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HR Bulletin July 30, 2010

The July 2010 issue of HR News magazine (4.7 MB) is now online.
The Summer 2010 issue of Public Personnel Management (2.3 MB) is available online.
Press releases on the IPMA-HR Web site may be accessed here.
To access archived issues of the HR Bulletin, click here; you must be a member of IPMA-HR in order to access these archived issues.

IPMA-HR Joins HR Groups in Questioning APA Definition of a Psychologist

IPMA-HR recently joined a group of human resources associations, including the Society for Human Resource Management, the HR Policy Association and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources in questioning the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Model Act for State Licensure of Psychologists (“Model Act”).

In a July 20 letter to Carol D. Goodheart, EdD, president of the American Psychological Association, the associations expressed concern “that the Model Act as written will have a profound and adverse effect on HR’s day-to-day responsibilities—including the recruiting, hiring, evaluation and management of employees—at hundreds of thousands of worksites.

“Specifically, the broad definition of a ‘general applied psychologist’ in Section B(5)(b) is so far-reaching that common HR practices, such as conducting compensation or job analysis or designing and administering performance appraisal systems, would be covered under the act, thereby requiring all HR professionals to be licensed psychologists to perform those activities legally.”

The associations asked the APA to make clear that the definition of a psychologist should not interfere with the work of human resources professions. In addition, the associations requested a meeting with the APA to discuss the issue in greater detail. A copy of the letter is available on the IPMA-HR advocacy pages.

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EEOC Releases Federal Workforce Report

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today released its Annual Report on the Federal Work Force for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. The full text of the report is available on the agency’s Web site. The report assesses the state of equal employment opportunity throughout the federal workforce—including trends in the composition of the workforce, and data concerning complaints of employment discrimination in the federal sector—and includes practical tips for agencies to improve their performance.

Over the last 10 years, the EEOC has found that there have been subtle changes in the composition of the federal workforce. Overall, the participation rates of women, Hispanic or Latinos, and Asians have increased slightly. The number of women in the federal workforce rose from 42.3 percent to 44.06 percent; Hispanics / Latinos from 6.81 percent to 7.90 percent; and Asian-Americans from 5.22 percent to 5.84 percent. The total workforce increased by 15.09 percent.

Additionally, in FY 2009, for the first time since FY 1995, the percentage of people with targeted disabilities in federal jobs held steady, halting a 13-year decline. However, despite a modest net gain of 236 employees in FY 2009 over FY 2008, people with targeted disabilities still remain below one percent (0.88 percent) of the total workforce. Targeted disabilities include deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, mental retardation, mental illness and distortion of the limb and/or spine.

In FY 2009, federal employees and applicants filed 16,947 complaints alleging employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability and reprisal. Unlike the private sector, federal agencies themselves are responsible for processing and investigating charges of discrimination filed against them. The average processing time for conducting investigations rose from 180 days in FY 2008 to 185 days in FY 2009. In addition, the average processing time for closing complaints was 344 days, an increase from the 336 days in FY 2008. Of the 6,905 cases closed on the merits, 2.98 percent resulted in findings of unlawful discrimination. In addition, the parties entered into settlements in 3,394 complaints, or 21 percent of the total complaint closures.

“As the largest employer in the nation, the federal government should lead the way in creating a diverse and just workplace,” said EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien. “Government employers need to continue to recruit and promote employees who represent the tapestry of America. They must also improve the efficiency of the complaint process so that justice delayed is not justice denied. We look forward to assisting the federal government to become an exemplary employer.”

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws against employment discrimination. Further information is available here.

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Justice Department Proposes New ADA Regulations on Accessibility of Government Services

The Justice Department is proposing four new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) proposals addressing the accessibility of Web sites, the provision of captioning and video description in movies shown in theaters, accessible equipment and furniture, and the ability of 9-1-1 centers to take text and video calls from individuals with disabilities. The proposals are in the form of advance notices of proposed rulemaking, or ANPRMs, which provide information on these ADA issues and ask questions seeking comments and information from the public.

