Employers Resource Association

Cincinnati: 1200 Edison Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45216-2276

Phone: 513.679.4120 | Fax: 513.679.4139

Columbus: 300 East Broad Street, Suite 550

Columbus, OH 43215-3774

Phone: 614.538.9410 | Fax: 614.538.9420

Toll free: 888.237.9554 www.hrxperts.org

July—September 2016

Inside this issue: 1 Benefits that Attract and Retain 2 From the President 3 Survey Update 4 Leadership Skills for Group Leaders I 5 Excellence in Leadership I 6 New Members 7 Member Highlights 8 Safety Spotlight

Special points of

interest:

9 ERA Special Events 10 ERA Upcoming Training 11 Do You Know How Medical Marijuana Will Affect Your Workplace? 12 Are Work Searches Required for Employees on Short- term Layoffs? 13 ERA’s SHRM-CP/SCP Certification Course for 2016

Benefits that Attract and Retain

In June, U.S. employers added 287,000 jobs, exceeding projections. The surge in hiring shown in the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor

Statistics (BLS) only confirms what most employers are feeling; a tight labor market. When the market be-comes an employee market, ERA members start asking how they can compete without increasing salaries.

Two ideas to contemplate include help-

ing new graduates with their student loan debt and flexible work arrange-ments. Today’s new college graduate will have approximately $35,000 in student loan

debt. Based upon a 2015 SHRM Sur-vey, only about 3% of employers offer financial support to help an employee pay down their student debt. Larger employers like PricewaterhouseCoop-ers, Kronos and even public interest organizations have taken the lead.

However, as the market continues to

get tighter, we may see more and more employers contemplating the ability to offer this as a benefit. If this is something that your business might contemplate, the most important

thing to keep in mind about student loan repayment benefits is that there is no preferential tax treatment. In other words, any amount paid to employees will be subject to income and payroll taxes. Even without preferential tax

treatment, student loan repayment benefits can be key to attracting and retaining top talent. In addition,

student loan repayment programs are relatively easy to implement. If you would like to discuss plan de-signs and other things to consider,

Monique Kahkonen, Director of Com-pensation and Benefit Services can provide assistance at mkhakonen@hrxperts.org. Another growing trend is telecommut-

ing. In a recent U.S. Census Bureau

survey, the BLS reported that 38% of workers in management, business and financial operations occupations and 35% of those employed in a profes-sional or related occupation did some or all of their work from somewhere

other than the office. A recent ERA HR Beat survey confirmed the continued movement of certain employees con-ducting business from their home. To see our results, click here. Certainly, technology such as Slack,

Skype and Google Docs have helped

make collaboration easier when teams are dispersed. Moreover, driving this movement is possibly because Millenni-als are entering the workplace at a fast speed; Millennials are expected to make up 50 percent of the global

workforce within four years. Given this, employers should begin now, if they haven’t, to contemplate the value of adding workplace flexibility to meet their expectations of working where and when they want.

Member

Satisfaction

Survey Results

PAGE 2 Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

Thank you for taking the time to complete the annual member satisfac-

tion survey that we sent out earlier this year. We had over 320 partici-

pants with a good representation of industries and company size. We

have reviewed the survey and are working now to develop our strategic

plan for the next three years, which includes a revisit of our mission, vi-

sion and values. We are excited about this process and anticipate that we

will develop a growth strategy to meet your needs now and in the future

– to help you be current, compliant and competent in HR.

On this year’s member satisfaction survey we asked participants how like-

ly they were to recommend ERA to colleagues or other organizations.

This is a common question used in satisfaction surveys as research has

indicated it can be an indication of loyalty. Depending on their response

each individual is grouped into one of three different loyalty categories.

Promoters (a response of 9 or 10) have the highest loyalty and are con-

stantly recommending ERA to their colleagues or other organizations.

Passives (responses of 7 or 8) is the next loyalty group. While Passives

are not as loyal as Promoters, they are generally pleased with their rela-

tionship with ERA but do not actively recommend to others.

