipline.

The report identifies the six priorities that the EEOC will focus on in its “targeted enforcement” efforts:

• Eliminating systemic barriers in recruitment and hiring
• Protecting immigrant, migrant, and other vulnerable workers
• Addressing emerging issues, including the:
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• LGTB (lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual) coverage under Title VII
• Accommodating pregnancy
• Enforcing equal pay laws
• Preserving access to the legal system
• Preventing harassment through enforcement and targeted outreach

Are your club managers trained to handle an EEOC Charge? Don’t let your emotions get in the way of an investigation. Let us help you. At ClubPay we can help address your EEOC charges or questions. For more information contact Clare Vazquez, Your ClubPay HR Business Partner at 561-281-4022 or email cvazquez@certipay.com

Would you like to learn how ClubPay is helping Country Clubs stay compliant?

By Clare Vazquez, HR Business Partner

Do you have questions and can’t find the answer…we hope that our weekly Club HR Updates will assist you.

For example:

• Do you know the definition of a “workweek?”
• What are “hours worked?”
• Do employees have to be paid for time when they are off duty but still show up to “hang around?”

Answer:

A "workweek" consists of seven (7) 24-hour periods totaling 168 hours.  A “workweek” can begin and end on any day of the week, and does not necessarily have to being on a Monday.  Once a workweek is established, it remains fixed. Different workweeks may be established for different employees, however.  The regulations do not set pay days or pay period, but do require records to be kept on a weekly basis.

“Hours worked” include time when the employee is require to be on duty actually working for the employer.  The “hours worked” does not have to include meal times, but does include brief (5-20 minutes, for example) rest periods or coffee breaks.  Hours worked will have to include total time spend “on duty”, and will include time spend playing golf with students, members, etc. or performing other regular duties, including teaching.  An assistant professional who works 30 hours in the shop, plays golf with members an additional 10 hours, and teaches 10 hours (even though he may be receiving compensation for teaching), totals 50 hours worked.

No!!!.  Time when an employee is just “hanging” while off duty should not be counted as “hours worked.”  This is a common problem for golf professionals. To prevent having to pay for “hanging around” time, you should strongly consider discoursing your employees from staying on the premises when not working.  Also, add this to your employee handbook policy.  In addition, beware of employees who arrive and sign in 20-30 minutes before they are scheduled to start work.   If your employees are actually NOT working during that time, they should NOT be allowed to sign in on their time cards or clock in.  Carefully monitor and audit your sign in/sign out time cards to ensure they correspond to the actual work time schedule.

A typical problem I see as an HR Consultant is when employers fail to recognize and count certain hours worked as compensable hours. For example, an employee who remains at his/her desk while eating lunch and regularly answers the telephone and refers callers is working. This time must be counted and paid as compensable hours worked because the employee has not been completely relieved from duty.

Clubs should also check into any applicable laws of a state or other jurisdiction to see whether there are any workweek-related requirements or restrictions that are different from or tougher than the FLSA's.  It has never been more important for employers to remain vigilant, informed, and assertive about all of these matters. It is also essential that each employer ensure right now that it is in compliance with all applicable wage-hour requirements.  Our HR Review will identity any potential non-compliance.

For more information contact:

 

Clare Vazquez, HR Business Partner at ClubPay

Office: 561-910-0032 Cell: 561-281-4022

Email: CVazquez@certipay.com

 

Would you like to learn how ClubPay is helping Clubs stay compliant?

HOW DO YOU ADVERTISE AND RECRUIT FOR YOUR COUNTRY CLUB'S OPEN POSITIONS?

Under the laws enforced by EEOC, it is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to retaliate against a person because he or she complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Job Advertisements

Did you know it is illegal for an employer to publish a job advertisement that shows a preference for or discourages someone from applying for a job because of his or her race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

For example, a help-wanted ad that seeks "females" or "recent college graduates" may discourage men and people over 40 from applying and may violate the law.

 

Recruitment

Did you know it is also illegal for an employer to recruit new employees in a way that discriminates against them because of their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

For example, an employer's reliance on word-of-mouth recruitment by its mostly Hispanic work force may violate the law if the result is that almost all new hires are Hispanic.

Just look at the two most recent cases

Avant Healthcare Professionals LLC, a Casselberry healthcare staffing company, has agreed to pay $27,750 to resolve charges by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that the company posted discriminatory job advertisements on the Internet.

According to the DOJ, Avant published hundreds of job advertisements showing preference for foreign-trained individuals seeking permanent residence or H-1B visa sponsorship over U.S. workers. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of citizenship or immigration status unless required by law, regulation, or government contract.

In addition to the monetary penalties, Avant agreed to change its recruiting practices and submit to compliance monitoring by the DOJ for three years.

