January 2010
Wellness Program Effectiveness:
Dr. Harlan Levine, Towers Perrin
Dr. Harlan Levine is a Principal in Towers Perrin's Care Management practice, based in the firm's Los Angeles office. He joined Towers Perrin in 2008 and has more than 13 years of experience providing clinical care management, consultative services and program implementation support to businesses and organizations of all sizes, across a broad range of industries. His care management expertise includes medical management, disease management, wellness and health promotion. Special interests include provider quality and engagement of physicians in care initiatives.
Dr. Levine has worked for several national health care organizations in a variety of leadership roles, including as CEO of Logic Health Systems, a disease management and health care technology subsidiary of AstraZeneca. Immediately prior to joining Towers Perrin, he was the Chief Medical Officer at OptumHealth Care Solutions, the UnitedHealth Group business segment delivering wellness, care management, consumer decision support, Centers of Excellence and consumer portal services and products.
He is a member of the Board of Directors and Government Affairs Committee for the Disease Management Association: The Care Continuum Alliance, on the editorial advisory board for the Disease Management Advisor, and has co-chaired the American Health Insurance Plan’s Cardio-metabolic Risk Reduction Sub-committee. In September, 2008, he was named by Managed Healthcare Executive as one of the country’s top twenty-five Leaders in Disease Management. Professional presentations and articles include How to Create a Personalized Integrated Health Management Solution, Disease Management in the Age of Consumerism, Predictive Modeling in Disease Management and Physician Driven Disease Management: A New Model for Health Care 2.0.
He earned an A.B., cum laude, in biology from Harvard College and an M.D. from the University of California , San Francisco .
November 2009
Executive Compensation
Bertha Masuda
With executive pay being a major shareholder and media issue, the executive compensation function can be daunting to practitioners, particularly those who are new to the topic. This presentation provides an overview of the executive compensation function, with an emphasis on how executive pay programs should flow seamlessly from organizational strategy and objectives. You will learn how executive compensation philosophy serves as a guidepost for future decision-making and how certain topics are lightning rod issues for companies and their Compensation Committees. The discussion will cover recent trends, including change of control payments and benefits and perquisites, two hot topics for companies these days. In addition, we will cover the wealth accumulation cycle of executives and provide an overview of the major legal, tax and accounting issues. Whether you recently assumed executive compensation responsibilities or simply wish to learn more about the topic, this presentation provides a comprehensive overview.
This presentation will review key events and trends for the future.
BERTHA MASUDA is a partner and co-founder of Vivient Consulting. She has extensive experience advising Boards and top management on strategy, performance, incentive-design and pay issues. She has worked with companies in a broad range of industries, including financial services, high technology, chain restaurants, manufacturing and energy, and with companies in various stages of development. Bertha works with both public and privately held businesses to develop performance measurement systems, compensation strategies and incentive programs that are aligned with business strategy and financial goals.
She has been invited to speak at compensation seminars and has co-authored several articles regarding the use of equity incentives in merger situations and private company situations.
Bertha has 15 years of consulting experience and is a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to Vivient, she was a Principal with Mercer and SCA Consulting, which was acquired by Mercer Human Resource Consulting in 2001. In addition, she worked at Gemini Consulting and Ernst & Young.
She holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley, where she graduated with honors.
September 2009
Attorney Richard Simmons, Legal Update
Stay informed of the legislative and regulatory changes going on right now for California employers. Are you aware of these changes? Do you know what you need to do to comply with the new laws?
Richard Simmons, author of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers, will speak to OCCABA members about current legal issues. Richard is on the forefront of California labor law and is a very talented public speaker. He has the unique ability to entertain and educate an audience at the same time.
Mr. Simmons is a partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. He specializes in various labor relations matters involving wrongful discharge, state and federal wage and hour laws, employment discrimination, employee discipline and termination, employee benefits, affirmative action, union representation proceedings, and contract arbitrations.
Mr. Simmons received his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley. Richard has authored and co-authored numerous publications to assist California employers with the administration and compliance of the various labor laws.
July 2009
Ethics in the Workplace - Michael Josephson
Michael Josephson, founder and president of Josephson Institute, is one of the nation’s foremost ethics consultants. Mr. Josephson will be speaking about ethics in the workplace. He will discuss current issues, including scrutiny of executive compensation. There will be plenty of time for questions! In fact, you may want to come to the meeting with questions on an ethical dilemma you have faced in the past.
Having led more than 1,000 ethics programs for over 100,000 leaders in business, government, the media, law enforcement, and education, Mr. Josephson possesses unmatched expertise in the practical application of ethics and a uniquely engaging presentation style.
A popular commentator and author, Mr. Josephson speaks to listeners daily through his Gabriel Award-winning radio spots, which air on KNX-1070 and other select stations as well as on the worldwide American Forces Radio network. He also regularly contributes articles to The Bench, the journal of the California Judges Association. His books include The Best Is Yet to Come, You Don’t Have to Be Sick to Get Better!, Making Ethical Decisions, and Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer. He is also coauthor of Parenting to Build Character in Your Teen. We will be raffling off three of his books, The Best is Yet to Come, at the meeting.
May 2009
New COBRA Subsidy: Harley Bjelland
This interactive session will answer all your questions regarding the new COBRA subsidy.
Harley L. Bjelland is an associate in the Cerritos office of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo. Mr. Bjelland has over twenty eight years of experience advising clients in the areas of ERISA and Employee Benefits. He has extensive experience in the areas of employee health and welfare benefit plans: qualified retirement plans (401(k) plans, ESOPs, and Defined Benefit Plans), statutory retirement plans (403(b), 457(b) and 457(f) plans), and executive perquisites 409A, Life Insurance products, SERPs, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, stock options and other compensation plans).
Mr. Bjelland is a current board member and past President of the Orange County Chapter of the Western Pension & Benefits Counsel. Mr. Bjelland earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his law degree from Loyola Law School, and his Master of Laws at New York University.
March 2009
Current Trends in Pharmacy Benefits - What it Means to You and Your Employees
Maximizing the value of employee benefits has never been more critical. As a result, for benefit administrators, developing an effective pharmacy benefit program has never been more essential or more challenging. Successful cost-management efforts abound, but new challenges are always on the horizon. Our speaker will cover the essentials of engaging your PBM in your benefit offerings and discuss emerging trends such as ePrescribing, specialty pharmacy and generic usage.
Dr. Solow, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., is vice president and Medical Director for Clinical Services at Prescription Solutions. Dr Solow’s major responsibility is coordination of clinical activities related to development, enhancement and implementation of clinical programs to support formulary management for clients of Prescription Solutions. Specific programs include routine edits, special disease interventions, Disease Therapy Management programs and the Medication Therapy Management programs. His role includes managing day to day clinical activities, prior authorization requests, and communicating with physicians and patients when clinical questions arise. He also works with the clinical staff in managing day to day administrative issues. Dr. Solow’s goal is to continue the company’s tradition of clinical excellence in pharmacy benefit management through programs that emphasize sound scientific evidence and reflect balanced consideration for the clinical interests of patients, prescribing healthcare professionals, and clients.
Prior to joining the clinical team at Prescription Solutions, Dr. Solow was an active member of a physician-owned medical group. Dr. Solow maintained a full-time practice while simultaneously engaging in various management roles in his medical group chairing key committees and serving as a member of the group’s board of directors. Dr. Solow has participated in managed care at the national level, as well, serving as a member of national pharmacy & therapeutics committees for leading managed care organizations and pharmacy benefit management firms. He has also lectured extensively on managed care topics such as medication management and quality improvement issues.
Currently, Dr. Solow holds an active appointment as Clinical Professor at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, where he received the Family Medicine department award for distinguished practice and teaching in May 2007. He has also been recognized many times by the Orange County Medical Association as a Physician of Excellence.
Dr. Solow earned his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. He completed a family practice residency at the University of California, Los Angeles/Northridge Hospital Medical Center and maintains current board certification in his specialty.
January 2009
Lessons from the Front Line: How Business Challenges were Addressed
Co-presenters: Tenny Poole and Nancy Way
Tenny Poole is the former Vice President of Human Resources for Experian. She managed the Human Resources organization that supports Client Services and was responsible for identifying and providing strategic solutions to critical organizational challenges, including employee relations, selection and retention, compensation, performance management and change management using Appreciative Inquiry. Tenny was responsible for opening up her organization's first service center in Chile in record time. She has many experiences to share from the start up to smooth operations of this facility.
Tenny received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and education from the University of Maryland. She completed the "Developing a Corporate Pension Strategy" program at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Tenny was named 2000 Human Resources Executive of the Year by the National Human Resources Association in March 2001 for her work to help speed up culture change and implement new strategies in Credit Services. She has participated as a speaker at the National Human Resources Association, American Society for Performance Improvement, Academy of Management Consulting Division, International Society for Performance Improvement and the International Academy of Management Consulting Division.
