Message From the President: Comparative Shopping By Kenny Colbert, SPHR, President

January 2015 Vol. 1 Edition 2 Content Sections: Leadership HR /Compliance HR/Compliance Supervisor s Guide Surveys/ Engagement Training Training Calendar Message From the President: Comparative Shopping By Kenny Colbert, SPHR, President I recently bought a new washing machine and dryer. I did my research and picked the models I wanted, then priced them at various stores in the Charlotte area. After I closed the deal, I felt I was an informed consumer and made a good financial decision. With today s technology, it is fairly easy to compare apples-to-apples when making a major purchase---and you can shop at the store with the best prices. However, the area of healthcare is the exception. It is virtually impossible to tell what knee replacement surgery will cost at one hospital versus another facility. But that may be changing. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina recently surprised everyone (including hospital executives) by disclosing the costs associated with medical procedures at various medical facilities around the state. These costs have long been considered secret information, and now a medical facility can see what its competitors are charging for a similar procedure---and consumers can do some comparative shopping. BCBS s database is combining bills from providers to show the full cost of a procedure, including physician fees, facility fees, anesthesia, drugs, and medical supplies. So it is now possible to see that knee replacement surgery varied in cost from $20,154 at one hospital to $40,148 at another facility. There were not a lot of variables to consider when I was pricing my washing machine and dryer. The qualifications of the salesperson really did not enter into my mind. It was simply a price purchase. However, when it comes to a major medical procedure, the qualifications and background of the physician, and reputation of the facility, will certainly be considered. But at least we now have some financial information related to medical costs that was never available to us in the past. And I bet some of these high cost facilities will start looking at their pricing structure. It s a start. Think about it. IN THIS ISSUE: Encourage Investment in 401(k) Plans HR Excellence Awards Speaker Announced ACA Reporting Requirements in 2015 TEA Tip: Beware of Poster Scams Summary of 2014 Federal Contractor Changes Registration is Open for the 2015 Employment Law Certificate Series Supervisor s Guide: Workplace Romances 2014 Wage & Salary Survey Results Summary National Executive Compensation Survey Now Open SPHR/PHR/SHRM Credit Update Ask the Trainer: Coaching Tips

Highlights of this edition of HR Matters Encourage Investment in 401(k) Plans: Get investment advice from First Financial Resources, a TEA benefit partner. HR Excellence Awards Speaker Announced: Joe Gibbs: We are pleased to announce Joe Gibbs as the Keynote Speaker for the 2015 HR Excellence Awards. More on Page 3 ACA Reporting Requirements in 2015: We will provide highlights of the new reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that employers must follow in 2015. More on page 4 TEA Tip: Beware of Poster Scams! Do you really need to replace your posters again? More on page 5 Summary of 2014 Federal Contractor Changes: A summary of the rules and regulations that were proposed in 2014 for the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). More on page 6 Registration Is Open for the 2015 Employment Law Certificate Series: Join us for our sixth annual Employment Law Certificate Series, conducted by attorneys from Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.. More on Page 7 Encourage Investment in 401(k) Plans By Randy Riggins, CEP, CSA, RFC, AIF, PRP Owner, First Financial Resources As a new year begins, employers should take this opportunity to look at their 401(k) plans and see how much progress has been made in the past year. About fifty percent of all US employers have a 401(k) plan. That s the good news. But the bad news from that statistic is that fifty percent of US employers do not have a 401(k) plan. Of those employers that do choose to offer a 401(k) plan, the current employee participation rate on average is about sixty-five percent, which means thirty-five percent of the people are not contributing. In addition to the challenge of convincing employees to contribute to the plan at all, there is also the challenge of communicating the importance of contributing enough money to cover their expenses in retirement. Only eleven percent of Americans are saving at a pace that would provide an adequate retirement for them. What is a benchmark you can give your employees when they ask how much money they should have in their 401(k) by the time they retire? A good guide that I captured from a Fidelity article is that at retirement age, you should have eight times your salary in order to continue your current standard of living through retirement. The article further broke down that by the time you re age 30 you should have ½ times your annual earnings in your retirement plan; by age 35, one times your annual earnings; by age 45, three times your annual earnings; by 55, five times your annual earnings, all the way up to the retirement age of 65 where Fidelity recommended having eight times your annual earnings before retirement. As the New Year begins, employers must ask themselves, is what we re doing now working? And, how do you know? Maybe 2015 is the time to sit down and rethink how you re approaching this. Are there any different or new strategies that you can employ that can push the needle toward success? The future, in my opinion, will be about putting employees in a position to make good decisions. In the case of 401(k) investments think these three simple ideas: automatic enrollment, automatic increases, and investing in a prebuilt strategy that is designed for their age. I encourage you as an employer to consider these strategies and also consider developing a measuring tool that you can use to chart the progress. We re all in this together. Good luck! Randall E. Riggins has twenty years of experience in the financial services industry and is a founding officer of the national marketing alliance, First Financial Resources. First Financial Resources is a TEA sponsored benefit partner. For more information on their services, please contact Cathy Graham at cgraham@employersassoc.com.

