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HR Focus
TMHRA archives HTML versions of previous newsletters. Greetings as we all find ourselves nearing the end of the first quarter of 2006! I don’t know about you, but I feel as if January and February slipped by too quickly. The TxPelra and Civil Service workshops were another huge success, thanks to the hard work of the members of the planning committee (see article on conference highlights). As more of our cities are faced with the issue of meet and confer, it is critical that we, as an association, continue to take an active role in future legislative sessions and that we remain prepared and informed in order to properly address such issues with our own city management. Thanks to Jim Parrish (Amarillo) for agreeing to once again chair the TxPelra and Civil Service committees. We have much more in store for you in the coming months. In April, there are two exciting training sessions. The first one is Nuts & Bolts, scheduled for April 7 in Austin. This is a great session geared towards those who are relatively new to the human resources field, or those who need to be refreshed in the basics of the FLSA’s new white collar exemptions and other laws unique to HR in the public sector. The second training opportunity is for those of you who are interested in becoming a designated certified professional with IPMA-HR. Developing Competencies for HR Success is scheduled for April 17-21 in Carrollton. This program not only presents the IPMA Competency Model and includes the written exam required for certification from IPMA-HR, but it also provides a great development tool for HR professionals in their roles as business partners, change agents, and leaders. This class is limited and is being advertised to other IPMA-HR chapters outside of Texas, so be sure to sign up today! It won’t be too long before it’s time for our Mid-Year Program. The Programs Committee, chaired by Bonita Hall (Longview), has been working hard to provide a quality program you will not want to miss. Put the dates on your calendar now – May 17-19 in San Antonio! It’s also a great opportunity to network and to get to know your HR colleagues better. It’s a lot of fun, as well! As you know, TMHRA is not only an affiliate of TML, but also the Texas chapter of IPMA-HR. In May 2007, we will be hosting the IPMA-HR Southern Region Conference in conjunction with our Mid-Year Program. This event will bring in public sector HR professionals from Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Virginia, as well as other public sector agencies across Texas. The steering committee is already working on this event, and we’ll need lots of volunteers to help out once we get closer to the conference dates. That event will be in San Antonio and is sure to be a fun and exciting time! Be looking for more information in the near future, and get involved! As always, the TMHRA Board wants to make sure we are representing what you want and expect from your membership with our great association. Don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions! See you soon! Melanie Caballero, SPHR Nuts and Bolts of Human Resources in the Public Sector:
The "Nuts and Bolts" Seminar is being presented by the Texas Municipal Human Resources Association (TMHRA) and will feature speakers from various specialty areas of human resources management. This seminar is being presented in a practical format in the interest of human resources professionals who are relatively new to the field. The sessions will be geared toward a sharing of information by the speakers, and will encourage interaction through questions from the seminar attendees. The goal of this seminar is to provide a variety of practical information the attendees will be able to take back to their respective organizations and use as reference tools in the implementation and maintenance of successful human resources programs. For further information, click here. Developing Competencies for Human Resource
Success (HR) The International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) Certification Program for public sector human resource professionals exists because human resource professionals in the public sector face situations and challenges not present in the private sector. Professional credentials provide instant recognition of skills and abilities of a professional, highly skilled, and qualified individual to current and future employers. The centerpiece of the IPMA Certification is Human Resources (HR) Competency Training. Partnered with the IPMA Certification, Competency Model Training focuses on what it takes to succeed in public sector human resources. The IPMA Competency Model Training develops HR excellence by encouraging professional growth in areas that ensure top performance in four diverse roles: HR Expert, Business Partner, Change Agent, and HR Leader. The program consists of two parts: a behavioral component based on the IPMA Competency Model, and a training and experience rating that evaluates technical capability. Competency Model Training cultivates 22 specific skill areas. By improving these skill areas (competencies), professionals become more versatile, valuable, and effective. One of the major focuses of TMHRA is to provide training and learning opportunities for HR professionals. Therefore, TMHRA is offering "Developing Competencies for HR Success," as well as the written exam for certification that will be administered on the last day of the program. Who should attend the competency model training? While all HR professionals are welcome to attend this course, it is not an overview course on HR laws or regulations. This course requires that participants have a base knowledge