Shaping the Future: Empowering HR Advocacy in Government and Workplace Policy

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Welcome to MICE, the podcast where we empower HR excellence, one conversation at a time.
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Today we will be discussing why it is important to get involved in your local government affairs.
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We will be hearing insights from Stephen Towns, the VP of Operations at the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana, bethany Ebony and Sarah Weiss, who are a part of our local NIRA chapters Government Affairs, and Tracy Justice, who is a part of the Indy Sherms chapter of Government Affairs.
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So Sarah and Tracy, what do you guys think that Sherm's advocacy message?
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How does that help HR and anybody within the HR realm?
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I'll kick it off.
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I'd say that SHRM advocacy is something that's so underutilized but also so powerful, and it needs to be promoted a bit more.
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Especially, you have to be a SHRM member to utilize it, but I'm telling you, it has updates all the time about what you need to know, what's going on in government affairs, and these laws impact employers right away.
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Once employers have that capability and they have that access, they have the ability to educate their employees with real data and not just what's on the news and who says what about what, when, where You're getting the information to them.
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You're opening up a discussion.
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You're saying, hey, this is going to happen.
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Whatever law is going to happen, this is how we're preparing for it and this is how we're going to protect you and this is how we're going to keep it open door for when you have questions.
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So it's a really good platform and it really just needs to be utilized a lot more.
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I love that, sarah.
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Another benefit or perk with the SHRM's A-Team Advocacy platform is that it gives HR professionals an opportunity to engage in the legislative process right.
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Most of the time, we tend to react to some of the policies and regulations that come down the pipeline, but SHRM has created this space where we have an opportunity, where they are finding out what policies or regulations will that are coming down the pipeline, that will impact organizations, and they're giving us an opportunity to speak from a grassroots level, to get involved and see how are these policies that are coming from, coming down from a national level, how do they impact us here at a local level?
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And then how can we from there make sure we're educated on what's going on and how that impacts the workplace policies?
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And because we're HR professionals and we're the ones who are doing the day-to-day when it comes to creating workplaces where people want to thrive, creating workplaces where people want to thrive it just makes sense for us to have that opportunity to be a part of the shaping of those workplace policies.
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Not only is it yeah, I would just say that's one of the number one things is being able to have that space where you're invited to the table and you get to partake in shaping and workplace policies.
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So if we had you had a new HR professional who's very green, who doesn't know what SHRM advocacy is, how would you explain that to them?
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Like I would probably use the example of FMLA right.
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So I think that once when I got involved in HR and trying to work out that process of the FMLA process, I found it very confusing and it wasn't intuitive.
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And when I got involved with the advocacy side of HR, I realized that this was the federal government wanting to improve the improving experience of an employee or the workplace, and so they came up with a policy and they said this will make sure that employees who need a benefit will be able to have that benefit and we're going to make sure that the workplace creates that opportunity for that employee.
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Now what I would say that, as an HR professional utilizing that process, what I've learned is that it would have been awesome if there were HR experts in the room to help the legislators, the congressmen, really think about what this policy is trying to do and make sure that they think about what it's like to administer it in the office.
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And so when you think about different situations like that, we have an opportunity where we could have impacted that policy from the beginning, before it actually became codified.
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So now every HR professional has to do it that way.
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So I would use that as an example, as a policy that was put into place.
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That definitely could have been shaped better if HR professionals had the opportunity to be involved in that process.
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So I guess that's the way that I think about it.
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What about you, sarah?
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I'm thinking in terms of putting myself as when I was that new HR person.
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And what I really like about the SHARP advocacy, the A-team is that we have to remember that SHARP has its feet on the hill and that means that they represent all of us employees all of us workers, employers alike.
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And explaining that to a brand new green HR professional and saying, hey, the more you get involved with this, the more you can have your employees get involved.
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You can grow your knowledge.
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It'll give you information.
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I'll send you things to your email Not that we don't get enough emails, but I think they do a good enough job in sending the right information at the right intervals.
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It's not too much, it's not too little, it's not too little.
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They have a text option.
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There's a lot of ways to utilize that platform.
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That works best for the new HR professional in terms of I'm trying to think how I want to say this nice, it's just really a great tool.
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It's something that you have, just like when you go on the SHRM's website and you want to pull a job description.
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It's no different.
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It's what am I looking for that's going to impact my employees today?
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And I'd say, looking at it like on a monthly basis would be okay.
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There's laws and things that change all the time, but getting ahead of it and looking at the things that really are going to impact your place of business is what you're looking for, and you can determine which one of those is the most impactful or be prepared for any backlash employees might come up with after something may have passed that maybe they're out of hand.
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So it sounds like advocacy in general is very important for all of us HR professionals, in your opinion.
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Why is it so important?
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And all of us HR professionals In your opinion, why is it so important?
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And then, how can HR professionals get involved?
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How can we get involved?
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I think well, one promoting it at any state SHRM level and at any chapter level, bringing it up periodically.
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We hear a lot about recruiting and onboarding, training, lots of different things payroll functions, mental health, the workplace and all these things are so important and government affairs impacts all of those pieces.
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The Department of Labor drops a new law and it impacts our payroll system.
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Department of Labor drops a new law and it impacts our payroll system.
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And PWFA controls our leave and employee attendance.
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So many things are impacted by these laws that they all tie together.
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Promoting it, being excited about it, the newsletters, it could be media, it could be panels, it could be lots of options.
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Just fitting the platform of your audience is your best bet.
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Following your members in your area and just pushing this out there.
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So, stephen, being part of the Northeast Indiana Chamber, through the lens that you work through, why do you think that advocacy is so important and to be involved in?
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It's important because it gives the members of NARA General Information Fund, the citizenry, that there are certain legislative issues that are on the agenda for this year resulting from last year's legislative regimen that they would get through by letting you know who's a champion for what issue and who's opposed to what issues.
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In the workplace, for example, we have a lot of legislative conversations about child care.
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What force belt we're expecting right now and predominantly most of the legislature on a board decision is on board for trying to figure out what's the best way forward to get child care and early childhood development into the forefront in the state legislature or some sort of economic relief to improve employee innovation as far as getting parents back into the workplaces that would typically not be able to return to work if they couldn't work.
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If your membership knows what legislator is opposed to such efforts or which legislatures are in favor of such efforts, it would make them make more important decisions.
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As far as elections go, we regret much more of the days and it helps develop any legislative agenda that maybe Myra needs to, any legislative agenda that maybe Myra needs to emphasize with their lobbyists that will go in at the state level.
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Yeah, I just saw someone post on LinkedIn earlier about how DODIS is putting a lot of the rulings in the hands of state government and how important it is to know who you're electing, especially at the state level.
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Would you say that they're putting that more so at the state level, more so now than they have in the past, or would you say it's fairly equal or balanced?
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I would say that it's balanced.
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I think it's more to the forefront now.
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Because of the temperature in politics, People are getting a lot more attention to down ballot boots, you know what fits them locally, more so than the national.
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But local policies are, you know, tempered by the federal levels.
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People are trying to find a good equilibrium of what's good for me and what's good for society and what's good for society, and they're looking at those best wrong decisions.
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Okay, sarah.
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so what is an advocacy tree in the workplace, and not every workplace will have one, depending on their size and scope of work, but I encourage them to have one.
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And an advocacy tree is almost you can think of it like a complaint escalation, but this is more, for I want to voice how I feel about something that not necessarily the employee did to me.