HR Excellence Awards Speaker Announced: Joe Gibbs By Laura Hampton, SPHR Vice President, Marketing, Membership, & Training Services We are pleased to announce Joe Gibbs as the Keynote Speaker for the 2015 HR Excellence Awards. Joe Gibbs is a former NFL head coach of the Washington Redskins and current NASCAR team owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. As Head Coach of the Washington Redskins NFL football team, Joe led the team to three Super Bowl Championships in four tries and gained a spot in the exclusive Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a NASCAR team owner, 2015 HR Joe Gibbs Racing has won three NASCAR Cup Excellence Awards Series Championships. His strong work ethic and Keynote Speaker, ability to motivate others have elevated him to a Joe Gibbs level of success in two different sports that few ever achieve, inside or outside the world of sports. Please join us to celebrate the HR profession and gain valuable insight into teamwork, perseverance, and excellence from this legendary North Carolina native. In addition to our keynote address, we will honor the top HR professionals in the region with our Promising HR Professional Award, Strategic HR Leadership Award, and Babcock Award. To view past winners of these prestigious honors, please visit https://www.employersassoc.com/winners. The HR Excellence Awards Expo & Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, March 17th at the Westin Uptown. For more information and to register, please visit https://employersassoc.com/hrea. Laura Hampton is responsible for creating training programs and business services that add value. Her background includes more than twenty years of human resources and communications experience. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Highlights, Continued Supervisor s Guide: Has Your Organization Addressed Workplace Romances?: About 56 percent of employees have been involved in a workplace romance at some point in their careers. Does your organization have a policy on office relationships? More on pages 8 & 9 2014 Wage & Salary Survey Results Summary: Key findings from the 2014 Wage & Salary Survey are summarized in this can t miss article for anyone involved in compensation at your organization. More on page 10 & 11 National Executive Compensation Survey Now Open: Participation is now open for the 40 th annual National Executive Compensation Survey. More on page 11 SPHR/PHR/SHRM Credit Update: Are you current on all the changes to the SPHR/PHR and SHRM Certification programs? More on page 12 Ask the Trainer: Coaching Tips: TEA training experts, Tracy Mambrino and Byron Pruitt, provide tips on how to coach employees effectively. More on page 13 Training Calendars: Pages 14-15

IRS Reporting Affordable Care Act (ACA) Reporting in 2015 By Cathy Graham, SPHR Director, Benefit Services The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes significant information reporting responsibilities on employers starting with the 2015 calendar year. Nearly all employers will be required to keep track of group health plan coverage and use a new version of Forms 1095 and 1094 for reporting and submitting data to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). There are two versions of the Form 1095: 1095-B (Health Coverage) and 1095-C (Employer Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage.) Then each 1095 has an accompanying Transmittal Form 1094. The filing requirements vary, based on an employer's health plan and number of employees. Employers Not Offering Coverage Small employers (fewer than 50 full-time equivalents) who do not offer coverage do not have to report or file. Large employers (over 50) who do not offer coverage must still complete Form 1095-C and transmit the data using Form 1094-C. Fully Insured Plans Employers of any size who offer a fully insured plan will rely on their insurance carrier to file Form 1095 -B and submit the data using Form 1094-B. However, these employers must still follow the requirements to share information with employees (see below.) Self-Insured Plans Large employers (over 50 full-time equivalents) with self-insured plans must use Form 1095-C and transmittal Form 1094-C to report coverage. Small employers (under 50) who are self-insured will use Form 1095-B and 1094-B to report the name, address, and Social Security number (or date of birth) of employees and their family members who have coverage under the self-insured plan. Reporting Forms Although the forms are available in paper form, electronic filing is required if the employer files at least 250 forms. Employers must file these forms annually by Feb. 28 (March 31 if filed electronically). Therefore, employers will be filing these forms for the 2015 calendar year by Feb. 28 or March 31, 2016. A copy of the Form 1095, or a substitute statement, must be given to each employee by January31 st of each year and can be provided electronically with the proper employee consent. Employers who fail to file timely or to furnish statements to employees will face penalties of up to $200 per form. Cathy Graham is primarily responsible for advising companies in the areas of employee benefit plans, including health & welfare and various retirement programs. Cathy also manages TEA s in-house benefit administration services division for over 300 companies. Don t Miss Our Upcoming Class, ACA Reporting in 2015 If you have any questions about the tracking and reporting requirements for 2015, make plans to attend our Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 on ACA Reporting in 2015 or contact Cathy Graham, Director of Benefit Services, at cgraham@employersassoc.com, or (704) 522-8011. To register, please visit www.employersassoc.com/events.

