Spring 2009 Newsletter

Enjoy the Freedom of Career Transition

Well my friends we finally made it through the cold darkness of winter and the even colder darkness that consumed our economy for the past several months. At the time of this writing we are seeing some signs of recovery. Perhaps the cautious optimism some folks are feeling is directly related to the longer days and warmer temperatures that spring brings. Whatever the reason, I am sick and tired of hearing "it's likely to get worse before it gets better". That type of attitude is a self fulfilling prophecy for continued doom and gloom and I won't have any of it! So if that's your mantra, put the saying on a T-shirt and wear it to bed. We optimists can only look forward.
Now that I've gotten that off my chest, my message to you in this issue deals with the emotions of career transition. With unemployment approaching 8% I am sure most of you know someone who has been, or is in career transition. This is the politically correct term for being laid off, downsized, reorganized or having had your position eliminated. Whatever you want to call it, the emotions that accompany it closely match those that people experience when mourning the passing of a loved one. The grieving process of losing your job usually starts with shock, progresses to periods of anger and denial and finally ends with acceptance. I have found that each affected individual has a different threshold and duration of these stages but ultimately everyone I have ever known or helped through this process, has experienced some symptoms of these emotions. The one stage that most folks may not experience for very long (or at all) is the feeling of elation and freedom that comes from being released from a toxic situation. I wish I could bottle this part and distribute it as needed to my friends and colleagues who have lost their jobs. In that bottle lies enhanced self esteem, confidence in your skills and abilities and the drive to reinvent yourself into something bigger and better than you ever were before. It drives you to "move your cheese" and seek out new opportunities with renewed energy and vigor.
Many times we can help our friends and colleagues prolong this stage by focusing on the "wins versus the losses." So if you have the opportunity to meet with someone in career transition, help them "enjoy the freedom" by reinforcing their new career choice or applauding them on their job search efforts. I guarantee it will give them energy, keep their outlook positive and make both of you feel better.

Have a great spring.

Phil

Labor's New Organizing Campaign

In the past several issues I have been discussing the impact of pending legislation designed to forever change the way labor unions can organize a workforce. The Employee Free Choice Act or EFCA is now before the House of Representatives and fully expected to make it through the Senate where it had previously stalled. President Obama has already stated he would sign the bill making EFCA law.
This law will enable unions to organize workers by simply having of majority sign and authorization card. There will be no campaign to educate employees on the impact of unionization and no opportunity for a secret ballot election to accept or reject union representation. So what can you do?
First, if you haven't done so already write to your elected officials in the House and Senate and encourage him/her to vote NO on EFCA.
Second, learn as much as you can about this bill and it's impact on your business and
Third, take a look at your workforce to assess your vulnerability in the event of a union drive.
HR Solutions, LLC is here to help. Call us at 610-287-1162 to arrange for a free consultation to both educate your staff and learn how to prepare for EFCA's arrival.

Here Comes Wage and Hour

By now you may have probably heard the news that the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is under substantial criticism for disregarding wage violations and child labor issues. The new Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis, has authorized the hiring of an additional 250 Field Inspectors in response to this embarrassing event and you can be assured they will be looking to redeem their reputation by cracking down on as many wage and hour violations as they can possibly handle. What this means for business owners is heightened employee awareness of wage issues involving overtime, meal periods, travel time, etc. with strong encouragement to bring these claims to the attention of the agency. In addition you will likely see an increase in field inspection activity where wage and hour representatives make "random visits" to the workplace and demand to see time records, wage and hour postings and mandatory notifications. Now is a good time to make sure your records are in order and your pay practices are in compliance. A little time and effort now will save you the expense of the costly fines and penalties the agency can levy for even the smallest violations. Give us a call at 610-287-1162 to schedule a no obligation pre-audit to review the current state of your wage and hour issues.

Recent Press Release

Philip S. Brunone, President of Harleysville based HR Solutions, LLC, was the co-presenter of a seminar entitled Labor's New Organizing Agenda recently sponsored by the local chapter of the Association of Builders and Contractors. The seminar outlined the potential impact of the pending Employee Free Choice Act legislation on the building trades and was attended by a group of 40 construction related firms operating in the tri-state area.HR Solutions, LLC provides human resource consulting and outsourcing solutions for small and medium size companies in the tri-state area.
Since 1995 HR Solutions has been helping business owners do what they do best....focus on running their business. We can be your human resource department and trusted HR advisor providing services and solutions that protect your company and your employees at a cost you can afford. You have plenty of things on your "to do" list so make a list of things to put on your "to don't" list and give us a call. Let us worry about the laws that may affect you, help you with discipline problems, create programs that let you recruit and retain top talent and most importantly, be there for you when you need our expertise. Call us at 610-287-1162 today for a free consultation or e-mail me directly at phil@hrsolutionsonline.com. You have my personal promise that we will contact you within 24 hours to schedule your consultation. There is absolutely no obligation. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,


Phil Brunone
President
HR Solutions, LLC
phone/fax-(610)-287-1162