Nancy Way has comprehensive experience in designing, communicating and implementing total rewards solutions. As a practitioner, she served as Compensation Director for PacifiCare Health Systems, Quantum Corporation, and ITT Corporation. At Quantum and ITT she worked with international compensation and, at ITT, also managed the Expatriate program. She spent four years in KPMG's compensation consulting practice, and most recently with Baypoint Partners since 2005. Nancy works closely with clients in the areas of total reward strategies, executive compensation programs, general compensation disciplines, incentive & variable pay plan design, and compensation communication and training programs.
Nancy has a B.S. in management from Charter Oak State College. She has guest lectured on various compensation topics at Chapman University; the University of California, Irvine; and California State University, Long Beach. She has been on the OCCABA Board of Directors since 1993 and is currently serving as President.
November 2008
The New Frontier in Benefits and Compensation: Post Stock Market Calamity and Bailout
This annual legal update is presented by Rob Bekken. Rob represents and advises employers across the country on strategies to avoid employment claims and lawsuits. For 32 years, Rob has devoted his legal career to preventing labor and employment problems. Rob has devised a methodology to guide his clients through the potential landmines that exist in the matrix of employment law. Rob has represented companies in hundreds of litigation matters from employment discrimination to wage and hour matters. He has also represented employers in traditional labor matters including 400 union organizational efforts, collective bargaining negotiations and arbitration matters.
Rob Bekken is founder of the Bekken Law Group. After graduating from Emery Law School in 1976, Rob joined Fisher & Phillips, a national labor and employment law firm. In 1990 Rob founded and became the Managing Partner of Fisher & Phillips Orange County office. After growing the office from two attorneys to twenty-nine attorneys, Rob was solicited to start the Southern California Labor and Employment Group for Preston, Gates & Ellis in 2004. Rob founded the Bekken Law Group in March, 2008 to create a law firm that is based on solving labor and employment problems and developing strategies to end employment litigation in an expeditious fashion.
September 2008
MELTING THE BUTTER OF THE iGENERATION:
A COMPENSATION MANUAL FOR THE 21st CENTURY WORKFORCE
Presented by Jim Finkelstein and Margaret Walker, FutureSense, Inc.
The iGeneration, those from roughly 18-29, is 25-30 million strong. They have communications attributes that differ markedly from their predecessors (i.e., tech savvy); a growing lack of workplace skills and understanding; a collective inability to find a clear, satisfying career path; an 80% rate of job dissatisfaction, and a very high cost of turnover ($75k per). They also have tremendous energy, creativity, intuition, and networking skills.
Organizations need to create a fit between the 20th century workplace and the 21st century workforce. One of the major challenges is to find the right fit of compensation programs that will truly "melt the butter" of both boomers and iGens alike!
This presentation is a new age "compensation operations manual" with concise, humorous and very visual content - developed and presented by the speakers from both the employers' and the iGenerations' perspectives.
Jim Finkelstein
415-453-1514
jim@futuresense.com
Jim is a student and leader of people in business. With 30+ years of consulting and corporate experience, he understands the convergence of environment, culture, development and rewards in order to improve business performance through people. Jim's experience has included being a Partner in a Big Five firm, a CEO of a professional services firm, a corporate executive for Fortune 500 companies, and an entrepreneur with his current company, FutureSense®, Inc.
Margaret Walker
949-230-6311
margaret@futuresense.com
Margaret's personal and professional goal is guiding people to their fullest potential. Her special expertise is in 1:1 coaching; HR and OD interventions; and individual and group orientation, leadership, and performance training. She has more than 20 years experience in human resources, human capital and organizational development.
July 2008
Stuff Happens (Then You Fix It!)
John's trademark approach enables people, regardless of their workstation, to transcend mediocrity by empowering them with facts, tools, and skills to excel in the marketplace. Ho-hum workers are transformed into insatiable achievers as John teaches the most important skill of all - learning to operate oneself more effectively. Morale skyrockets, personal accountability becomes more than a "buzz" word, and the bottom line is positively impacted as John lays out principles to alter how employees think, approach life, and meet challenges such as:
Work hard and smart at what counts
Move past blame and self-limiting beliefs
Unlock hidden potential in yourself and others
Reduce stress on the job and at home
Build stellar relationships personally and professionally
Change work climates by adjusting the “attitude thermostat”
Bringing unparalleled energy and insight to every meeting, John emphasizes character, integrity and common sense as the cornerstones of his presentation. John’s time-tested credo is that happy, fulfilled and motivated people become happy, fulfilled and motivated workers.
John Alston is an internationally known Hall of Fame keynote speaker and author who has developed successful strategies for unlocking potential and excellence in the workplace. He has written four books, including his latest, Stuff Happens (And Then You Fix It!), appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and delivered keynote addresses for organizations such as General Electric, Wells Fargo, General Motors, U.S. Steel, AT&T, the United States Army and many others. In 2001, the National Speakers Association presented John with their highest award, the Council of Peers Award for Excellence Speaker Hall of Fame, an honor for professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of platform excellence and professionalism.