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It's more hey, I'm upset that this law might pass and it'll impact us, or what are we going to do when it does?
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Or I am in favor of it.
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But an advocacy tree is working with the right channels, moving up in your department or in your organization to talk about the things that you want to talk about, and sometimes, when you have one of those built into your organization, they can morph themselves into different things.
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Where I work, we have employee readiness groups and then they meet and discuss and promote different specific topics.
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It could be about disabilities in the workplace or something of that nature, and that is a way to really hone in on an advocacy tree.
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I think in growing it instead of it just being an individual.
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I think in growing it instead of it just being an individual, but it's not forming like large groups of disruption.
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In a sense it's forming groups of promotion and well-being in the workplace in an intellectual and positive light.
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Does anybody here have any experience using that model?
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Maybe just me?
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It's like, I'll be honest, I've never heard of it before.
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It is a very good idea, but how would you start that in your organization?
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I wouldn't say I've had to use the ad with the c4a in person already, but I am referring members to a very general concept like Cerebral Spondyloma, a conflict resolution.
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For the diagram to let people know where they fit in the kind of slower things.
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Typically we only advocate for members of their region chamber.
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So you're an outside entity to me, you're not a member.
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Best I can do is give you the information to, to how to join.
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Or we have a sister company or a parent company that might be looking for mobile lobbying efforts and it shows us basically the progression of where we get involved at on the the chain of concern process.
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If an employee has a big issue with the employer, we advocate that you try to tell them to meet that issue at the lowest level.
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But if it is a like a mineral state or federal regulatory type issue, the Louisian issue might happen with the administrative aids or legislative assistance.
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So order your representative to escalate that issue up to the chairman.
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Sir.
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I love the idea of the advocacy tree.
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Now, I haven't used it before, but what it makes me think about it makes me think about the civility at work that SHRM is pushing on the national level.
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So when you ask the question, how would you set something up like that within the workplace?
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You know, what my mind goes to is first, do you have a culture where people can actually talk and people can be honest and there's some level of transparency where people can have conversations, some sort of town hall where we're asking for people's opinions and creating it, making it a safe space so that people can get involved and get engaged?
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And then it seems like you know.
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From there you would, organically, would understand, like you know where, how the advocacy tree would grow from there, as you know, as people become more informed and more educated.
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Because it seems like, when it comes to advocacy, it's really about being educated, right, like being informed, being educated, making sure that you have the facts, and then where can you go get the facts so that you can read it for yourself and be fully aware.
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Right, because advocacy is not about us telling people what to do or how to think, but it's about being able to pose questions, questions that cause people to think critically, right, and think about okay, what are the consequences?
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Because we all know, when it comes to policies and regulations, there's always unintended consequences that tend to happen from those, from policies being passed.
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So how can we create a space where we can have these conversations within the workplace and get a point of view, get a perspective, so that then we know how to then use our voice to advocate based upon the information that we learn?
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But I love that advocacy tree.
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I think it completely falls in line with civility within the workplace.
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How do you get people to start talking about these things that are impacting our lives within the workplace and also outside of the workplace?
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Yeah, so if you have someone who wants to get involved, how would you recommend getting them engaged with policymakers to influence that legislation?
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That's a great question.
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I would say, in complete honesty, it's uncomfortable.
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If that's not something that you naturally do, it's not going to feel comfortable to do it.
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So I would say it really does.
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Begin with maybe getting tapped in with, first of all, your government affairs director right, because it's our role, within our position, to really go out there and really find out, okay, who can we connect you to or where can we get that information, how can we help you get the resources that you need.
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But then after that, when it's okay, how do you get comfortable with speaking to legislators and getting to that point?
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I think it's really about getting comfortable having the conversations first, like learning the regulation and learning the policy, and maybe having conversations with other people, other like-minded people who would have that information, conversations with other people, other like-minded people who would have that information.
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Because it seems like having the conversation first will give you the context to start asking questions, but it seems like it has to start with being educated.
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So I would say, first the SHRM's A-team kind of getting connected with the HR policy briefings, getting those emails, because maybe you need somewhere to start you can start getting the information from SHRM.
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And then, once you get those emails then maybe reading over them and just saying, okay, what questions do I have?
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Do any of this impact my workplace, the industry that I'm in?
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How do I start connecting and having those conversations?
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And once you start having those conversations, I feel like you'll feel compelled, you'll feel energized to make that next step.
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But I would say, first start off with the SHRM A team and then your director of government affairs.
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What do you think there?
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Or even Bethany, what do you guys think I think?
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you're absolutely right, trace.
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Getting the film first and having the questions already in mind and thought out before standing in front of your legislators is very important.
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But to follow up with that once you have the information, I think the easiest way for you to find out when and where you can find your legislators, to get involved with your local chamber of commerce or regional chamber.
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We have four legislative open houses, so to speak, which is in the meeting.
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We'll have those kind of ways in Northeastern Indiana.
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We have third house forum.
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We have the praiseful Wayne Luke annual meeting.
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We have original chamber annual meeting.
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That'd be kind of session legislative wrap-up and mentions at the beginning of the session and at the end of the session.
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So if you're looking for an open forum, or even after, you just have a sidebar with your legislators or all your legislators, he shows up red.
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That would be the easiest and most I wouldn't say the most productive way, but one that would require less ground poundings for an individual.
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I'd say a way to do it to really get them started is putting out there some of the legislators that's happening extremely locally to them.
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Just putting one out there maybe a month or something, because we have to think about all walks of life here.
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You have your entry level and then your mid-level managers and then just be climbing up that ladder.
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You have your entry level and then your mid-level managers and then just be climbing up that ladder.
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And if we're speaking to all walks of life here and saying, hey, did you guys know that this building is projected to go up and it might disrupt this area, it has nothing to do technically with your employer per se, but it does have to do with our immediate town.
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Some towns are pretty rural and some towns aren't.
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It does have to do with our immediate town.
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Some towns are pretty rural and some towns aren't.
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So that can really just start the domino effect.
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Just so you know, I'm letting you guys know about this.
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It doesn't impact our job directly.
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It might impact us indirectly in terms of traffic, parking, instruction, whatever.
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And if you want to talk about it with your local legislator, they're going to meet at such and such place and such at such time and getting those things posted and those are the safe ones to put out there so an employer doesn't feel like they've put themselves in maybe a legally binding spot and protracted.
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But then I also thought of, on an interval level, bringing up to your employees as a group.
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On an interval level, bringing up to your employees as a group, I really get honing in on those managers and saying, hey, once a week look up something that's going on in your area and bring it to your team.
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You got to have some kind of team meeting on a regular, some kind of basis.
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So bring this up to them and that way you're getting them engaged in something beyond the workspace that impacts their life and it could impact the workspace too, but just something bigger and broader.
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And it ties into employee engagement.
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Because then the employer, the supervisors, are more in tune with what's going on with the employees and vice versa.
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They feel like their voice mattered.
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And when you tie into employer or employee buy-in, that and when you try to employ a buyer, that's when you really get the results.
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You get the involvement that you want is when you get the buy-in.
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I love that, sarah, and I think that if I were to like integrate blend both of what you just said and what Stephen had said earlier, I would say definitely get involved in your local chamber, for sure.
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And that's a great way, because most organizations in our community are already a member of the local chamber.
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So it's like maybe as an HR professional, you might ask hey, are we, are we a member of the local chamber?
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Can I get involved?