The last group, Detractors (responses lower than 7) are the least loyal

members. Using these groups, we are able to calculate a Net Promoter

Score (NPS) which is calculated by taking the percentage of Promoters

and subtracting the percentage of Detractors. This calculation gives us a

single metric to help gauge how loyal our members are to ERA. On this

year’s member satisfaction survey, we were pleased to report a Net Pro-

moter Score of 64% with 92% of ERA members being classified as either

a Promoter or Passive. The 64% NPS represents ERA having almost 10

times as many Promoters as Detractors. We want to thank our members

for not only being loyal to ERA but for also providing a positive word of

mouth!

We have reached out to those who asked to be contacted. If for some

reason you did not hear from us, please let me know. We appreciate

your feedback and look forward to sharing with you our initiatives to bet-

ter serve you; our valued members. Thank you for your membership

with ERA!

Jennifer Graft, MBA, SPHR

From the President

PAGE 3 Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

Survey Update

Benchmarking Your

Health Insurance

Options and Costs

With open enrollment right around the corner, the time to evaluate your

current insurance options is right now. With the costs of health insurance

consistently increasing each year, organizations should be in the habit of

evaluating certain aspects of their health plan to ensure that they are man-

aging their cost while also continuing to offer competitive insurance options.

Outlined below are several factors that should be examined when deciding

on health insurance options and on how to manage the overall cost to the

organization.

What plans are offered?

ERA recently released the 2016 Health and Welfare Benefit survey re-

port, which reported that high-deductible health plans (HDHP) are con-

tinuing to grow as an insurance option being offered by employers.

Among all health plans submitted on the survey, 46% of them were

HDHP while only 38% were PPO (the second most popular choice). The

size of organization does appear to have a factor in the insurance op-

tions being offered to employees. Mostly driven by the affordability re-

quirement of the ACA, employers with more than 100 employees were

nearly four times more likely to offer a traditional insurance option

(PPO, POS, HMO, etc.) along with a HDHP as compared to employers

with 50 or less employees.

How much are employees paying?

As insurance costs continue to rise each year, employers are forced to

pass along some of the increases to their employees. Twenty-six per-

cent of employers reported raising the employee contribution amount to

curb the cost of insurance. On average, a single employee was responsi-

ble for roughly 27% of the monthly premium for their PPO health plan

and 24% of their HDHP. Both of these figures are up about 3% from last

year.

What other actions can help curb healthcare costs?

Outside of increasing the employee’s contribution amount for health in-

surance costs, the most commonly used strategy to curb healthcare

costs was the implementation of a wellness program. Roughly 1 in 5

companies reported starting a wellness program in the last 12 months.

Wellness programs can offer additional benefits to employees such as flu

shots, biometric screening and smoking cessation classes. To increase

the likelihood of participation in wellness programs, 69% of employers

reported incentivizing employees to participate.

Reviewing strategies to control healthcare costs is crucial to an organiza-

tion’s bottom line especially as insurance premiums continue to increase at

a rapid pace. Ensuring that your plans are competitive with the marketplace

while also ensuring costs do not spiral out of control is a difficult balance to

obtain. If you are in need of additional benchmarking information to help

achieve this balance, you can click here to access ERA’s 2016 Health and

Welfare Benefits Survey Report. The report is available to all ERA members

by visiting our website, www.hrxperts.org. If you have any questions re-

garding our survey information, please contact Jeff Lucas, PHR, SHRM-CP,

Survey Manager at 1.888.237.9554 or by e-mail at jlucas@hrxperts.org.

Jeff Lucas, PHR, SHRM-CP

PAGE 4

Date: Tuesdays, August 23 & 30, 2016

Time: 8:15 a.m.— 3:45 p.m. Lunch is included

Location:

ERA Cincinnati Office

1200 Edison Drive Cincinnati, Ohio 45216-2276

Member Fee: $310.00

*Non-members Fee: $434.00 SHRM-CP/SCP PDCs: 13

PHR/SPHR/GPHR Recertification Credits: 13

Who should attend?

Current or potential hourly group

leaders.

Member Discount: Register three or more people at least 14 days prior to the program

to qualify for a 5% Group Discount.

*Pre-payment is required for non-member.

To register, e-mail training@hrxperts.org, call 513.679.4120 or online.

