07.

2015
Vol.3 Issue 07

PRESENTED BY

07111921
HR Technology
Investments
Building the financial
case

Dear HR: Are You

Ready To Hire Data
Scientists?
Practical tips for HR
leaders

Leveling The Playing

Field For HR And
Finance
How to do that?

Don’t Waste Money On

Predictive Analytics
It doesn’t exist in HR

Distant HR, Bad HR...

Good HR must be part of the business!
Geoffroy de Lestrange
What are the HR Strategy and Planning
Excellence Essentials Products and
Services?
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 07. 2015
Vol.3 Issue 07

PRESENTED BY

Features

07111921
HR Technology
Investments
Building the financial
case

Dear HR: Are You

Ready To Hire Data
Scientists?
Practical tips for HR
leaders

Leveling The Playing

Field For HR And
Finance
How to do that?

Distant HR, Bad HR...

Don’t Waste Money On
Good HR must be part of the business!
Predictive Analytics
The more distant HR will be perceived, the more it will feel the need to justify its role with It doesn’t exist in HR
seemingly unnecessary activities PG.05

05 Distant HR, Bad HR... 17 HR Professionals Must Be Great Communicators

Good HR must be part of the business! Visual communications key to successful HR
Geoffroy de Lestrange Tobey Fitch

07 HR Technology Investments 19 Leveling The Playing Field For HR And Finance

Building the financial case How to do that?
Jayson Saba John Schwarz

09 Why HR Is Far From Extinct 20 Workforce Strategies For The Coming Recession
HR has everything you need to be a rockstar HR leaders, it has begun!
Alyssa Burkus Tracey Smith

11 Dear HR: Are You Ready To Hire Data Scientists? 21 Don’t Waste Money On Predictive Analytics
Practical tips for HR leaders It doesn’t exist in HR
Greta Roberts Max Blumberg

14 Increase Employee Retention And Engagement 23 Attention California HR Managers!

Why HR should use stay interviews It’s time to rewrite your sick leave and PTO policies
Jan Johnston Osburn Mike Fagan
 Editor’s Note
I s HR good or bad, should they have
a seat at the table, Is it time for companies
to fire their Human Resource Departments,
should we let the HR function disappear?
Well…discussions are aplenty and you will get
hundreds of articles pertaining to the topics.
Whatever the topic, one thing is sure - HR
related discussions garner huge Internet hits,
as they are widely searched for. In this issue
of the magazine, we too bring you articles
related to this love-hate approach towards HR.
The cover article Distant HR, Bad HR...
by Geoffroy de Lestrange, starts with a
comment that led the author to write this
article. Journalist Lucy Kellaway wrote in a
leading journal, “The most usual sort of drivel
is intermittent, comes from someone distant,
usually in HR, and is routinely ignored by all.”
Geoffroy is amused at how such a celebrated
journalist from the world’s reference business
paper still considers HR this way? He finds
an answer for that. The more distant HR will
be perceived, the more it will feel the need
to justify its role with seemingly unnecessary
activities. The more HR knows about the
strategy and the market environment, the
more efficient they will be. Want to know
more? Read his interesting article.
On the same lines, Alyssa Burkus’ article
Why HR Is Far From Extinct puts forth a
question, Why can’t HR still get any love
from the corporate world? Should we let the
HR function disappear? Not a chance, she
says. In fact, HR has everything you, fear-
less leader, need in to be a rock star in your
organization! Agree with her?
Greta Roberts, through her article Dear
HR: Are You Ready To Hire Data Scientists?,
however expresses her displeasure towards the
HRs who hire data scientists but never allow
Vol.3 Issue. 07
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence
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them do Data Science. She feels Data Scientist
hire is perhaps one of the most brilliant and Customer Service/Circulation:
strategic hires your HR Department has ever For customer service, or information on
made -- perhaps ever. But only if they can products and services, call
do what they were hired to do. The practical 1-877-472-6648 or
email: WPA@editor.hr.com
tips she offers to HR leaders is worth reading.
When all these discussions are on, Tracey Internet Address: www.hr.com
Smith has something else to add. She reminds
us about the recession that has lifted its head HR Strategy and Planning Excellence
again. She rightly points out the need of a flex- Publishing:
Debbie McGrath, CEO, HR.com,
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Have a Say?
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Distant HR, Bad HR...
Good HR must be part of the business!
By Geoffroy de Lestrange
If you don’t read Lucy Kellaway’s articles in the Financial
Times, you really should. Her “Dear Lucy” Agony Aunt column
is at the same time fascinating and witty, as she gives common
sense advice to readers writing about problems concerning all sorts
of work life topics of various importance, from sexism to email
greetings.  side, just google “weird team building activities” and you can
Yet one of her last articles on  Dress code regulation  made
me react. Not on the topic itself, but on one specific sentence:  creativity... and you’ll wonder how some HR departments make
“The most usual sort of drivel is intermittent, comes from
someone distant, usually in HR, and is routinely ignored by
all.” For non-native speakers like myself, “drivel” means “silly
nonsense” according to Oxford Learner’s Dictionary.
In this one single sentence, Ms. Kellaway sums up all the
prejudices that HR still has to overcome today:
• HR is perceived as distant
• HR seems to concerns itself with drivels
• in relation to this, HR appears to considers drivels to be
important
• as a consequence, HR is ignored by all
Of course, I had exactly the same perception of HR a few years
ago but I really hope that the general feeling about HR depart-
ments is evolving, given the highly important missions that are
- or should be - under their responsibility. Just to mention a few:
• They ensure that the company employs the right person
with the right skills at the right position and the right time,
and develop metrics to prove this
• They help developing skills in relation with the company
strategy
• They are in charge of creating an environment to foster
employee engagement
• They are responsible for spreading the company culture  This article has been originally published on Cornerstone OnDemand blog
• They check that employees are diverse enough
• They  check attrition rate and try to find hidden talents
within the company
How come, then, that such a celebrated journalist from the
world’s reference business paper still considers HR this way? I
think the word “distant” is key here. We can define the follow-
ing rule: The more distant HR will be perceived, the more it
will feel the need to justify its role with seemingly unneces-
sary activities.
When I mean distant, I refer to the relationship between HR
and operations. Just to give one extreme example: I have in mind
the case of a company that was facing huge troubles due to the
financial crisis some years ago. In the midst of this tempest,
employees received the company internal magazine, which was
explaining how everyone was trusting the company to get better.
Of course, this generated a burst of bitter laugh as everyone
was all aware of the real situation on the field. Corporate HR
and internal communication somehow destroyed their reputation
that day and I do wonder why local HR and management did
not decide not to distribute this internal magazine...
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015
COVER Article
The worst thing in this example is that I’m sure this corporate
HR department was convinced to be doing something useful.
That’s the real issue: If HR doesn’t work in close cooperation
with the field, they are at risk of making such mistakes.
I can give 2 examples in opposite directions: On the negative
read how far some so-called consultants would go in their mad
to sign for such things!  On the positive side, I remember the
case of an international bank which developed a global training
programme around risk management in order to foster a culture
of risk awareness and  prevent dangerous situations that some
of its competition had been facing. This, I believe, is a great
example of HR working in close relationship with the field and
developing a truly useful development plan that had  a direct
impact on the company business.
Working in talent management, I see numerous cases of great
HR teams heavily involved in making operations more efficient
via quality recruiting, efficient onboarding, targeted learning,
fair performance reviews, strategic succession planning, and
collaborative knowledge sharing. Yet how come  HR in some
companies still has the need to prove themselves? The answer,
again, lies in the understanding of the company’s business. The
more HR knows about the strategy and the market environment,
the more efficient they will be. The further they are from it, the
more they’ll avoid engaging themselves with operations and will
continue “concerning themselves with drivels”.
Any examples of close cooperation between HR and operations
you›d want to share? S&P
Geoffroy de Lestrange is managing product marketing in Europe at Corner-
stone OnDemand, a global software provider of Talent Management solutions.
He has more than 15 years of experience in marketing positions within various
technical or IT related industries. He loves to write about the influence of tech-
nology in HR and the working life in general. 
Email gdelestrange@hotmail.com
Connect Geoffroy de Lestrange
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
Submit your Articles 5
Looking for a silver lining?

