www.arrowheadhra.org           

www.arrowheadhra.org

Next meeting March 10, 2010 - Drew Digby on "Employment Trends (Hiring Practices)" at Blandin Foundation in Grand Rapids

SEE DAILY HR NEWS UPDATES ON OUR SHRM PAGE!

Read a monthly article about the SHRM Foundation

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IMPORTANT HR UPDATES

MINNESOTA UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY

See attached memo for important information on additional reasons why an applicant may be eligible for unemployment benefits.   This memo was presented at the November 12, 2009 meeting.

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MILITARY FMLA UPDATE

On October 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647).  The new law includes an expansion of the recently-enacted exigency and caregiver leave provisions for military families under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).

In January 2008, Congress amended the FMLA to provide:

§         Exigency leave - up to 12 weeks of leave for urgent needs related to a reservist family member’s (spouse, son, daughter, or parent) call to active service.

o        H.R. 2647 expands the exigency leave benefits to include family members of active duty service members.  Under current law, only family members of National Guard and Reservists are eligible for “exigency leave.

§         Caregiver leave - up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to an employee to care for a family member (spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin) who is injured while serving on active military duty.

o        H.R. 2647 expands the caregiver leave provision to include veterans who are undergoing medical treatment, recuperation or therapy for serious injury or illness that occurred any time during the five years preceding the date of treatment.

 These provisions are effective upon enactment.

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DO YOU KNOW GINA??  (GENETIC INFORMATION NONDISCRIMINATION ACT)

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has approved a proposed final rule to implement the employment title of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The proposed regulation notes that covered entities will be required to post notices in conspicuous places describing GINA's applicable provisions.

Poster Not Yet Available: SHRM anticipates the EEOC will publish the final rule and appropriate language for use in the notice prior to the law’s effective date, November 21, 2009. Shortly thereafter, the mandatory posting will be available for downloading at no charge on SHRM Online as well as the U.S. Department of Labor’s and EEOC’s web sites.

Who Must Post: Employment provisions in Title II of GINA will apply to the same covered entities as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 whether or not the employer conducts genetic testing. The provisions will prohibit employers from discriminating against individual employees or job candidates on the basis of genetic conditions or predisposition to certain diseases even if an employer does not conduct genetic testing.

NOTE:  SHRM is presenting a webcast on this issue on November 20, 2009.  This is eligible for 1.5 strategic HRCI credits and is only $79 for SHRM members or $99 for non-SHRM members.  See http://www.shrm.org/multimedia/webcasts/Pages/legislativewebcast.aspx for more information.

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On September 23, 2009, the new HIPAA regulations issued by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requiring healthcare providers, health plans, and other entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to notify individuals when their health information is breached will become effective. See www.shrm.org for more information.

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I-9 FORM CHANGES

Employers Must Use Revised Form I-9 Effective April 3
Unless there is a last-minute change by the Obama administration, employers will be required to use a revised version of the employment eligibility form known as the Form I-9 effective April 3, 2009.  Employers must complete a Form I-9 for all newly hired employees to verify their identity and authorization to work in the United States. The interim final rule as published revises the types of acceptable identity and employment authorization documents employers can accept from new hires effective April 3, 2009.

FMLA UPDATES - changes took effect January 2009 - Are you up-to-date?

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WHO WE ARE

Arrowhead Human Resources Association (AHRA) is a group of business professionals from the Iron Range and Arrowhead region of Northeastern Minnesota.  We are an affiliated chapter of SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management).

The mission of AHRA is “to explore Human Resources issues while providing support and resources for the growth and development of the HR profession and practices.” 

AHRA meets six times a year and welcomes new members at any time. 

HR professionals, business managers, business owners, teachers, attorneys, students, and anyone interested in HR issues are invited to attend.

Welcome to our website!  Please browse and learn more about AHRA.

Our Members Have Come From a Variety of Organizations in Northeastern Minnesota, including:

Contact Information

Arrowhead Human Resources Association

PO BOX 150

Virginia, MN  55792

Membership Chair/Treasurer:  Connie Larson (218) 749-7744 or larsonc@vpuc.com   

Secretary:  Terri Nystrom (218) 748-2052 or tnystrom@deltadentalmn.org

General Information: larsonc@vpuc.com or arrowheadhrassociation@yahoo.com    

Send mail to larsonc@vpuc.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: November 20, 2009