Leadership Skills for Group Leaders I

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Substitutions may be made at any time prior to the first class session. No-shows or cancellations in writing within 2 full business days will be charged.

Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

About your instructor…

Jerry Yingling, PHR, SHRM-

CP, Learning and Development

Consultant, leads this program.

Jerry shares his knowledge and

experience from a wide range of

industries with participants.

Help your non-exempt level

group leaders improve their abil-

ity to get things done through

others without actual superviso-

ry/management authority. This

course will give them the tools

they need to have more success,

with more people, more often,

by exposing them to the most

important leadership competen-

cies.

Learning Objectives:

• Adopt the qualities of a great

leader

• Change/adjust leadership styles

to meet the needs of team

members

• Apply motivational techniques

• Avoid communication “gaffes”

that plague group leaders

• Improve skill training: tech-

niques to get new employees

trained better and faster Jerry Yingling, PHR,

SHRM-CP

PAGE 5

Date:

Tuesdays, August 9, 16, 23, 30,

September 6 & 13, 2016

Time:

8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m.

Location: ERA Columbus Office

300 East Broad Street, Suite 550

Columbus, Ohio 43215-3774

Members Fee: $410.00

*Non-member Fee: $574.00

SHRM-CP/SCP PDCs: 24 PHR/SPHR/GPHR Recertification Credits: 24

Who should attend? Any manager or supervisor with six months or more experience. Less

than six months should consider Making the Transition to Supervi-sor.

Member Discount: Register three or more people at least 14 business days prior to the program to qualify for a 5% Group

Discount.

*Pre-payment is required for non-

members.

To register, e-mail

training@hrxperts.org, call 614.538.9410 or online.

Excellence in Leadership I

This intensive workshop is a key

component of the core

“Excellence in Leadership” series

for managers and supervisors.

Participants will be exposed to a

variety of competencies neces-

sary to be successful leading

others in today’s complex work-

place. Highly interactive, partici-

pants will apply what they learn

while in the classroom.

Learning Objectives:

• Adopt the qualities of a great

leader

• Use authority and influence ap-

propriately

• Flexing leadership styles to

meet the needs of team mem-

bers

• Discover the “true” nature of

motivation

• Utilize motivational techniques

to get better results

• Identify the laws that govern

the workplace such as Title VII,

FLSA, FMLA, OSHA, ADA and

many more

• Avoid common leadership

landmines that land them and

companies in legal trouble.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Substitutions may be made at any time prior to the first class session. No-shows or cancellations in writing within 2 full business days will be charged.

Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

About your instructor…

Dawn Hays, Esq., SHRM-SCP,

Director and Counsel, Columbus

Office, will lead this important

leadership program. She brings

years of experience to this pro-

gram. As an employment attor-

ney, Dawn advised Fortune 500

companies and middle market

clients in all areas of employ-

ment law.

Dawn Hays, Esq., SHRM-SCP

PAGE 6

Care Connection of Cincinnati is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Tony

Izquierdo is the VP of Business Operations.

Cincinnati Processing LLP is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. David Harris is

the President.

ePremium Insurance Agency, LLC is located in Mason, Ohio. Mr. Chad

Scott is the President.

G & W Products LLC is located in Fairfield, Ohio. Mr. Gary Johns is the CEO.

G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers, Inc. is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Tim Hardig

is the VP COO.

Green Umbrella is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Kristin Weiss is the

Executive Director.

Hocking College is located in Nelsonville, Ohio. Mr. Jeff White is the Associ-

ate VP of HR.

Leen Spitler Benefits Group is located in Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Brian Leen is a

Partner.

Legacy Maintenance Services, LLC is located in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Roy

Leahy is the President/COO.

Mane Inc. is located in Lebanon, Ohio. Mr. Brad Kelley is the President.

Motz Turf Farms, Ltd. Is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. David Motz is a

Partner.

MRA Advertising/Production Support Svcs. is located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ms. Fran Furtner is the President.

Neyer Management is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. John Neyer is the

President/CEO.

Ohio Valley Residential Services, Inc. is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr.

James Steele is the Executive Director.