May 2008
Emerging Health Care Strategies and How to Effectively Communicate Them
Mercer, the nation's largest health care consulting firm, will present emerging strategies employers are using to control current and future health care costs. Options to consider for both small and large employers will be discussed, with particular emphasis on approaches effective in Southern California.
While some mainstream strategies are being addressed, this session will focus on emerging strategies, including retail clinics, aggressive wellness programs, evidence-based care and use of web-based program solutions.
Additionally, Mercer will overview the latest strategies around effectively communicating benefits with your employees and a case study of one employer's aggressive approach.
About the Speakers:
Mike Wilson is a Worldwide Partner and the Health and Benefits Practice Leader for Mercer's Newport Beach office. The Newport Beach office of Mercer has 30 Health & Group consultants representing clients with over 1,000,000 covered lives.
He consults to clients on a wide variety of issues associated with health and welfare plans including plan analysis and forecasting, labor strategy development, retiree medical funding and design and implementation of care and disease management programs.
His accounts include both public and private sector organizations including Cedars-Sinai Health System, Experian Information Systems, Science Applications International Corporation and the San Diego County Employees Retirement Association.
Mike joined Mercer in 1989 and has over 20 years of experience in the employee benefits field. He holds a BA from California State University, San Bernardino and is also a Fellow of the Life Management Institute.
Amy E. Kawabori is an Associate in Mercer's Los Angeles office. She assists organizations in developing and executing strategies for communicating all aspects of the employment relationship. Amy specializes in employee research and driving employee behavior change through strategic communication. She has experience helping her clients communicate health and productivity management campaigns, change during and after mergers and acquisitions, as well as compensation, benefits and total rewards programs.
Working with many employers, including the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA), City of Hope National Medical Center, Microsoft, and eBay, Inc., Amy has helped to develop and implement communication strategies to accomplish a wide range of human resources objectives.
Giveaways
This month we will be giving away some copies of the new Mercer Benefits Survey as well as 2 free memberships to OCCABA to attendees. You must be present to receive prizes. Come join us!
March 2008
Sales Compensation Pirates: Where Did the Money Go?
Some sales compensation plans can become too "generous." When this occurs, sales management and finance will wonder how the sales compensation plan provided more pay then expected. Help find and eliminate "sales compensation pirates" that increase pay without a corresponding increase in revenue. Learn where to look for policies that permit excessive pay without concurrent increases in revenue. Understand what programs and practices contribute to "sales compensation pirates." Be prepared to find and eliminate inappropriate sales compensation pay practices.
About the Speaker
David J. Cichelli is Senior Vice President of The Alexander Group, Inc.®, the nationally recognized leader in sales effectiveness consulting. As the National Practice Manager in Sales Compensation, David provides thought-leadership and best-practice solutions for application of winning sales compensation solutions. He is a frequent speaker at national conferences, industry groups, and corporate meetings. He is the author of WorldatWork's (association of compensation professionals) sales compensation design seminar. He is author of McGraw Hill's book Compensating The Sales Force. He has presented sales programs throughout the world including Asia, Europe, and South America. He is a contributing editor to "Sales & Marketing Management" magazine. He is the author of many articles on sales effectiveness and sales compensation. With over 20 years of consulting experience, David's clients include leading companies from among most major industries including financial services, hi-tech, software, telecom, wholesale, consumer goods, healthcare, and many others.
Questions and Answers: Sales Compensation with David Cichelli
January 2008
A Better Way to Prepare for Retirement
A traditional retirement is out of reach for most Americans - the money and benefits aren't there. We need a new goal: to live long and prosper with our finances, health and life fulfillment. Employers and employees both need new strategies for planning for retirement, due to the changes in retirement plans, capital market uncertainty, increased medical costs, improved longevity, and workforce aging. Join us and hear how you can help your employees and manage an aging workforce.
About the Speaker
Steve Vernon is President of Rest-of-Life Communications, where he focuses on writing and speaking on retirement issues. He is also an Executive Faculty member and Research Fellow with the California Institute for Finance at California Lutheran University.
He recently retired as Vice President and Consulting Actuary with Watson Wyatt Worldwide. For over 30 years, he helped Fortune 500 companies design, administer, communicate and fund their retirement, benefits, and rewards programs.
He has published two books on retirement issues with John Wiley & Sons:
His latest work is a DVD/booklet combination called The Quest: For Long Life, Health and Prosperity.
November 2007
Performance Management - How do you differentiate performance with a tight merit budget?