OfficeMax has agreed to pay $85,000 and change its recruiting practices to settle a retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to EEOC’s lawsuit, when the manager of an OfficeMax store in Sarasota fired a Hispanic sales associate in June 2009, the associate complained that he was fired because of his race. Human Resources ordered the manager to reinstate him. The manager complied, but reportedly subjected the associate to “unwarranted and disparate discipline, disciplinary actions based on false accusations,” and reduced hours to try to drive him out again. The associate complained numerous times before finally resigning because of the treatment, the EEOC claimed.

In addition to the monetary settlement, OfficeMax agreed to recruit more black and Hispanic applicants in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, among other provisions.

What is Disparate Racial Impact?

Disparate racial impact occurs when a screening device (e.g., educational requirement), or even a recruitment practice, produces a significant difference in the hiring of African-Americans (or other protected racial groups) compared to Caucasians. While a detailed discussion of how to test for disparate racial impact is beyond the scope of this article, suffice it to say that this may be demonstrated by comparing the percentages of African-Americans passing the test or getting hired versus the percentages of Caucasians passing the test or getting hired. Census data comparing the percentage of African-Americans in the workforce versus the percentage of African-Americans in the relevant labor market may also be used to demonstrate disparate racial impact.

Do you…???

• Do you have standardized recruiting and hiring processes?
• Do your recurring and screening practices indicate possible disparities?
• Can you provide evidence that each of your recruiting and screening practices is job-related and consistent with business necessity?
• Are you casting a wide net in your recruiting sources?
• Are your recruiters and employment agencies familiar with discrimination laws?

New and changing legal standards and requirements demand attention to ensure that your club lessens their exposure.  As EEOC focuses more on recruitment and hiring discrimination, your policies and practices in this area may come under greater scrutiny.  Now is the time to audit your policies and practices and make sure that your hiring managers understand and use legally acceptable employment practices. 

Let us help YOU stay compliant...with our HR Review we can determine if potential risk are at hand.  Even if everything is above board, an organization could still be operating in an inefficient manner that isn’t in keeping with recognized best practices. This includes issues related to people and human resources management.

Purpose of the audit?

• To look for potentially serious problems (land mines)?
• To find areas needing improvement?
• To document processes for use in merger or reorganization?
• To address compliance issues?

For more information contact

Clare Vazquez, HR Business Partner at ClubPay

CELL:  561-281-4022

EMAIL: CVAZQUEZ@CERTIPAY.COM

 

Would you like to learn how ClubPay is helping Clubs stay compliant?

 

The newly revised Form I-9 (Rev. 03/08/13) should be used for club new hires; after May 7, 2013, all prior versions of Form I–9 can no longer be used by the public. 

Introduction of the Revised Employment Eligibility Verification Form 

March 15, 2013

Agency: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS

CHANGES TO FORM I-9

The newly revised Form I–9 makes several improvements designed to minimize errors in form completion. The key revisions to Form I–9 include:

• Adding data fields, including the employee’s foreign passport information (if applicable) and telephone and email addresses.

• Improving the form’s instructions.

• Revising the layout of the form, expanding the form from one to two pages (not including the form instructions and the List of Acceptable Documents). 

BACKGROUND

Employers and certain agricultural recruiters and referrers for a fee (referred to collectively as ‘‘employers’’) are required to verify on Employment Eligibility Verification form (Form I–9) the employment authorization and identity of each individual they hire (or recruit or refer for a fee if applicable), for employment in the United States.

Form I–9 contains three sections.

The purpose of Section 1 of the form is to collect, at the time of hire identifying information about the employee (and preparer or translator if used), and for the employee to attest to whether he or she is a U.S. citizen, noncitizen national, lawful permanent resident, or alien authorized to work in the United States. The employee must also present documentation for review evidencing his or her identity and authorization to engage in this employment.

The purpose of Section 2 of the form is to collect, within 3 business days of the employee’s hire, identifying information from the employer and information regarding the identity and employment authorization documentation presented by the employee and reviewed by the employer.

The purpose of Section 3 of the form is to collect information regarding the continued employment authorization of the employee. This section, if applicable, is completed at the time that the employee’s employment authorization and/or employment authorization documentation recorded in either Section 1 or Section 2 of the form expires. This section may also be used if the employee is rehired within 3 years of the date of the initial execution of the form and to record a name change if Section 3 is otherwise completed.

HOW LONG AM I REQUIRED TO KEEP THE I-9?

Employers are required to maintain Forms I–9 for as long as an individual works for the employer and for the required retention period for the termination of an individual’s employment [either 3 years after the date of hire or 1 year after the date employment ended, whichever is later].

WHEN DO I START USING THE I-9?