TEA Compliance Tip: Beware of Poster Scams! All employers are required to display mandatory federal and state labor law posters and most are more than willing to comply with this simple requirement. However, clever marketing from poster vendors makes this obligation appear more confusing than it really is. In reality, new posters are not always necessary, and they can usually be obtained free of charge! Can an employer really be fined? There ARE provisions in federal, NC, and SC state laws that allow for citations including civil money penalties and even criminal charges. The reality is that these fines are typically imposed only if an employer refuses to display required posters. Have required posters really changed? Yes! recently the OSHA poster was updated, and for employers in NC, the Workers Compensation posting has been updated. The new OSHA poster can be downloaded from the NC Department of Labor website. The link to the updated Workers Compensation poster is in the table below. If you have a current combined poster, Federal Posters Job Safety and Health Occupation (OSHA) (All employers) Notice to Employees Working on Government Contracts (Applicable to some government contractors / subcontractors) Notice to Workers with Disabilities Paid at Special Minimum Wages (Employers with workers employed under special minimum wage certificates) Your Rights Under NLRA (applicable to some federal contractors/subcontractors) you may choose to download and display the revised OSHA and Workers Compensation postings next to your existing combination poster or you may choose to purchase a new combined poster. We anticipate that the FMLA and EEO posters will also change in the first quarter of 2015. If you are considering a poster replacement, you may wish to delay your purchase until these changes are announced. We will update members as new information becomes available on this topic. What are the requirements? The table below includes a list of the posters that most employers in NC and SC must display. Is TEA a poster vendor? Yes, but this is not our primary business. We will provide you with updates when significant changes occur and if you choose, you may purchase the all-in-one federal and state labor law posters from us, or you may visit our website for links to download the free versions. For more information, please contact Traci Helton at thelton@employersassoc.com. Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law (All employers) Employee Polygraph Protection Act (All employers) Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) (All employers) Federal Minimum Wage (All employers) Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (All employers who employ 50 or more employees) Notice to All Employees Working on Federal or Federally Financed Construction Projects (Applicable to some government contractors / subcontractors) North Carolina Posters (Required for All NC Employers) NC Occupational Safety and Health NC Wage and Hour Act NC Right-to Work Laws NC Employment Discrimination NC Unemployment Insurance NC Workers Compensation http://www.ic.nc.gov/forms/form17.pdf South Carolina Posters (Required for All SC Employers) Occupational Safety and Health SC Unemployment Insurance Labor Law Abstract (Payment of Wages, Child Labor, Right-to-Work) SC Workers Compensation SC Human Affairs Equal Opportunity is the Law