Steck Manufacturing Company, Inc. is located in Dayton, Ohio. Mr. John

Brill is the President.

Superior Dental Care Alliance Inc. is located in Centerville, Ohio. Ms. Traci

Harrell is the CEO.

University of Cincinnati Research Institute is located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ms. Jessa De Los Santos is the Operations Manager.

Wincom, Inc. is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. William Matulewicz is the

President.

Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

These companies

have recently

joined ERA.

Thank you for

your trust and

joining our

membership of

over 1200

organizations.

New Members

PAGE 7

Welcome, new

members to ERA—

Thank you for

your membership!

Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

Member Highlights

Ripple Junction began as two guys

with a van full of shirts at a Grate-

ful Dead show. Today, they are a

leading designer and developer of

licensed merchandise for globally

recognized brands. For over 20

years, they have been driven by

passion and purpose. They believe

in quality, creative products and a

commitment to celebrating film,

television, rock & roll, anime, sci-

ence fiction, video games and pop

culture.

In 1995, Global Cooling Inc. was

established to commercialize a line

of free-piston Stirling cooling en-

gines. The company’s first produc-

tion unit was sold as an OEM prod-

uct to other manufacturers to use

in a range of devices used in aero-

space, electronics, energy and oth-

er industries. In 2009, Global

Cooling identified the significant

cooling performance and energy

advantages of the free-piston Stir-

ling technology over ultra-low cas-

cade refrigeration systems used in

medical research, life science,

pharmaceutical and clinical hospital

industry. In 2010 the company

decided to establish a manufactur-

ing facility to build a competitive

line of ultra-low temperature stor-

age freezers to meet a growing de-

mand from biorepositories, phar-

maceutical companies and hospi-

tals beyond. In April 2011, the

company moved into a 50,000 sq.

ft. facility in Athens, Ohio keeping

its commitment to empower the

workforce of Southeastern Ohio

and to continue the legacy of quali-

ty ultra-low freezer manufacturing

already established in Southeast-

ern Ohio.

Full Range Rehab started in 2007.

They created a patented device,

the EZ Stretch. It is a mechanical

overpressure therapy device used

to help patients regain range of

motion in their knee joint following

a knee surgery or injury.

OPW has been a global leader in

commercial and retail fueling solu-

tions for more than 117 years.

OPW was founded in 1892 as the

Ohio Pattern Works and Foundry

Company. In 1948, the company

changed its name to OPW Corpora-

tion before becoming a part of the

Dover Corporation in 1961.

PAGE 8 Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

Safety Spotlight When we hear the term, “Fire Door,” it can take on many meanings. In this article I will focus on one type, the passage door through which human

foot traffic passes. Part 2, the vertical or overhead fire door and the horizon-tal, rolling fire door, through which lift trucks and human foot traffic pass will be addressed in the next edition of the ERA Insight.

To the fire service, a fire door serves

two capacities. These are known as vertical and horizontal cutoffs. Cutoffs refer to the function and design that prevents fire and smoke from travel-ing, uncontrolled, through a structure,

either vertically - from floor-to-floor or horizontally - passing from one section of a building directly to another, via a horizontal plane. When fire takes control of a building, it migrates throughout as it feeds on

combustible interior structural compo-nents and/or combustible contents, whatever those contents may be.

Hence, a primary interruption of this fire travel, is the fire door. The passage of human traffic through a

fire door may be vital to escape from uncontrolled fire. The essence of this door is that it remains closed at all times or has self-closing devices that ensure it closes under fire conditions. NOTE: the usual failure of this door to

do its job is that it has been intention-ally blocked open in some fashion, con-trary to fire safety regulations. This blocking open is usually achieved by placing a wedge under it.

So now, this fire protection system

(fire door) has been disabled and per-mits fire to travel, uncontrolled at its will, either vertically or horizontally. Envision a non-combustible, enclosed stairway under normal circumstances. This stairway is for human travel

throughout the workday, either up or down to proceed with work tasks. Em-ployees come and go at will. Now en-vision fire, heat and smoke consuming the building and its contents. Escape is the total priority and the fire doors,

vertical/horizontal cutoffs, enable em-

ployee evacuation.

