A 1991 Pinnacle Award ChapterA 2009 Superior Merit Award Chapter

SHRM Foundation - Chapter ChampionMonthly Newsletter

April 2012A P R I L P R O G R A M

Look What'sInside!

Legal Q&A ...................... 3

From the President ........... 4

CRHRA in the Press ........ 4

Government Affairs Update:SHRM 2011 EmploymentLaw & LegislativeConference .................... 5

SHRM Foundation News:The Executive BriefingSeries ............................ 5

April Meeting Sponsors .... 6

HR Panel at SUNYAlbany ......................... 8

Siena Lunch and Learn -HR Disciplines .............. 8

Survey Opportunity ......... 9

Welcome New Members . 10

Chapter Chatter ............. 10

Social Networking Corner:Social Media SpringCleaning .................... 11

Congratulations to ourRecently PHR/SPHRCertified Members ........ 12

Capital RegionHuman Resource

Association1450 Western Avenue

Suite 101Albany, NY 12203

(518) 463-8687(fax) (518) 463-8656

Tapping An Underutilized LaborPool Through Realistic,

Reasonable Accommodations

(Continued on Page 7)

When: Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Where: Holiday Inn, Wolf RoadAlbany, New York

Dinner Program AgendaCocktail Hour: 5:00-6:00 p.m.Dinner: 6:00-7:00 p.m.Program: 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Dinner Selections:Fennel Roasted Pork Loin

Chicken WellingtonGrilled Fillet of Salmon

Cost: $35.00 -- Members$43.00 -- Non-Members$15.00 -- Students

Please join us on Wednesday, April 11 forthe April dinner meeting. We all knowhow difficult it is to hire and maintain adedicated and engaged workforce. Theavailable supply of labor has shrunk andseasoned professionals are aging and re-tiring faster than can be replaced. Are youlooking for a solution? Consider this: cur-rent statistics show only 20% of individu-als with disabilities are in the labor force.These same statistics show that hiring in-dividuals with disabilities improves reten-tion and employee satisfaction. Part ofyour solution to hiring and maintaining adedicated and engaged workforce there-fore must be tapping into thisunderutilized labor pool.

As HR professionals, we also understandthat federal and state law require us to pro-vide reasonable accommodations to indi-viduals with disabilities unless doing sowould create an undue hardship. How-ever, the practical aspects of this legal re-quirement can be difficult, especially whenyou have never walked in the shoes (orthe wheelchair) of an individual with a dis-ability. This month’s program will provideparticipants with a very unique opportu-nity – to see what the reasonable accom-modation process looks like from theother side of the table and shed light oncommon pitfalls you might be runninginto.

Led by our facilitator, Lynn Jackson, ourpanel features three differently abledspeakers recounting their personal experi-ences with the employment process. Notonly will we hear some successes andstumbling blocks they have encountered,but we will also talk through a few real lifecase studies. This panel is an effort to giveyou a different perspective on a familiartopic and also give you some practical ideasapplicable to your workplace.

This program has been submitted for 1.0recertification credit hours toward PHRand SPHR recertification through the Hu-

2

3

Legal Q&A... Michael D. Billok, Esq.

Michael D. Billok

Question: We recently had two employees get into analtercation. One employee threatened another, who thenthrew the first punch. What do you do when employeesget into fights at work?

Answer: As Hardy would say to Laurel, “now you’ve doneit!” (Yes, they were before my time, but comic geniusesnonetheless.) You’ve opened up the OSHA can of worms,and as anyone who knows me can attest, I can go on atlength about OSHA issues until the person I’m talkingto is blue in the face—usually from holding their breathin order to make the conversation endas quickly as possible.

But I digress. Sometimes when com-panies learn of employee altercations,they are hesitant to take strong actionagainst the employees involved.Sometimes this is due to a concernthat the company may be punishingan employee that did not “start” thealtercation or because the investiga-tors believe that they cannot determine what actuallyoccurred, so it is best not to take any action at all. Bothof these concerns, however, are misplaced. Such an al-tercation becomes an OSHA issue because OSHA—theUnited States Occupational Safety and Health Adminis-tration—has recently begun to revitalize its enforcementof “workplace violence” citations.