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HR Technology Investments
Building the financial case
By Jayson Saba
Every time an organization’s financial leader makes a deci-
sion on where to allocate budget, the head of human resources
faces a dilemma: Often, the company’s technology for human
capital management is complicated and inelegant. The need
for something new can be pressing, yet the challenge to build a
compelling case for its replacement is tall. Problems with overly
integrated, typically premise-based solutions for HCM are clearly
evident, yes, and the superiority of modern HCM technology,
based in the cloud and delivered via software-as-a-service (SaaS),
is readily apparent. But a chief financial officer might see the
return on investment as unclear or uncompelling. HR leaders
need a better way to build the financial case for investments in
HCM technology. Fortunately, there’s a methodology for that.
A Kaleidescope of Challenges for HCM and its Technology
During a recent webinar on this very topic, Ceridian polled
attendees to determine which types of HCM technology they
were trying to develop a business case for. Nearly 65 percent
said Core HR and payroll. Another 41.4 percent pointed to ben-
efits management and enrollment. Almost the same percentage
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015
FEATURE
answered with workforce management, and about 23 percent
indicated talent management. Their responses represented the
three categories of HCM—workforce acquisition, workforce
management and workforce optimization. That’s the entire
employee lifecycle.
An array of challenges bears down on any organization going
about managing its workforce. Payroll, time and attendance
present a weekly or biweekly challenge to reconcile and get right
so the paychecks are right. (Sometimes, it’s an ordeal.) Addi-
tional processes native to core HR present challenges, too—e.g.,
benefits administration and the employee self-service designed
to help staff handle a portion of this on their own. Then there’s
the rest of HCM, which comprises a kaleidoscope of activities,
much of which falls under the umbrellas of workforce manage-
ment and talent management.
That’s a lot of workforce-related activity in need of better
technology. Plus, regulatory complexity is increasing around
several elements of employment facilitated and managed by
that same technology. For instance, though delayed for one year,
Submit your Articles 7
 HR Technology Investments
the Employer Mandate, part and parcel of the Affordable Care
Act (ACA) in the United States, will call for highly prescribed,
complicated tracking of employees’ hours to determine workers’
eligibility for legally-required healthcare benefits. Increases in
the minimum wage, too, occurring regionally across the United
States, come with attendant increases that depend on the ac-
curacy and efficiency of HCM technology.
Where Does ROI Come From?
ROI comes from three different buckets:
1) How much is it costing the company to run the current
system and process?
2) How many people are affected by the solution?
3) How often is the system used?
Boston-based Nucleus Research recently found that for every
dollar spent on automating workforce management, time and at-
tendance and scheduling, a company gets back $7.88. In addition
to the efficiencies saved administratively for payroll managers
and operational supervisors, automating workforce management
minimizes clock rounding, virtually eliminates timesheet errors,
and helps reduce labor costs by setting parameters on when an
employee can clock in. For instance, in a typical 8-hour shift,
employees clock in at shift start, clock out for their first break,
clock back in, clock out for lunch, clock back in, clock out for
their second break, clock back in, and then clock out to go
home at shift’s end. That’s a total of 8 events. Let’s assume in
a manual time and attendance tracking environment that for
8 clock-in/clock-out event, a manager rounded just 2 minutes.
That’s 16 minutes for an 8-hour (i.e., 480-minute) shift, or 3.33
percent. For a mid-sized company with 250 hourly employees
each making an average of $40,000 dollars per year, 10 million
for total payroll, these savings equate to $333,000 annually.
That’s an undeniable benefit.
Indirect vs. Direct Costs—Speaking the CFO’s Language
Direct vs. indirect costs are akin to hard vs. soft costs. Direct
costs’ detriments or benefits jump off the page, whereas indi-
rect costs’ consequences require, typically, inference and leaps
of faith. That’s because indirect savings are associated with ef-
ficiency, productivity, and compliance risk, whereas direct cost
savings include, for instance, reductions in overtime and current
spending on existing systems.
While indirect savings are important, CFOs prefer direct
savings. Why? Direct cost savings are far easier to quantify.
Direct cost savings spare CFOs from guesswork—e.g., how
much revenue is generated by taking a manager out of the back
office and having him or her spend more time on store floor?
Or, how would making the payroll department more efficient
result in headcount reduction? In most cases staff is reallocated
to spend more time on other areas within payroll or HR such
as reporting, onboarding, or looking for ways to add strategic
value to the business.
Any effort HR leadership undertakes to build the case for
investment in better HCM technology must speak CFOs’ lan-
guage. Nearly three-fifths of respondents to Ceridian’s webinar
poll indicated that CFOs are the most difficult stakeholders to
convince that investments in HCM technology are worthwhile.
That may be because CFOs respond best to discussions about
direct costs, whereas many of the go-to arguments for invest-
8 Submit your Articles
ing in HCM technology improvements relate to indirect costs.
But that’s only on the surface. The workforce is–in most
cases–the organization’s largest asset and most controllable
expense. The CFO has a responsibility to help maximize the
productivity of the company’s assets and control expenses. This
extends to investing in the tools and programs to develop and
manage human capital assets.
Defining HCM’s Footprint, Applying a Sound Methodology,
Persuading the CFO
Think about all the variables affected by HCM technology
and costs associated with it: Hardware, IT resources, courier
and postage fees, turnover and attendant fees for recruiting staff,
maintenance (time and fees), check stock, bank fees, consulting
fees, multivendor support. The list is immense. HCM and its
technology occupy a large footprint within the organization,
and examples of direct costs lurk everywhere. Identify and
highlight them.
Realizing the challenges HR leaders face in building a financial
business case for investment in new technology, Ceridian part-
nered with Nucleus to develop a tool that helps our customers
build the financial business case by justifying their investments
in cloud-based HCM applications. Cloud-based, SaaS-delivered
HCM technology like Ceridian’s, which resides in one appli-
cation running one rule engine and requiring zero interfaces,
can have a profound, positive effect on HCM’s organizational
footprint. Everywhere, there is a direct cost to be underscored
and presented to the CFO for his or her consideration as a factor
making the case for an investment in better HCM technology.
Again, take payroll. Companies experience an error rate of
up to 8 percent in their payroll, according to data published
by the American Payroll Association. An error rate as little as 1