Imagine being on an upper floor and rushing to the (escape) stairway only to find, as you enter the stair corridor, the stair is filled with heat and smoke. This

has occurred because one or more of the stairway (fire) doors has been wedged open and can neither protect nor main-tain the sanctity of the escape stairs. The employee enters the escape stair corridor (stairway) and finds intolerable

conditions due to heat and smoke. As

the door closes behind the employee it latches securely. The employee quickly turns to reenter the floor from which he sought to escape.

Uh, oh! In this particular case, the latched stairway fire door cannot be opened from the stairwell landing. This is occasionally found as a security con-trol measure for specific floors in a multi-story building.

Blocking open any stairwell fire door can lead to the stairwell becoming a chimney rather than a means of escape.

This series of events can and has led to employee fatalities, that is, employees or occupants found dead in the escape

stairs. Do your own evaluation of your facility and see what you find regarding fire door operation and function. This article addresses the role of fire doors in the in the realm of employees

who may seek egress from buildings in-volved in fire situations. For more spe-cific and technical information, click here. You can also visit NFPA.

*Once on NFPA site, insert “Fire doors”

into the search bar. OSHA Fact Sheet on Exits. If you would like Billy Ring’s assistance with your safety program or to have a safety audit, contact Carol Reubel at

888.237.9554. Article provided by Billy Ring, an Associate Instructor.

Billy Ring

Fire Door

PAGE 9

ERA Special Events

Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

Breakfast with Barb - "Common Mistakes and Pitfalls in Wage and Hour Practices"

Barb Barrett, Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Labor and Wage Solutions 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

ERA Cincinnati Office

Member Fee: $75.00

Non-member Fee: $100.00

To register, click here.

ERA Benefits Forum - “Understanding Medicare and Social Security Retiree Benefits” Marissa O’Neill, Friday, September 16, 2016

MB Senior Solutions 9:00 a.m.—10:30 a.m.

Jim Blair, ERA Cincinnati Office

Premier Social Security Consultants Member Fee: $20.00

Marc Kiner Non-member Fee: $30.00

To register, click here.

Excellence in Leadership I will take place on Tuesdays, August 9, 16, 23, 30, September 6 & 13, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m. Human Resource Management I will take place on Thursdays, August 11, 18, 25, September 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, 8:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m. Communication Skills for Teamwork will take place on Wednesday, August 17, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m. SHRM CP/SCP Certification Preparation Program will take place on Thursdays, August 25, September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, October 13, 20, 27, November 3, 10 & 17, 5:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Workplace Harassment Awareness and Prevention for Managers and Supervisors

will take place on Wednesday, August 31, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m. Discipline and Discharge for Managers & Supervisors will take place on Tuesday, September 20, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m. Principles of Employee Compensation will take place on Thursday, October 13, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m. Leadership Skills for Group Leaders will take place on Tuesdays, October 18, 25 & November 1, 8:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m. The Art of Conflict Resolution will take place on Wednesday, October 26, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m.

Columbus Training Cincinnati Training

PAGE 10

ERA Upcoming Training

Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

Excellence in Leadership I will take place on Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & September 6, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m. FMLA Essentials will take place on Tuesdays, August 2 & 9, 8:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m. Workplace Harassment Awareness and Prevention for Managers and Supervisors will take place on Wednesday, August 3, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m. Human Resource Management I will take place on Thursdays, August 4, 11, 18, 25, September 1, 8, 15 & 22, 8:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m. Communication Skills for Teamwork will take place on Wednesday, August 10, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Coaching Skills for Managers and Supervisors will take place on Wednesday, August 17, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m. Leadership Skills for Group Leaders I will take place on Tuesdays, August 23 & 30, 8:15 a.m.—3:45 p.m. SHRM CP/SCP Certification Preparation Program will take place on Tuesdays, August 23, 30, September 6, 13, 20, 27, October 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8 & 15, 5:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Skill-Based Training Techniques will take place on Thursday, August 25, 8:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m. How to Champion Change will take place on Thursday, September 1, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m. Workplace Harassment Awareness and Prevention for Non-Managerial Staff will take place on Tuesday, September 13, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m. Interpersonal Skills Development Series will take place on Wednesdays, September 14, 21, 28 & October 5, 8:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m. Delivering Performance Appraisals and Feedback will take place on Thursday, September 15, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Perfecting Your Presentation Skills will take place on Tuesdays, September 20 & 27, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m. Leadership Skills for Group Leaders II will take place on Thursdays, September 22 & 29, 8:15 a.m.—3:45 p.m. Exceptional Customer Service will take place on Tuesday, September 27, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m. Excellence in Leadership II will take place on Tuesdays, October 4, 11, 18, 25, November 1 & 8, 8:150 a.m.—12:15 p.m. Investigating Employee Complaints and Misconduct will take place on Tuesday, October 4, 8:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m.