“We are working hard to ensure that the ADA keeps up with technological advances that were unimaginable 20 years ago,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Just as these quantum leaps can help all of us, they can also set us back—if regulations are not updated or compliance codes become too confusing to implement. To avoid this, the Department will soon publish four advanced notices of proposed rulemaking regarding accessibility requirements for Web sites, movies, equipment and furniture, and 9-1-1 call-taking technologies.”

Web Accessibility
 State and local governments, businesses, educators, and other organizations covered by the ADA are increasingly using the web to provide information, goods, and services to the public. In the Web accessibility ANPRM, the Department presents for public comment a series of questions seeking input regarding how the department can develop a workable framework for Web site access that provides individuals with disabilities access to the critical information, programs, and services provided on the Web, while respecting the unique characteristics of the Internet and its transformative impact on everyday life.

Examples of how a Web site might be made more accessible to those with disabilities include putting a text tag with a picture so that a screen reader would be able to identify the picture for someone with vision loss. More information on this topic is available here.

Next Generation (NG) 9-1-1
9-1-1 centers are moving towards an Internet-enabled network to allow the general public to make a 9-1-1 “call” via voice, text, or video over the Internet and directly communicate with personnel at the centers. The NG 9-1-1 ANPRM seeks information on how the centers may be able to provide direct access to 9-1-1 for individuals with disabilities as they implement new communication technologies.

Captioning and Video Description in Movies Shown in Movie Theaters
Recent technologies have been developed to provide closed captions and video description in movies being shown at movie theaters. Movie studios have begun to produce and distribute movies with captioning and video description. However, these features are not generally made available at movie theaters. In the captioning and video description ANPRM, the department asks for suggestions regarding the kind of accessibility requirements for captioning and video description it should consider as proposed rules for public comments, particularly in light of the industry’s conversion to digital technology.

Equipment and Furniture
Full use of the nation’s built environment can only be fully achieved by the use of accessible equipment. There is now improved availability of many different types of accessible equipment and furniture, ranging from accessible medical exam tables, chairs, scales, and radiological equipment and furniture to “talking” ATMs and interactive kiosks. In the equipment and furniture ANPRM, the department poses questions and seeks comments from the public, covered entities, equipment manufacturers, advocacy and trade groups about the nature of accessibility issues and proposed solutions for making equipment and furniture accessible to persons with disabilities.

The four ANPRMs will be available for review here.

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Majority of Americans Believe the U.S. Economy and Their Personal Financial Situations Have “Bottomed Out”

NEW YORK – According to the recently released 2010 MetLife Study of the American Dream, a significant number of Americans believe the U.S. economy and their personal financial situations have “bottomed out.” One in four (26 percent) of Americans believe it will be worse this year than last—a significant decline from 44 percent who said the same in 2009. Forty-one percent believe the U.S. economy will stay the same and one-third (33 percent) of Americans believe it will be better this year than last year.

Four in 10 (41 percent) also believe that their personal financial situation will remain the same this year, citing lack of a personal safety net and concerns over job loss offsetting many Americans’ efforts to save more, spend less and work harder.

According to the study, two-thirds (66 percent) believe that the full economic recovery of the U.S. is still three or more years away.

“For the first time since MetLife polled the study, Americans perceive their situation to be worse off than that of the U.S. economy in general,” said Beth Hirschhorn, senior vice president, Global Brand and Marketing Services, MetLife. “In fact, many Americans report they continue to dig themselves out of a deep financial hole that they have been in since before the economic downturn.”

According to the study, Americans are taking significant steps to improve their financial situation. More than half (56 percent) are taking on more responsibility at work, almost two-thirds (64 percent) have started saving more and spending less, and an additional 29 percent plan to cut spending.

“Family Net” Emerges
A significant number of Americans are helping their family members financially—even though they may also be struggling themselves. Nearly half (47 percent) of Americans say they have given money to a family member in the past year so they can pay their bills, and more than one-third (35 percent) have had a family member give them money in the past year.