How can a company receive a federal citation — repletewith a penalty of up to $70,000 for a willful violation —for workplace violence, especially when there is actuallyno rule for employers to look to in order to know whatis expected? The answer is simple: there is a federal“catchall” law, known as the “General Duty” clause,which states that employers “shall furnish to each of hisemployees employment and a place of employmentwhich are free from recognized hazards that are causingor are likely to cause death or serious physical harm tohis employees.” Or, in short, employers must keep theworkplace free of “recognized hazards.”

So returning to the question, even if the company istempted not to take strong action against the employeesdue to misconduct, the company must consider thepossibility that the employees may get into another physi-cal altercation— either with each other or with otheremployees. And if the company is on notice of an em-ployee making threats of violence, or actually commit-ting violence against another employee — i.e. the com-

pany now “recognizes” the hazard — not only is it pos-sible that the employee may physically harm anotheremployee, but also the employer may find itself subjectto a costly OSHA citation as a result. Nor should thepersonnel investigating the incident be hesitant to makecredibility determinations based on their interviews ofthe employees and witnesses, so that they can make areasonable decision regarding whether either or bothemployees chose to use physical force instead of extri-cating themselves from the situation.

And, by the way, it is not just fights between employeesthat concerns OSHA. OSHA is taking the position thatcompanies are liable if they recognized hazards of vio-lence to employees from the general public and did nottake sufficient precautions. OSHA has issued citationsfor hazards to employees caused by non-employees suchas crowds of customers entering a store on Black Friday,hospital patients, and even criminals seeking to rob late-night retail establishments.

So if you learn of a potential threat to your employees —whether caused by an employee, an employee’s friendor relative, or even members of the general public —take reasonable precautions to ensure your employeesto the extent you have not already. And one final note— OSHA is currently taking the position (which courtshave not yet ruled upon) that reliance on the police isnot necessarily sufficient to satisfy a company’s duty toprotect its employees from hazards posed by non-em-ployees. So while it may be helpful to consult your localpolice for advice, be aware that if a workplace incidentoccurs that causes OSHA to investigate, OSHA will lookto see whether your company was aware of the threat ofviolence, and whether your company took reasonableactions to protect your employees.

End of OSHA-related discussion. You can now resumeyour regular breathing activities.

The information contained in this column is not intended tobe a substitute for professional counseling or advice.

Michael D. Billok counsels and represents employers in avariety of labor and employment related contexts and isassociated with Bond, Schoeneck & King’s Albany office. Ifyou have a question you would like to submit, you are en-couraged to do so by email (mbillok@bsk.com), phone (518-533-3236), or fax (518-533-3284). Also, feel free to followhim on LinkedIn and/or Twitter (@MikeBillok).

4

Your Officers & Boardof Directors 2011-12

PresidentTRACY SMITH, PHR

Pitney Bowes

Vice PresidentMARTIN PATRICK, SPHR

Pinnacle HR, LLC

SecretaryTIMOTHY J. KELLY, SPHR

Pioneer Bank

TreasurerTHOMAS McKENNA

McKenna & Associates/OI Partners, Inc.

Past PresidentMICHELE WILKES-HAWKINS, PHR

Tailwind Associates

DIRECTORS

PAMELA J. ALLERS, PHRJaeger and Flynn Associates

DEBRA ANTONELLI, SPHRDelark HR Solutions

KELLY CONROY, PHRWildwood Programs

ALLYSON L. CIMINO, PHRComputer Sciences Corporation

STEVE DIBIASE, SPHRConstruction Industry Solutions

MOIRA FITZGERALD RYAN, PHRCapital District Physicians’ Health Plan

MICHAEL D. KEANE, PHRPinnacle HR, LLC

CHRIS PATRIEJanitronics, Inc.

MARIO PECORAROAlliance Worldwide Investigative Group, Inc.