percent would find an organization losing upward of $100,000
for every $10 million of payroll processed industry-wide. When
investigating Ceridian customers, however, Nucleus found that
automating time and pay with Dayforce HCM, a single ap-
plication for both eliminated upwards of 90 percent of payroll
errors. For these customers, Dayforce HCM simplifies payroll
processing, reduce payroll errors, and increase productivity for
managers and employees. The first two of those are direct costs,
just the kind that speak to CFOs’ penchant for hard numbers.
Going for Credibility
HCM is full of opportunities to bring about direct cost savings,
just what the CFO likes to see. When building a financial case
for investing in HCM technology, just remember: It’s not always
the biggest ROI number that will sway a CFO to allocate budget
for improvements in HCM technology. Often, it’s the most
credible number, instead. S&P
Jayson Saba is the Vice President of Market Strategy at Ceridian. In addition
to leading market research and industry relations, Jayson supports Ceridian’s
global marketing strategy and press relations. Prior to joining Ceridian, he was
the lead analyst covering Core HR, Workforce Management and Outsourcing
at the HCM practice of Boston-based Aberdeen Group. Jayson blogs, speaks at
HR events, and gives lectures about HR issues and technology to graduate and
undergraduate students.
Email Jayson.saba@ceridian.com
Visit http://www.ceridian.com/
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 07.2015
Why HR Is Far From Extinct
HR has everything you need to be a rockstar
By Alyssa Burkus
HR is having a 50-year-old identity crisis. Born out of the
personnel management world in the 1960s, Human Resources has
struggled from the early days to be seen as a critical strategic partner.
And while there are lots of strong, strategic HR superstars, the profes-
sion continues to be mocked and undervalued.
For decades, we have loved to hate HR. The bolder backlash started
with a Fast Company article in 2005 called “Why We Hate HR”, and
ten years later, despite every effort to combat it, many organizations
are still unhappy with their HR function, or use it as the scapegoat
for all people-related issues.
And now, Harvard Business Review has made Why We Love To
Hate HR its summer cover story.
Why can’t HR still get any love from the corporate world? Stereotypes
say they are policy-focused, lack basic business knowledge, and are
unable to provide the tools leaders need to deliver on their mandates.
Does this mean HR is going to fade away, with people functions
simply distributed to front-line leaders and their teams? The internet
says it’s possible. (Search “Is HR irrelevant”, and you’ll get over 27
million hits.)
Should we let the HR function disappear? Not a chance. In fact,
I think you’re crazy to turn your back on HR. HR teams should be
the darling of the corporate world, guiding light to leadership teams,
and the secret weapon to successfully launching change initiatives in
your organization.
Why? Well, listen up. HR has everything you, fearless leader,
need in to be a rock star in your organization. To lead change boldly
and create massive amounts of agility, connection and collaboration
across your workforce.
HR has at their fingertips all the ingredients for creating the change
infrastructure you need – a framework that allows you to move change
into your workforce on an ongoing basis, where change is no longer
something you do, but a mode you’re in.
Oh sure, you say. Like what?
Here are the key elements to successful organization change you
need from HR:
Data. Big data is everywhere. HBR’s report “The Big Data Op-
portunity for HR and Finance” indicates that HR’s access to data and
ability to mine it to make strategic decisions will be critical. Workforce
data will help you pinpoint the issues you need to solve, if you hope
to get change moving in your organization.
People. Need to know who the key players are who can champion
change? Call HR. They know the rock stars, the allies who can provide
support, and the adversaries who can send your very best ideas into
oblivion with the influence they wield.
Tools. Whether social platforms, learning management systems, or
surveys – whatever the tool, HR has experience implementing them,
and knows how best to leverage them.
Programs. Whether changing behaviour through training pro-
grams, or leading the launch of new initiatives, HR teams are pros at
launching “what’s next” for an organization, and how to maximize
communication channels to get the word out.
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015
Coaching. Even the most junior HR person has had a call from a
manager that starts with “Can you help me solve this problem? Here’s
the situation … “HR has experience providing guidance and coaching
support at all levels of your organization’’.
Still not convinced? Well, I’ll admit, not every HR department has
these bases covered, but they have the starting point of the infrastructure
you need, and can work with you to build it. If they aren’t delivering
across these 5 pillars, push them to up their game in these areas, as
they are critical elements to creating an infrastructure that supports
moving change quickly into your organization.
Despite having these resources, it is still going to be an uphill battle
to change the reputation of the HR profession. Perhaps it’s the “HR”
acronym that needs to fade, taking with it the outdated approach of
simply managing policies and structures. Some teams are rebranding
with titles like “People Operations”; not in name only, but to signal
a new approach to looking strategically at people-related activities.
If you need to lead change in your organization (and really, who
doesn’t these days?) you need to partner with your HR teams and
leverage their capabilities. And if you’re in HR, get out there and
market yourself to your leaders as the next big thing. Just be ready
to back it up with delivering the goods. You’ve got all the ingredients
for maximizing change in organizations, you just need to be ready
to own it and deliver.
HR isn’t dying. Far from it. But they’ll need to change the stereotypes
that continue to haunt the profession by delivering critical elements
for change, and lead the charge in creating the agility, collaboration
and engagement their organizations need. S&P
What do you think? Are HR teams doomed to extinction, or gearing up to be the next corporate
powerhouse? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Alyssa Burkus is the Founder of Shift Wisdom, an organization strategy and
  change management consulting firm in Toronto, Canada. She works with
leaders to build the skills and culture needed for change to become part of
the corporate DNA, creating agile, collaborative and engaged teams. Prior to
launching Shift, Alyssa was part of the change management practice of a global
consulting organization, followed by several senior HR leadership roles.
Follow @alyssaburkus
Email alyssa@shiftwisdom.com
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
Submit your Articles 9
Nominations for the 2016 Leadership 500
Awards are open now through September
30th, 2015. Submit an extraordinary leadership
program or individual. Winners receive: a
featured article interview & photo in a 2016
edition of Excellence Essentials, a video on our
YouTube channel, their name published in the
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and the opportunity to purchase a pass to the
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be celebrated at an awards dinner and ceremony.