Employers should begin using Form I–9 with a revision date of ‘‘(Rev. 03/08/13). The revision date is located in the bottom right-hand corner of the form.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I CONTINUE TO USE THE OLD VERSION OF THE FORM I-9?

After May 7, 2013, all prior versions of Form I–9 can no longer be used by the public. The public can download the new Form I–9 at www.uscis.gov

After May 7, 2013, employers who fail to use Form I–9 (Rev. 03/08/13)N may be subject to all applicable penalties be particularly necessary for employers utilizing electronic Forms I–9. For these reasons, USCIS is providing employers 60 days to make necessary changes.

Note that employers do not need to complete the new Form I–9 (Rev. 03/08/13)N for current employees for whom there is already a properly completed Form I–9 on file, unless re-verification applies. Unnecessary verification may violate the anti-discrimination provision.

A Spanish-language version of the new Form I–9 is available at www.uscis.gov

for use in Puerto Rico only and may also be used for translation purposes.

For more information contact:

Clare Vazquez. HR Business Partner

CertiPay

Cell: 561-281-4022

Email: CVazquez@certipay.com

 

Would you like to learn how ClubPay is helping Clubs stay compliant?

 

Clubs with 50 or more employees must display the new updated 2013 FMLA poster in a conspicuous place where employees and applicants for employment can see it. A poster must be displayed at all locations even if there are no eligible employees and must be posted no later than March 8th.

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has made several changes in its Final Rule, including military care giver leave for a veteran, qualifying exigency leave for parental care, and a special leave calculation method for flight crew employees.  Department of Labor has expanded its protection for military families; eligible workers can take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for a current service member with a serious injury or illness. Congress also created qualifying exigency leave, which permits eligible employees to take up to 12 workweeks of leave for qualifying exigencies arising out of active duty or call to active duty in support of a contingency operation of a family member serving in the Armed Forces. This means that workers can attend a spouse's farewell and welcome home ceremonies without being penalized at work. They can also use the leave to plan unexpected childcare arrangements if the service member’s call to active duty is unexpected, or leave can be taken to spend time with a family service member on leave from active duty service without risking their jobs.

Employer Requirements for FMLA

• Review the FMLA changes and make the necessary revisions to club policies.
• Managers must notify employees about changes to the FMLA law.
• Display the new 2013 FMLA poster  in a noticeable work location by March 8^th.
• Handbooks must also be updated to reflect new leave-related changes.

Employers who fail to meet this deadline risk subjecting their club to fines.

For more information, including the rule, a military leave guide, fact sheets and other materials, visit: http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/2013rule

To print the new 2013 FMLA poster visit: https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmla.htm

Would you like to learn how ClubPay streamlines Payroll & HR for Clubs?

Study after study has demonstrated the high cost of employee turnover, particularly in the hospitality industry where the work is so detail-intensive, requiring significant training to meet standards.

Recognizing that the desired outcome of every hiring decision is to find and bring aboard a qualified and enthusiastic person who will make a positive contribution to the success of the business, it is essential for all managers to make every effort to lower employee turnover rates. Here are six steps to help you do just that:

1. Hire Well. Use the techniques of Disciplined Hiring to screen applicants and check references. When possible, use personality profiles to ensure you put the right person in “the right seat on the bus.”

2. Onboard Well. Use all of the club’s tools to both welcome and orient new hires to the workplace. The Employee Handbook, Club Orientation, and Departmental Orientations are designed to provide and reinforce important information to the new hire. Managers must make sure that orientations are welcoming and make all necessary introductions to both supervisors and peers.

3. Train Well. Both initial and ongoing training is essential. Most people want to do a good job and appreciate the efforts made to train them. Without adequate training and the necessary tools and resources to do their jobs well, new hires will quickly become cynical and alienated. Never forget that their success guarantees your success.

4. Organize Well. No one wants to work in a chaotic environment. If your department or section is well-organized, if everyone knows where things are, if employees are well-trained in opening and closing procedures, if everyone knows their responsibilities and is held accountable, the workplace runs almost effortlessly. Don’t run off good people by putting them through the hell of a disorganized operation.

5. Communicate Well. Daily interaction and direction ensures that everyone is informed, knows what is going on, and what they must do individually to accomplish the tasks at hand. It is also instrumental in building teamwork and a sense of shared values and mission. The Daily Huddle, or some other form of pre-shift meeting, is a necessary discipline to ensure ongoing, consistent communication.

6. Value Them Well. Remember the ultimate value of people in all you do. Value your employees and they will value you as a leader and their efforts at work.

The bottom line is that your leadership is the essential element in your success. If you have high levels of turnover, there is no one to blame but yourself.

Ed Rehkopf, Senior Vice President, Club Resources International. Club Resources International is a portal website for the club industry providing a wide array of operational resources, articles, and best practices for the club industry. The website can be found at www.myclubresource.com.