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I'd like to be a part of their advocacy committee and see if I can learn what's going on what's happening locally, because you do get to happen and learn what's going on what's happening locally, because you do get to happen, you get to learn about what's impacting your businesses, your local businesses, through your local chambers, because most of them are paying a lobbyist to go out there and find out what's going on.
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So it's a great way to find out what's impacting your local business community and how can you get involved from that point?
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Because then you have other people who are like-minded and who are also having this conversation.
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So then you have another opportunity to really have conversation with other people.
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You know like-minded people who are also in this topic, because it's one thing.
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You can definitely go out to the Indiana General Assembly and just find out who your legislator is and just reach out to them Right, because you do have that right as a constituent.
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Everyone does right.
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But I know that here what we're talking about is how can we do it in a professional way, in a way that we feel confident confident knowing that we can go up there and speak to our elected officials and know that they will hear us.
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And I would say these are great ways.
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So locally, getting involved locally but if your organization is connected to the local chamber, that's another great way to get in and get involved and just start learning about what's happening within that space.
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You might even be a great contribution to their meeting, because a lot of them don't have HR professionals that are in there in that space and so we know things that you know they might not even be thinking about.
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So we can really impact that workplace when most of the time they're thinking about how do they make sure they maintain their bottom line.
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So it just gives us an opportunity to get in so many different levels.
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So I love what both of you said there.
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Yeah, something you just said sparked this question.
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So what role does our government, or does the government relations, play in a company's operations?
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does the government relations play in a company's operations?
00:22:59.003 --> 00:23:13.798
Stephen, can I put you on the spot, sure, from that external perspective, because I'm pretty sure that you might deal with and I'm just assuming but a lot of smaller business, small to mid-sized organizations that may not necessarily have a government affairs department, so they might come and seek some of that.
00:23:13.798 --> 00:23:15.459
So I'm going to just throw it over to you real quick.
00:23:15.499 --> 00:23:17.249
Yeah, so that's going to just throw it over to you real quick.
00:23:17.249 --> 00:23:20.820
Yeah, so that's a very complex question.
00:23:20.820 --> 00:23:27.778
Everything is regulatory, statutory, and that has to do with local legislation, reg and your legislature's elected officials.
00:23:27.778 --> 00:23:31.660
It's pretty much the backbone of your HR.
00:23:31.660 --> 00:23:41.529
Everything has to do with no compliance and those types of things, but it's integral in for your operation, your management or capital.
00:23:41.529 --> 00:23:47.442
It gets tricky because most bills are signed into law pretty much on that pilot.
00:23:47.442 --> 00:23:52.569
People have the concept the way things are the way things are and it's always been that way.
00:23:52.569 --> 00:24:05.592
But every once in a while there are slight nuance changes to statutory regulatory issues and, honestly, some things that we never thought of would become a regulatory issue.
00:24:05.612 --> 00:24:20.788
Ie child care comes to the forefront because we're looking to influence economic development and increasing the workforce economic development and increasing the workforce.
00:24:20.788 --> 00:24:31.778
Making sure that your government affairs office is tied into, like I said, the local chamber at a minimum helps regulate what the information flow and pass-through is from the state house.
00:24:31.778 --> 00:24:38.740
A lot of things come from the Indiana chamber through the regional chambers, if you're fortunate enough to have one, into your local chambers.
00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:49.588
But just because the information was sitting at your local chamber, which office, doesn't mean it's got pushed down to your government chairs, offices at your local companies.
00:24:49.588 --> 00:24:57.300
Again, we're very tied to CIRAS.
00:24:57.300 --> 00:25:03.560
Talking about the information on a timely basis, that made me think, or at least orderly, to know what's coming out.
00:25:03.931 --> 00:25:49.000
I would definitely say twice a year at a minimum, try to get the legislative agenda for your elected district or your region, what the elected officials are looking at putting to the floor in the upcoming session and they do a look back at what was on the floor last year that maybe didn't get pushed through this year and see if there's any advocacy efforts that your company needs to muster up to push particular statutory regulatory issue back to the forefront in the following session or making sure that it gets to a summer committee for for first study so it doesn't necessarily die on the floor and doesn't get the necessary votes you know, I love what you're saying there, steven so pretty much.
00:25:49.903 --> 00:25:59.858
Because if, like you said when you started, if the policies are already, if they already codified, then it's just so much harder to fight on the backend once it's already become law.
00:25:59.858 --> 00:26:12.501
So an organization wants to really develop that government affairs department like any other business strategy, because there are policies and regulations that are being passed daily, right Once they're in session.
00:26:12.501 --> 00:26:17.662
That impacts the way that organizations are ran, the way that they're able to hire, the way that they're able to pay.
00:26:17.662 --> 00:26:21.278
And if you're not sitting at that table, then you are for real.
00:26:21.278 --> 00:26:24.750
I know it's a cliche, everybody always says it, but you're on the menu, you are.
00:26:24.871 --> 00:26:39.326
Your desires, your needs, your business, what's going to help your business grow tends to be put on the chopping block If you're not sitting there or you're not able to pay for someone to be there to advocate for your free on your behalf.
00:26:39.326 --> 00:26:52.310
And it's funny when you think about what started, when you think about the political parties and I know that a lot of people say they don't want to get political, but when you really think about how the, how the different political parties originated, it started with the New Deal Right.
00:26:52.310 --> 00:27:00.703
When you think about FDR after, after war, and he felt like a lot of the big businesses were taking advantage of their employees to make profit.
00:27:00.703 --> 00:27:08.576
So FDR came in and said okay, we're going to put in all these policies and regulations to really make sure that businesses aren't taking advantage of employees.
00:27:08.576 --> 00:27:09.701
What did businesses do?
00:27:09.701 --> 00:27:19.846
Businesses solidified their party and decided okay, now we're going to make sure that we pay for lobbyists that are going to make sure that our needs and our desires are taken care of for our business.
00:27:19.846 --> 00:27:27.778
What ends up happening is that now we're in this position where we have a lot of smaller businesses that don't have the funds to pay for a lobbyist right.
00:27:27.778 --> 00:27:33.979
Who may not, who may not even be aware that we're consistently fighting policies and regulations that are getting passed, like the BOI.
00:27:34.299 --> 00:27:42.751
I'm a small business owner, so I'm a small business owner.
00:27:42.751 --> 00:27:59.238
So I'm a small business owner, and the BOI that has recently come out is just a pain in the in the, because a regulation went out and they said that oh, because small business owners could possibly be shells for bigger organizations that are trying to launder money, and so, therefore, we're going to force all smaller businesses to go ahead and do this extra piece and when you think about it, it's just like why?
00:27:59.238 --> 00:28:00.576
Because we're not sitting at the table.
00:28:00.576 --> 00:28:14.236
There's a lot of us who were unaware that this was something that was happening, and so now it's policy, it's law, and if you don't comply, you will be fined $500 or something for every time you don't fill out that paperwork.
00:28:14.849 --> 00:28:25.109
That's the very reason why people should get involved, because it's to the point where if we think that people are going to get into office and take care of our business needs, we're fooling ourselves.
00:28:25.109 --> 00:28:29.541
They go in and their power, their decision making power, is bought.
00:28:29.541 --> 00:28:34.500
It just behooves everyone to start getting involved and learn the process for themselves.
00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:37.012
So now, it's not about fake media, it's not about fake news.
00:28:37.012 --> 00:28:38.215
It's about the process.
00:28:38.215 --> 00:28:39.980
You're able to go and decipher the news.