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CONNECTING HR EXPERTS GLOBALLY

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Dear HR: Are You Ready To Hire Data Scientists?
Practical tips for HR leaders
By Greta Roberts
I had yet another call today with a brilliant data scientist
working inside of a Human Resources Department of a major
business. This HR data scientist has both a strong analytics and
predictive analytics background. She has a Bachelor’s Degree
in Statistics and a Master’s Degree in Predictive Analytics. She
excels in R, math, predictive modeling, machine learning and
all things quantitative. She is also excited about applying data
science from other domains, to solve interesting workforce
optimization challenges.
She applied for a quantitative HR role that promised to let
her use her skills and interest in solving difficult employee-based
challenges. She was hired for this role. What’s the problem you
ask? HR won’t let her do Data Science.
Over and over again she has suggested a data science approach
to help solve employee focused challenges that have plagued the
organization for years, and cost many millions to the organiza-
tion’s bottom line. Over and over again she is denied the ability
to move forward.
Her comment is that HR seems to be scared or hesitant in
moving forward to a new way of solving solutions. The real
concern is that the “reason” was not fully discussed so she could
learn.
Instead, she is asked to work on generating monthly or weekly
reports that the organization has grown addicted to. When
she is allowed to solve an interesting problem using analytics,
and brilliantly does so, the executive HR leadership won’t give
it executive visibility or implement it in production. Results
are found “interesting” but not deployed. Then, she’s back to
generating reports.
She isn’t alone. And, this blog isn’t about one unique HR Data
Scientist.  Not by a long shot. I hear this all the time - thus this
blog. As a result, I also see brilliant HR data scientists jumping
from one company to another. I can see it on LinkedIn updates
as brilliant HR Data Scientists move from one company to the
other. I hear it in the conversations I have with them about why
they left and their angst before they leave.
My plea to HR (and any other department hiring a Data
Scientist)? Stop hiring real Data Scientists until you’re ready to
do real data science.
I think I understand some of the problem. Perhaps the pres-
sure on HR to begin using an analytical approach has led them
to hire data scientists, but when it comes to actually using this
approach it’s too foreign, or scary or “not what we’ve done
before”. HR needs to learn from these brilliant people they’re
bringing into their domain or stop hiring them to begin with.
“Anyone can hire a Data Scientist. Not every HR department or
organization is ready for data science. Generating reports are not
analytics - even if they’re prettier or faster reports. Dashboards are
not analytics even if they’re really pretty dashboards. More than
anyone, HR should understand the devastating impact of changing
job description on someone that’s been hired.”
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015
FEATURE
Ironically, the Data Scientist hire is perhaps one of the most
brilliant and strategic hires your HR Department has ever made
-- perhaps ever. But only if they let her do what she was hired
to do. HR Data Scientists can help move HR from being tacti-
cal to strategic, using an analytics approach to highlight never
seen before patterns, make decisions based on data and the like.  
Tips on letting that brilliant HR Data Scientist you hired be
one of your most brilliant hires:
1. Assign Reporting to someone else. It’s a very important task,
but it doesn’t require a Data Scientist. Reporting will quickly
bore them to tears and they’ll resign.
2. Don’t block them from talking directly to your business
areas. (I often hear they have to go through the HR Business
Partner who protects the business leader and blocks them from
access).  Working with the HR Business Partner of course makes
sense. Being blocked by the HR Business Partner doesn’t.
3. Task HR Business Partners with finding either high turnover
roles or low performance roles that your Data Scientist can work
to help with. These are great projects for your Data Scientist.
4. Have them focus first on solving business challenges (like
Financial Advisor turnover) not HR challenges like Compliance
Issues. This will give visibility to the great work they do and
introduce HR’s new expertise to solving business challenges that
affect the bottom line.
5. When they complete an analytics project, give them a chance
to talk and present the results, regardless of the outcomes. Did
it help or not help? Don’t keep the results inside of HR.  
6. Admit that you’re a little nervous about what they do.
They’re nervous about what you do too.  
7. Trust your Data Scientist. Stop being scared. You hired them
because they have an area of expertise traditional HR doesn’t.
Embrace their area of expertise.  You need to trust their advice
and approach, or yes, they’ll leave.
And mostly, don’t hire a Data Scientist if you’re not ready for
Data Science. If you thought you were and you find out later
you really aren’t, let them know and let them go. Be honest.
Don’t put them in a different role and block them as they keep
trying to be successful.  S&P
Greta Roberts is the CEO & Co-founder of Talent Analytics, Corp. Greta
Roberts is an influential pioneer of the emerging field of predictive workforce
analytics where she continues to help bridge the gap and generate dialogue
between the predictive analytics and workforce communities. Since co-found-
ing Talent Analytics in 2001, CEO Greta has successfully established the firm
as the recognized employee predictions leader, both pre- and post-hire, on the
strength of its powerful predictive analytics approach and innovative Advisor™
software platform designed to solve complex attrition and performance chal-
lenges.
Email: greta@talentanalytics.com
Follow @gretaroberts.
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
Submit your Articles 11
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 Increase Employee Retention And Engagement
Why HR should use stay interviews
By Jan Johnston Osburn