A Rising Bar of Expectations
Though many are struggling to make ends meet, needs and expectations continue to increase. More than half (58 percent) of Americans believe that the bar is constantly rising in terms of the basic necessities in life. Three in 10 (29 percent) feel more pressure to buy more and better material possessions. Americans also expect more from the American dream itself. Since the first study in 2006, Americans are more likely to define the dream as financial security (from 59 percent to 65 percent), family and children (from 42 percent to 58 percent), a comfortable retirement (from 31 percent to 36 percent) and marriage (from 21 percent to 29 percent). Not one component of the dream has decreased during this time.

“Given the financial pressures that most Americans are facing, one might expect us to recalibrate somewhat, but instead, Americans are expecting even more for themselves—all while dealing with mounting stress from their daily lives,” said Hirschhorn.

Despite Efforts, Americans Close to the Financial Edge
Many Americans still find themselves close to financial ruin should they lose their job: 45 percent could not take care of expenses for more than a month, and 65 percent could not do so for more than three months. And, their fears of job loss are high with more than half (55 percent) of Americans concerned about losing their job.

In addition, the lack of a personal safety net (a “cash cushion,” retirement savings as well as auto, health, home and life insurance) appears to be contributing to the pessimism about some Americans’ own personal financial recovery. Two-thirds (69 percent) of Americans do not feel that they currently have an adequate safety net, and 95 percent of those are concerned about it.

Considering all these financial pressures, it’s no surprise that stress is running high, with 45 percent of Americans saying that concerns about how they are going to “make ends meet” are keeping them up at night, and 52 percent saying they feel more stress in performing their job requirements.

Safety Net
Americans who consider themselves to have an adequate personal safety net are twice as likely to feel they have achieved the American dream as those who do not (57 percent vs. 24 percent).

“This result, combined with the response that 77 percent of Americans say that they are working toward creating a personal safety net, may be telling us that building a safety net is an important prerequisite for Americans to be firmly on the road to recovery—both emotionally and financially,” added Hirschhorn.

Methodology
From April 14-21, 2010 Strategy First Partners in conjunction with Penn Schoen Berland conducted 2,201 online surveys in the United States among the general population as part of The 2010 MetLife Study of the American Dream. To download The 2010 MetLife Study of the American Dream, visit www.metlife.com/dream.

MetLife, Inc., is a provider of insurance, employee benefits and financial services with operations throughout the United States and the Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc., reaches more than 70 million customers around the world and MetLife is the largest life insurer in the United States (based on life insurance in-force). The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, auto and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to individuals, as well as group insurance and retirement & savings products and services to corporations and other institutions.

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Executive Council Vacancy

The IPMA-HR Executive Council, which is the Association’s board of directors, needs to fill one vacancy. The governance changes that were approved recently by the IPMA-HR membership have changed the way in which some of the positions on the Executive Council are filled. Under the new procedure, the IPMA-HR Nominating Committee will develop a candidate slate and this slate will need to be approved by the IPMA-HR Executive Council.

The IPMA-HR Nominating Committee is seeking a diverse group of candidates and urges IPMA-HR members who meet the qualifications and are interested in serving on the Executive Council to submit an application. The applications must be received by IPMA-HR no later than 5 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, August 20. The instructions and application can be accessed here. For additional information, please contact Neil Reichenberg, IPMA-HR’s executive director, at nreichenberg@ipma-hr.org.

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August 12 Webinar to Focus on Workforce Flexibility

Is your agency looking to improve employee performance, job satisfaction and work-life balance? Join us for an informative webinar on Thursday, August 12, 2010, from 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Eastern Time in which Partnership for Public Service Vice President of Research Bob Lavigna and Partnership for Public Service Associate Manager for Research Jennifer Carignan will share highlights from a recently-completed study on workforce flexibility in the government.

In July, the Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton released a report on the current state of federal government flexible work arrangements. “On Demand Government: Deploying Flexibilities to Ensure Service Continuity” examines the use of teleworking, compressed workweeks, flextime, part-time schedules and job sharing in the federal government, the barriers to expanded use and offers recommendations for change. These results apply to all levels of government.