Summary of 2014 Federal Contractor Changes By Stephanie Vojvoda, PHR Manager, Affirmative Action Services In an attempt to keep all federal contractors and subcontractors up to date on what is happening at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), below is a summary of the new rules and regulations that were proposed in 2014 (in chronological order): Executive Order 13658, signed on February 21, 2014, raised the minimum wage for employees who work on federal contracts to $10.10 per hour, beginning in January 2015. On March 24, 2014, the OFCCP s new rule for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans went into effect. Many contractors are still putting their processes in place. On the first day of the next Affirmative Action plan, self-identification forms must be collected from all applicants and employees. Executive Order 13672, prohibits discrimination against applicants or employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Contractors must add these two groups to their list of protected groups in their equal employment opportunity statements. Another Executive Order, 13673, was signed in July 2014 mandating that federal contractors report all labor law violations before being considered for any federal contract totaling $500,000 or more. The contractor must also show what steps have been taken to correct these violations and pass these requirements down to their sub-contractors. This order applies to supply and services contracts and construction contracts that have an estimated value of $500,000 or more. For contracts over $1 million, mandatory employee arbitration is prohibited. This same Executive Order calls for paycheck transparency requiring a document that shows the individual s hours worked, overtime hours, pay, and any additions to or deductions from pay. Individuals who are deemed independent contractors must be informed of this status with a document, as well. President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on April 8, 2014 instructing the Secretary of Labor to propose a rule to collect summary compensation data, broken down by sex and race/ethnicity, from federal contractors and subcontractors, including construction contractors. The compensation will reportedly be based on W-2 earnings and reported sometime in the first quarter of 2015 through the EEO-1 Survey format. Executive Order 13665 was signed on April 8, 2014 and took effect immediately. This rule prohibits discharging or in Need help navigating Affirmative Action Compliance in your organization? Attend our upcoming Affirmative Action Compliance course on March 4 th. For more information or to register, please visit www.employersassoc.com. any way retaliating against any employee or applicant who discusses his/her own wages or anyone else s wages. The OFCCP scheduling letter was revised and released on September 30, 2014. Contractors and subcontractors will now be required to report on the results of the evaluation and effectiveness of their outreach and recruiting for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. We anticipate that there will be new construction contractor guidelines in the first half of 2015. Stephanie Vojvoda provides assistance with the development, implementation and monitoring of affirmative action programs. Stephanie has been preparing written affirmative action plans for clients in the Charlotte region and beyond since 2006.

Registration Is Open for the 2015 Employment Law Certificate Series Do you or your managers need to know more about managing risk and navigating the complexity of employment-related decisions? Join us for our sixth annual Employment Law Certificate Series. This intensive 11-session series will be conducted by attorneys from Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. at The Employers Association. Monthly sessions will be held on the second Thursday from February to December. Each seminar will provide four hours of practical, current and comprehensive information on a specific employment law issue. Any participant who attends a minimum of eight sessions will earn the certificate. The speakers provided great information and made difficult topics easy to understand. -2014 attendee For those who have their PHR/SPHR designation, this series is also a wonderful way to earn recertification credit. Participants who attend the entire series gain 40 hours of recertification credit! Previous participants can attend the series again for 40 more hours of recertification if they are in a new recertification cycle. We will also submit the series for recertification credit for the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP designations. Sign up today to reserve your seat. Visit our web site at www.employersassoc.com or call (704) 522-8011 for more details on dates and session content.

Has Your Organization Addressed Workplace Romances? By Elizabeth Brackett, SPHR Senior Manager, Employee Relations As Valentine s Day approaches, love is in the air...and probably in your office cubicles, as well. About 56 percent of employees have been involved in a workplace romance at some point in their careers, according to the 2014 Office Romance survey of over 1,864 employees representing various industries by Vault.com. Of those employees who admitted to participating in an office romance, 66 percent said they would do it again. The survey found that more than 70 percent of organizations don't have policies on workplace romance, and that over 37 percent of the respondents didn t even know if their company had a policy at all. In addition to the potential complications for the participants, office romances also impact other employees. The survey indicated that 26 percent of the respondents had felt uncomfortable because of co-workers intra-office romantic relationships, and 31 percent felt that a co-worker gained a professional advantage because of a romantic relationship with a co-worker or supervisor. A trend toward stricter policies. According to the 2014 Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Workplace Romance Survey, the number of workplace romances has not increased significantly over the past eight years, but company policies addressing them have. Not only are there more policies in place, those policies are significantly stricter than they were in 2005, the last time SHRM conducted its Workplace Romance survey of HR professionals. Why are employers taking notice now more than ever? In many cases, it is due to fear of retaliation or sexual harassment claims. According to the SHRM survey, nearly 99 percent of the respondents said their policy forbids relationships between supervisors and subordinates (up from 80 percent in 2005). Typically, these provisions are designed to protect employers from sexual harassment lawsuits and also prevent claims of favoritism to maintain employee morale. Policies on workplace romances between employees who report to the same supervisor or with a client or customer are less stringent, but still a concern of employers. About one-third of the organizations who participated in the SHRM survey prohibited relationships of this nature, up from 13 percent in 2005. Empty policies? The SHRM survey indicated that, although a definite trend toward stricter policies was evident, 81 percent of the HR professionals said their organization doesn t train employees on how to manage workplace romances. Only 5 percent ask those in a romantic relationship to sign a love contract, which usually requires the employees to attest that the relationship is consensual, that the pair won t engage in favoritism and that neither will take legal action against the employer or each other if the relationship ends. Elizabeth Brackett is primarily responsible for providing compliance and employee relations advice in the areas of employment laws including FMLA and FLSA, harassment and discrimination, discipline/termination and other employee relations issues. Does your organization have a policy on workplace romance? Let us know! Log your response to this month s Supervisor s Guide on our blog, www.hrcoffeebreak.com.

Road Map to a Love Contract By Stephanie Dillon, PHR, SHRM-CP Manager, Human Resources What do you do when you find out that two employees have decided to engage in a romantic relationship with each other? As a matter of best practice, it is a good idea to have what is considered a love contract. To ensure this document holds up, we recommend an attorney draft it for your company, however our online research tool, HRAnswersNow *, provides the following tips on what should be included: An express affirmation that the parties welcome the personal, romantic relationship, and that they each entered into and continue the relationship voluntarily A statement that neither party was harassed or threatened into the relationship or feels compelled to stay in the relationship in order to retain their job, or in exchange for a promise to receive employment opportunities or benefits of any kind An acknowledgment that both parties understand the employer's anti-harassment policy, which should be attached to the contract Note that either party may terminate their relationship at any time without any adverse consequences to their employment Acknowledge, in accordance with the employer's policy, that either party should not engage in any sort of favoritism or preferential treatment for the other, in connection with their employment Both parties typically affirm that they may not allow their personal relationship to interfere with their job performance Acknowledge that they may not engage in any conduct in the workplace that other employees could perceive as intimate physical conduct Some contracts require employees to notify a Human Resources management official when and if either decides to end the relationship to prevent unresolved work-related issues that could implicate or involve the employer in potential litigation Require both parties to sign a confidentiality agreement Some employers advise employees to seek legal advice and counsel before entering into love contracts *For more information on love contracts or other HR related topics, please take advantage of our HRAnswersNow tool, available in the Members Only section of our website at www.employersassoc.com/members. The HRAnswersNow tool is a 24/7 HR-specific search engine that is a free resource to members. Stephanie Dillon is primarily responsible for advising companies in the areas of employment law and employee relations. She also conducts HR audits, specializes in handbook reviews, and is involved in compliance training for member companies. Don t Miss Our Upcoming Current Issue Series Breakfast, Navigating Dating & Family Relationships at Work From employing family members to budding romantic relationships, companies need to consider how to deal with personal issues that can become workplace concerns. Come hear practical advice from employment law expert Mason Alexander of Fisher & Phillips to make sure your workplace addresses these sensitive topics effectively. TEA Member Companies Receive One Free Seat! To register, please visit www.employersassoc.com/events.

2014 Wage & Salary Survey Results Summary By Stephanie Oberg, PHR Compensation and Research Manager The annual NC Wage & Salary Survey, formerly known as the Charlotte Area Wage & Salary Survey, provides North Carolina employers the market data needed to assist with making critical compensation decisions. Our sister association, Capital Associated Industries, Inc. (CAI) located in Raleigh, co sponsored this year s survey. Respondents reported demographics, company wage structure, pay practices, actual and projected base pay increases, and detailed job data for over 400 positions common to North Carolina employers. Demographic Profile Data was collected from 673 organizations this year, resulting in a 29 percent increase over last year s count. About 74 percent of participating facilities are small to mid size, with less than 200 employees. Twenty-six percent of facilities have larger workforces, with more than 200 employees. This year s sample is diverse regarding industry, with representation in all groups. The top five industries include the following, making up about 71 percent of the total sample: 1 Durable Goods Manufacturing (24%) 2 Professional / Business Services (17%) 3 Non Durable Goods Manufacturing (13%) 4 Wholesale Trade (10%) 5 Health Services (7%) The annual revenue reported is mixed. Almost half of participating facilities (46 percent) reported less than $25 MM. About 18 percent reported $25 to $99.9 MM, and 21 percent reported $100+ MM. The remaining 16 percent reported don t know. Key Findings: Company Wage Structure & Pay Practices About 60 percent of participating facilities have a formal salary structure. Of those facilities, 66 percent have defined salary grades with a minimum, midpoint, and maximum. About 47 percent reported that their salary ranges are market based. Just over half of participating facilities (52 percent) adjust their salary range structure every 12 months. Thirty-five percent reported having no formal timeframe. Key Findings: 2014 Base Pay Increases & 2015 Projections Base pay increases remain flat, with an average increase of 2.6 percent (including 0 s *) and 3.2 percent (excluding 0 s) across all employees for 2014 and a projected increase of 2.5 percent (including 0 s) and 3.1 percent (excluding 0 s) for 2015. *Including 0 s means companies not providing an increase were included in the average. 2014 Base Pay Increases & 2015 Projections Employee Category Nonexempt Hourly Nonexempt Salaried Exempt Salaried Officer/ Executive 2014 Avg % Inc (incl 0%*) 2014 Avg % Inc (excl 0%) 2015 Proj Avg% Inc (incl 0%*) 2015 Proj Avg % Inc (excl 0%) 2.5% 2.9% 2.4% 2.9% 2.5% 2.9% 2.4% 3.0% 2.7% 2.1% 2.6% 3.1% 2.6% 3.6% 2.5% 3.4% Key Findings: Base Pay Increase Trends After a freeze in salary growth during the economic downturn of 2008, base pay increases have steadily rebounded, although conservatively. Key Findings: Salary Trends by Job Salary trends spanning five years for those jobs that have not undergone a job description change this year can be found in the full report. Positive/ negative percent changes from 2013 to 2014 and from 2010 to 2014 are provided. Some jobs have seen a gradual increase in salary over the years, while others have remained flat or declined. Continued on page 11

Continued from page 10, 2014 Wage & Salary Survey Results Summary Average Base Pay Increases: Five Year Trend Employee Category Nonexempt Hourly Nonexempt Salaried Exempt Salaried Officers/ Executives 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 1.73% 2.16% 2.40% 2.32% 2.50% 1.67% 1.96% 2.40% 2.20% 2.51% 1.89% 2.36% 2.51% 2.43% 2.65% 1.95% 2.30% 2.63% 2.56% 2.64% The full survey results may be purchased at https://employersassoc.com/ncwagesurvey. Members who participated received a free copy of the report. Members who did not participate in the survey may purchase a copy for $310 (PDF version)/$350 (Print version). Non-members may also purchase a copy for $750 (PDF version)/$900 (Print version). Prices subject to change. Stephanie Oberg is primarily responsible for advising companies in the areas of compensation and benchmark data, tailoring compensation consulting services to meet the needs of the member. 40th Annual National Executive Compensation Survey Is Open The Employers Association, in conjunction with the Employer Associations of America (EAA), is pleased to announce its continued participation in the National Executive Compensation Survey! Data is broken out by position, manufacturing vs. service organization, and data is provided by sales volume for base salary, bonus, other cash payments, total compensation and percent of stock owned. Topics within each major section include: Board of Directors pay Plans used to establish salaries & bonuses Formulas used to determine bonus funds Short-term bonus plans Long-term bonus plans This survey will run through Friday, February 20, 2015. Companies will receive individual links, unique to your organization via email. For questions or assistance, please contact Stephanie Oberg, Compensation and Research Manager, at Soberg@employersassoc.com or (704) 522-8011.

PHR/SPHR/SHRM Certification Update By Laura Hampton, SPHR Vice President, Marketing, Membership, & Training Services Many HR professionals have started the process to get the new SHRM certifications: the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP ) and the SHRM Senior Certified Professionals (SHRM-SCP ). Below are answers to frequently asked questions we are receiving. Currently Certified Professionals If you have your PHR or SPHR designation, should you also obtain the SHRM equivalents? The answer depends on your goals and personal circumstances. If you plan to continue a career in HR in the near future, and/or certifications are important in your organization, then our answer is yes. The process is easy and free, so why not? The only down side is that you will have to track credits and recertify separately with both entities (HRCI for the PHR/SPHR and SHRM for the SHRM-CP/SCP). How do I get the SHRM certifications? Current PHR/SPHR holders can easily obtain the SHRM certifications. You must complete some online forms and a nine question tutorial. The tutorial window opened January 5th and will continue through December 31st. Visit www.shrm.org/certification/pathway to obtain the instructions and link. This is a pain. Is there any good news? The recertification hours for the SHRM certifications are all general credit hours. The SCP will not have a carve-out requirement for any business/strategic credits. SHRM will require 60 Professional Development Credits (PDCs) within a 3-year recertification cycle. eligible, you may be able to get your SHRM-CP first. One of the most significant differences is that non-exempt HR experience counts for the SHRM certifications. So, an HR Assistant with a bachelor s degree in HR and one year of experience could get the SHRM-CP. Keep in mind that the SHRM certifications are not yet accredited, if that is important to you or your organization. Tell me about the new SHRM exam details. If you decide to take the SHRM exams, the first testing window is May 1 July 15, 2015. The regular application deadline is March 13th, and fees range from $350-450. According to the SHRM Handbook, the SHRM-CP exam is 160 questions in 3-3.5 hours. The SHRM-SCP exam will be 180 questions in 3.5-4 hours. Both will have knowledge and competency-based questions. TEA Study Courses The Employers Association (TEA) has purchased a set of the SHRM study materials. We are in the process of reviewing the content and comparing it to previous versions. We hope that we can offer a study course that would prepare individuals for both certifications at the same time. We will offer a study course for the PHR/SPHR certifications starting February 10th. TEA Recertification Opportunities TEA submitted our application to be a pre-approved provider for SHRM recertification hours. (We already hold that status with HRCI for the PHR/ SPHR recertification hours.) We anticipate that we will be approved. Then, we will submit events and follow the SHRM marketing requirements to communicate which classes are eligible. SHRM is calling recertification hours PDCs professional development credit hours. We will start this process as soon as we are approved for any eligible classes in 2015. Individuals who are Not Currently Certified Which certification should I seek? That also depends on your experience and career goals. The eligibility requirements are stricter for the PHR/SPHR designations. So, if you do not have the combined education and experience to be Laura Hampton is responsible for creating training programs and business services that add value. Her background includes more than twenty years of human resources and communications experience. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

Ask the Trainer: How Can I Coach Employees Effectively? By Tracy Mambrino, PHR, Manager, Training & Assessments and Byron Pruitt, PHR, Director, Management Training & Development All great teams have one common factor: fantastic coaches. Does your workplace have a great coaching staff in your leaders, or are you finding that many opportunities for success are being missed due to a disconnect between management and staff? We sat down with our resident training experts, Tracy Mambrino and Byron Pruitt, to find out how to turn your top leaders into the best coaches so you can get a win for your business. What s the difference between coaching and reprimanding an employee? Tracy: Coaching is the non-defensive talks that leaders have with their team members before they get to a reprimand that falls under formal discipline. The goal of coaching is to prevent reprimands from even being necessary. How do you approach an employee about performance issues without making that employee feel attacked? Byron: If casual conversations about work-related issues, like employee performance, are a part of your management routine, employees will not feel attacked when it comes time to give negative feedback. A good coach looks for opportunities to mentor at all times and never misses a chance to praise his employee for a job well done. Remember, advice will not be valuable months after the event; if possible, stop what you re doing that moment and give feedback, either negative or positive, as close as possible to when the event happens. Do not wait six months until his next review. How can I motivate steady, average employees to enhance their performance, without making them feel underappreciated? Tracy: Managers too often only provide feedback on performance when there is an issue; be sure to give employees positive feedback, including specific examples of things they do well, regularly. An employee will usually reward the employer for this positive feedback with renewed enthusiasm for his work, which translates into better results. I have the same conversations with employees over and over, but they don t change. How can I make coaching count? When should I give up? Byron: There are three possible coaching conversations a leader can have with an employee who resists change: work station, one-on-one, and last chance. During these three conversations the leader fact-finds and creates an opportunity for the team member to choose whether or not to comply with company expectations. If the employee complies, the leader gives positive feedback for the change. If the employee chooses not to comply, the leader should move to formal discipline. The leader should always document these conversations in their personnel notes. Tracy Mambrino, PHR is responsible for the development and implementation of in-house and on-site training programs tailored to fit the needs of member companies. Byron Pruitt, PHR provides a variety of training and consulting services to organizations to improve the performance and productivity of all levels of team members. Have questions or interested in our Feb. 10th PHR/SPHR Study Course or upcoming Coaching Skills for Managers & Supervisors class? Visit our web site at www.employersassoc.com/events or call 704-522-8011.