Using Stay Interviews to Increase Employee Retention and What is a Stay Interview?
Engagement A stay interview is a structured retention interview designed to
Gallup recently released its State of the U.S. Manager report. They’ve discover why a current employee stays and what motivates and engages
been reporting on U.S. workplace engagement since 2000 and the them. They help minimize “triggers” that cause an employee to consider
findings have been pretty consistent.  quitting and they are great opportunities to build trust. 
Americans are simply not “engaged” in their jobs in any given year. Benefits of the ‘Why-do-You-Stay’ Interview
Disengaged employees and the tentacles of disengagement are felt Stay interviews are effective retention tools because:
throughout the organization in terms of costs, productivity, morale, • They stimulate employee engagement.
and retention. • They identify actions that can improve the employee experience
Don’t Ask “Why Are You Leaving”, Ask “Why Do You Stay” and actions that can help eliminate any major frustrations.
Many organizations rely on exit interviews to help identify the • They focus on the positive because if you understand why an
reasons why employees leave. But asking “why are you leaving” on individual employee stays, you can reinforce those factors throughout
the last day of work is reactive. It’s a little too late. Stay interviews the organization.
help companies gain valuable knowledge about how they can retain Possible “Stay-interview” Formats to Consider 
their remaining, valued employees - now. You want to know why Organizations are not equal.  Any initiative should be scalable
they are engaged and happy now so you can continue to provide to what makes sense for your organization.  Stay interviews can be
that environment. conducted by the manager or by Human Resources but all formats

14 Submit your Articles HR Strategy and Planning Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 07.2015
 Increase Employee Retention and Engagement
need to encourage open communication and candor.
Possible formats include:
• A focus group covering a small group of employees
• A one-on-one interview with HR
• A one-on-one interview with their manager
• Questionnaires / Surveys
“ If your organization lacks trust and open communica-
tion, the stay interview will not be effective. You’ll get
bad or inaccurate answers. Be careful not to trivial-
ize how employees feel in your stay interviews. You
may agree or disagree with the views expressed, but
nonetheless, they are the current reality of the em-
ployees.”
Stay Interview Questions to Consider
Again, do what makes sense for your organization. There’s no re-
quired set of questions that must be used in stay interviews but your
stay interview should identify the following:
• Factors that make the employee want to stay
• Positive actions you can take to increase the employee’s com-
mitment
• The possible “triggers” that may cause the employee to consider
leaving
Possible Questions:
• Help us identify the factors that make you more passionate,
committed, and loyal to your team and the firm.
• What do you look forward to when you come to work each day?
• What are you learning here?
• Why do you stay here?
• Why might you leave?
• What can your manager do to make working here better for you?
• Do you feel that you are currently doing “the best work of your
life?” (If no, why?)
• Do you feel that your work makes a difference in the company?
(If no, why?)
• Do you feel “fully utilized” in your current role? If so, can you
identify the factors that make you feel fully utilized? Are there ad-
ditional things that we can do to fully take advantage of your talents
and interests?
• Can you also make a list of the less-desirable elements or frustra-
tions in your current role that you would like to do “less of?”
• Are there any frustration factors that keep you up at night, that
enter your mind while driving to work, or that cause you to dread
having to come to work at all?
• Can you help us understand your career progression expecta-
tions and tell us where you would like to be in the organization two
years from now?
• Can you list the most challenging but exciting aspects of your
current job situation? Are there actions that we can take to further
challenge you?
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015
• Can you highlight any recent recognition that you have received
that increased your commitment and loyalty? Are there actions that
we can take to further recognize you?
• Can you highlight your positive experiences in the area of learn-
ing, development, and growth?
• If you were to ever begin to consider leaving, help me understand
what kind of “triggers” might cause you to consider leaving?
• Think back to a time in the last 12 months when you have been
at least slightly frustrated or anxious about your current role. Can
you list for me the frustration factor or factors that most contributed
to that anxiety? Can you also help me understand what eventually
happened to lower that frustration level?
• What are the prime factors that caused you to leave your last
two jobs? Are there factors from your previous jobs that you hope
you will never have to experience again at our firm?
Don’t Do it if You’re Not Going to Make Changes
You’ll only want to start this if you’re going to be serious about im-
proving. You need to be committed to making positive changes.  And,
when you do make changes, you need to let employees know the
changes are the result of their suggestions and responses in stay inter-
views. They may not make the connection automatically.
If your organization lacks trust and open communication, the stay
interview will not be effective. You’ll get bad or inaccurate answers. 
(And if you know this, you need to address that issue first.) Be careful
not to trivialize how employees feel in your stay interviews. You may
agree or disagree with the views expressed, but nonetheless, they are
the current reality of the employees. 
If you decide to embark on this process, it can be a very rewarding
process for everyone.  The benefits will far outweigh any time and
resources dedicated to the process but you have to be serious about
taking action.  However, if you can retain key people and you know
they are engaged, you’re ahead of the game. S&P
Jan Johnston Osburn is a Senior Global Talent Acquisition leader and Career
Coach with a proven track record of driving transformational initiatives. She
holds a Master’s degree from the University of Buckingham, UK as well as
certifications in Human Resources, Executive Coaching, and Advanced Social
Media. Her first book, Dream Big Or Go Home: Today’s Dream is Tomorrow’s
Reality will be available September 12th on Amazon.
Email janjosburn@yahoo.com
Connect Jan Johnston Osburn
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
Submit your Articles 15
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HR Professionals Must Be Great Communicators
Visual communications key to successful HR
By Tobey Fitch
Of all business professions, Human Resources has the most
challenging and varied communications responsibilities. We need
to be masters of exploration and persuasion when recruiting,
have empathy in employment relations, craft nuanced employee
communications, design effective training, and simplify the
complexity of compensation structures and benefits plans.
It is no wonder then that HR has been on the visual communi-
cations forefront, leading the charge with concepts like corporate
storytelling, graphic recording, video-enhanced training, etc.
Over the past decade, with commoditization of video and
graphic design, the visual communications landscape has changed
dramatically. HR professionals have responded by enhancing
onboarding programs with engaging videos and creating com-
prehensive infographics to explore data-intensive issues such as
workforce diversity.
Let’s take a look at some of the primary forms of commu-
nication that most HR professionals will encounter (and be
responsible for) at some point in their careers.
New Hire Onboarding
First impressions are important, because they have the power
to set the tone for how a relationship, whether it be personal or
professional, will unfold. The new hire onboarding presentation
is an organization’s best chance to make a good first impression
on every employee who walks through the door. Organizations
who want to build strong, long-lasting relationships with their
employees and strong cultures invest time and money into ef-
fective onboarding.
HR professionals often have to communicate a wide variety of
topics in an onboarding presentation: Everything from company
values to codes of conduct, from benefit plans to strategy and
organizational structure. Given the overwhelming nature of
these kinds of presentations—not to mention the length of most
onboarding sessions—the main challenge for HR professionals
here is to make sure that they bring their audience along with
them every step of the way. Engaging visuals and interactive
technology can help presenters maintain the attention of an
audience, especially when the content of the presentation is
vast and complex.
Internal Company Meetings and Email
When it comes to maintaining alignment across a large or-
ganization, internal communications are key. HR professionals
are often tasked with managing these communications, a job
that requires top-notch communication skills. The challenges of
internal communications are numerous. When leadership decides
to change strategic direction, the HR team must figure out how
to communicate changes without causing confusion or distress
amongst employees; if business takes a tumble and bonuses or
jobs need to be cut, the HR team is responsible for finding the
least de-motivating way to communicate this information.
Whether the news is good or bad, effective communicators
know how to manage expectations when delivering internal
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015
messages. And they also know that big announcements or poten-
tially controversial messages are always best delivered in person,
because any questions can be addressed immediately, and the
tone of the message is less likely to be lost in translation than
if it were delivered via email.
“ When leadership decides to change strategic direc-
tion, the HR team must figure out how to communi-
cate changes without causing confusion or distress
amongst employees; if business takes a tumble and
bonuses or jobs need to be cut, the HR team is respon-
sible for finding the least de-motivating way to com-
municate this information.”;
Employee Training & Development
From mandatory harassment trainings to specialized profes-
sional development courses, HR teams are responsible for making
sure that entire organizations have the knowledge they need
to do their jobs. At their worst, training presentations are dry,
uninformative, and sleep-inducing. It takes a great communi-
cator to give the kind of training session that not only teaches
but also entertains.
The best trainers always are the best at communicating the “so
what?” about every main point they make. They tie it all back to
the day to day lives of their audience. Beyond that clarity, they
use positive energy, humor, and an interactive presentation style
to keep their audience on their toes. Even at 4pm on a Friday,
they’re able to hold the attention of a room full of managers
learning about how to give feedback, because they know how
to make even the dryest content engaging.
If you weren’t convinced before that HR professionals need
to be at the top of their game when it comes to effective com-
munication, I hope that this post has changed your mind—and
helped you take a step towards being the kind of HR commu-
nicator you’ve always wanted to be. S&P
Tobey Fitch is the head of People and Talent for Prezi. Prior to Prezi, Tobey led
Fitch Associates, a strategy and organizational development consultancy whose
clients included: Apple, Oracle, Pixar, Adobe, Intuit, as well as non-profits like
  the Rockefeller foundation, Planned Parenthood, and several major universi-
ties. Previously in his career, Tobey ran leadership development and training at
Apple and Sprint. Tobey serves as a Director on the Board of LiveWire.org, The
Northwest Earth Institute, and the Waitte Charitable Foundation.
Connect Tobey Fitch
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
Submit your Articles 17
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 FEATURE

