From the President – Chapter Briefing May 2020
May 2020
#thesunwillcomeout
Hi Friends!
April Showers Bring May Flowers! Wow, is this a metaphor or what? April 2020 and COVID-19, certainly brought it’s flood waters raging across every industry and family all over the world. We have certainly had our share of it here in Southern Nevada! Now listen folks, I am not trying to make you think it is all now a bed of roses, it isn’t. It has been downright devastating on the human level. It has touched so many individuals, maybe even someone close to you and nothing can make that easier.
But now is the time to start looking for those bits of bloom and bright spots!
A rebirth and renewal is our next step after a flood. Life and work as we once knew it, may never be the “same”. Hopefully, the “new normal” may actually feel like the old normal one day. There will certainly be differences for HR though, there always are. Once a sweeping piece of legislation is put into place, HR must throw their on gloves, grab a shovel and a hoe and start digging! Go ahead, look back over your shoulder at what you have done. It is May and you are already well on your way to the many blooms in this new garden you’re tending.
Have you stopped to look at your list? You have likely tackled some things you didn’t even know about a mere seven weeks ago. Emergency Sick Leave, Emergency FMLA, PPP Loans, Employee Retention Tax Credits, Form 7200’s, Work from Home policies and implementation plans. I know what you might be thinking… “Blooms, those are called weeds!” Yes, yes, they are difficult to understand, explain, implement and administer. They are probably causing you a pain (in one area or another) when you climb into bed at night.
But I encourage you to take pride in this fact. For so many people and businesses, that big, tangled mess of legislation you “get to” administer, just may be saving someone else. Someone might be able to pay their rent or buy groceries because of a paid leave. A small business might stay afloat with that loan. Some furloughed employees may be able to get back to work faster. Employers can retain valuable, trained and experienced staff. Employees can continue working, from their homes, earning pay and operating a business that may have shuttered without them. I hope when you take a breath and you open your eyes wide, that you see them and you see yourself as having been a part of something big, something that made a difference.
Your Board of Directors have been scrambling too and have changed our May 12th meeting, “Managing I-9 and E-Verify Obligations in 2020 and Beyond”, to a webinar platform and are offering it as a complimentary event. If you haven’t checked it out, please visit https://snv.shrm.org/events to view and register- virtual seats are limited! We are anxious to see how our members like the Webinar platform!
State Council and Northern Nevada Chapter continue to work toward the RESCHEDULED State Conference here in Las Vegas at the newly renovated Palace Station. For details on the event which is now February 5th, 2021, visit https://nvstatecouncil.shrm.org/2020-nevada-state-conference. Find out more about tapping into your inner HR Super Powers!
Finally, stay safe! Thanks for all you do each day to promote the wellbeing of your teams, our community and our profession! I welcome your direct feedback! You may contact any time! melissa.amaon.shrm@gmail.com
---Melissa
