IN THIS ISSUE:
SNHRA Member Committee:
Member Survey Summary and
Committee Opportunities
Mix and Mingle with the Stars:
An SNHRA Mixer Event
Beyond Diversity:
SNHRA's 2010 Diversity Luncheon
LEGAL BRIEF:
New Nevada Law Mandates
Encryption of Sensitive HR Data
IRS, states target worker status abuse:
Some classify staff as
independent
contractors to cut costs
SENATE MOVES COBRA SUBSIDY EXTENSION TO FAST TRACK:
A Quick Look at the Proposal
PLUS:
In 2009, the SNHRA Membership Committee conducted a survey of our membership. The survey was developed to help identify the needs of the membership and to develop plans and actions accordingly. The survey was conducted from October 9th, 2009 through November 6th, 2009.
We would like to thank everyone who participated and provide all of you with a summary of the survey results. To read the survey results, please visit the link here to view the pdf.
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Also, we are looking for volunteers to join the Membership Committee. If you are a friendly, motivated HR Professional and love to meet new people, we are looking for you!
You would be responsible for greeting members during meetings and providing a warm SNHRA welcome to new members.
Please contact Kim Kaplan (702) 895-2250 or Jeff Peterson (702) 862-5659 for more information.
Date and Time:
February 24, 2010
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Place:
Madame Tussauds
(On the Las Vegas Strip in front of The Venetian)
3377 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Cost:
Only $10 per person
The mixer RSVP includes complimentary hors d'oeuvres
and beer/wine
For more information about the event click here
To RSVP click here
This event is co-sponsored by Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
and
Legoland California
For more information about Madame Tussauds click here
For more information about Legoland California click here
Learn more about our co-event sponsor http://www.nvworkforceconnections.org
Date and Time:
March 9, 2010
11:30am - 1:30pm
Place:
Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
Keynote Speaker:
Punam Mathur
Vice President of
Human Resources for
NV Energy
Cost:
$30 for SNHRA Members
$35 for guests
We are proud to announce that SNHRA's Diversity luncheon this year is entitled "Beyond Diversity", and is being held on March 9th at the Gold Coast Hotel Casino. We are thrilled to introduce our keynote speaker for this year's event is Punam Mathur, Vice President of Human Resources for NV Energy (bio)
For more information about this year's event click here.
By: Patrick H. Hicks and Jeanine Navarro. Patrick H. Hicks is the Founding Shareholder of Littler Mendelson’s Las Vegas and Reno offices. He can be reached at phicks@littler.com. Jeanine Navarro is an Associate in Littler Mendelson’s Las Vegas office. She can be reached at jnavarro@littler.com.
New Nevada Law Mandates Encryption of Sensitive HR Data
Nevada has joined Massachusetts as the only two states currently mandating encryption of sensitive human resources information. The Nevada law, NRS 603A “Security of Personal Information”, which, like the Massachusetts regulations, became effective on January 1, 2010.
According to NRS 603A, any organization doing business in Nevada that collects an
individual’s first name or initial and last name plus Social Security number, employee
identification number, driver’s license number, or credit or debit card number or financial
account number with any required security code (collectively “Personal Information”),
qualifies as a “data collector” and is responsible for protecting personal information with
encryption before it gets electronically transmitted. Since every employer collects
employees’ SSNs in the ordinary course of business, and many employers assign
employee identification numbers and collect driver’s license numbers, the new law likely
applies to all employers.
The statute requires encryption in two circumstances. First, electronic transmissions of Personal Information must be encrypted unless the transmission (a) passes within a secure network, or (b) is sent by fax machine. This means that intracorporate e-mail will not need to be encrypted as long as e-mails do not pass over the public Internet (which usually is the case). However, all e-mail to third parties (i.e. e-mails that do pass over the public Internet) containing Personal Information will need to be encrypted.
Second, no “data storage device” which contains Personal Information may be taken offsite unless the Personal Information is encrypted. The new law’s broad definition of “data storage device” includes laptops, iPhones, BlackBerry smartphones, back-up tapes and disk drives, as well as virtually any other electronic device that can store Personal Information.
In light of this new law, employers should evaluate their current data security measures. How does your company normally transmit its data? What methods do you have in place for protecting data that is electronically transmitted? Have you implemented and maintained reasonable security measures to protect your customers’ and employees’ records? Even though NRS 603A does not explicitly state penalties for violations, Nevada employers are cautioned that a violation of the law could easily be argued as negligence in a civil law suit if an employee suffers damages (i.e. identity theft) as a result of a company’s non-compliance. Nevada businesses should begin to develop plans for complying with the new Nevada encryption standard.
[Ed. note: Many of our Members and Guests may have seen the following AP/Las Vegas Review Journal article circulating via email or in the newspaper, but we thought it was important enough to publish here for those of you who haven’t seen it...Read on...]
Feb. 12, 2010
Copyright © Las Vegas Review Journal
By Dave Gram
The Associated Press
Review-Journal writer Jennifer Robison contributed to this report.