MAT PETRIN, PHRPrice Chopper Supermarkets

PEG PORPEGLIA, PHRPrice Chopper Supermarkets

SARAH DELANEY VERODelaney Vero, PLLC

RUTH MARGOLIS YORKER, SPHRCool Insuring Agency

CHAPTER ADMINISTRATORSARA-BECCA SMITH1450 Western Avenue, Suite 101

Albany, NY 12203(518) 463-8687

From the President... Tracy Smith, PHR

Tracy Smith

Why aren’t you bragging?

Are you proud to be a CRHRAmember? Do you list your affilia-tion with CRHRAon your resumeand LinkedIn ac-count? If not,why not?

Over the past 65years CRHRAhas been serv-ing the HR pro-fessional and advancing the pro-fession. Members are offered amyriad of opportunities to learnabout the latest trends impactingtheir field. CRHRA offers amonthly meeting and newsletter,diversity groups, certificationclasses, volunteer opportunities,social media sites, a leadership pro-gram and an annual conference. Allof these resources and a networkof over 1,100 members are part ofyour membership. Why aren’t youmaximizing your membership?

The CRHRA Board has been dili-gently working to increase mem-ber awareness of everything theassociation has to offer. Some of thethings members have access to in-clude a HR job bank, monthly le-gal Q&A article, resume critiquing,interview coaching, communityinvolvement, assistance to mem-bers in transition and a master cal-

endar of educational events in theCapital Region. Why not take ad-vantage of these benefits?

Aside from the events and toolsthat are available to CRHRA mem-bers, there are a number of per-sonal and professional connectionsyou can build within CRHRA.When networking with otherCRHRA members you are not onlybuilding relationships, but poten-tially making a future job connec-tion, assistance with a HR processor policy, or identifying a mentor.Why aren’t you using the CRHRAnetwork?

CRHRA is free to join if you are anactive SHRM member and it is easyto attend the monthy events weoffer. All in all, CRHRA’s activemembers can only enhance theirprofessional career by taking ad-vantage of the benefits. On behalfof the volunteers and active mem-bers please join your CRHRA col-leagues in bragging that we aremembers of a powerful organiza-tion that is a SHRM Super MegaChapter.

Join us on April 11th for ourmonthly meeting!

Tracy

CRHRA in the PressBoard members Sarah Delaney Vero and Tracy Smith were fea-tured in a News Channel 10 piece about employers requesting thefacebook account passwords of potential employees. Did you missit? Check it out here:

http://www.news10.com/story/17289952/local-human-re-sources-speaks-on-facebook-hiring-controversary

5

AGENDAWednesday, April 11

Dinner MeetingHoliday Inn, Wolf Road, Albany, NY

Cocktail Hour ... 5:00-6:00 p.m.Dinner ............... 6:00-7:00 p.m.Program ............ 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Dinner Choices:• Fennel Roasted Pork Loin• Chicken Wellington• Grilled Fillet of Salmon

Cost:• $35.00 - Members• $43.00 - Non-Members• $15.00 - Students

(12 credits or more)

Please make your reservationonline (www.crhra.org) or bymail (CRHRA, 1450 WesternAvenue, Suite 101, Albany, NewYork 12203), or fax (518-463-8656). You may pay with anonline credit card payment, bymail or at the door. Also, pleasebe sure to check-in when youarrive.

RESERVATIONS and cancel-lations are required by noon onFRIDAY prior to the meeting.Reservations made and notkept will be billed to you.Please call CRHRA at (518) 463-8687.

We regret that we are unable tohonor walk-ins on the day ofthe meeting. Casual attire is ac-ceptable.

By Chris Patrie,Government Affairs Chair

More than 600 people attended theconference held in Washington onMarch 4 – 7, with hundreds goingto Capitol Hill to advocate SHRM’sagenda items. You are encouragedto visit the SHRM website and readthe HR News Articles describing theexperience.

