We the Employers
I just returned from the SHRM Strategy Conference in Palm Springs. Nice event – I would recommend it to my colleagues who are looking for substantive content that doesn’t dwell on the transactional side of human resources.
One of the things I was able to participate in during the conference was a SHRM Governmental Affairs focus group on how pending legislation regarding sick pay and FMLA might impact our profession and workplaces. SHRM uses this information to develop position papers and educate legislators about the impact of their decisions.
Over the years, I’ve heard plenty of HR Pros say that they don’t want to be involved in the political process. They don’t want to hear a legislator speak and they don’t want to write a letter to their congressional representatives. In fact, Edwin Foulke, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA spoke at last year’s HR Florida conference . . . less than 50 of our 1300 attendees came to listen.
And when I say ‘political process’, I think it’s less about donkeys and elephants, and more about knowing which party and which candidates support things that benefit our companies and employees. As business people, we need to know the views of our elected officials. The actions of our legislators impact us at home and in the workplace. As such, we need to be aware of what they do and how they make things happen.
I’ve never heard the CEO of a company say they steer clear of politics. In fact, every CEO I know is keenly aware of how their local, state and national legislators impact the bottom line of their business. If your CEO came to you about a bill in Congress that could cost your company thousands of dollars each year, what would you do?
It’s time to realize that government and politics are an important part of our jobs. Be informed and get involved!
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