Leigh Branham, Founder of Keeping the People, Inc., as reported by Business & Legal Reports, listed the “Hidden Reasons” employees leave. While it can be argued that all of the listed reasons have to do with leadership, three are directly related to poor leadership:

• Little or no feedback/coaching
• Feel devalued and unrecognized
• Lack of trust or confidence in leaders

Given the widely-recognized cost of high levels of employee turnover, every club should be vigilant for the causes of turnover; but how best to do this?

First, to be aware of turnover, clubs should benchmark their personnel actions and turnover rate by department. Employees depart for one of the following reasons:

1. Discharged for cause – misconduct or performance issues
2. Laid off for business reasons – either at the end of the busy season or downsizing
3. Voluntary quit or abandonment of position
4. Retirement

In benchmarking turnover, it is category #3, the voluntary quits, that warrant the closest scrutiny. If a particular department seems an endless revolving door for employees, it bears looking into the reasons. There are two primary ways to find out why.

One is a routine program of exit interviews by the HR Manager. Basic inquiries during the interview should be, “Why are you leaving our employ? Is there anything we could do to change your mind? Tell us about your work experience while working here.”

A second method is for the General Manager to call several of the departing employees to inquire about their reasons for leaving.

Typical responses would be “returning to school,” “leaving for a better paying position,” “lack of benefits,” and “too much evening/weekend work.” Sometimes the answer is an honest and direct, “Didn’t like my boss” or some variation thereof. In any case, the General Manager should be concerned about any trending reasons for departure. If it’s low wages and lack of benefits, it might prompt a review of prevailing wages and benefits with the view of improving one’s own.

If it’s problems with the boss, and the complaint is heard with any regularity, it may be time for the General Manager to coach a department head on his or her style of leadership, communication skills, and engagement with staff. Just as the General Manager would be expected to intervene in any matter affecting the club’s performance and bottom line, high levels of turnover caused by poor leadership skills in one department or another cannot be tolerated.

Ed Rehkopf, Senior Vice President, Club Resources International. Club Resources International is a portal website for the club industry providing a wide array of operational resources, articles, and best practices for the club industry. The website can be found at www.myclubresource.com.

Would you like to learn how ClubPay streamlines Payroll & HR for Clubs?

We invite you to meet our ClubPay representatives Annaliese Franzen and Steve Cowan at the CMAA – World Conference on Club Management Trade Show in New Orleans, Feb. 26^th & 27^th.  ClubPay will be in attendance with Jonas Club Management and clubsystems group in Booth #435. While in attendance, ClubPay will receive an “Excellence in Achievement Award” for Payroll & HR by BoardRoom Magazine.

BoardRoom Magazine, endorsed by the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) and the official publication for the Association of Private Club Directors (APCD), will present ClubPay with their 12th annual "Excellence in Achievement" award for Payroll & HR.

ClubPay was selected for overall excellence in Payroll & HR achievements, innovation, vision for future growth and continued impact on private club operations. BoardRoom magazine’s "Excellence in Achievement" awards are the only private club industry awards that recognize the clubs' business partners. BoardRoom magazine's industry peers and experts review and select outstanding suppliers and consultants representing various aspects of course and club operations.

“We are very excited to be recognized as payroll vendor of the year”, says Steve Cowan, President of ClubPay.  “ClubPay offers a very unique value proposition to the club market by providing a fully integrated Payroll, HR, and Time Keeping platform that has been customized for the unique requirements of the club industry. ClubPay also prides itself on a personalized service support model that includes a no voicemail policy, taking full ownership for data conversion, and by walking clients through their first three payroll processing periods. These aspects make ClubPay a real win for clubs in today’s work environment where clubs are stretched to do more with less, and require peace of mind when navigating through the complex issues around Payroll, HR, and Tax compliance laws.” 

ClubPay's outsourced payroll processing solution is tailored to Private Club payroll needs. ClubPay includes dozens of useful features to address issues commonly faced by clubs including pay calculators, retro pay calculator, benefits calculators, multiple departments, multiple pay rates, variable/weighted average overtime calculation, re-hire functionality and more. ClubPay’s Labor Management System, ClubTime, is a full-featured, web-based system for data collection and employee management.  The system includes an employee self service web portal, time and attendance, distribution of labor tracking, scheduling, time sheets, biometric clocks, and seamless integration with ClubPay’s Payroll/HR system, eliminating manual or duplicate entry.  With ClubPay’s reporting module, clubs have unlimited access to over 200 standard Payroll/HR and Labor Management reports, with the ability to easily create any custom report needed for proactive decision making. 

We look forward to meeting you in The Big Easy, WE GON PASS A GOOD TIME, YEAH!

Do you want to see what clubs are saying about ClubPay? 

Check out our new ClubPay video: