Keynote Address:
HR's Role in Moving Forward: Necessary Adjustments, Critical Thinking Errors and New Opportunities
Brian Hilliard
President, Agito Consulting
As organizations continue to react to the recent economic turbulence, change is certainly on the horizon. It has been suggested that traditional HR is at a turning point and that tremendous opportunities lie ahead for those HR professionals eager to expand their way of thinking and willing to make the necessary adjustments. So, what can HR do to facilitate moving the organization forward? What role may we play in the process? This dynamic keynote presentation will explore the notion that HR should take on the role of ambassador within the organization – using its unique combination of skills, position and influence to be a problem-solver at a micro-level that alleviates issues on a macro-level. Becoming a trusted resource, though, will require a greater understanding of the business side of things as well as a genuine desire to engage others where they are using an “inside-out” strategy. HR certainly wants a respected seat at the executive table, but its attempts to do so in the past have been as an extension of the needs and interests of other functions. HR needs to create and develop its own individual voice, and this session will consider the action steps in practice to get from here to there. HR is on the firing line between a social norm and a market norm, and this can be perceived as a point of confusion for others. This session will also consider how to bridge that gap. Specific topics discussed will include: engagement, technology, performance reviews, leadership, meetings, organizational development, training and performance management.


What Every HR Professional Needs to Know about Social Media and Employment Law
Jennifer Hays Gorman, Esq.
Partner, Warren & Hays LLC
Employers must not ignore the employment law implications tied to the use of social media at every stage of an employee’s tenure. While HR departments are recognizing the unique value of social media as a research tool to gather information for important staffing decisions, they must at the same time understand and appreciate the significant legal risks that exist in doing so. This session will help HR professionals maximize the usefulness of social media in all aspects of employment practices from recruiting, hiring, managing and terminating while avoiding potential pitfalls like discrimination, NLRA and FCRA violations and defamation. By attending, HR professionals will have a better understanding of the delicate balance between the effective use of social media and the potential legal exposure.


Plugged-In and Turned-On: How to Keep Employees Engaged in Good Times and Bad
Paul Meshanko, MBA
Managing Partner, Edge Learning Institute of Ohio
Keeping your employees emotionally engaged is always important to the success of any business, but it becomes critical to do so during times of change and uncertainty. This is typically when worrying about "me" runs rampant and organizational productivity falls. In this energizing and interactive session, topics covered will include:
• Why our brains are likely to disengage from work during times of uncertainty and why the quality of work may suffer as a direct result.
• Understanding the "certainty trap" and why bad news takes on a life of its own.
• Identifying the individual and group symptoms of unraveling employee engagement and how to counteract these.
• Three powerful strategies that HR leaders should deploy to keep employees "plugged in and turned on" even in turbulent times.


The Leave of Absence Puzzle: Mastering the Interplay of the FMLA, the ADA and Workers' Compensation Laws
Stephen S. Zashin, Esq., MBA
Co-Managing Partner and Chair of the Employment and Labor Group, Zashin & Rich Co., L.P.A.
This presentation will provide a comprehensive approach for analyzing the often confusing employee leaves of absence. In doing so, the presentation will focus on the substantive provisions of the laws providing for and protecting employee leaves of absence such as the FMLA, ADA and workers' compensation laws. By attending, participants will gain advanced knowledge in the substantive provisions of the ADA, the FMLA and workers' compensation laws as they apply to medical leaves of absences. In addition, attendees will gain advanced knowledge of the overlap and the intersection of the FMLA. the ADA and workers' compensation leave requirements. Finally, this session will provide attendees with advanced knowledge of identifying issues and circumstances when an overlap of the laws does occur.


Workplace Investigations in a Nutshell
Sindy Warren, Esq.
Partner, Warren & Hays LLC
HR professionals know the importance of conducting workplace investigations in the face of internal complaints of harassment, discrimination and other misconduct or policy violations. A well-conducted investigation can be an effective tool for resolving workplace conflicts and may result in increased engagement and minimized litigation risks. But the question of precisely how to conduct such an investigation can be vexing. Courts have weighed-in pronouncing that effective investigations must be prompt, thorough and fair. What do these standards actually look like? In this session, attendees will walk away with a solid blueprint for how to conduct successful workplace investigations. Topics covered include:
• Creating a sound investigative strategy.
• Getting the most from each witness.
• Creating bulletproof documentation.
• Assessing credibility.
• Reaching conclusions.
Even in the event that litigation does ensue, a well-prepared and executed investigation can still be an employer’s best defense.


National Health Care Reform: Preparing HR for Major Change
Tom Wirbel, MBA
Vice President, CPI-HR
The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Act") is the single biggest change affecting employer sponsored benefit plans since the passage of ERISA. In order to meet the Act's requirements, employers need to begin the process of thinking about the changes they need or want to implement. In considering the landmark legislation, HR professionals may have questions like:
• What will the increased dependent age requirements mean for enrollment and general plan design?
• What is the impact of the elimination of lifetime and annual limitations and what should you be doing now?
• How and when do the changes to ERISA's claims procedures apply to a plan?
• What stays and what goes with preventive services?
• How will pre-existing conditions affect your plan in 2011 and 2014?
• When does automatic enrollment apply and to whom?
• How will "pay or play" affect your business?
• How will non-discrimination impact plans and employment agreements?
Additionally, this session will provide an overview of some of the key changes mandated by H.B. 1 Health Care Reform Provisions in the State of Ohio. 


Hot Topics in Wage & Hour Law for 2010
Seth P. Briskin, Esq.
Partner and Chair of the Labor and Employment Group, Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis
Wage and hour claims seem to be everywhere in the news these days. If it isn't multi-million dollar class action settlements, it is state/federal legislation being proposed or passed that affect wage and hour practices in the workplace. In addition to the proliferation of class-action lawsuits and new legislation, recent increased spending and hiring at the Department of Labor certainly indicates that wage and hour issues are going to continue to be front page news and major headaches for U.S. companies and their HR professionals. In this session, you will learn the latest developments and trends in this ever-changing and confusing area of the law. While misclassification of exempt and non-exempt employees continues to be an issue, compensating employees for off-the-clock work, providing break time for nursing mothers, child-labor concerns and individual liability for managers are increasingly becoming difficult concepts for HR professionals to manage. During this lively and informative presentation, attendees will discover the best strategies for avoiding the most costly wage and hour mistakes.


The Seven Critical Mistakes that Prevent Good Leaders from Being Great Leaders
Jim Smith, SPHR, MBA, PCC
The Executive Happiness Coach®
Turnover and disengagement cost businesses billions of dollars each year, and the weight of the research is clear – the number one reason people leave or disconnect from an organization is their direct manager. Competent leadership, then, can dramatically improve an organization’s bottom line. Yet, leadership training still tends to focus on how to “deal with” employees and their concerns; but what if we concentrated instead on helping leaders build powerful new behaviors that transform how they “show up” and impact others? Join Jim Smith as he shares from his two decades of leadership research and experience some of the biggest mistakes that business leaders make – and how to overcome them. This session will focus on seven critical leadership mistakes, including: failing to nurture the future, avoiding difficult conversations, living in constant overwhelm, failing to show appreciation and treating assessment as fact - plus a couple of others. Attendees will learn how to identify these mistakes as well as how to track such behaviors to the bottom line all while seeing the impact they have on productivity, quality of work, employee/customer satisfaction and retention. Finally, HR attendees will garner skills-based solutions to the critical leadership mistakes so their own executives and managers can better motivate, influence and inspire employees, while building loyalty, increasing trust and creating stronger workplace connections.


Performance Management: The Magic of the Face-to-Face Conversation
Bonnie Cox
Founder and President, Power Training Institute
The common understanding in many organizations is that setting employee expectations and making behavioral adjustments should occur in a formal manner and only during monthly, quarterly or annual performance reviews, but the value and merits of this widely-accepted approach are beginning to be questioned. Recent organizational development research has revealed that the secret to developing top producers is to effectively manage their performance on a daily basis. Doing so allows supervisors to nip small expectation infringements in the bud while they are still benign incidents. Unfortunately, many managers who are fearful of confronting performance issues wait too long before having a “hard conversation” about performance. By that time, a small issue has often festered and escalated into a major issue requiring HR intervention. Then, the conversation necessarily turns from positive and supportive to punitive and documentation-focused, where the intent is to move toward disciplinary action or termination. This session will focus on effective, day-to-day, face-to-face performance discussions designed to help employees be more successful. It will center on how to hold people accountable to expectations on a daily basis. Then, if there are deviations in performance, this interactive session will show how to confront employees in a supportive and encouraging manner while still focusing on educating and nurturing them toward success. Attendees will also learn about the “gaps in performance” formula, assertiveness in conversation and coaching for improvement.


Health Care Delivery Reform: The Rise of Accountable Care Organizations
Dr. Ronald Copeland
President & Executive Medical Director, Ohio Permanente Medical Group
Recent health care reform legislation has prompted a closer look at pay-for-quality initiatives and integrated health care delivery. Beginning in 2012, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) will have the opportunity to be in Shared Savings Programs. ACOs, in turn, must agree to be accountable for the overall care of their Medicare beneficiaries, must have defined processes to promote evidence-based medicine, must report on quality and costs, and must coordinate care. ACOs allow providers more financial support when they take steps that improve quality and lower costs. For many providers of health care, this will be a significant undertaking and a cultural shift in how they practice medicine. This session will review the concept of ACO's as well as review the history of integrated delivery systems that are at the forefront of health care delivery reform. In addition, the presentation will contrast the siloed fee-for-service payment system that exists today with the incentives and principles of ACO's and integrated delivery models. Finally, the session will examine the ground-breaking work of the Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPPS) – whose members include The Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente and The Mayo Clinic. It is widely believed that the collaborative group practice framework of CAPPS may serve as the foundation for a better health care system and its expansion may provide a sustainable solution for addressing the health care crisis in the U.S.


Developing, Maintaining and Rebuilding Trust with Employees during a Downturn
Kenyon Mau, MBA
Principal, Human Capital Advisors
The current economic recession has created many casualties - and none quite like the workers who have lost their jobs. At the same time, perhaps not enough attention has been given to the remaining employees who were told that layoffs and budget cuts would be limited – or non-existent – only see them continue infinitum over the past two years. In addition, many have not seen any improvements or positive changes occur that were promised by their employers. As a result, at many organizations trust is at an all-time low. This has caused tension and in some cases outright resentment of management. At best, there is now a shared but silent reluctance among employees to accept at face value whatever management tells them will take place in the future. Clearly, this threatens motivation, loyalty, productivity and profitability. Trust is a tricky concept that is different from morale, and although both are required for organizational success, trust is far more complex and tenuous. This session will focus not only on what defines trust and the levels of trust that exist in an organization, but also on how to successfully manage existing trust and even how to regain trust once it has been lost. Since HR is usually tasked with determining how to strengthen employee engagement, this session will offer concrete takeaways for improving employee engagement through rebuilding levels of trust.


Avoiding Legal Risks in Hiring, Promotions and Terminations & Dealing with "Difficult" Employees
Robert S. Gilmore, Esq.
Partner, Kohrman Jackson & Krantz P.L.L.
The beginning and the end of the employment relationship - hiring and termination - pose the greatest legal risks to employers. In between, employers must also manage their workforce by rewarding and promoting their top performers in ways that avoid claims of discrimination. Then there are the practical and legal realities of dealing with the “difficult” employee. At times, employers simply cannot find common ground with certain employees, and disputes and trouble arise. This session will help you reduce your organization’s potential legal exposure. Topics to be discussed include:
• Background checks and the risks of “googling” job applicants.
• Employment contracts and offer letters.
• Avoiding discrimination claims in promotion decisions.
• Common situations that lead to litigation with the “difficult” employee.
• The role of performance appraisals and improvement plans for addressing the “difficult” employee.
• Investigating employee misconduct.
• The risks of hiring employees who have worked for a competitor, including claims of illegal raiding, unfair competition, solicitation and non-competition agreements.
• Retaliation claims and how to avoid them.
• Releases and waivers.
• The “Golden Rule” in employee terminations.


