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HR Conference
Hot Topics – National Speakers – Networking Opportunities

The 2016 HR Conference will deliver thought-provoking ideas, practical information and tools, dynamic speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, and HRCI credits. Please join MRA and your fellow peers as we explore HR in 2016!

Questions? Call Registrations at 800.488.4845 or e-mail [email protected].

Agenda

Sessions

Thursday, September 15, 2016 (8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

8:15 - 9:30 a.m. - Opening Session: Building High Impact Relationships to Influence Change, Ethan Schutz, President, The Schutz Company

Influencing at the C-level requires a powerful presence and an ability to establish strong relationships. Successful HR professionals build effective relationships with other executive-level leaders in order to influence change. Attendees will explore several practical tools for increasing self-awareness and creating trust and accountability in the C-suite. This session will include activities to better understand behavior strategies that create trust to effectively lead and influence change.

9:45 - 10:45 a.m. - Session 2: Navigating Through the Changing World of Accommodations: Religious Observances, Military Service, LGBT Accommodations and Beyond, Bryan T. Symes, Attorney, Ruder Ware

This session will discuss employer obligations of accommodation and tolerance in the workplace and legal and best business practices employers need to evaluate in minimizing legal liability. The presenter will discuss:

• Religious accommodations and considerations in applicant processing.
• Meeting needs and business expectations of LGBT individuals.
• Military service and work time accommodations/work preservation rights.
• Meeting federal and state law compliance obligations related to ADA and grooming and appearance standards.

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Session 3: Workplace Investigations – Best Practices for Handling Sexual Harassment and Workplace Bullying, Kate Bischoff, JD, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, tHRive Law & Consulting

Employees can, will, and should complain about what occurs in the workplace. A properly conducted workplace investigation is the cornerstone of an employer's defense to many legal claims brought by employees, former employees, unions, and administrative agencies. Having written policies is not sufficient; employers must be able to prove they had an effective policy on workplace harassment, including proper training, prompt and thorough investigations, and appropriate corrective actions. Good procedures, proper training, and appropriate responses improve employee morale and can lead to fewer future complaints. Kate will discuss best practices for handling complaints from employees, including:

• Establishing an investigation procedure
• Major components of an internal investigation
• Asking appropriate and effective questions
• Documenting the investigation
• Determining appropriate corrective measures

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Session 4: Critical Workplace Situations – The Workplace Violence Phenomenon, Stefan Salmonson, President and International Security Consultant, Protective Services, Inc.

This session offers practical guidance and recommendations for preventing and responding to potential workplace violence. Topics covered will include identification of risk factors, prevention measures, emergency responses, actor profiles and warning signs, verbal and non-verbal risk factors, victim protection methods, "active shooter" survival recommendations, and Crisis/Incident Management (CIM) plans. Be prepared!

2:15 - 3:15 p.m. - Session 5: Mental Health and the ADA: Making it Work for You and Your Employees, Kate Harri, MA, Licensed Psychologist, Founder and President, Working Solutions

Depression, anxiety or panic disorders could be impacting on-the-job performance. Employees may not know they have a mental health issue or they are scared to get help. Managers avoid addressing changes in an employee's behavior until it's too late. Lack of training contributes to the problem. If addressed early on, hidden mental health issues can be addressed successfully to the benefit of all parties. Accommodations can be made to keep an employee at work and productive. Objectives include:

• Enhance knowledge of performance signs that may signal the presence of a mental health condition
• Learn strategies to improve communication between managers and employees
• Identify strategies any employer can use to accommodate employees
• Understand the values of reasonable accommodations in helping employees transition back to work or stay at work

3:30 - 4:30 p.m. - Session 6: Turning HR Upside Down: Four Seismic Shifts in HR and What To Do With Them! Amy Leschkee-Kahle, Vice President of Performance Acceleration, The Marcus Buckingham Company

Founded by best-selling author Marcus Buckingham, The Marcus Buckingham Company (TMBC) has changed the business world with groundbreaking ideas about how to turn talent into performance. Based upon over two decades of research, TMBC has identified emerging trends in the workplace. In this presentation, TMBC Vice President of Performance Acceleration, Amy Leschke-Kahle, will reveal four seismic shifts that will shape the future of work and HR; shift our tools from serving the organization to serving the team leader; shift from infrequent, suspect data to reliable, real-time data; shift from siloed programs to integrated solutions, and from theoretical models to real-world behavior.

Speakers

Session Speakers:

Building High Impact Relationships to Influence Change
Ethan Schutz, is President of The Schutz Company, a consulting and publishing company and provider of the LIFO® Method and The Human Element® approach. He promotes, encourages, and directs the use, development, and expansion of these bodies of work in the US. Globally, he nurtures and grows the LIFO and Human Element communities, made up of practitioners and partners in over 30 countries. He delivers training, coaching, and in-depth practitioner training programs to support consultant excellence and creativity. He focuses on the areas of leadership, team building, and group facilitation, as well as integrating The Human Element into in-depth leadership and management programs.