Management/Leadership Development Strategic Planning & Thinking (4.0 business/strategic) Tuesday, Feb. 24 Managing and Resolving Conflict (5.75) Thursday, Mar. 5 Coaching Skills for Managers & Supervisors (6.0) Two Consecutive Weekly Sessions Starts Thursday, Apr. 16 Leadership for Team Leaders III: Creating a Vision Four Consecutive Weekly Sessions Starts Wednesday, Feb. 4 Principles of Management IV: Cultivating Performance (11.0) Four Consecutive Weekly Sessions Starts Thursday, Mar. 12 Principles of Management V: Harvesting Leadership Potential (11.0) Four Consecutive Weekly Sessions Starts Thursday, Mar. 12 HR/Compliance/Safety Foundation for HR (12.0) Starts Wednesday, Feb. 4 PHR/SPHR Accreditation Study Course Twelve Consecutive Weekly Sessions Starts Tuesday, Feb. 10 Employment Law Certificate Series (up to 40.0) Eleven Monthly Sessions Starts Thursday, Feb. 12 Benefits/Engagement Employee Engagement & Retention (6.0) Tuesday, Mar. 10 2015 Spring Benefit Certificate Series (up to 15.0) Five Consecutive Weekly Sessions Starts Wednesday, Apr. 1 Affirmative Action Compliance (5.5) Wednesday, Mar. 4 Employment Law Workshop 2015 (7.0) Friday, Apr. 17 Courses with hours in parentheses have been approved for that number of recertification hours towards PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). Recertification hours are General unless noted as BC for Business Credit for SPHR BC hours. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HR Certification Institute s criteria to be pre-approved for re-certification credit. For more information about certification or re-certification please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

Visit www.employersassoc.com for course outlines & details, or call 704-522-8011. Topics below are listed by category. The below is a partial listing only; for a full course listing, please visit our website. Professional Development, Continued 2015 HR Excellence Awards At The Westin Hotel, Uptown Tuesday, Mar.17 Communication Transmitting Successfully (2.75) Thursday, Feb. 26 Delivering Excellent Customer Service Thursday, Feb. 19 Your Professional Image Thursday, Feb. 26 Business Writing that Works Tuesday, Feb. 10 Time & Life Management Tuesday, Feb. 24 Professional Presentation Skills Tuesday, Feb. 17 Working Better Together: Understanding Work Behavior Styles (3.0) Thursday, Feb. 5 Dynamic Listening Skills (3.0) Tuesday, Mar. 3 Computer Training MS ACCESS Access Lv 1 (2-day) Mon-Tues, Mar. 2-3 Access Lv 2 Tuesday, Feb. 3 Access Lv 3 Thurs, Feb. 19 EXCEL Excel Charting & Data Org Tues, Feb. 10 Excel Macros Lv 1 (2-day) (Recording Macros) Thurs-Fri Feb. 5-6 Excel Macros Lv 2 (Visual Basic) Wed, Feb. 18 Excel Adv. Datamining & Formulas (2-day) Thurs-Fri, Feb. 19-20 Excel Adv. Pivot Tables Wed, Feb. 25 Mon, Mar. 30 Excel Power Pivot (2-day) Thurs-Fri, Feb. 12-13 Excel Tips & Tricks Mon, Mar. 16 MS LYNC Thursday, Feb. 12 MS ONE NOTE Thursday, Feb. 26 PREZI Thurs, Mar. 12 MS PROJECT Project Lv 1 and 2 Thurs - Fri, Mar. 5-6 SharePoint Contributor 2013 Wed, Feb. 11 MS VISIO Thurs, Mar. 26 UPGRADES Microsoft Office New Features Tues, Feb. 17 Crystal Reports Lv 1 (2-day) Mon- Tues, Feb. 23-24 ADOBE ACROBAT Adobe Acrobat 11 Monday, Feb. 9 DESIGN MEDIA Adobe Illustrator CS6 Lv 1 (2-day) Mon-Tues, Apr. 6-7 Adobe InDesign CS6 Lv 1 (2-day) Mon- Tues, Feb. 23-24 Adobe Photoshop CS6 Lv 1 (2-day) Mon-Tues, Feb. 12-13

Reminder To Post Your OSHA 300-A Summary The federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) recently published revised reporting and recordkeeping requirements that went into effect on January 1, 2015.The new rules also update which industries are required to keep records versus which ones are exempt. OSHA says it has made 36 industries newly exempt who were previously required to report, and then 25 industries that were previously exempt are now required to keep records. To check to see if your industry s exemption status has been updated, please visit: https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping2014/osha3746.pdf. If you had 11 or more employees on your payroll in 2014, you must post the OSHA 300-A Summary from February 1 st through April 30 th. Companies that are exempt from OSHA recordkeeping due to being in a low-hazard industry do not have to follow the posting requirement. For details and tips on completing your OSHA 300-A Summary, please visit the HRNewsflash section of our Members Only website, www.employersassoc.com/members. Tuesday, March 17, 2015 10:30 am 11:30 am Registration / Expo 11:30 am 2:00 pm Awards Luncheon / Program The Westin Hotel, Uptown $75/member $95/non-member To register, please visit www.employersassoc.com/hrea.