00:28:39.980 --> 00:28:44.808
You're able to decipher the information, cut through all of that and really understand.
00:28:44.849 --> 00:28:46.674
Okay, how do I advocate for my business?
00:28:46.674 --> 00:28:47.978
How do I advocate for my needs?
00:28:47.978 --> 00:28:50.050
How do I advocate for my quality of life?
00:28:50.050 --> 00:28:56.461
Because if you're not advocating for it, you're giving up your quality of life for somebody else to do whatever it is that they want to do.
00:28:56.461 --> 00:29:14.574
So my answer to that would say you have to get involved If you want to shape the quality of life, the freedom, the way that if you want to shape your business, you have to get involved, because regulations really shape our businesses and if you want to shape how that impacts your business, you got to get involved.
00:29:15.557 --> 00:29:16.200
Okay, so wait.
00:29:16.200 --> 00:29:18.910
What changed with small business regulations?
00:29:18.910 --> 00:29:19.875
I got to know now.
00:29:21.431 --> 00:29:23.117
So it's the beneficial owner.
00:29:23.117 --> 00:29:29.598
Ownership is an incentive, and so you have to go to the Department of Treasury.
00:29:29.598 --> 00:29:31.352
Okay, steven, you know about it, do you want to?
00:29:31.352 --> 00:29:32.676
Give like the more professional.
00:29:33.018 --> 00:29:38.753
Okay, ironically, the Chamber of Commerce got their notice from our attorney as well, and me and Bill were looking at it.
00:29:38.753 --> 00:29:40.559
We're like, wait a minute, we're an nonprofit.
00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:49.484
I want to see how are we going to get you know wrapped up in fraud if we don't complete this, why it's required.
00:29:49.484 --> 00:29:56.394
And Bill was saying I remember this coming through the section I don't either, ironically, call your attorney.
00:29:56.394 --> 00:29:58.278
Hey, does this really affect us?
00:29:58.278 --> 00:29:59.361
And we can absolutely.
00:30:07.569 --> 00:30:11.196
The IRS is looking to see what, who owns shell companies and what their actual tax requirement should be.
00:30:11.196 --> 00:30:17.067
It comes from certain companies, certain businesses doing some less than honorable business practices less than honorable business practices.
00:30:17.067 --> 00:30:29.498
And now the rest of us that don't even have the financial means to arrange shell companies and divert money to offshore routes have to follow suit to stay out of the wrath of the IRS.
00:30:29.498 --> 00:30:42.763
And Tracy is absolutely right Just because you're ignorant of the compliance requirement does not remove you from responsibility of whatever financial punishment for not filing the correct documentation in a timely manner.
00:30:42.763 --> 00:30:45.009
It offends everyone.
00:30:45.009 --> 00:30:52.904
I had somebody sat at the table and said, hey, businesses that make less than I think the floor was like $5 million.
00:30:52.904 --> 00:30:54.634
Am I mistaken, tracy?
00:30:54.634 --> 00:30:59.310
Yeah, Should just be, paid yeah, it's right.
00:31:00.353 --> 00:31:00.594
Why?
00:31:00.594 --> 00:31:03.099
Yeah, I'm a chamber of commerce.
00:31:03.099 --> 00:31:04.643
Why would you even be looking at new groups?
00:31:05.471 --> 00:31:18.414
but that's why their compliance, or like advocacy, is so important, because not even just for our positions in our company, and so my family runs a small business, um, and we did not get a letter for that because we're small enough that started business and we did not get a letter for that because we're small enough that started this year.
00:31:18.615 --> 00:31:31.391
We don't have a lawyer or anything, but luckily I've gotten those notices for working for the company that I do, that we've talked about it, that we have to send that in, even though it's crazy and we don't feel like we should be falling into that.
00:31:31.391 --> 00:31:35.461
It's not our fault, but it is our due diligence.
00:31:35.461 --> 00:31:39.410
We, like you had said, it's our responsibility, no matter if we're not.
00:31:39.410 --> 00:31:50.276
And that's why these advocacy tools and resources and community and networking is so important, because there's a lot of HR professionals that they know a lot about a lot, but maybe not enough about something else.
00:31:50.317 --> 00:32:05.119
Like this you have to make sure that you're networking, getting resources like different law firms, going to chamber of commerce, getting involved in them, getting involved in SHRM and advocacy teams, because it's not even just these tools, it's resources and people.
00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:14.521
Then they're going to get you connected to the people that you need to understand things or a certain law that's not that important to most businesses but could be something huge for your team or your company.
00:32:14.521 --> 00:32:16.407
You've got to find those connections to get huge for your team or your company.
00:32:16.407 --> 00:32:25.598
You've got to find those connections to get involved with your community or your state or federal or even SHRM, letting them know, making the cause bigger.
00:32:25.598 --> 00:32:30.357
Like you had said earlier, tracy, it's the person that's the loudest, or the team that can pay for somebody.
00:32:30.357 --> 00:32:33.634
That's the ones that are really getting their voices heard.
00:32:34.676 --> 00:32:37.722
And then we look at the state of what's happening right now.
00:32:37.722 --> 00:32:48.740
Like I think we started off this session talking about how the SCOTUS, how they're relegating all decisions to the state, and that's really big when you really think about it.
00:32:48.740 --> 00:32:51.696
Right, because it's alluding to the Chevron deference, right?
00:32:51.696 --> 00:33:03.163
So we've all, as HR professionals, we have case laws and just standards that we're used to, but what this does is that this shakes everything up, because now it's not about what's the standard.
00:33:03.163 --> 00:33:09.503
We're going to go to the federal agency who came up with this, with the regulation, and ask them for their understanding.
00:33:09.503 --> 00:33:11.173
It's no longer going to be that.
00:33:11.173 --> 00:33:14.623
It's going to be up to each judge to make up their own interpretation.
00:33:14.623 --> 00:33:16.336
Then what does that do for each?
00:33:16.336 --> 00:33:17.511
Organization.
00:33:17.913 --> 00:33:19.736
Yeah, it's just really crazy.
00:33:19.736 --> 00:33:21.539
So now you're not sure.
00:33:21.539 --> 00:33:22.541
You're not sure.
00:33:22.541 --> 00:33:26.541
If you know what's going on in your organization, you could be safe.
00:33:26.541 --> 00:33:31.897
Maybe you won't be safe because maybe the judge will just decide you know what this is, what we're going to do.
00:33:31.897 --> 00:33:35.377
That totally disrupts how we've done HR.
00:33:35.377 --> 00:33:40.560
So if it goes to the state, that means there's 50 different ways that you can interpret HR policy.
00:33:40.903 --> 00:33:46.259
So maybe I'm going to go live in the state where it's very beneficial to me as an employee or as an employer.
00:33:46.259 --> 00:33:49.093
I'm going to go to the state that's very beneficial to me.
00:33:49.093 --> 00:33:51.358
So then you just think then what is going on?
00:33:51.358 --> 00:33:54.252
And then we have AI, and then we have the salary threshold.
00:33:54.252 --> 00:34:00.699
I know that we still have there's still a hearing on that to see if that's going to take place in January.
00:34:00.699 --> 00:34:01.821
But just all these.
00:34:01.910 --> 00:34:10.376
But if the salary threshold goes into play and then every three years it keeps going up and AI is going to decrease the cost of labor, what is going on here?
00:34:10.376 --> 00:34:11.956
What is going on?
00:34:11.956 --> 00:34:15.371
I'm sorry, I'm not trying to create pandemonium, but it's just oh my gosh.