Making the Transition to Supervisor will take place on Wednesdays, October 5, 12, 19 & 26, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m. Human Resource Management II will take place on Thursdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27, November 3 & 10, 8:30 a.m.—12:00 p.m. Avoiding Liability Landmines will take place on Thursday, October 6, 8:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m. OSHA 30 Hour General Industry Outreach Training will take place on Thursdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27 & November 3, 8:30 a.m.—3:30 p.m. Behavioral Interviewing Techniques will take place on Wednesday, October 19, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m. Principles of Employee Compensation will take place on Tuesday, October 25, 8:15 a.m.—12:15 p.m.

To register for classes, click here,

e-mail training@hrxperts.org or call

888.237.9554.

PAGE 11 Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

ERA Staff Members

TAMMY BENNETT

DAN CHANEY

BARBARA ENGLAND

JENNIFER GRAFT

PATTI GROGAN

DAWN HAYS

BRANDI HELTON

MONIQUE KAHKONEN

LORI LEWELLEN

JEFF LUCAS

GARY MERTZ

RALPH NEAL

CAROLYN POTTER

CAROL REUBEL

APRIL RISEN

MARY SOLOMON

LESLIE VOGEL

JERRY YINGLING

Do You Know How Medical Marijuana Will Affect Your Workplace?

Ohio’s House Bill 523 (effective September 8, 2016) establishes a statutory right to

the use of marijuana for medical purposes for qualifying medical conditions. The bill

establishes specific standards around those involved in cultivating, processing and

selling while the treating physicians will have required licensing and the actual pa-

tients receiving medical marijuana will be on a specific registration.

The registered patients are protected from arrest and criminal prosecution for their

use and possession of the medical marijuana under the new bill, but there are still

restrictions from operating a vehicle, watercraft or aircraft while under the influence.

It is expected there will be additional new rules in the future.

When it comes to the workplace, registered patients will not be authorized to work in

opposition of their employer’s policies.

1. The same rules apply to marijuana's influence on workers' compensation

claims. An employee isn't entitled to benefits if the proximate cause of injury

is due to the influence of marijuana. Rebuttable presumption remains.

2. Employers are not required to accommodate or permit their employee’s use,

possession or distribution of medical marijuana.

3. Employers may refuse to hire, discharge, discipline or otherwise take adverse

action against a person’s employment status because of that person’s use,

possession or distribution of medical marijuana and the bill does not create a

right for employees to sue said employer for these actions.

4. Employers can keep, establish and enforce drug testing policies including drug-

free workplace and zero tolerance workplace policies.

It is highly recommended that employers review best prac-

tices for administering your workers’ compensation pro-

gram and drug testing.

**Reminder: 2017 Group and Group Retro quotes are

now being released (first enrollment deadline is 11/21/16).

If you would like to receive a free quote from Matrix,

please contact Katie Jones at kjones@matrixtpa.com or fill

out the AC3 link here.

Article provided by The Matrix

Companies, an ERA

Partnered Service. Katie Mahon Jones

PAGE 12

ERA BOARD OF

DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

CHAIR*

Katharine Weber,

Attorney at Law

Jackson Lewis, LLP

VICE-CHAIR*

Bob Garriott, VP, Information Systems

KAO Corporation

TREASURER*

Tiffany White,

CPA, Principal

Clark Schaefer Hackett

SECRETARY*

Jennifer M. Graft,

President & CEO

Employers Resource Association

DIRECTORS

Dale Brinkman, Vice President Administration, General Counsel and Secretary Worthington Industries, Inc.