New YorkWTPA annual notification repealpassed The Senate and advocacy ef-forts will continue to persuade as-sembly members to follow suit.CRHRA will continue to join fellowchapters across the state in a com-bined effort to repeal this onerousmandate. Government affairs

Government Affairs Update

SHRM 2011 Employment Lawand Legislative Conference

committee members met with mem-bers of Governor Cuomo’s staff onMarch 13 along with The BusinessCouncil employer representativesfrom as far as Buffalo. We sharedour experiences and associated costsof annual compliance to demon-strate the burden placed on busi-ness. I assured them our effortswould continue and their positivereaction would be communicated toour membership. Please contact meif you would like to become moreinvolved in shaping the businessenvironment in New York.

Pension Reform demonstrationscontinue in Albany as public sectorworkers gather to voice their displea-sure toward cost saving reforms.

By Michele Wilkes-Hawkins

To make it easier for HR profession-als to share important evidence-based management practices withtheir CEOs and linemanagers, theSHRM Foundationhas introduced itsnew ExecutiveBriefing series.

The executivebriefings arebased on solid re-search. They cover similar contentto the popular Effective PracticeGuidelines; however they are just 3-5 pages in length, making them idealto share with colleagues at the office.The briefings highlight the most

SHRM Foundation News

The Executive Briefing Series

MicheleWilkes-Hawkins

important, bottom-line implicationson each HR topic. The followingbriefings are now available for freedownload:

• Wellness Strategies to Improve Em-ployee Health, Performance and theBottom Line

• HR’s Role in Corporate Social Re-sponsibility and Sustainability

• Leveraging HR Technology forCompetitive Advantage, sponsoredby ADP

This series is made possible by thegenerous support of SHRM mem-bers and chapters. Visitwww.shrm.org/foundation and se-lect “SHRM Foundation Products”to download the executive briefings.

6

Alliance Worldwide Investigative Group is a fullylicensed, bonded and insured corporate investiga-tive service firmwith offices locatedin Clifton Park andNew York City. Thecompany providesbackground and in-surance fraud investigative services throughout theUS and globally. In addition, their legal supportdivision provides services of process on a local, state,national and international level.

Background Investigation Services

Alliance conducts effective, due-diligence basedbackground investigations customizable to yourspecific industry. Our thorough investigative ser-vices are fully integrated and able to link to anyapplicant tracking system. We investigate criminalconvictions on a county, state and federal level. Wealso provide verifications for education, employ-ment, references, social security numbers and ad-dress history. In addition, we can check creditrecords, civil actions, judgments, liens and more!Alliance serves many industries includingpharmaceutical, service, financial, IT, staffing andretail. For more information, visitwww.backgroundchecksanywhere.com.

Insurance Fraud Investigation Services

Alliance provides comprehensive investigation andsurveillance services available for insurance and cor-porate professionals. We provide cost-effective so-lutions for mitigating potential fraud and are ableto assist in gathering the evidence necessary forfraud in criminal prosecutions. All surveillance ser-vices are available on a flat rate basis throughoutthe US and overseas. Our services include surveil-lance, trial preparation and investigation, covert/overt activity investigations, SIU/witness location,accident investigations and third party investiga-tions. For more information, visit http://www.allianceinvestigative.com/insfraud.html.

April Meeting SponsorsAlliance WorldwideInvestigative Group

E-Biz DocsMaintaining accurate records is a vital component ofthe Human Resources operation. Without completeand accurate information your ability to work confi-dently for your employee and employer is at risk.

Digital record-keeping,however, provides up-to-the-minute informationwhile maintaining a highlevel of document security. Misfiles, loss, and theft arevirtually eliminated.

Digital record management also greatly limits the ef-fort involved in processing documents and movingthem around and organization for approval. Unliketraditional paper record-keeping, which inhibits pro-ductivity, an efficient electronic record managementsystem enables institutions to focus more directly onthe customer experience and not on the process.

Many Institutions are experiencing the benefits of adependable, fluid electronic record management sys-tem. By abandoning their paper-centric filing system,they have at once improved efficiency, reduced costs,ensured compliance, and mitigated risk. In short, theyare providing their customers with the best servicesavailable.