00:34:15.371 --> 00:34:26.271
Hr professionals are just equipped and we are in the right place to get involved and get engaged and make sure that we're having the conversations with our legislators, because they are not HR professionals.
00:34:26.271 --> 00:34:27.536
They need help.
00:34:27.536 --> 00:34:38.463
I think a lot of them would welcome local HR professionals coming together and start helping them understand these policies and laws, because workforce development is a big thing right now.
00:34:38.463 --> 00:34:49.262
I think this is a great opportunity for HR professionals to really get involved and get engaged and really see how powerful our voices are, because it really is very powerful in this space.
00:34:50.869 --> 00:34:53.481
But workforce development is one of those things that you know.
00:34:53.481 --> 00:34:56.231
It changed so rapidly after COVID.
00:34:56.231 --> 00:35:05.833
Within my own household, me and my wife were W2s and now we're 1099 W2 mixes and my wife works out of state.
00:35:05.833 --> 00:35:17.179
I've worked out of state prior to this position and when you go to the HR office and you say, hey, this particular rule I don't think applies to me, only they, the HR professionals, I'm not sure.
00:35:17.179 --> 00:35:18.641
Let me get back to you.
00:35:18.641 --> 00:35:32.577
Having the connections that I have, I've been able to help out my HR personnel figure out which rules, regulations apply which do not Like Bethany was saying.
00:35:32.577 --> 00:35:35.596
You're not a large company, you don't have an attorney.
00:35:35.596 --> 00:35:48.641
You could be thinking you know something absolutely legal on one hand and then, when tax time comes, the employer or the employee has this huge tax liability, not due to negligence or their undemurrance.
00:35:48.641 --> 00:35:54.842
It's just that the regulatory or statutory issue that we thought we knew actually didn't apply or doesn't apply.
00:35:56.472 --> 00:35:57.557
That hurts yeah.
00:35:58.289 --> 00:36:14.222
Something to consider is that some of those topics we just talked about people listening probably quite possibly have heard a lot of it for the first time, and the IRS stuff and the DOL, even though that's been a thing.
00:36:14.222 --> 00:36:25.195
But some of these employers around here even there are listening groups there there might be small enough or they just don't know what all these information.
00:36:25.195 --> 00:36:33.940
It's important for them to really hear this and understand hey, there's extreme value in finding out these things before they happen.
00:36:33.940 --> 00:36:39.092
Extreme value in saving potentially millions of dollars in lawsuits.
00:36:39.092 --> 00:36:45.414
Protecting your employees, protecting yourselves, protecting the employer, the owner or even if you are the owner.
00:36:45.414 --> 00:36:48.181
All those things are really important.
00:36:48.201 --> 00:36:57.411
Why it's tied back, why advocacy is so important, is that knowledge really is power, not just a saying that what's going to happen before it happens.
00:36:57.411 --> 00:37:10.672
You have a very high probability of protecting and preparing and encouraging your staff and what's going to happen, and then you can work with them and say, hey, this is a law that's beyond our control.
00:37:10.672 --> 00:37:19.059
The state level is a federal decision, it's a local decision and this is our plan of action on how we want to do it.
00:37:19.059 --> 00:37:26.117
We want to hear your voice so that way we can finalize our plan of action and I'm telling you the employee engagement would go up.
00:37:26.117 --> 00:37:33.903
If that were the case, and if employers had more advocacy and understanding, then both of those things would tie in together.
00:37:33.903 --> 00:37:35.235
I bet retention would go up too.
00:37:35.255 --> 00:37:37.121
Both of those things would tie in together.
00:37:37.121 --> 00:37:38.126
I bet retention would go up too.
00:37:38.126 --> 00:37:52.097
Now that we all know how we feel about the small business regulation, has there been, either recently or previously, a time where a law was either passed or overturned, and maybe you were upset, an employee was upset.
00:37:52.097 --> 00:37:55.023
What did you do in that case?
00:38:02.570 --> 00:38:02.690
upset.
00:38:02.690 --> 00:38:03.371
What did you do in that case?
00:38:03.371 --> 00:38:04.313
I want to jump right in on this one.
00:38:04.313 --> 00:38:11.077
And when Roe v Wade was overturned and I'll keep my opinion personally out of it, but when it happened there were several employees and I wasn't prepared.
00:38:11.077 --> 00:38:14.697
This is where I wish I had I understood Sherm advocacy a bit more.
00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:20.797
I wasn't prepared for when that happened and how it was going to impact the employees.
00:38:20.797 --> 00:38:26.976
I figured they would just be upset outside of work or for it outside of work, whichever way, and they were not.
00:38:26.976 --> 00:38:34.360
Then we have countless mostly women coming to my office and very upset, wondering how we're going to handle this.
00:38:34.360 --> 00:38:36.373
How does that work under insurance?
00:38:36.373 --> 00:38:38.753
How does it work for this and that and the other?
00:38:38.753 --> 00:38:43.652
And the best thing I can do is console them, encourage them to talk.
00:38:43.652 --> 00:38:44.594
We talked it through.
00:38:44.594 --> 00:38:46.460
I was the EAP at the time.
00:38:46.460 --> 00:38:49.690
Some employers have EAPs and that's an option too.
00:38:50.431 --> 00:38:57.402
But talking it through and understanding the why why was it overturned or why was it changed?
00:38:57.402 --> 00:38:59.092
Why was the law passed?
00:38:59.092 --> 00:39:12.114
Whatever the reason is that they came up with state, federal, et cetera and then explain to the employee how it could impact them and then what could they do about it in the present and what can they do about it in the future?
00:39:12.114 --> 00:39:16.653
If they can't change the present, what can they do about it in the future for future ones?
00:39:16.653 --> 00:39:19.559
Because now their world got shifted upside down.
00:39:19.579 --> 00:39:31.456
People react when things impact their life or their livelihood, and when a law got overturned that impacts both or one, then they're going to react in a way that allows you to be ready.
00:39:31.456 --> 00:39:47.623
So being prepared and being ready for that is how you get ahead of it, versus my situation where I was getting in behind it and then I started to actually get more prepared, that particular overturning of that law changed my viewpoint and said you got to get a little bit more with it.
00:39:47.623 --> 00:39:50.038
You got to understand what's going on more.
00:39:50.038 --> 00:39:58.652
It was a good growth point for me as an HR professional and it also encouraged the openness and how we develop different things in the workhorse.
00:40:00.054 --> 00:40:08.494
My previous position was at a restaurant group and during COVID this was a really big hot topic at the time.
00:40:08.494 --> 00:40:17.378
But the local area of Fort Wayne or Allen County, was talking about closing restaurants, which that meant we would have to immediately lay off our staff.
00:40:17.378 --> 00:40:28.295
When we had desperately been trying to figure out how to do pickup orders, how to do delivery, we even did grocery shopping options just to keep sales in the door so that we can keep people in a job.
00:40:28.295 --> 00:40:44.117
But being involved in the community as much as that owner of that restaurant group was, he was able to understand that was happening, did everything that he could to be a part of the conversation, but in the back end, as a part of his team, we understood that this was going to go two ways.
00:40:44.117 --> 00:40:49.237
At this meeting they were going to decide to close restaurants in the community or they were going to keep them open.
00:40:49.237 --> 00:40:58.711
So we were making contingency plans for both directions so that we weren't scrambling and it still was was they ended up voting for a time.