This month we will be hosting a discussion on the topic of Performance Management specifically focusing on how to differentiate performance with a tight merit budget. We have multiple speakers this month and they will have Q&A sessions after their presentations.
About the Speakers
Paul Clifford, from The Hay Group is a senior consultant who helps clients develop strategically aligned reward systems and organization structures. His work focuses on enterprise-wide reward systems and management structures. He helps clients develop practical, manageable improvements that build clarity and performance focus while helping attract, retain and engage talented people who can deliver on the business strategy. Paul has worked with a broad range of organizations, including privately owned companies, publicly traded companies, and not-for-profits. Approximately half of his work has been with clients in start-up or post-acquisition integration/ realignment scenarios.
Tracy Norton, from The Hay Group, is a consultant located in the Irvine office of Hay Group. Tracy has 20 years experience helping organizations manage and improve their reward and people management systems. She has managed major reward system change projects from design through implementation, including competitive pay assessments. In addition to her compensation management expertise, Tracy has professional experience in a broad range of areas, including HR systems implementation and administration; talent management; labor relations and HR generalist services.
Cathy A. Shepard, CCP from Mercer, is a Principal in the Los Angeles office, where she serves as a Senior Rewards and Talent Management consultant in the Human Capital business and a Client Manager for several clients. She helps organizations achieve bottom-line results through defining a strategy and aligning organizational architecture, attraction/retention, compensation, talent management and total rewards programs and practices with the business strategy, market demands and demographics. She also has done significant pre- and post-merger and acquisition work. Cathy has almost 30 years of corporate and consulting Human Resources experience across various industries.
September 2007
7 Key Trends Impacting Compensation, Rewards and the Workplace
In this interactive and provocative session, Ryan Johnson, WorldatWork's Director of Public Affairs and Research will present seven major trends in compensation, employee rewards and the workplace that will enable participants to think more strategically about their organization and it's business and human capital strategy. The trends range from how the 2008 elections and the multigenerational workforce might affect rewards professionals, a new total rewards model, and the massive paradigm shift in working that looms on the horizon. Attendees will receive a complimentary Total Rewards Inventory that they can use to audit their own organization, and a real-world example of total rewards in action.
About the Speaker:
Ryan M. Johnson, Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), is responsible for issues management, government affairs, research and surveys, and publishing for WorldatWork.
Prior to joining WorldatWork, Johnson spent more than 10 years in public policy, public affairs and consulting/strategy work. He started his career in Washington, D.C. on the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business. He later worked as a research analyst for the Institute for Strategy Development, a private, financial institutions-oriented think tank. Recently, Johnson has been interviewed and written bylined articles covering various topics including current legislative and regulatory developments, stock option expensing, employee bonus programs, professional ethics, employee recognition, paid time off (PTO), consumerism in benefits, flexible work schedules, and total rewards.
July 2007
How YOU Can Engage and Reward Employees through Health Management
We all know that one of the biggest drivers in reducing health costs is to make our employees healthier. Healthy employees reduce costs both for themselves and for the company. But how do you implement a health management program that your employees will actually embrace?
It is possible to get employees engaged and excited about getting healthier? This workshop will show you how one Fortune 1000 company did it, and how you can do it, too - no matter how big or small your company is.
In this workshop, you will learn:
About the Speakers:
C.J. Valentine, Director of Human Resources, Barksdale, Inc., a division of Crane Company
C.J. Valentine is a doctoral student in Organizational Leadership at Pepperdine University. Mr. Valentine holds a M.B.A. with an emphasis in global business also from Pepperdine University. He studied European Union Business Strategy at the University of Antwerp in Belgium and Global Enterprise Management in Asia at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in China. In addition, Mr. Valentine is an alumnus of UC, Irvine with a Bachelors of Art in Political Science and minor in psychology from the school of Social Sciences. He has over ten years experience in human capital resource planning and is currently the Director of Human Resources for Barksdale, Inc. a $70M division of Crane Company, a $2.2B manufacturer of highly engineered products.
Christopher H. Coulter, M.D., M.P.H., CEBS, Chief Medical Officer, Precept
Dr. Coulter is responsible for Health Management Services at Precept. Dr. Coulter has 15 years of experience improving health status, enhancing medical care, and controlling benefit costs for companies, including many Fortune 500 clients. Previously Chief Medical Officer and CEO of UltraLink, Inc., he also served as a Medical Director with FHP health plan, as a hospital Medical Director, and as a hospital-based Internal Medicine specialist with the US Public Health Services. He earned a BA degree from Yale, an MD from the University Of Virginia School Of Medicine and a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins School. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, has Certification in Employee Benefits (CEBS) and is a Board member of the Orange County chapter. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physician Executives and has served as a senior physician surveyor for the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA). He has faculty appointments to the University of Southern California and University of California at Irvine and is a frequent author and speaker on health, benefits and medical topics.