Sign Up Today and Your Entire Staff Can Listen In for One Fee 
Download your registration form and fax the completed form to (703) 684-0948, or e-you’re your completed form to meetings@ipma-hr.org.

The price for IPMA-HR members to participate in the webinar is $150; the price for nonmembers to participate in the webinar is $200.

There is no limit to the number of staff from your office participating in this webinar. In the room where staff will participate, you’ll need a speaker phone and a computer. Prior to the event, you will get instructions on how you will link to the webinar by telephone and on the Internet. One registration fee gives you a unique access code for one phone line and a link to the Web component. As many of your staff that you can pack into a room can attend and listen in by speakerphone.

Please note: Additional phones lines require additional access codes, which means separate registrations for each additional access code you need.
 
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel your registration up to 48 hours in advance of the webinar, and transfer your registration to a future webinar without penalty. If you do not transfer your registration, you must cancel no later than one week prior to the webinar date to receive a full refund of your fee.

Questions? Contact us by phone at (703) 549-7100, or by e-mail at meetings@ipma-hr.org.

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Conference Early Bird Rate Ends Today; Register Now!

In this economic environment, it is important to save every penny you can. Don’t miss your chance to save $50 with the early bird rate on your IPMA-HR International Training Conference & Expo registration; this reduced rate ends today. This is your chance to refocus on yourself, your organization, and your future. Refine your perspective and concentrate your energy on finding the solutions that matter most in a changing environment. Come together with other human resource professionals and find out how other public sector HR agencies are navigating through these difficult times.

Highlights of the 2010 International Training Conference education program include:

  1. More than 20 educational sessions from your peers
  2. Three outstanding keynote addresses
    1. John Christensen is a nationally recognized filmmaker, speaker and leading producer of corporate learning programs and the CEO of ChartHouse Learning. His session, The FISH! Philosophy: Catch the Energy, Release the Potential will take you on a virtual visit to Seattle's Pike Place Fish and explore how the four practices of the FISH! Philosophy – Play! Make Their Day! Be There! and Choose Your Attitude! can be used to create energetic, unified, and successful work environments.
    2. Rodd Wagner is a New York Times bestselling author and a principal of Gallup. His session will highlight maximizing employee engagement and he will share results from Gallup’s world-renowned research.
    3. Cindy Maher and Carol Grannis, cofounders and managing partners of Leading Edge Coaching & Development will create an interactive session on finding out how the emotional intelligence competencies of self-awareness, social-awareness, relationship management, and self-management link to employee engagement and organizational success.
  3. President’s Welcome Reception at the Space Needle
  4. Conference Expo filled with the latest cutting-edge products and services for the public sector HR professional

To review a full list of session descriptions, click here. The early bird rate ends today.

Make Your Hotel Reservation Now!
The Sheraton Seattle Hotel has set aside a limited block of rooms for IPMA-HR conference attendees at the special rate of $189 (+tax)/night for single and double rooms. The special rate is in effect until September 9. All rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis or until the room block is at capacity. After September 9, or until the room block is at capacity, reservations will be taken on a space- and rate-available basis only. Reservations can be made by calling the Sheraton reservation line at (800) 325-3535 and referencing the IPMA-HR Conference.

Questions about the conference can be directed to the IPMA-HR meetings department by e-mail at meetings@ipma-hr.org. Please continue to check the conference Web site at www.ipma-hr.org for updates.

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On the Calendar

August 25
Online Course
Developing Competencies for HR Success

September 19-22, 2010
Eastern Region Conference
Adlephi, Md.

September 22
Online Course
Developing Competencies for HR Success

October 2-6, 2010
2010 International Training Conference & Expo
Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers
Seattle, Wash.
Contact IPMA-HR Director of Membership and Professional Development Jessica Allen at jallen@ipma-hr.org or click here for more information.

October 6
Online Course
Managing Employee Performance as an HR Business Partner

Watch the HR Bulletin and our Web site for more information on educational opportunities.

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