00:40:58.711 --> 00:41:04.193
But being involved and understanding what's happening with your advocacy, with your community, and that was something.
00:41:04.193 --> 00:41:05.940
I hope we never have to go through that again.
00:41:06.322 --> 00:41:14.956
But COVID was one of those instances that still many things were happening at local, state, federal levels and mandate that you had to stay up on it because it could.
00:41:15.536 --> 00:41:24.617
One decision could mean completely different things for your staff or yourself or health, and that happens all the time, like the salary stuff that's happening in January.
00:41:24.617 --> 00:41:39.269
Very easily all the meetings that they've scheduled for the next two months before then they could be overturned, they could be, you know, stayed and were waiting and the next thing, a couple of days before we'll get an active decision on what's going to happen on January 1.
00:41:39.269 --> 00:41:46.402
That happens so many times and it's just being aware so that you can plan for if things go either way.
00:41:46.402 --> 00:41:50.338
I think that's what's so important and that's especially in an HR position.
00:41:50.338 --> 00:42:01.130
That's what your job is to make sure that the other decision makers in your team and your company are aware of what's going on so that they can help plan and make contingency plans.
00:42:01.130 --> 00:42:15.862
So, being an HR professional, in anybody's opinion, what can we do to be ready to promote advocacy, either at the workplace, in our local germ chapter, anything like that?
00:42:17.565 --> 00:42:31.635
I would say join your local SHRM chapter for sure, your advocacy team, your advocacy committee, reach out to your director of government affairs and figure out how can you get involved and support what's going on within that space.
00:42:31.635 --> 00:42:42.643
I would say that's the first, one of the first things within SHRM, just because you're going to get acclimated with what the policy pillars are, because SHRM on a national level does have the policy pillars they have six.
00:42:42.643 --> 00:42:46.355
So just getting comfortable with knowing what that space is.
00:42:46.355 --> 00:43:05.840
And then, because what happens is that through SHRM there is the in-district campaign opportunities, where they're twice a year, where we're getting all the tools and the kits that we need to be able to go out and reach out to our local legislators and have conversations, and SHRM will provide us with those talking points, with material to leave behind.
00:43:06.282 --> 00:43:24.331
I would say definitely, if you start with the nucleus, start with your chapter, connect with your director of government affairs and then from there, as you're getting equipped and feeling empowered, the next step will be, I'd say, get out there to the chamber and then, after the chamber, you'll see from there where you can go.
00:43:24.331 --> 00:43:30.014
Maybe you want to go to the state chamber or the regional chamber, but or you're meeting with your local is a chamber.
00:43:30.014 --> 00:43:33.610
The local chamber will give you access to your local elected officials as well.
00:43:33.610 --> 00:43:45.873
So I would say, start with SHRM definitely, because there's so many resources and tools and there's just a plethora of information to help you feel a little more empowered, and then, director of government affairs, to really make sense of all of that.
00:43:45.873 --> 00:43:50.112
Unpack it and then from there you'll see where you naturally organically grow.
00:43:51.327 --> 00:44:00.074
But definitely use us we're definitely here as your resources to grow, I agree with Tracy and it falls back into the advocacy tree that we were talking about earlier.
00:44:00.074 --> 00:44:14.577
So if you start with SHRM, you get your government affairs office, your local chamber, your regional chamber, state chamber, and just work your way up the food chain to find out where you want to be active at what level.
00:44:14.577 --> 00:44:34.619
Your chamber of commerce is always looking for active members to engage in policy advocacy to help empower their employees to keep the community in authority and involved, and it's a way to enhance your culture building efforts at your local companies as well.
00:44:37.684 --> 00:44:51.266
Say, especially if you're new, I always think of the new person I like to advocate for the person who doesn't know it's not used to be that person I'd say find your, join SHRM, if you haven't already.
00:44:51.266 --> 00:44:52.670
We're always going to promote that.
00:44:52.670 --> 00:44:53.952
It's a common theme here.
00:44:53.952 --> 00:44:56.365
And then join the SHRM advocacy.
00:44:56.365 --> 00:44:57.447
It's free, it's part of it.
00:44:57.447 --> 00:44:58.407
It's part of being a member.
00:44:58.407 --> 00:44:59.128
There's no addition.
00:44:59.128 --> 00:44:59.509
It's part of it.
00:44:59.509 --> 00:45:01.329
It's part of being a member.
00:45:01.329 --> 00:45:01.731
There's no addition.
00:45:02.471 --> 00:45:04.672
Get that info and then join your local chapter.
00:45:04.672 --> 00:45:28.867
It's on the SHRM website and you can find your local chapter based on, like, your zip code or your town in the closest one, and then just find a committee to join for, like, doing everything and some of them do some things and some of them have a different approach, but joining that committee or reaching out to that board and saying, hey, do you guys have a government affairs director?
00:45:28.867 --> 00:45:32.117
If so, I want to join their committee and if not, then I want to be.
00:45:32.117 --> 00:45:34.070
I want to be on it, I want to represent it.
00:45:34.753 --> 00:45:54.277
Um, some chapters don't have that at all, not just indiana, you know, nationwide and that's something to consider is that you can become the voice through a stepladder project or just diving right into it and being the voice of your chapter and trying to reach out to everyone and everything to find out what's going on.
00:45:54.277 --> 00:45:56.811
That way, you're representing your member base.
00:45:56.811 --> 00:46:00.985
It could be 20 members, 500 plus members and everywhere in between.
00:46:00.985 --> 00:46:12.619
Getting out some newsletters, some different media platforms, appealing to all audiences is a good way to really get involved and in that way you're doing it, but do it at your pace.
00:46:12.619 --> 00:46:14.099
This is your time to shine.
00:46:14.099 --> 00:46:15.280
Do it at your pace.
00:46:21.800 --> 00:46:23.025
And that way it works for you.
00:46:23.025 --> 00:46:29.123
Sarah, you previously had mentioned engaging in Fort Wayne online forums.
00:46:35.045 --> 00:46:35.585
Can you touch more on that?
00:46:35.585 --> 00:46:36.646
So there's different forums in your own area.
00:46:36.646 --> 00:46:38.630
Some people like me who work endless hours can't always just attend everything.
00:46:38.630 --> 00:46:50.896
So there's online forums at your state, local, quite possibly federal level that you'll need to research and then that way you can look at what's going on in the area.
00:46:50.896 --> 00:47:03.317
You can find out what areas might have free legal counsel at certain times of the day or certain days of the week, and you might be able to reach out online or by phone call.
00:47:03.317 --> 00:47:07.311
You can contact different forums different ways.
00:47:08.034 --> 00:47:09.496
That's something that you can do.
00:47:09.496 --> 00:47:19.192
It requires a lot of independent research, but looking at your local and state government websites that's a good start and see if they have that as an option.
00:47:19.192 --> 00:47:31.092
Not all of them are equipped to do it, but some of them really do promote it, because that way the information is directly fed to the right person and hopefully gets answered by the right person.
00:47:31.092 --> 00:47:34.472
So that's a route, not what you can advocate for yourself.
00:47:34.472 --> 00:47:36.351
But you can't always attend everything.
00:47:36.351 --> 00:47:38.713
We have to work and pay bills here.
00:47:38.713 --> 00:47:40.731
That's just something to consider.
00:47:40.731 --> 00:47:42.056
It's another route.
00:47:42.056 --> 00:47:51.034
It's an indirect route, but it might be an option for you as someone who's listening to this podcast, thinking I can't be everywhere and nowhere like these guys at the same time.