Leveling The Playing Field For HR And Finance

How to do that?
By John Schwarz

It’s time to put HR on an equal footing with Finance.
Who decides what is the right budget to cover the people re-
sources or how many resources are affordable within the budget?
Typically it’s Finance.
Still, because people are hard to define only by numbers, CEOs
want the CHRO to be a strategic talent advisor who can also
speak the language of the business with hard data. A February
2015 study -- conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Visier --
A critical component of the modern CHRO’s arsenal is a
detailed understanding how much the organization’s whole
workforce really costs. The workforce is usually the biggest in-
vestment an organization can make, and decoding a Total Cost
of Workforce (TCOW) is the greatest organization leverage the
CHRO has.

surveyed 301 corporate executives and revealed key traits that
can help elevate HR’s profile in the business.
According to the survey, the sought-after HR leader is:
Data-Driven
• 80% of executives agree their company cannot succeed
without an assertive, data-driven CHRO, who takes a strong
stance on talent issues and uses real-time facts to chart their
talent strategy.
Business-Oriented
• 81% of executives say that when hiring new senior HR
talent they value business acumen more than technical HR skills.
Performance-Focused
• 78% of executives agree that their company cannot succeed
without a CHRO that takes on responsibility for contributing
directly to business performance.
“
Forward-thinking HR leaders are seizing the oppor-
tunity to complement their knowledge of people dy-
namics with CFO-like capabilities, such as business-
linked, cost-driven thinking.”;
True TCOW analysis includes compensation and benefits for all
employees, part-time and contingent workers and all of the other
people-related costs, including allocations and equity programs.
With a TCOW, HR can deliver a very clear workforce plan
and project where costs are going.
It puts the CHRO in the position of having the facts to support
the talent needs of the business when these issues are debated
with Finance and the C-suite. S&P

Visier’s co-founder and CEO, John Schwarz brings to the Visier Board over
forty years of business and IT experience. John has previously successfully acted
as CEO for Business Objects, now part of SAP. During his tenure, Business
Objects doubled its revenue to more than $1.5 billion, improved profitability,
and executed seven strategic acquisitions. After SAP’s acquisition of Business
Objects, John oversaw a dramatic continuing expansion of its business as a
member of the SAP Executive Board. Prior to Business Objects, John held senior
executive positions at Symantec and IBM. John is a director on the Boards of
Teradata, Synopsys, and Avast, and is a former board member of SuccessFactors
and Verity. John is also a member of the Dalhousie University Advisory Board.
Visit http://www.visier.com/
Connect John Schwarz

Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.

Click here for a good resolution image

The above traits -- data-driven, business-focused, performance-

driven -- may be more available in Finance than HR. Unlike
the accountants, HR does not have the tradition of closing the
books every quarter, gaining instant access to data -- revenue,
profit, and earnings per share -- that clearly paints a picture of
business outcomes.
But the modern CHRO is not just an accountant: A solid
understanding of people dynamics is also key. Forward-thinking
HR leaders are seizing the opportunity to complement their
knowledge of people dynamics with CFO-like capabilities, such
as business-linked, cost-driven thinking.

HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015 Submit your Articles 19
 Workforce Strategies For The Coming Recession
HR leaders, it has begun!
By Tracey Smith
I t has begun.  Canada is in recession and the U.S. will
likely follow shortly.
2015 to date, U.S. employers handed out 242,830 pink slips
(redundancy notices), a 13 percent increase from the same
period last year. One of the recent announcements came from
Microsoft with a plan to reduce its workforce by 7,800 people.
75,000 of the job cuts are said to be in the oil and related
industries but retail, finance and tech are also cutting headcount
(Target, Gap, HP, etc.).
The point of mentioning this is that most companies are still
not adopting the strategies of having a flexible workforce. By
flexible, I’m not referencing employees who work remotely. I
mean workers who are not employees. Having a larger percent-
age of flex workers will help to avoid large employee layoffs.
Companies hold tight to the concept of trying to keep em-
ployees for many years, but the fact remains that the typical new
employee will have an average service of 1.5 years. Yes, by the
time they are up to speed, they are looking for their next job.
Here are a few ideas to get you started in having a flexible
workforce:
• 53 million Americans are freelancing (34% of the work-
force). These are people like me who choose to support multiple
companies at the same time instead of working for one employer.
40% of these freelancers are true, independent contractors. These
are the ones you need to ensure a high level of dedication to
your company. You don’t want a moonlighter who’s only avail-
able after 5pm. Pre-approve some freelancers so they are a “just
in time” workforce.
20 Submit your Articles
• With the flood of people accepting early retirement pack-
ages in corporate headcount reductions (who don’t show up in
unemployment statistics), there is a vast, experienced and flexible
workforce available to support you.
• Cross-train employees in different jobs and functional
areas. As workload flexes, you can move these employees where
you need them. This is done frequently in manufacturing. It
can be done in office jobs as well.
I’ll leave it to my fellow LinkedIn experts to contribute a few
more strategies.
Without action today in determining strategies for build-
ing a flexible workforce, we will certainly find the next few
years looking similar to 2008.  It’s now up to HR leaders
and company executives to initiate a plan for setting flexible
workforce strategies. S&P
 
Tracey Smith is one of the “Top 50 Global Influencers in HR Analytics” and
presents at conferences in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., primarily on the
topics of analytics, continuous improvement and Strategic Workforce Plan-
ning. She holds degrees in Mathematics, Engineering and Business and has over
25 years of experience in the areas of Human Resources, Supply Chain and
Engineering. She is the author of “Strategic Workforce Planning: Guidance &
Back-up Plans” and “HR Analytics: The What, Why and How.”
Online School “NI Magazine: Numerical Insights for HR” 
Visit www.numericalinsights.com
Connect Tracey Smith  
Follow @ninsights
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 07.2015