Stop by the back of the room or our site to get moreinformation – www.e-bizdocs.com 518-456-1011.

Thank you to our One Day Conference Com-mittee for putting together a great event.

On behalf of the CRHRA Board, we hope every-one who attended the One Day Conference hada great time hearing from top-notch speakers.

If you were unable to attend, be sure to join usnext year. We keep getting better with age andwe will challenge ourselves again to make it avaluable conference for our members.

Another SuccessfulOne Day Conference

7

man Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).

About Our Panelists

Mira Bowin has had the pleasure of developing cur-ricula, and teaching classes for current and potential jobseekers, helping individuals with psychiatric and otherdisabilities experience new life roles and explore theworld of education and employment. Through her pastefforts as campaign coordinator on the We Can Work/We Can Save Campaign, and with the “Job Seekers Se-ries” curriculum she developed in another role, Mirahelps to raise awareness of the barriers to employmentencountered by individuals in mental health recovery.Currently, Mira is working on starting a jewelry and othercrafts business, along with continued career exploration.

Constance Laymon, is the main incorporator, Founderand Chief Executive Officer of Consumer DirectedChoices (CDC). CDC is a nonprofit that facilitates theConsumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, analternative home care model that empowers seniors andpeople with disabilities to recruit, hire, train, superviseand terminate their choices of home care workers. Sheis also the President of the Consumer Directed PersonalAssistance Association of New York State (CDPAANYS).

APRIL PROGRAM(Continued from Page 1)

Constance has pursued doctoral study in both Englishand Public Administration and Policy. As a quadriple-gic who formerly accessed various social services, withindependent living philosophy experience, an academicbackground and first hand business experience in longterm care systems, Constance brings a unique perspec-tive to the analysis of public policy affecting seniors andpeople with disabilities.

In the past two years, John Robinson (President andCEO – Our Ability), has been from Australia to the WhiteHouse discussing the obstacles he has had to overcomein his life. Having spoken to many audiences from For-tune 500 Corporations to high school students, John canspeak about overcoming obstacles in life, businesses, orsales. Our Ability is a for-profit company that special-izes in mentoring people with disabilities worldwidethough video stories, social media and peer-to-peer con-nection. Our Ability serves people in education, entre-preneur and employment support. John is the subjectof a national documentary shown on Public Broadcast-ing Stations titled Get Off Your Knees: The John RobinsonStory and authored an autobiography Get Off YourKnees: A Story of Faith, Courage, and Determinationpublished by Syracuse University Press.

UNIONGRADUATECOLLEGE

The Certificate in Human Resource Management A 6-course Graduate Certificate Program

Human Resource professionals are being challenged to build a competitive advantage for their employers through effectivehuman resources management. The Certificate in HumanResource Management at Union Graduate College prepares students to meet these challenges.

Contact Director of ManagementCertificate ProgramsDr Michele Paludi518.631.9910paludim@uniongraduatecollege.edu

uniongraduatecollege.eduUnion Graduate College80 Nott TerraceSchenectady, NY 12308

8

HR Panel at SUNYAlbany

By David Gerth, Student Chapters Committee

On February 21st the CRHRA Student Chapters Com-mittee hosted a Human Resources panel at SUNY Al-bany for students to learn “How to obtain a job inHR”.

Panelists included Edie Crist from Schenectady ARC,Jalinda Franke from CDPHP, Lynn Jackson fromBMPC/KAPL, Regina TenEyck from Center for Dis-ability Services, Traci Koppenhafer from GlobalFoundries and Katie Garippa from Time WarnerCable. The panel was hosted by me and Noah Simonfrom SUNY Albany Career Center.

Over 50 students were in attendance. Panelists ex-plained how they obtained their HR positions and gaveadvice on how these students could get involved inthe field including joining SHRM and attendingCRHRA meetings. Over 25 students expressed inter-est in and signed up for further correspondence re-garding joining CRHRA and starting a SUNY AlbanySHRM chapter.

This event surely helped the committee gain momen-tum within the college’s student population and welook forward to our next event and CRHRA chaptermeetings.

