This audio conference was recorded on Friday- March 6, 2009

Credits:

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification.

Description:

If you’re feeling overworked and underappreciated these days, you’re not alone. National surveys show that the median ratio of HR staff to employees continues to drop year after year - and many workplaces now rely on a single person to handle everything.

Serving as your organization’s one-person HR department can give you a real sense of ownership, and there’s certainly never a dull moment. On the other hand, many solo HR managers report higher levels of burnout and frustration. And it’s easy to make a crucial compliance error when you’re overwhelmed with paperwork, employee questions, and directives from above.

If you’re an HR department of one – or just feel that way sometimes - order this practical 90-minute audio conference recording. Our speaker, an experienced BLR editor, will offer practical tips and strategies for surviving and thriving on your own.

Speaker(s):

Catherine L. Moreton Gray, Esq., is BLR’s managing editor of HR and compensation publications. She has more than 15 years of experience in human resources and employment law. Before joining BLR, she worked as an attorney with the nationwide law firm Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner, LLP, where she represented clients in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies and counseled them on employment-related issues. Also, she has held several human resources positions with financial and industrial companies. She earned her law degree from the University of Connecticut.

Susan Schoenfeld, Esq., is a senior legal editor for BLR's human resources and employment law publications. Before joining BLR, she represented and counseled employers as an attorney in private practice (dealing with issues ranging from disability and discrimination matters to wrongful discharge and sexual harassment claims) and she defended employers in state and federal courts. Also, she served previously as an attorney with the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Labor Department, where she drafted regulations, advised federal agencies, conducted training courses, and litigated cases. Schoenfeld earned her law degree from George Washington University.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• How to build credibility and connections with your workers – without spending all your time on relationship-building
• Why technology and templates can be your best friend, and how to most effectively utilize these tools
• How to make sure all of your legal bases are consistently covered
• Best practices for tracking - and complying with - the key employment laws affecting your workforce
• Why you must enlist the help of frontline supervisors to extend your reach, and the best ways to build these alliances
• Where to find templates, sample forms and policies, and checklists for handling many HR tasks on your own
• How to manage your workload efficiently while still remaining accessible to your employees
• Which employee issues can be resolved in-house - and which issues may require the help of an employment attorney
• The most common mistakes made by one-person HR departments - and how you can avoid repeating them