March 2007
Mercer's Benefit Survey Review: Making Your Health Care Vision a Reality
The word politics has almost become a dirty word in our society. When we say that people are political, we're rarely paying them a compliment. Yet someone with strong political skills is often able to get tremendous things accomplished.
As compensation and benefits professionals, mastering positive political skills is paramount. To facilitate the type of changes we desire in our field, we must achieve commitment at all levels of the organization.
This workshop will allow you to gain skills to empower you to:
Join us as we explore the traditional view of organizational politics turned inside out.
Our Speaker:
Bonni Stachowiak has worked in various human resources capacities for more than 15 years. Currently, she works for Vanguard University as an Assistant Professor in the School of Business and Management. She also consults with the University of California, Irvine and has launched a campus-wide career development program, created leadership development programs, initiated a rapid eLearning creation initiative for the campus, and worked on succession management initiatives. At Vanguard, Bonni teaches courses in business, leadership, marketing, and sales. She has a MA from Chapman University in Organizational Leadership and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University.
January 2007
Richard Simmons: Top 10 Things Compensation and Benefits Professionals Should Worry About
Start off the new year right by being informed of what's ahead. 2007 brings a wave of legislative and regulatory changes for California employers. Are you aware of these changes? Do you know what you need to do to comply with the new laws?
Richard Simmons, author of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers, will speak to OCCABA members about the top 10 things Comp and Benefits Professionals should worry about. Richard is on the forefront of California labor law and is a very talented public speaker. He has the unique ability to entertain and educate an audience at the same time.
Our Speaker:
Richard is a partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. He represents employers in matters involving wrongful discharge, wage and hour, employment discrimination, personnel policies, affirmative action and various other labor relations issues.
Richard has published several different books to assist California employers with the administration and compliance of the various labor laws.
November 2006
Multi-tasking in the Workplace: Fragmented Work, Fragmented Lives?
Faxes, phone calls, voice mail, snail mail, ipods, IM's, text messages, and oh yeah, talking to others in person! Has your life gotten more fragmented? Has technology improved your ability to achieve the illusive "work life balance", or has it made it more complicated? Nearly all of us experience multi-tasking in our work and home lives, but to what extent do we really multi-task?
Dr. Gloria Mark has studied the effects of the intersection between humans and machines from both a work life and personal life perspective. Her insights have been based on highly detailed time studies of multi-tasking information workers over multiple days. She will be with us to share her extraordinary findings as we look for help in managing the multiple tasks we all have each day.
Our Speaker:
OCCABA is pleased to welcome our speaker, Gloria Mark. Dr. Mark is an Associate Professor in the Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine. Dr. Mark's research focuses on the interaction of human behavior with information technology. Her current projects include studying work-life in the network-centric organization, multi-tasking of information workers, nomad workers, and a large-scale medical collaboratory in addition to running a groupware usability lab where she conducts experiments.
Dr. Mark is widely published in the area of collaboration and technology use, (The CSCW (Computer-Supported Cooperative Work) Journal, Information Systems Research, Communications of the ACM, ACM Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, ACM CHI), and The European CSCW conferences.
She is currently the program co-chair for the top-ranked ACM CSCW'06 conference and is on the editorial board of Computer Supported Cooperative Work: The Journal of Collaborative Computing, and e-Service Qu@rterly.
She has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University (1991) and has been a Research Scientist in Bonn, Germany. She has also gained insights in the workplace as a visiting research scientist at the Boeing Company, and a research scientist at the Electronic Data Systems Center for Advanced Research.
This past year Dr. Mark was recognized by receiving a Fulbright scholarship and has conducted additional research in Berlin.
September 2006
Establishing Compensation and Benefits in New Countries: Do's, Don'ts and Maybe's
As companies expand around the world, the process of setting up compensation and benefits programs is rather complex and "total remuneration" packages can vary greatly between countries. We will take a case study approach to discussing the organizational and country-specific issues involved in establishing "first time" compensation and benefits plans. In telling this story, the value of a global total remuneration strategy and the key variables impacting the balance between global consistency and local responsiveness will be examined. Key challenges, variables and issues of concern, and how these vary from country-to-country, will be explored and approaches and resources for dealing with them will be offered.