00:47:51.034 --> 00:47:53.768
That doesn't work, but I can do this.
00:47:53.768 --> 00:47:55.815
That's an option for people.
00:47:56.478 --> 00:48:08.327
Even on Department of Labor websites and things like that, when there's a proposed role regulation change, there's typically a comment period and I feel like the thing for OSHA regulations as well that you can.
00:48:08.327 --> 00:48:18.018
If you find out about it, you can go online and give your opinion, your feedback, your information on how that impacts your individual business or even just you as a person.
00:48:18.018 --> 00:48:23.860
Have either of you or any of you ever used that route that comments?
00:48:23.860 --> 00:48:25.545
Absolutely.
00:48:25.545 --> 00:48:29.215
I commented a lot on Department of Labor stuff, a lot of regulations.
00:48:29.746 --> 00:48:42.456
One of our efforts last year and continuing this year is proposals to change US 30 to a highway and we've had the proposed study more than two years and we frequently and regularly promote that.
00:48:42.456 --> 00:49:01.666
There's an open session, webcast, roundtable agenda and schedule on basically all 17 chapters on chambers of commerce in the region so we get as much member input and feedback on proposals to help that project move along.
00:49:01.666 --> 00:49:07.458
So, like Sarah was saying, definitely get onto those webcasts and roundtable discussions.
00:49:07.458 --> 00:49:16.969
I know Grinifer Wing Inc and Wells County Chamber of Commerce.
00:49:16.969 --> 00:49:25.746
They have a very vibrant calendar to let people know what's going on as far as issues at the statehouse and local units of government I forgot about that us-30 thing.
00:49:25.768 --> 00:49:42.878
That's been forever and um sherm also, when they send out their hr policy briefings, they also um give you a link about that time period, for you can um so that you can provide comment on the different federal or federal agencies' sites as well for the comment period.
00:49:42.878 --> 00:49:45.985
So that's another way to find out when you can actually get involved.
00:49:45.985 --> 00:49:46.867
And SHRM also.
00:49:46.867 --> 00:49:57.106
Okay, I'll just keep my opinion, but SHRM also does provide templates where all you'd have to do is just give your name and your chapter and you can do that.
00:49:57.106 --> 00:49:59.054
If you like to go the easy route, do that route.
00:49:59.054 --> 00:50:10.018
But sometimes I like to advocate for get to know your legislators instead of just sending just that standard letter, because sometimes when you send something different it stands out.
00:50:10.018 --> 00:50:12.045
Then there's just the general template.
00:50:12.045 --> 00:50:13.108
But still it still works.
00:50:13.108 --> 00:50:16.806
It still counts as people reaching out, they still count it as part of their numbers.
00:50:17.367 --> 00:50:21.998
So how can HR get savvy about government affairs?
00:50:23.365 --> 00:50:24.672
Join a podcast like this.
00:50:27.126 --> 00:50:29.916
Sure, join the chamber of commerce from the regional chamber.
00:50:29.916 --> 00:50:39.251
One other asset I would like to promote is we have the AIC program and the leadership forwarding program.
00:50:39.251 --> 00:50:43.936
Those two are civic engagement programs.
00:50:43.936 --> 00:51:14.811
They will get you in front of the legislators all the way up to the governor to find out how things work in the process and how budgets at the state level work and program structure and all this other type of stuff, and it gives you a cohort at the end of individuals that are in the same kind of mold that you're trying to either fit into or that you already sit in, and it just enhances your skill sets.
00:51:16.235 --> 00:51:17.268
And what does that again say?
00:51:17.268 --> 00:51:18.030
What was the name of that?
00:51:18.867 --> 00:51:19.188
program.
00:51:19.188 --> 00:51:22.990
It's called the Ambassador Institute of Civic Engagement and then there's Leadership for Wayne lane.
00:51:22.990 --> 00:51:31.961
Those are the two that I really have had before default civic engagement programs in the region I think that's great.
00:51:32.021 --> 00:51:37.538
I think because you can learn this by yourself and and it absolutely can be done for sure.
00:51:38.219 --> 00:51:49.289
But what I would say is that learning advocacy with a group of people, it just really enhances the learning experience, because there's just some questions you're just not even going to think of asking.
00:51:49.289 --> 00:52:00.251
But when you're in the room with the right people and I just say the right people, the people who are just asking questions after questions it just seems like you walk out of an experience just learning a whole lot more.
00:52:00.251 --> 00:52:09.936
And that's why I think that I said that if you really want to get into this, start having conversations with people, because I just feel when you just try to read it on your own and it just doesn't make any sense.
00:52:09.936 --> 00:52:15.956
But I think when you have conversations with other people who are trying to understand it, it just helps Just being around.
00:52:15.956 --> 00:52:16.878
I love that idea.
00:52:16.878 --> 00:52:17.786
I love that, stephen.
00:52:17.786 --> 00:52:32.463
I think being able to go through a cohort while you're learning learning the different levels and not really being indoctrinated, but just learning the process is an absolute opportunity to take advantage of.
00:52:32.483 --> 00:52:32.784
So that's cool.
00:52:32.784 --> 00:52:35.414
Yeah, I really like how you said.
00:52:35.414 --> 00:53:05.217
Both of you said get involved with other people, because I've learned a lot more about government affairs just by the right kind of networking, like talking to the people who have interest in this sort of thing, because then they're in it, they're excited about it, they want to know about it and then whenever you're passionate about something, you're going to talk about it, Whatever you're passionate about you're going to talk about, when you find those people that are like, oh my God, have you heard about this law or have you heard that this is coming up?
00:53:05.217 --> 00:53:06.940
Or even the highway or anything?
00:53:07.965 --> 00:53:17.268
There's two that I could think of major employers in Fort Wayne that's going to impact two big box employers Thinking about their perspectives.
00:53:17.268 --> 00:53:29.090
Imagine if those groups, those employers, networked and was able to go advocate for their employees and say they either do or don't, they're not or they are for that particular thing getting passed.
00:53:29.090 --> 00:53:45.280
That would really show the employees that they genuinely care and it would empower the HR to be a little bit more involved in not just what happens inside the building you're in, but also outside the building that impacts the inside.
00:53:46.045 --> 00:53:46.929
You're absolutely right, sir.
00:53:46.929 --> 00:53:47.793
You're absolutely right.
00:53:47.793 --> 00:53:53.909
And fortunately they're both members of the region chamber and there's actually a third Just guessing.
00:53:53.909 --> 00:53:59.856
You've got Sweetwater, you've got Steel Dynamics and then further down you've got Zimmer Biomant in Warsaw.
00:53:59.856 --> 00:54:06.672
Those three heavy hitters are the first three that we call whenever we have a wishy-whissy in this project.
00:54:06.672 --> 00:54:20.153
They are definitely at the table, and their government affairs representatives, and there's some of the others and there's the double sweep that's definitely at the table, tracy, just to look at how impactful that thing the Leadership Fort Wayne program is impactful that the Fort Wayne program is.
00:54:20.153 --> 00:54:34.331
I am actually on an internship with Naira working for or with Sarah because that was one of the outcomes that once she graduates from the program they marry you up with a local company or take you to an internship.
00:54:34.331 --> 00:54:44.097
They'll take your skill assets and marry up with whatever the local companies are looking for to enhance their government agencies.
00:54:44.097 --> 00:54:49.016
In my case it improves information flow and feedback.