of federal HR regulations that may be referred to during the course instruction. For further information on the IPMA Certification, check out the IPMA Web site at www.ipma-hr.org. To register for this outstanding event, click here. TMHRA Mid-Year Conference The ticket box is open, and the stage is set for one of the greatest conferences to hit San Antonio. So grab your tickets while the supply lasts. This conference will provide timely information to address the growing needs of human resource professionals, as well as any other professional charged with the task of providing guidance for a human resources department. As the need to optimize productivity while decreasing exposure becomes more important, the types of information delivered through these seminars become increasingly more useful to those who are serious about maintaining effective organizations. This year, we are fortunate to have several well-known experts to address the following:
The value of attending this seminar is too great to fully explain - you simply must attend! The program is being sponsored by the Texas Municipal Human Resources Association (TMHRA), an International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) chapter and an affiliate of the Texas Municipal League (TML). For further information and to register for this outstanding event, click here. For a complete list of educational events, click here Future Dates: Employment Law MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!!! Texas Public Employer Labor Relations Association (TXPELRA) Annual Workshop Bernadette Welch-National Public Employer Labor Relations (NPELRA) President and Personnel Coordinator, City of New London, Connecticut, kicked off this year’s TXPELRA Workshop with an update of the activities of the national association. She also made a presentation later in the morning on Interest-Based Bargaining, which emphasizes cooperation as opposed to the Traditional-Based Bargaining’s emphasis on winning one’s position. IPMA-HR President Fred Weiner, Director of Human Resources for the City of Whittier, California, shared “The California Experience with Meet and Confer.” He noted that it was important to know the employer’s prerogatives and not to bargain them away. Negotiations are opportunities and two-way streets not only to give things up, but also to get things back. A report of experiences from the frontlines of the Texas Meet and Confer legislation was presented by a panel consisting of Bill Sullivan, City Attorney, City of Wichita Falls; Brenda Eivens, City Manager, City of Cedar Park; and Bonita Hall, Director of Administrative Services, City of Longview. Each shared what was happening in their cities since receiving petitions from labor organizations. Following a networking luncheon, Fort Worth attorney and TXPELRA charter member, Bettye Lynn, presented a nuts and bolts session entitled “The ABC’s of Meet and Confer and Collective Bargaining.” Bettye’s presentation covered successful strategies for bargaining and conferring. Among the topics covered were:
TMHRA Civil Service Workshop Bettye Lynn-Partner, Lynn Pham & Ross, PC, of Fort Worth; TMHRA chapter member; and perennial workshop presenter-began this year’s workshop with a Civil Service Update, including a review of legislative revisions, current civil service cases, and lessons learned. She noted that the decisions of the Texas Supreme Court on the City of Houston v. Donald Clark and the City of Waco v. Kelly, regarding cities’ right of appeal, were the most important decisions on Civil Service in the past five years . Dr. Bob Greer, Professor of Management and Director of Graduate Programs at TCU’s M.J. Neely School of Business, discussed “Pitfalls to Avoid in Arbitration,” based on his experience as an arbitrator and third-party hearing examiner. Frank Sturzl, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League, gave a legislative update from the 2005 Legislature. He also talked about possible legislation in the 2007 Session, looking at the 143 provision on promotion testing (e.g., giving the same test at the same time at the same location). He recognized Jim Parrish’s efforts on meet and confer and civil service. Three concurrent sessions were offered to attendees in the afternoon—Civil Service Commissioners, Civil Service Basics, and Civil Service Advanced. Darrell Noga, an attorney with Fee, Smith, Sharp & Vitullo, L.L.P. of Dallas, presented a basic course for Civil Service Commissioners. He is uniquely qualified, since he served as the City of Plano Civil Service Commission Attorney for eight years. The Civil Service Basic session included a presentation on “Consistency in Disciplinary Matters/Preparing for Civil Service Hearings,” presented by Brian Begle, an attorney with Olson & Olson of Houston. In addition, a panel discussed “Trumping Civil Service Provisions Through Meet and Confer and Collective Bargaining.” Two topics were featured in the Civil Service Advanced session. The first was “Due Process Under Chapter 143 in Light of HB 2677 and SB 639,” presented by Attorneys George Hyde and Arnold Pena of Denton, Navarro, Rocha & Bernal of San Antonio. The second presentation included two topics, “The Medical Presumption Act and its Impact for Civil Service” and “The Impact of Revisions in the Workers’ Compensation Law (HB 7) on Police and Fire Employees,” by David Reagan, General Counsel for the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool. Friday’s keynote was presented by Dr. Oscar Spurlin, President of Ergometrics and Applied Behavior Research, Inc., of Edmonds, Washington. Dr. Spurlin noted the importance of strength and stamina in performing continuous tasks. He said that the key to defensible job standards is establishing critical or limiting tasks in terms of physical ability. Accordingly, job analysis goals include the following:
He suggested that, after the initial job analysis, we should get management to buy off on list of tasks and have an ergonomic analysis of the task performed, where possible. The final session of the workshop was the traditional “Questions and Answers on Chapter 143,” by a panel moderated by Bettye Lynn and consisting of Carolyn Liner, Human Resources Director, City of San Marcos; Richard Hodapp, Assistant Human Resources Director, City of Fort Worth; and Jan Stricklin, retired Director of Administrative Services and Civil Service Director, City of Wichita Falls. Thanks to the members of the 2006 Program Planning Committee for their efforts in planning these two very successful workshops. Committee members included Brenda Eivens, Cedar Park; Alison Froehlich-Smith, Baytown; Dick Hodapp, Fort Worth; Bettye Lynn, Fort Worth; Jim Parrish, Amarillo; Barry Robinson, Greenville; and Charlie Shapard, Retired. TMHRA is grateful for the continued support of our sponsors. The sponsorships allow us to keep all events reasonably priced and affordable for all members. Thank you to the following sponsors for their support and contributions through the year: AIG VALIC ARTICLES OF INTEREST aka NEWS YOU SHOULD USE With spring you have rebirth, and with TMHRA that means a fresh new look for the TMHRA Web site and newsletter. You will still have the option to view the newsletter in its current format, but as an added bonus, the newsletter will also be available in PDF format. Keep your eyes open for the changes coming to you this spring! We apologize for the delay in providing this to the membership. The sample policy handbook was originally to be distributed in October 2005, but there were some technical details we needed to work through. The final version will be coming very soon. Once it is posted on the TMHRA Web site, members will be notified via e-mail. Change was the hot topic at the recent TXPELRA and Civil Service Conference in Dallas. Human resource professionals are faced with significant challenges in the coming year, due to Police and Fire meet and confer legislation and changes to Governmental Accounting Standards. Several cities have passed meet and confer resolutions, and several have received meet and confer petitions. The advantages and disadvantages of meet and confer are being debated. The TMHRA Board of Directors is committed to providing member cities with resources and education in this new area of labor relations. The Board of Directors recently appointed a committee to provide a forum for members to share information and network through the Texas Public Employers Labor Relations Association, TXPELRA. In the past, TXPELRA was aligned with the Civil Service Coalition. The Directors, realizing the different needs of meet and confer cities compared to civil service cities, directed the new committee to focus on issues resulting from the 2005 legislative approval of meet and confer statutes. At the recent TXPELRA conference, over 20 individuals volunteered to serve on the committee. TXPELRA and the Civil Service Coalition will maintain separate e-mail lists for the dissemination of information. If you would like to be on the e-mail list of either organization, please contact Jim Parrish, Director of HR, City of Amarillo, at Jim.Parrish@ci.amarillo.tx.us. At the conference, TMHRA Board members also addressed GASB 45 issues. A Healthcare Summit was discussed. The goals for the summit would include human resource, finance, city management and benefit professionals meeting to brainstorm and share solutions to ever-increasing healthcare cost trends. Continuing to recognize the needs of civil service cities, the Board also reiterated its support for the Civil Service Coalition. Members will be asked to actively participate in the upcoming legislative sessions to promote favorable bills and defeat costly, unfavorable bills. Change is upon us; unity and cooperation are keys to success in this environment. The Texas Municipal Human Resources Association is poised to lead HR professionals through the challenges ahead and engage as a strategic partner with city management. Public
Employee Benefits Alliance (PEBA) Update The Public Employee Benefits Alliance (PEBA) met on Friday, February 10, 2006, in Austin. Over 300 representatives from cities, counties, and school boards attended. Presentations were made by Leonard Martin, City Manager Carrollton; Susan Smith with the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Employee Benefits Pool (TML-IEBP); and Jennifer Hall with Texas Association of Counties. Discussions included:
The PEBA Web site is up, and it is continually being developed. For more information about PEBA log on to http://www.buypeba.org. March 15, 2006, is the release date for the Pharmaceutical Drugs PBM RFP. IPMA-HR & UN
Release Report The United Nations has released a report in conjunction with IPMA-HR. The Human Resource Recruitment and Best Talent Retention: Tool Kit for the Public Sector is designed for an international audience and includes many substantive articles prepared by IPMA-HR staff and members. The report comes at a crucial time, when governments all over the world are coping with an aging workforce and the pressures of increased globalization. Recruiting and retaining top talent is one of the most important roles of HR professionals. The tool kit features the findings of studies and resources on how to get the pool of best qualified applicants, plus how to prepare and make the public sector alert in identifying job vacancies and filling them in a proactive, effective, and responsive manner, in accordance with their business plans. The tool kit includes 12 papers on HR strategies, 6 papers detailing case studies, and 4 support tools for HR. Access it through the IPMA-HR Web site. Questions? Call