Our Speaker:
OCCABA is pleased to welcome our speaker, Alan L. Freeman, GPHR. Alan is the President & CEO of LOF International Human Resources Solutions, Inc. in Los Angeles. With over 26 years of success as an international human resources executive, Alan is known for his depth of expertise, creativity and ability to tailor customized solutions that successfully integrate global business strategies and individual country parameters. He has successfully developed and reengineered international human resources management programs in several multinational companies including Sundstrand Corporation, FMC, The Walt Disney Company, Commerce One and Sony Pictures Entertainment. His most recent corporate role, prior to establishing LOF, was as the Vice President, International Compensation & Benefits at Sony Pictures.
In addition to noted strengths in international compensation, benefits and HR generalist responsibilities, Alan is a recognized expert in creating, reengineering and managing all manner of policies and programs covering temporary international assignments, global business travel and "permanent" country-to-country transfers. This includes depth of expertise in delivery of intercultural training programs and intercultural adaptability assessment.
July 2006
YourSpace, MySpace, and OurSpace
As Compensation and Benefits professionals we are charged with creating and administering systems and programs which will attract, retain and motivate employees. It has long been understood that while we can create an environment in which employees ought to be motivated or engaged, lasting motivation truly comes from within. For our July meeting, OCCABA is pleased to welcome John Davis as our speaker. John will share his personal story of his journey from disabled to enabled, and inspire us to leave the meeting committed to living healthier, happier and more motivated lives in our personal space, work space, family space, in all spaces...
Be inspired not purely from personal stories of success, but also be inspired by your own inner motivation to start living how you were designed to live. On the ride up a symbolic mountain, rest at scenic view spots and reflect or adjust your route and continue to climb; the choice is always in your own two hands.
Our Speaker:
Before John Davis could excel in his sport, he first had to invent it. A surfer and mountain biker prior to an automobile accident, John worked with MIT-trained mechanical engineer John Castelano to create a wheelchair suitable for off-road racing. He brought it to the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) mountain bike races and, not surprisingly, was the only wheelchair competitor. Undaunted, he returned the next few years and went on to consistently win in NORBA's National Championship Series each summer.
In the award-winning 1996 documentary "The Chariot Races," director Christian Schneider tells John's story - how he overcame life-threatening injuries and reinvented himself as a world-class athlete in two sports. "In this day and age, there's so much innovation and technology out there to utilize that there really aren't that many obstacles," says John. John is also an accomplished skier and two-time Paralympic gold medalist in Giant Slalom and Downhill.
May 2006
Leveraging Human Resource Metrics to Drive Corporate Strategy
Human Resources plays a very powerful analytical role in the development of overall corporate strategy and decision-making. Come to the next OCCABA Breakfast Meeting and find out exactly how.
This promises to be a very engaging presentation. You'll learn how to successfully roll out enterprise-wide projects to quantify key human capital metrics such as sales model efficacy, higher performance success factors, recruiting model profiling and effectiveness, and turnover/retention key drivers.
Our speaker will be Jeff Higgins, Senior Director of Compensation, Benefits, HRIS and Payroll at The Irvine Company. Jeff has worked in senior level positions in finance, accounting and process improvements for various companies including IndyMac Bank, Johnson & Johnson, Baxter International and Colgate Palmolive.
March 2006
Mercer Survey of Employer Sponsored Health Plans
Don't miss this informative seminar in which you can learn the key results of Mercer's 2005 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans and what this means for health care plans during 2006.
What will you learn?
Facts and trends that only the largest scientific annual survey on the topic of employer-sponsored health plans can reveal. At the seminar, Mercer will present detailed findings for the 3,000 National employers that participated along with data for 99 Southern California employers with over 500 employees. Costs slowed for the third straight year and Mercer will provide the reasons why along with our projections of what to expect in the future.
Our Speakers:
Mike Wilson and Holly Collins, both from Mercer's Orange County office will co-present this year's findings. Mike leads Mercer's Orange County Health and Benefits practice and is a frequent speaker on health care topics. Holly leads Mercer's large client consulting segment and brings her background working for two national carriers in their financial underwriting divisions.
January 2006
Legislative and Legal Update with Attorney Richard Simmons
Start off the new year right by being informed of what's ahead. 2006 brings a wave of legislative regulatory and judicial for California employers. Are you aware of these changes? Do you know what you need to do to comply with the new laws?
Richard Simmons, author of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers, will speak to OCCABA members about the 2005 and 2006 changes. Richard is on the forefront of California labor law and is a very talented public speaker. He has the unique ability to entertain and educate an audience at the same time.
Richard is a partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. He represents employers in matters involving wrongful discharge, wage and hour, employment discrimination, personnel policies, affirmative action and various other labor relations issues.
Richard has published several different books to assist California employers with the administration and compliance of the various labor laws. These books will be available for purchase at the meeting. Also, OCCABA will give away a copy of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers to 5 meeting attendees.