00:54:50.407 --> 00:54:51.612
Oh, wow, that's super cool.
00:54:51.612 --> 00:54:53.851
Okay, I'd like to learn more about that.
00:54:53.851 --> 00:54:54.635
Like, how does that work?
00:54:54.635 --> 00:54:56.811
How does IndieSherm get something like that?
00:54:56.811 --> 00:55:05.309
So you improve the government affairs kind of function within the entity, so you improve the government affairs kind of function within the entity.
00:55:05.329 --> 00:55:06.590
I wouldn't say improve, but me and Sarah.
00:55:06.590 --> 00:55:15.340
When we were introduced Sarah didn't know what I did, I didn't know what Sarah did, so we just met for lunch and then did a question and answer session how can I help you?
00:55:15.340 --> 00:55:16.141
What do you need?
00:55:16.141 --> 00:55:23.987
So on and so forth forth.
00:55:23.987 --> 00:55:37.369
When he came up with a couple of ideas and I basically passed through any information that I think is good for her company or the region that she may not necessarily have access to without necessarily having to become a member, but just showing the value of what the reading chamber can bring to local companies.
00:55:38.391 --> 00:55:39.373
Okay, super cool.
00:55:39.373 --> 00:55:39.875
I love that.
00:55:39.875 --> 00:55:52.047
Strategic partnerships, because when you really think about advocacy, advocacy is not only not getting everybody to think one way or believe one way, but it's about coalition building as well, and that's what I'm hearing, that's happening right here, so that's super cool.
00:55:52.047 --> 00:55:59.831
That's like a major part of advocacy is just being able to connect with strategic partners in that sort of way and say, okay, you care about this, we care about this.
00:55:59.831 --> 00:56:03.297
Okay, let's, how do we combine in numbers and really show strength?
00:56:03.297 --> 00:56:04.599
Super cool, Love that.
00:56:04.599 --> 00:56:05.119
Okay.
00:56:05.119 --> 00:56:06.708
Okay, you're giving me some ideas.
00:56:06.708 --> 00:56:07.853
Okay, I'm going to take it back.
00:56:09.038 --> 00:56:13.570
I think step one with advocacy is intentionally getting involved.
00:56:13.570 --> 00:56:15.034
Drop your blinders.
00:56:15.034 --> 00:56:17.217
Realize it's about to change.
00:56:17.217 --> 00:56:20.813
In a month it's going to change one way or the other.
00:56:20.813 --> 00:56:21.617
Something's going to happen.
00:56:21.617 --> 00:56:25.048
Change in a month, it's gonna change one way or the other.
00:56:25.048 --> 00:56:28.699
Something's gonna happen and without picking a side, it's still going to impact your place of work and how you live.
00:56:28.699 --> 00:56:31.407
Period, getting those blinders off.
00:56:32.248 --> 00:56:35.476
Getting a membership with SHRM not terribly expensive.
00:56:35.476 --> 00:56:41.436
Join your NIAID chapter, your SHRM chapter, sorry, your SHRM state chapter, sorry your SHRM state chapter, your local chapters.
00:56:41.436 --> 00:56:48.833
Join those because those are not usually that expensive either, but it's worth it.
00:56:48.833 --> 00:56:51.163
It's worth whatever cost you're putting into it, because you get more than just government affairs.
00:56:51.163 --> 00:57:08.088
You get all of it and that way you are getting your employer really ready for whatever's going to happen, coming up, whatever's on the docket, whatever's coming up next, whatever's in front of the people, whatever's being projected on the hill, whatever's happening.
00:57:08.088 --> 00:57:13.771
You're ready and then that way you are helping your employer become more successful.
00:57:13.771 --> 00:57:16.934
You as an HR professional, will be more successful for it.
00:57:16.934 --> 00:57:18.789
Definitely join SHRM.
00:57:18.789 --> 00:57:20.054
Get with the A team.
00:57:20.054 --> 00:57:24.668
It's part of the SHRM, so definitely join that and join your chapter.
00:57:26.512 --> 00:57:39.835
Reach out to your local chambers and we try to make sure your chamber is active with the regional chamber and if you see a need or if you need live meeting efforts, definitely join the regional chamber.
00:57:39.835 --> 00:57:54.114
We are the very cost-effective mechanism to make sure that if you have lobbying efforts that you need at the state level or even at the federal level, we are the best bang for the buck.
00:57:55.847 --> 00:57:56.771
I watched too much TV.
00:57:56.771 --> 00:57:59.291
I think being a lobbyist would be so much fun.
00:58:00.094 --> 00:58:00.876
I think so too.
00:58:00.876 --> 00:58:09.945
It's so funny because I sometimes I I could definitely see it though, too because it just seems like it's it's really intense, but it's a lot.
00:58:09.945 --> 00:58:16.947
I, but it's, it's a lot seems like it's long hours and you're just sacrificing, yeah, because you're just like constantly got to get in their face.
00:58:16.947 --> 00:58:18.811
It's amazing all the time.
00:58:18.811 --> 00:58:36.822
But I guess what I would say, like leaving my last, my words of wisdom, is that, besides being a sure member, being a member of your local chapter, you really don't need anything else besides just being willing to be a part of advocacy and learning.
00:58:36.822 --> 00:58:40.130
I think sometimes we look at it and we say, oh my gosh, it's a political thing.
00:58:40.130 --> 00:58:45.333
Oh my gosh, I need to know this, or I need to know that All you need to be is willing to learn.
00:58:45.333 --> 00:58:51.498
If you're willing to learn, I think that's all you need to be a part of, to join your advocacy team.
00:58:51.498 --> 00:58:52.989
Don't overthink it.
00:58:52.989 --> 00:58:55.369
It's not complicated Like when I first started.
00:58:55.528 --> 00:59:15.452
I think I struggled in this area and I've only been in this for two years, right, but I've learned so much just in the two years being in this role of how to make it work just by fumbling in it, just by just saying you know what, I just want to learn and I'm just going to ask questions and you feel like you're going back to eighth grade because you're just like, okay, how does government work again, what is it?
00:59:15.452 --> 00:59:16.875
But it's okay.
00:59:16.875 --> 00:59:40.693
It's okay All of us hopefully I'm speaking for a lot of director of government affairs where we say just join the committee, be willing to learn and just ask questions from your perspective, because it's not about us being experts.
00:59:40.693 --> 00:59:48.608
It's're ready to have some fun and figure out how can we show people that advocacy is fun and it's so much more fun when you are involved, whoever you are.
00:59:48.608 --> 00:59:50.414
When you are involved, you make it more fun.
00:59:50.414 --> 00:59:53.293
So that's my lasting words of wisdom.
00:59:54.726 --> 00:59:56.413
It's something that needs to be exercised.
00:59:56.413 --> 01:00:01.416
You don't just walk into advocacy or government affairs and feel like you know what you're doing.
01:00:01.416 --> 01:00:02.525
A lot of what Tracy said.
01:00:02.525 --> 01:00:05.492
You just got to get out there and start somewhere.
01:00:05.492 --> 01:00:10.976
The best way to do that is start with community like NIRA or the reaching chamber awesome.
01:00:10.976 --> 01:00:15.650
Well, thank you all for joining us today on the this episode.
01:00:15.650 --> 01:00:21.411
I'm really excited that we did this and I'm really excited for the all the future ones that we're going to record.
01:00:28.704 --> 01:00:32.518
Thank you for listening.
01:00:32.518 --> 01:00:35.146
Stay tuned for our next episode.