John Campbell, CEO/President

Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc.

Jill Snitcher McQuain, Executive Director

Columbus Bar Association

Craig Oaks, Vice President, Human Resources

Gold Medal Products

Keith Rummer, Sr. Vice President, Chief Human

Resources Officer Phillips Edison & Company

Bill Thiemann,

Client Leader, Chief Relationship Officer

Kolar Design

Jeff White, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, Diversity and Campus

Relations Hocking College

*Executive Committee Members

A question that often comes up from employers that are doing a seasonal

or short-term layoff is whether the released employees are required to

search for another job during the layoff. As an employer, you don’t want to

lose good employees if know you will be calling them back after a certain

period of time.

Ohio unemployment rules require claimants to personally apply for work

with at least two employers who hire in their trade or occupation. This is

required for each week they are applying for unemployment benefits. The

work search may be waived if the claimant is expected to return to work

within 45 days.

To qualify for this waiver, the employees must be given a return-to-work

date at the time of layoff and the employer must provide that return-to-

work date when responding to the unemployment claim. An employer

should not tell the released employees that a work search is not required.

When the employee files the unemployment claim, the state tells them they

have to apply for work. If they fail to follow those instructions, unemploy-

ment benefits could be denied. Once the employer responds to the unem-

ployment claim and the state has the return-to-work date entered in their

system, it will calculate out the number of days of the layoff. If the return-

to-work date meets the 45-day waiver requirements, the employee will re-

ceive a notification from the state that they do not need to perform the

weekly work search.

Employers that plan a mass layoff of 50 or more employees are required to

notify the state at least three working days prior to the layoff. This will

simplify the unemployment claim process for everyone. If it is a short-term

layoff, you can provide the return-to-work date to the state and this will

typically cause the work search requirement to be waived immediately. If

you need to report a mass layoff, you should contact Unemployment Com-

pensation Technical Services at 1.866.733-0025.

If you have any questions about this information,

contact Darla Iles, Matrix Unemployment Division

Manager, at 513.351.1222 or diles@matrixtpa.com.

Article provided by The Matrix

Companies, an ERA Partnered Service.

Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

Are Work Searches Required for Employees on Short-term Layoffs?

Ken Kruse

PAGE 13 Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

Employers Resource Association is

helping you stay current as well as

forward thinking by keeping pace

with SHRM’s new certification and

learning system through a new

prep course.

Our 2016 SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP

certification preparation course is

designed primarily for individuals

seeking credentials that focus on

identifying and testing the

knowledge and practical real-life

experiences HR professionals

around the world need to excel in

their careers today. Because of its

rich, real-life instruction HR man-

ager’s not currently pursuing certi-

fication will also find the classes

valuable for their professional

growth.

Earning your SHRM Certified Pro-

fessional (SHRM-CP) or SHRM Sen-

ior Certified Professional (SHRM-

SCP) credential establishes you as

a recognized expert in the HR field.

These new certifications recognize

that HR professionals are at the

core of leading organizational suc-

cess:

• Built on one singular Body

of Competency and

Knowledge (SHRM BoCK™)

designed to elevate the HR

profession around the

world

• Test the HR professional’s

competency—the ability to

put that knowledge to work

through critical thinking

and application

Round 2… ERA’s SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP

Certification Course for 2016

• Demonstrate that the HR

professional is a technical

expert and has mastered

the application of HR

technical and behavioral

competencies, through

practice and experience, to

drive business results

This certification preparation

course covers four knowledge do-

mains: People, Organization,

Workplace and Strategy as well as

eight behavioral competencies-

Leadership & Navigation, Ethical

Practice, Business Acumen, Rela-

tionship Management, Consulta-

tion, Critical Evaluation, Global &

Cultural Effectiveness and Commu-

nication. For more information on

these new credentials visit

www.SHRMCertification.org.