the research department at (703) 549-7100. IPMA-HR Certification The International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) has issued its certification designation, IPMA Certified Professional (IPMA-CP), to more than 1,400 people in seven countries that include Canada, China, Korea, Kuwait, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and the United States. The purposes of the certification program are to encourage continuous learning and help to develop the next generation of human resource professionals. The certification program contains a behavioral component based on the 22 competencies contained in the IPMA-HR competency model and a human resource technical component that is determined by an assessment of the technical experience of the applicants. For additional information about the certification program, contact Neil Reichenberg, IPMA-HR executive director, at nreichenberg@ipma-hr.org. Source IPMA-HR Bulletin, February 10, 2006 For more information or to register to attend the certification program sponsored by TMHRA, click here. Staying Safe and Sound - Eliminating Hazards in Your Workplace A few years ago, when I was working as a writer in the communications department of a large New York City metro area hospital, I received a call informing me that my shipment of twelve large boxes of newsletters were mistakenly delivered to the small, high-traffic space in front of our administrative assistant’s desk, rather than to the mailroom. Surely, our security department would not be pleased if they discovered a dozen boxes partially blocking a busy doorway during their frequent safety rounds. I checked to see who was available to help me move the stack, but the few co-workers who were in their offices were busy. “No problem,” I thought to myself. “I’ve been working out. I’ll just do it myself.” Unfortunately, the boxes were heavier than I expected. During a failed attempt to lift one, I fell backwards into the wall and felt a painful, burning sensation in my lower back. The rest of my afternoon was spent in the emergency room. Often when we hear the words “workplace hazard,” we think of factory workers wearing hardhats and protective goggles. However, employers must remember that safety is an issue for all employees, including those who spend most of their day sitting behind an office desk. Improper lifting of heavy items accounts for a large amount of office injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that individuals first consider the weight of the object, as well as how high and how far it needs to be lifted. Lifting impulsively can result in severe back injuries. If you or your employees must lift something heavy, be sure that the recommended lifting guidelines as outlined in the CDC’s Office Safety Manual are followed. Adhering to simple lifting techniques can prevent back injury and expensive worker’s compensation costs. According to the CDC, falls are the most common office
accident. Falls are 2 to 2.5 times more likely to happen in an office,
rather than non-office, environment. The most common causes are Luckily, these hazards are easily preventable by taking the proper precautions. Employers should institute periodic checks of the office environment to ensure that items are stored properly, office furniture is in good working condition, and walkways are safe and clear. Ironically, simply sitting behind a desk can cause serious physical injury. Proper posture, monitor and keyboard positioning, and chair height are crucial to avoiding eye, back, and neck strain, headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome. It is also highly recommended that workers make time for “stretch breaks” to encourage blood circulation, and look away from computers to give eyes a needed rest. By reviewing workplace safety guidelines with your employees, investigating and correcting possible hazards, and staying on top of the latest information on ergonomics, you will help ensure that there are no job-related injuries in your organization. Hopefully, by making safety a top priority, your employees will think twice before attempting to lift something like a heavy box by themselves. I know I’ve learned my lesson! Reprinted
with permission of Astron Solutions, LLC It's that time of year again. IPMA-HR Southern Region is seeking nominations for the office of President-Elect to serve on its Governing Board. An election for the President-Elect will be held on Monday, May 1, 2007, at the IPMA-HR Southern Region Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee (April 30-May 3, 2006). In addition, on Tuesday, May 2, 2006, the Southern Region's Governing Board will announce the winner of the Edwin L. Swain Award and the Outstanding Chapter Award for 2006. For further details, click below. Edwin L. Swain Award Guidelines IPMA SOUTHERN REGION All nominations/entries should be received on or before March 31, 2006, at the following address: Donnie T. Simmons
This is YOUR newsletter and we want to ensure it provides you with a valuable source of information from TMHRA. If you have any ideas, articles, or information you would like to see included in future newsletters, please submit them to the Newsletter Committee. 2005-2006 Newsletter Committee Chair |
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©2008 Texas
Municipal Human Resources Association, 1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin,
TX 78754;
512-231-7400; (fax) 512-231-7494; tmhra@tml.org |
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