Navigating Through the Changing World of Accommodations: Religious Observances, Military Service, LGBT Accommodations and Beyond
Bryan Symes is an attorney with Ruder Ware where he actively represents management-side clients in the areas of employment and labor law and provides counseling and litigation services associated with such substantive topics as employment practices policies, discrimination, harassment, reprisal, unemployment benefits, wage and hour law, FMLA, ADA, employment contracts, employment compliance matters, affirmative action plans, and non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. In addition, Bryan represents public and private employers in collective bargaining and all aspects of labor-related litigation. Bryan graduated with honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and is licensed to practice in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. Bryan frequently posts to Ruder Ware’s blog The Blue Ink. He has been recognized as a "Rising Star" and "Up & Coming Attorney." Also of note, Bryan is a registered sports agent/advisor and represents professional baseball players in connection with the Major League Baseball Draft, contract negotiations, endorsement deals and wealth management.

Workplace Investigations - Best Practices for Handling Sexual Harassment and Workplace Bullying
An enthusiastic management-side attorney and SHRM-SCP/SPHR-certified human resources professional, Kate Bischoff advises organizations in a wide range of industries on employment law and employment decisions, from recruitment and workplace culture to terminations. Her strengths include ensuring human resources policies and practices are compliant with federal and state laws, training employees and managers on equal employment opportunity and other supervisory topics, and handling investigations into employee grievances and complaints. Kate’s passionate about improving company culture and using technology (social media and data analytics) in the workplace. Follow her on Twitter at @k8bischHRLaw.

Critical Workplace Situations - The Workplace Violence Phenomenon
Your presenter, Stefan V. Salmonson, is the president of PROtective Services, Inc. He is a licensed deputy sheriff/tactical trainer, licensed private detective, licensed protective agent, certified personal protection specialist (Body Guard), international security consultant, experienced weapons/tactical and operational specialist, contract government investigator (With security clearance), Workplace Violence “expert witness”, airline transport pilot and professional speaker. Stefan provides executive and personal protection services, high-risk employment termination support services, discrete investigations, security related training, keynote presentations, security assessments, consulting and risk management recommendations for hundreds of clients nationwide.

Mental Health and the ADA: Making it Work for You and Your Employees
Kate Harri is a Licensed Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the mental health field and with employers and disability carriers. While working for 15 years in the disability and worker’s compensation arena she developed products for Fitness For Duty Evaluations, claims consultancy, coaching and return to work, motivational interviewing, case management as well as recovery from traumatic work incidents. Publications include understanding and addressing mental health concerns in the business environment, compassionate treatment for cancer patients and best practice treatment and recovery to facilitate return to work. Her focus is on collaboration with all parties and the appropriate application of strategies and interventions designed to improve the lives of individuals impacted by mental illness.

Turning HR Upside Down: Four Seismic Shifts in HR and What To Do With Them!
As Vice President of Performance Acceleration at the Marcus Buckingham Company, Amy Leschke-Kahle collaborates with clients to transform performance and leadership development across the globe. Amy uses her firsthand experience to customize her approach to the unique culture of each company. She then utilizes proven techniques for measuring engagement and performance and works with clients to design integrated, sustainable solutions.

Register

Click Here to Register Today!

$195 Member; $250 Nonmember
Early bird: $170 Member (on or before August 19)

Cancellation Policy: Attendee substitutions may be made at any time and are encouraged when the original registrant cannot attend. If you must cancel or reschedule, please notify us at least three (3) business days (or 72 hours) prior to the program to receive a refund of the program price. Cancellations or date changes made less than 3 business days prior to the program will incur the full registration cost.

Exhibitor/Sponsor

2016 HR Conference Sponsorship Packages
Promote your product or service at MRA's 2016 HR Conference and gain access to key HR decision makers. Select the sponsorship level that works for you and we'll help you maximize that opportunity.

• Gain visibility as a resource and partner.
• Promote your company to a key target audience.
• Connect with decision makers efficiently and effectively.

Exhibit Booth Includes:

• Profile in Exhibitor Section
• Booths are located in the pre-function area of the conference
• One six (6) foot skirted table and two chairs
• Electrical, if requested
• Continental Breakfast and Lunch
• Admission for two booth representatives

Conference Schedule for Thursday, September 15, 2016:

• 7:00 - 7:45 a.m. - Installation of display materials
• 7:45 a.m. - Displays must be view-ready
• 7:45 - 8:15 a.m. - Registration, breakfast, and exhibits
• 8:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - MRA HR Conference (with morning break & exhibits)
• 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. - Lunch & exhibits
• 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. - MRA HR Conference continues (with afternoon break & exhibits)
• 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. – Post-Conference Reception
• 5:30 p.m. - Exhibit teardown (must be completed by 6:30 p.m.)

Sponsor/Exhibitor Registration Deadline: The deadline to be listed in final program materials and the event web site is August 19, 2016.

To sponsor/exhibit, contact Katie Chapman at 262.696.3365.