Don’t Waste Money On Predictive Analytics
It doesn’t exist in HR
By Max Blumberg
Did you know that scientifically, the only way to guarantee
predictive analytics is to set up a randomized double-blind
controlled trial? In other words, this is the only way to guar-
antee that a particular set of predictive metrics is causing the
desired outcome rather than some other factor that you hadn’t
thought of. This is why they’re used when testing new drugs
because the risk of incorrectly predicting the effects of a drug
can be catastrophic.
Yet as we all know, even under carefully controlled random-
ized double-blind experimental conditions, we still sometimes
read drug disaster stories in the news. Why? Because even under
these stringent conditions,  randomized double-blind control
trials sometimes fail.
So therefore, in real-world organisations where so many hun-
dreds of possible predictors which might be affecting the desired
outcome we seek, the chances of true predictive analytics is virtu-
ally none. This is because randomized double-blind control trials
are simply not usually an option outside of tightly controlled
laboratories and even there they’re highly suspect.  automation and the development of organizational designs for blending HR,
Therefore as workforce analysts, we should really become
more responsible and start using the term “correlational analyt-
ics” - because that is generally as good we’re ever going to get
in most organisations.
This is not just semantics. For example, if you believe that
engagement predicts performance and spend £2m on engagement
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015
FEATURE
programmes to improve performance (as one telecom client did
against good advice), you’ll be in for a horrible shock - as they
were when they discovered that in their culture, performance
predicted engagement rather than vice versa. Thus their £2m
investment had absolutely no measurable effect on performance.
The rules are:
1. Accept that predictive analytics probably doesn’t exist in
most organisational settings and that you need to make do with
correlational analytics
2. Assess the risk of investing large sums based on analytics
which are in fact correlational rather than predictive
3. Always run a small pilot or two before spending big money
on implementing the results of “predictive analytics” (which we
now know are really just correlational analytics). S&P
Max Blumberg PhD, is founder of the Blumberg Partnership who over the past
15 years have pioneered many analytics solutions in common use today. The
Blumberg Partnership continues to deliver innovative competitive advantage to
its clients through the application of machine learning to workforce analytics
operational, financial and marketing analytics data. Their clients include the
BBC, Lloyds Register, Rentokil Initial, and Friends Provident.
Email: max1@maxb.com
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
Submit your Articles 21
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Attention California HR Managers!
It’s time to rewrite your sick leave and PTO policies
By Mike Fagan
By now, California’s Human Resource Managers are famil-
iar with AB 1522 – the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families
Act of 2014 (“AB 1522” or “the new law”), which was signed
September 10, 2014. AB 1522’s sponsors claim that the law
alleviates the problem of California’s low-wage workers who
lack paid sick leave, which the sponsors cite as a public health
hazard. The impact of the law is pervasive.
“ AB 1522 requires all employers with at least one em-
ployee in California to accrue employee sick leave at a
rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. Thus, part-
time and temporary employees are also covered.”;
Employers without paid leave, paid time off or paid sick leave
policies must institute them consistent with AB 1522. In ad-
dition, employers with existing policies may mistakenly believe
their policies comply. To comply with the new law, current
policies must provide paid leave that may be used for the same
purposes and under the same conditions as AB 1522 and must
also do one of the following: satisfy the minimum accrual, carry
over, and use requirements of AB 1522; or permit employees
to take no less than 24 hours or three days of sick leave, or
equivalent paid leave or paid time off, over each calendar year
or 12-month period.
In addition to those basic requirements of AB 1522, there are
many aspects of the new law that require additional administra-
tive monitoring and analysis to ensure your policies comply. Of
course no new California employment law would be complete
without anti- retaliation provisions and the imposition of sig-
nificant penalties on employers for violations.
The practical effect of AB 1522 is that almost every HR
manager is going to spend more time on administrative and
policy-related paperwork and less time on key business initiatives.
Provisions That May Require Revisions to Your Current
Policies
1. Determining who is entitled to sick leave
HR Managers need to revise their current policies to broaden
the scope of employees who are covered under the new law.
Employers commonly provide paid sick leave only to full-time
employees or employees who work a certain minimum number
of hours per week. AB 1522 requires employers to offer sick leave
to any employee who works more than 30 days in a year. While
not explicit, presumably this does not mean 30 full-time days
but would include any work performed over any 30 days in one
year from the start of employment. Thus, part-time, temporary,
per-diem, and even seasonal employees may be covered.
HR Strategy and Planning Excellence presented by HR.com | 07.2015
The new law also requires you to provide paid sick leave to
employees who are exempt from overtime. Most employers do
not provide paid sick leave to exempt employees but instead offer
limited, or in some cases unlimited, PTO that may be used for
any purpose. Because of this time consuming record management
requirement, you are now tasked to track the accrual and use of
paid sick leave and/or PTO for exempt employees.
2. Tracking accrual and carry over of paid sick leave
The need to track accruals begins on July 1, 2015, or at a
later date of hire. HR managers must not only examine their
policies with a fine tooth comb to ensure they fully comply, but
they also must determine the best way to manage and share this
information securely and in a streamlined manner. For example,
HR managers have to analyze whether their current systems can
manage this information with minimal HR time commitment
(proactive compliance monitoring would be invaluable) and
whether the solution is a self-service model that empowers your
employees and eliminates a significant administrative burden
on HR.
AB 1522 requires all employers with at least one employee in
California to accrue employee sick leave at a rate of one hour
for every 30 hours worked. Thus, part-time and temporary
employees are also covered. Employees are also entitled to paid
sick leave if they work at least 30 days in one year from their
date of hire and can begin using accrued sick leave 90 days after
they begin employment.
Additional compliance issues arise in the new law because
employees accrue sick leave based on the number of hours
worked under AB 1522, whereas most employers provide sick
leave or PTO accrual based on the number of days, weeks, or
months worked.
Accrued sick days must carry over from year to year. There is
an exception. Employers who have a paid leave policy or paid
time off policy that allows for at least 24 hours, or three days, of
paid sick leave at the beginning of each calendar or anniversary
year, do not need to provide carry over.
Furthermore, employees can use sick leave for the diagnosis,
preventative care, or treatment of an existing health condition
of the employee or a family member, including a parent, parent-
in-law, child, spouse, registered domestic partner, sibling, grand-
child, or grandparent. Employees may also use sick leave for a
variety of reasons, such as being a victim of domestic violence,
sexual assault, or stalking.
3. Tracking the use of paid sick leave
Most employers provide a certain number of paid sick days
per year, rather than providing sick leave by the hour. However,
under AB 1522 employees accrue sick leave by the hour, and
you must allow them to use sick leave in increments as little as
two hours.
Beyond that, tracking difficulties arise because of a 90-day
“probationary period” within the new law. While employees
Submit your Articles 23
 Attention California HR Managers!
begin accruing sick leave on July 1, 2015, or their date of hire
if hired after July 1, 2015, they are not entitled to use accrued
sick leave until they have worked for at least 90 days.
4. Doctors’ notes/notice requirements
Many employers require an employee to provide a doctor’s
note either before or after he or she takes a sick day in order for
the employee to be paid for time off. While the new law doesn’t
mention whether you can make doctors’ notes mandatory, Cali-
fornia’s Department of Industrial Relations permits employees to
file a claim with the Labor Commissioner against an employer
who denies sick leave “due to a failure to provide details.”
5. Paystub requirements
Under the new law, an employee’s paystub or another document
provided to the employee must show the amount of accrued sick
leave that the employee has available. Unless you want to issue
a separate document to each employee at every pay period, this
requirement is a real challenge to HR managers who manage
paperwork.
6. Discipline for excessive absenteeism
Many employers discipline an employee for excessive absentee-
ism. Some employer policies allow for the discipline of employees
who do not notify management in advance of an absence. Other
employers may require employees to find a replacement to cover
their scheduled shift as a condition of allowing them to use sick
leave. You need to revisit such policies in light of the new law.
Requiring employees to find a replacement is forbidden under
the new law too. In addition, you may not fire, threaten to fire,
demote, suspend, “or in any manner discriminate against” an
employee for using accrued sick leave.
7. Interaction with local sick leave laws
Several California cities have enacted their own sick leave
legislation. AB 1522 says that, if you are subject to a local sick
leave law, it must comply with the law that is more generous to
the employee. Employers subject to local sick leave laws need
to compare their local law with the requirements of AB 1522 to
ensure they are applying the most generous law. San Francisco
is among those cities. Its local paid sick leave law differs from
the new law in terms of permitted uses, caps on accrual, notice
and recordkeeping provisions.
8. Written policies and Record management
Some employers may allow employees to take sick leave without
a detailed written policy. However, AB 1522 requires you to post
a notice containing information about the new sick leave law.
For employees hired prior to January 1, 2015, you must also
provide them with written notice, either digitally or in paper
format, of any changes to its sick leave policies within seven
days of the actual change.
Employers with existing policies that meet all the requirements
of AB 1522 must also provide written notice to employees out-
lining the specific requirements of the new paid sick leave law,
even if the policy is in writing.
AB 1522 also imposes additional record management require-
ments on HR Managers. For instance, you must maintain and
store for three years all records documenting hours worked,
paid sick days accrued, and paid sick days used. Those records
must be made available to employees, upon request. HR depart-
ments with a document management system that has secure
24 Submit your Articles
permission-based access for employees to view and self-manage
that information will be vital.
“
Several California cities have enacted their own sick
leave legislation. AB 1522 says that, if you are subject
to a local sick leave law, it must comply with the law
that is more generous to the employee.”;
9. Special issues regarding seasonal employees
Unless required by another law, most employers do not already
provide paid sick leave to seasonal employees. However, seasonal
employees are clearly covered under the new law, which poses
special tracking and record management issues. For example,
if an employee leaves for any reason and is rehired within one
year, all previously accrued and unused sick leave is restored to
the employee. But this does not apply if the employer allows
the employee to “cash out” his or her sick leave.
What HR Departments Should Do Now
• Review your current sick leave or PTO policies
• Review any absenteeism policies to ensure that employees
are not disciplined for taking paid sick leave under the new law
• Review and, if needed, modify your documents to make
sure they reflect both the accrual and the use of paid sick leave or
PTO under AB 1522 and local ordinances prior to July 1, 2015
• Analyze how to streamline internal document processes to
give your employees self-managed access and to provide manag-
ers with the compliance monitoring of and access to Employee
information for which they are responsible.
• Before disciplining them, determine whether the employee
is protected under AB 1522.
Most importantly, AB 1522 doesn’t have to increase your
paperwork and the time you spend on mundane tasks. With a
few simple adjustments, the new law is an opportunity to reduce
the time you spend finding, sharing, and governing documents,
while you also reduce the frequency of lost or misfiled docu-
ments, and eliminate the wasted cost of using expensive floor
space as file space.
Mike Fagan is director of Sales at Archive Systems, is an attorney with 20 years
of experience in private practice and as an in-house attorney.
Connect Mike Fagan
Would like to Comment? Please Click Here.
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