Workplace Bullying
Amy B. Shannon
President, Pinnacle Leadership Solutions
Although the national media is only just beginning to consider the issue, workplace bullying has grown to become a serious problem. Estimates suggest that American businesses lose billions of dollars each year as a direct result of absenteeism, turnover, increased medical costs and decreased productivity from bullying at work. While playground bullies tend to be physical in nature, workplace bullies typically use words and actions to coerce their victims – whether with veiled hints or outright intimidation. This repeated and health-harming mistreatment though verbal abuse or predatory conduct can be degrading and devastating. Sabotage that interferes with work is another form of workplace bullying as is the “Prima Donna” whose idea of collaboration is having others do the work while taking most of the credit. Abuse of power and harassment are common strategies of the bully. Although the presence of bullying may reflect the nature of humans as they interact at work, as HR professionals what matters is how we respond to it when it is brought to our attention. This session will provide insight into the following topics:
• The warning signs of workplace bullying.
• The main types of bullying: chronic, opportunistic and accidental.
• The environment in which a workforce bully thrives.
• The consequences of not addressing a workplace bully.
• The role of HR in confronting, stopping and preventing bullying at work.
• Legislation on the horizon and the legal aspects of workplace bullying.


Using a Corporate Challenge as a Unique Way to Foster Employee Wellness
Debbie McGrath
CEO, HR.com
Obesity is an international dilemma that costs employers billions of dollars every year with unproductive workers, sick days and escalating health costs. Wellness programs, when implemented properly, can significantly help employers increase productivity and decrease health care costs. With the current health care crisis in the United States, wellness programs and preventative care have become hot issues. With an overwhelming abundance of programs and tools available, though, how do you drive adoption and participation from your employee base to create a healthier workplace? This session will focus on corporate challenge programs as a preferred solution for driving effective and measurable results within organizations of all types. Learn why HR should take the lead in creating and fostering these sorts of wellness programs. This session will highlight:
• How obesity in the workplace is directly tied to financial and productivity costs.
• How to attain employee commitment to participate in wellness programs.
• How challenge and camaraderie among team members help wellness programs to succeed.
• How to drive productivity.
• How to measure and manage the results.


Combining Planning, Achievement, Skills Growth, Character Development, Recognition and Reward in a Comprehensive Performance Management Program
Marty Guastella, MBA, SPHR
Vice President, Human Resources, King's Medical Group, Inc.
We have all heard the buzz words: performance planning, work team effectiveness, goal alignment, employee engagement, empowerment and performance appraisal. But what do these factors have in common? They are all important components of an innovative program designed and implemented by King’s Medical Group that has increased employee engagement, improved the work-life experience and significantly enhanced organizational productivity. King's Employee Development System (KEDS) is a goals-driven, participative process for individual performance planning, management review and achievement. Annual goals are identified from both a top-down and a bottom-up approach where employees are empowered to develop their own objectives for professional contribution and personal skills development. KEDS impacts everyone in the organization: the President establishes a KEDS plan for board review, each department head/manager/supervisor establishes a plan for executive review and each employee establishes a plan for supervisor review. As a result, each person takes ownership in the development, execution and measurement of their own individual KEDS plan, and all parties proactively share responsibility for the plan’s success. KEDS recently added a character development segment and a peer-to-peer recognition and reward program that completes the performance management cycle. The all-encompassing system encourages, recognizes and rewards employees for their individual contributions and promotes work behaviors that are consistent with a company’s core values. Learn more about the specifics of this unique and compelling program as well as how to implement it at your own organization by attending this session.