Siena Lunch and Learn- HR Disciplines

By Kelly Conroy, Student Chapters Chair

On February 29th I presented to 20 Siena students onhighlights of SHRM and CRHRA and the benefits ofjoining as members. I also discussed 13 different HRareas a student can focus on in their career path. Thefocus of the presentation was on the importance ofinternships and mentorships, and attending CRHRAmonthly events to meet other HR professionals. It wasa great turnout and I hope to see them at future CRHRAevents.

9

Survey OpportunityTech Valley Connect in conjunction with the State Uni-versity of New York at Albany M.B.A. program cordiallyinvite you to participate in a workforce turnover survey.Tech Valley Connect is a not-for-profit started throughRensselaer Polytechnic Institute seeking to provide localemployers with infrastructure to increase employee re-tention, particularly among those who relocated intohighly specialized positions. While a preliminary studyhas been done, further research is needed to identify thespecific needs of Capital Region businesses.

The following survey should take approximately 5-10minutes to complete. In exchange for your participa-tion in this confidential survey, we will happily pro-vide you with the finalized aggregate results of thisstudy. Please click on the following link to participate:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6SJ3KPS . The dead-line for participation is April 13, 2012.

We appreciate your time and consideration by joiningwith regional employers to compile update localworkforce data. If you have any questionsabout this survey, please contact Tech ValleyConnect’s President and CEO Angela McNerney atangela.mcnerney@techvalleyconnect.com or phone 518-283-1812.

Shaun Mahoney Consulting offers a variety of leadership training programs to help your management team develop the skills they need to succeed.

518-292-6567 | www.shaunmahoney.com

Accelerate your progress.

10

Welcome New Members!Welcome to the new CRHRA members who have joined our organization as of March!

Bielkiewicz, Cheryl ........The Ayco Company L.P.Celestino, Lyndsy ..........Capital District BeginningsDeFruscio, Samantha ....Catholic Charities Disabilities ServicesHalpin, Kathryn ............Time Warner Cable - News & Local ProgrammingHicks, April ....................Charlton Consulting ServicesKicourse, Jonathan ........Albany Stratton VA Medical CenterLagon, Lisa .................... Jaeger & Flynn Associates IncLindsley, PatrickMacchiarelli, Filomena ..AMRIMack, Jeniva ...................Berkshire Farm Center and Services for YouthMarrero, Candy .............Kleeber InsuranceMayer, Lori ....................Credit Union Association of New YorkNappi, Amanda ............. Jaeger & Flynn Assoc., Inc.Pietrafesa, AmyPulvirent, GwenRogers, Elizabeth ...........Micro-Biz, LLCRokeach, Jessica .............NextRidge, Inc.Santos, Joseph ................Liberty EnterpriseTaylor, Laura .................DeCrescente Distributing Co.Walters, MarciaWoods, Deborah ............Find Your Dreams, IncYoung, Deanna ..............Liberty Enterprise

Chapter ChatterCongratulations to ChristineAmmon who was recently pro-moted to Director, Human Relationsfor Freihofer’s, part of Bimbo Bak-eries USA.

Diane Lustenader was selected for2 presentations at the 2012 NewYork State SHRM Conference.Diane will be presenting Preparingfor IRS & Governors Commission Re-quests –Nonprofit Executive Compen-sation Practices and Treating the“They’re Picking on me!” Blues – Con-flict Management Tools for HR.

Paul Kelly has joined the College ofNanoscale Science and Engineering(CNSE) at the University at Albanyas Associate Vice President for As-signees and Administration over theGlobal 450 Consortium.

Stop searching for talent.Start finding it.

Manpower can find it for you faster. With unmatched know-how, perfected processes and access to qualified candidates, we can find the talented people you need. For temporary, temporary-to-permanent or permanent placements. We’ll deliver what you’re searching for.

Contact Manpower to see what we can do for you.