This intensive 12-week program

combines expert instruction from

Monique Kahkonen, SPHR, SHRM-

SCP, in Cincinnati, and Dawn Hays,

Esq., SHRM-SCP, in Columbus,

with the 2016 SHRM Learning Sys-

tem, so you will learn faster, retain

more knowledge and stay on track

as you prepare for the exam.

For those not seeking certification,

this course provides a comprehen-

sive and accelerated option for

professional development. Partici-

pants gain a generalist point of

view, refresh key ideas and con-

cepts, strengthen their under-

standing of core competencies and

increase productivity.

(Continue on page 14)

Ralph Neal, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

PAGE 14 Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA

As an added advantage, we use

the SHRM Learning System, which

has a long and established track

record of helping HR certification

candidates beat average pass

rates. It features relevant HR con-

tent and advanced tools that

streamline study time, accelerate

learning and build confidence for

passing the SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP

exam. The course price includes

all course materials but does not

cover registration for the SHRM-CP

or SHRM-SCP examinations. Click

here to register or for more details.

Additional Information

Who should enroll:

• HR professionals qualified

under SHRM requirements

for SHRM-CP and SHRM-

SCP certification who are

preparing for the exam

• Individuals who want ad-

vanced education and

training for a successful HR

career

• HR professionals wanting a

broader education or to

update their HR knowledge

• HR professionals who want

to enhance their marketa-

bility by gaining current HR

knowledge

Knowledge Domain Details

HR Competencies

• Leadership & Navigation

• Ethical Practice

• Business Acumen

• Relationship Management

• Consultation

• Critical Evaluation

• Global & Cultural Effective-

ness

• Communication

People

• Talent Acquisition & Reten-

tion

• Employee Engagement

• Learning & Development

• Total Rewards

Organization

• Structure of the HR Func-

tion

• Organizational Effective-

ness & Development

• Workforce Management

• Employee Relations

• Technology & Data

Workforce

• HR in the Global Context

• Diversity & Inclusion

• Risk Management

• Corporate Social Responsi-

bility

• Employment Law & Regula-

tions (U.S. only)

Strategy

• Business & HR Strategy

(Continued from page 13, Round 2...ERA’s SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP

Certification Preparation Course for 2016)

Cincinnati

Dates:

August 23, 30,

September 6, 13,

20, 27, October

11, 18, 25,

November 1,

8 & 15

Columbus

Dates:

August 25,

September 1, 8,

15, 22, 29,

October 13, 20,

27, November 3,

10 & 17

Register For Training Today! See Page 10 For Upcoming Classes.

Do you need more information about a service or program offered by ERA?

Would you like to talk to one of our experts in a particular specialty?

Here’s a list of some of our most popular services, and the main contact person for each of them.

In Cincinnati, please call: 513.679.4120 | In Columbus, please call: 614.538.9410

PAGE 15

Employers Resource Association

Cincinnati: 1200 Edison Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45216-2276

Phone: 513.679.4120 | Fax: 513.679.4139

Columbus: 300 East Broad Street, Suite 550

Columbus, OH 43215-3774

Phone: 614.538.9410 | Fax: 614.538.9420

Toll free: 888.237.9554

www.hrxperts.org

Cincinnati Columbus

Hotline ········································· Dan Chaney Lori Lewellen/Barb England

Administration & Posters ············· April Risen April Risen

Compensation & Benefit Services· Monique Kahkonen Monique Kahkonen

Affirmative Action Plans ··············· Carol Reubel Lori Lewellen

HR On-Demand Services ·············· Carol Reubel Lori Lewellen

Employee Engagement Surveys ··· Carol Reubel Lori Lewellen

Recruiting ···································· Carol Reubel Lori Lewellen

Training & Development ·············· Ralph Neal Dawn Hays

Assessments ································ Patti Grogan Patti Grogan

Compliance Services ···················· Tammy Bennett Tammy Bennett

Reference Center ························· Dan Chaney Lori Lewellen

Roundtables ································· Dan Chaney Barb England

Salary & Benefits Surveys ············ Jeff Lucas Jeff Lucas

Custom Surveys ··························· Jeff Lucas Jeff Lucas

Membership ································· Leslie Vogel Leslie Vogel

Jul—Sept 2016 ©ERA