Connecting with Respect: Moving Beyond Diversity and Tolerance to High Performance
Paul Meshanko, MBA
Managing Partner, Edge Learning Institute of Ohio
When managed properly, a diverse workforce can be the source of extraordinary creativity, best-in-class customer service, committed and engaged employees, and high organizational resiliency. The key to leveraging diversity is a rock-solid foundation of respect. In a refreshing departure from traditional diversity awareness programs, this presentation focuses on understanding the emotional experience of respect, what it looks and feels like, and how it differs from tolerance. Using landmark research from the field of neuroscience, this session explores the future of diversity education by taking participants along a fascinating learning path that both expands their awareness and offers critical insights into human thought and behavioral norms. Learning objectives will include:
• Examining respect within the workplace and understanding how it impacts business results.
• Recognizing the tangible differences between tolerance and respect.
• Identifying disrespectful behaviors that can damage morale and productivity.
• Exploring the links between respect for self, self-esteem, and the capacity for respecting others.
• Considering the ten "rules of engagement" that promote a consistently respectful workplace.


How Human Resources Should Prepare for the Upswing
Alan M. Rauss, Esq.
Partner, Kohrman Jackson & Krantz P.L.L.
As the economy begins to rebound gradually from the serious difficulties of the past few years, human resources has an opportunity to position their organizations to take full advantage of new opportunities. As workforces are rebuilt, there are two paths to take: either companies can fall into the old traps of the past or they can position themselves to grow into 21st century industry leaders. This presentation will examine the best human resources practices for facing an economy that is on the upswing. Among others, this session will discuss and analyze:
• The advantages and disadvantages of rehiring former employees who have been laid off during the downswing.
• Particular hiring policies and practices that should be reviewed, analyzed and possibly revised.
• How the terms and conditions of a new employee’s employment can influence an organization’s chances for success.
• Whether it makes sense to explore alternatives to the traditional employment relationship and how to determine if the benefits are worth the risks involved.
• Which crucial steps to take so organizations may retain their best people.


After the Investigation: Best Practices for Getting Back to Business
Sindy Warren, Esq.
Partner, Warren & Hays LLC
You have just completed a workplace investigation. It was fair, prompt and thorough, and the findings of fact are in. So, what is next? In many cases, the transition back to life as usual is not a seamless one. Feelings have been hurt, feathers have been ruffled and in many cases the involved parties may be looking to HR for guidance. Instead of assuming the task is complete, HR must be ready to assist with a smooth transition back to normal working conditions. This session will help HR professionals understand best practices in dealing with post-investigation issues. Topics discussed include:
• The legal pitfalls to avoid.
• Team-building and working with group dynamics.
• One-on-one sensitivity training.
• Progressive discipline and other appropriate remedial responses.
By attending, HR professionals will become better equipped to deal with a wide range of post-investigation issues ranging from employee relations to continuing liability risks - all while learning some practical how-to’s along the way.


Change Management: How HR Can Help to Rebuild Morale in Troubled Times
Sonya L. Weiland, PHR
President, WeilandWorks Consulting
Due to the constraints brought about by the recent economic downturn, a growing number of employees are feeling overworked and under-appreciated. This is probably not a huge surprise, but morale is a critically important concept. High morale increases productivity and reduces turnover, but the converse is just as true. So, how can HR help to rebuild morale in these challenging times? We, too, may be doing more with less these days, but the fact that nearly half of all employees are expected to seek new employment when the economy does improve should make this a top priority. To retain key contributors and have them give their best every day, employees need to feel that they have a stake in the company's overall success. Employee engagement drives organizational effectiveness and performance, and HR holds the keys to identifying, cultivating and leveraging it for workplace success. This session will focus on how to improve morale and reduce turnover by measuring levels of engagement and determining the factors that have the most impact on retention. By attending, you will learn essential change strategies by adhering to these simple concepts:
• Communication – sharing with employees that they are part of the future.
• Coaching – building towards a career development culture.
• Training – understanding how employee motivators differ.
• Recognition – showing people how and why they are valued.