1450 Western Avenue Albany, NY 12203-7951 518-459-2800 us.manpower.com

11

By Christy Krueger, Public Relations Committee

With the warm weather approaching not only is it a goodtime to do some spring cleaning around the house, butit’s a great idea to do somecleaning out of the manysocial networks you prob-ably belong to. If thethought of doing somakes you cringe, don’tworry. You’re not aloneand really, it doesn’t haveto be all that time consuming and painful. Here are afew steps to getting started:

· Search yourself. Make sure you are signed out of allthe places you belong and search for yourself onGoogle, Bing, Pipl, Duck Duck Go, or whatever searchengine you choose. This will give you an opportunityto see what your online profiles look like to outsiders.If you don’t like what you see, this is your opportunityto change that.

· Update account settings. After searching yourselfyou’ve probably realized there were some security/privacy setting changes that must have occurred andcould use some updating. Unfortunately sites likeFacebook and Linked-in have been undergoing ma-jor changes lately and it’s likely that you missed thememo on what settings are available to you now. Takea moment to familiarize yourself with your accountsettings at each of your social media hang outs andmake any necessary adjustments. You’ll be glad youdid.

· Clean out your “friends” list. Even though we’ve“sprung ahead” our clocks, the day still doesn’t ex-tend beyond 24 hours. There’s only so much time in aday to scroll through the posts of our friends. Fortu-

Social Networking Corner

Social Media Spring Cleaningnately sites like Facebook allow you to hide thosepeople who post their diary from dusk til dawn fromour news feed, however, if you find you have peopleyou really don’t know or add little value to your net-work it’s time to hit delete.

· Organize your friends. Many sites now allow you tocategorize your friends into lists or groups. This isbeneficial if you want to keep your public life separatefrom your work life. You can restrict folks viewingaccess based on what group/list you’ve assigned themto.

· Clean up your posts/photos. It’s good to scroll backthrough what you’ve posted in the past and get rid ofanything impertinent. It’s also good to review whatphotos you were tagged in that you may not wanthanging out there. If you’ve created groups or lists foryour friends, now would be a good time to specifywhat photos and posts are available for their viewingpleasure and what one’s you’d rather not share.

· Reassess your “likes”. Just about every site allows forsome form of “like.” It’s probably still true that you“like” Dunkin Donuts, Madonna, soccer, and yourfriend’s new catering business. However, there areprobably a ton of other things that you’ve added intothe mix that aren’t pertinent or what you want to shapeothers perceptions of you.

· Update your profile photo. Unlike a driver’s license,your profile photo does not have to remain unchangedfor ten years. Freshen it up but make sure it’s appro-priate for all audiences.

Although there are still many other things you couldspend time updating (ex. your work experience onLinked-In) doing the above is a good start to cleaningup your social media accounts. Good luck and get clean-ing!

12

CRHRA would like congratulate the following chap-ter members who successfully attained professionalcertification during the May 2011 – January 2012 test-ing periods.

Please join us in celebrating these members at the April11 CRHRA dinner meeting where those in attendancewill be recognized for their outstanding achievement.

Achieving one’s PHR/SPHR designation is a long termcommitment that demonstrates the recipient has mas-

Congratulations to our RecentlyPHR/SPHR Certified Members!

Recent CRHRA MembersEarning PHR/SPHR

Designations

Michael DonnellyCourtney DiCocco

Dawn DrogoFrances Dunsmore

Kelly FosterNoreen DeWire Grimmick

Karen HallAmy HarlowSue Harrison

Tracey HempelVeronica Schmidt-Henzler

Andrew JoslinSusan Kieper

Jonathan KicourseLisa Lamanna

Christine O’ConnellJennifer O’Connor

Sosy PashayanKatie Pustolka

Lisa ReeseMegan Robertson

Colleen SimoLauren SingletonTheresa Trietiak

tered core HR principles and remains current in theHR profession.

To become certified, the HR professionals must haveprofessional experience and meet the educational re-quirements before taking the exam. To maintain thisstatus, designees must recertify every three years bysubmitting work experience and/or training receivedfor consideration. Today, there are over 120,000 certi-fied HR professionals working in over 65 countriesworldwide.