The Internal Revenue Service and 37 states are cracking down on companies that illegally try to trim payroll costs by changing employees' status to independent contractors, The Associated Press has learned. The practice costs governments billions in lost revenue and can leave workers high and dry when they are hurt at work or are left jobless.
Many who have studied the problem believe it's worsened during the economic downturn, fueling even more aggressive recovery efforts by states."I think the economic downturn has had a serious impact ... has exacerbated the problem," said Vermont Rep. Warren Kitzmiller, who chaired a panel that recently reported on the issue. "Businesses are looking to trim costs in every way they can, and some are coming very close to shading the legal with the illegal on that question." But Nevada labor lawyers say they haven't seen a surge of such cases in the Silver State, and Nevada Labor Commissioner Michael Tanchek said his department hasn't stepped up efforts to clamp down on such cases."It's a problem we see, but it's not a problem we see a lot," Tanchek said.
Cindy Jones, administrator of the state's Employment Security Division, said employee misclassification is an issue for several governmental agencies, but she didn't elaborate on any additional scrutiny her agency might be applying to the topic. She said a legislative subcommittee is reviewing the issue, and she noted that President Barack Obama's budget requests funding for states to further address misclassification. Gregory Kamer, a partner in the local labor law firm of Kamer Zucker Abbott, said he hasn't seen any new cases related to IRS queries on independent contractors. That shortage of misclassification cases could come from the huge liabilities involved in misclassifying workers, Kamer said. Employers who dodge compensation expenses by misclassifying employees as contractors could subject themselves to a major lawsuit that would be far more costly than simply qualifying the worker as an employee and paying for compensation coverage.
To read the rest of the article, click here to visit the Las Vegas Review Journal Website
SENATE MOVES COBRA SUBSIDY EXTENSION TO FAST TRACK!
In January, the Senate removed the COBRA subsidy extension from the jobs bill onto a fast track for passage. Both Democrats and Republicans support the extension and do not want it bogged down in major legislation. While the President wants the subsidy extended through the end of the year, the current proposal calls for:
- The addition of second event rules into the subsidy!
- Extending the eligibility for new qualified beneficiaries through May 31, 2010!
- Providing subsidy for new born babies!
- Addition of reduction of hours to subsidy qualifying events!
Submitted by Matt Isbell, the “CobraMan”
You can reach him at info@cobraman.com
A pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the pants.
Don't be irreplaceable, if you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
The more crap you put up with, the more crap you are going to get.
You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard.
Eat one live toad the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.
Never ask two questions in a business letter. The reply will discuss the one you are least interested in, and say nothing about the other.
When the bosses talk about improving productivity, they are never talking about themselves.
If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.
There will always be beer cans rolling on the floor of your car when the boss asks for a ride home from the office.
Mother said there would be days like this, but she never said there would be so many.
Keep your boss's boss off your boss's back. This is what I'm doing wrong.
Everything can be filed under "miscellaneous."
Never delay the ending of a meeting or the beginning of a cocktail hour.
To err is human, to forgive is not company policy.
Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing.
Important letters that contain no errors will develop errors in the mail.
The last person that quit or was fired will be the one held responsible for everything that goes wrong - until the next person quits or is fired.
Casual Friday:
Week 1 - Memo No. 1
Effective this week, the company is adopting Fridays as Casual Day. Employees are free to dress in the casual attire of their choice.
Week 3 - Memo No. 2
Spandex and leather micro-miniskirts are not appropriate attire for Casual Day. Neither are string ties, rodeo belt buckles or moccasins.
Week 6 - Memo No. 3
Casual Day refers to dress only, not attitude. When planning Friday's wardrobe, remember image is a key to our success.
Week 8 - Memo No. 4
A seminar on how to dress for Casual Day will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in the cafeteria. A fashion show will follow. Attendance is mandatory.
Week 9 - Memo No. 5
As an outgrowth of Friday's seminar, a 14-member Casual Day Task Force has been appointed to prepare guidelines for proper casual-day dress.
Week 14 - Memo No. 6
The Casual Day Task Force has now completed a 30-page manual entitled "Relaxing Dress Without Relaxing Company Standards." A copy has been distributed to every employee. Please review the chapter "You Are What You Wear" and consult the "home casual" versus "business casual" checklist before leaving for work each Friday. If you have doubts about the appropriateness of an item of clothing, contact your CDTF representative before 7 a.m. on Friday.
Week 18 - Memo No. 7
Our Employee Assistant Plan (EAP) has now been expanded to provide support for psychological counseling for employees who may be having difficulty adjusting to Casual Day.
Week 20 - Memo No. 8
Due to budget cuts in the HR Department we are no longer able to effectively support or manage Casual Day. Casual Day will be discontinued, effective immediately.
We hope that all of our Members and Friends find the articles contained within R E S O U R C E S useful in your HR environment.
Many thanks to all of you who responded to our requests
for articles and research for this newsletter.
If you have anything you wish to contribute to the next issue, please do not hesitate to email Barry Lippold at blippold@marcison.com.
Contact Barry Lippold at 702-281-6528 for pricing and availability
to sponsor future R E S O U R C E S editions
Newsletter: 2010 Edition 2