November 2005
Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Trends: Where Have All My Fiduciaries Gone?
Though Enron may be a fading memory and the mutual fund trading scandals can seem like old news, retirement plan fiduciaries are definitely feeling a new sense of urgency regarding their responsibilities. What was once commonplace is no longer the standard of care. This briefing will highlight some of the ramifications of recent changes and provide practical ways to manage a defined contribution plan the way that was always intended...for the good of the participants and to help them actually retire some day.
Our Speakers:
Scott Fisher is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a Vice President and Director of the Seattle office of Aon Investment Consulting. He has been consulting with clients on investment policy, asset allocation, manager search and selection, and performance measurement and evaluation for over 11 years. He speaks and writes frequently on the importance of having both an enduring investment philosophy and an effective strategy for its implementation and maintenance.
Jill Carson is a Vice President and Tax & ERISA Practice Leader for the west region of Aon Consulting. She consults with clients on the design and management of employee benefit programs, merger and acquisition due diligence strategies, HIPAA compliance, IRS and DOL audit defense and voluntary correction, operational compliance reviews, and fiduciary issues.
Jill has over 15 years of experience in the employee benefits field, including several years as a senior investigator and manager with the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
September 2005
Executive Compensation Trends 2005 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Executive compensation has been a controversial topic in the press and has had high visibility in the courtroom from Enron to Disney. Boards of Directors have been put on notice with Sarbanes Oxley that they are more accountable than ever for assuring that executive compensation is appropriate. Stock options are scrutinized more closely now that they must be expensed. At the same time the IRS has a new initiative to crack down on executive compensation abuse in nonprofits. In this session you will learn how public companies, private companies, and nonprofits are reacting to these changes and events. We will also discuss how to evaluate the best course of action for your organization.
Our Speaker:
Mae Lon Ding has been a successful consultant for over 20 years in the areas of employee compensation and performance management. Her client list is a "Who's Who" of public and private organizations including Parker Bertea Aerospace, AST Research, Wells Fargo Bank, and PacifiCare Health Systems. She also provides expert witness testimony in legal cases involving executive compensation, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and overtime compensation.
Mae Lon is President of Personnel Systems Associates in Anaheim Hills, CA. She also teaches compensation for the World at Work (ACA)certification program and has taught for UCI, Cal State Long Beach, & Chapman University. She is the author of articles published in the Journal of Compensation and Benefits, The Personnel News, Personnel, and the Chapman University Economic Review. She is also the author of Survey Sources, a directory of over 1500 U.S. and international employee pay and benefits surveys. Mae Lon is Past President of the Association of Professional Consultants.
July 2005
Skills for the HR Professional: Are you prospering in these Turbulent Times?
Unfortunately, turbulence seems to be the "new normal." Changes in the economic, regulatory and legislative landscape along with continual merger and acquisition activity can give the best HR professional nightmares for the foreseeable future. But turbulence can also create opportunities.
We've heard of this being the "best of times" for those professionals who are increasing their credibility, getting better results and improving performance by acting more like CEO's and handling HR like a business. That's a good first step. But what else is needed to prosper in a climate where many do not?
Prosperity may be just around the corner. HR professionals who focus on achieving long-term goals, participate in programs that develop themselves, and strive to achieve a healthy work-life balance will get there first.
Mark Englizian would like to share with you the skills needed by compensation, benefits and human resources professionals to help their organizations and themselves succeed now and in the future. He plans to describe how professionals may shift their focus from being operational to strategic, identify business issues and communicate on a strategic level. Mark also plans to provide information on creating a leadership self-development plan and developing attributes, qualities and characteristics of great leaders.
Mark Englizian, CCP, GRP is Director of Global Compensation and Benefits at Amazon.com and past Chair for the WorldatWork Board of Directors.
May 2005
It's 2008: Do You Know Where Your Talent Is?
Traditional acquisition and retention strategies don't work anymore. Companies are increasingly challenged to win the hearts and minds of employees and find new ways to source diverse worker populations, particularly as we head towards the first wave of retirement for Baby Boomers in 2008. David Lusk and Paul DeYoung will share insights from It's 2008: Do You Know Where Your Talent Is?, a joint research piece from Deloitte Consulting LLP and Deloitte Research. Additionally, you will hear about the important role that employee reward and recognition programs play in talent management strategies.
Our Speakers:
David Lusk is a Principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP. He leads the Total Rewards practice in the West Region and has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of employee rewards and recognition programs. David is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist and has worked public sector, private and public companies across the country.
Paul DeYoung is a Senior Manager with Deloitte Consulting LLP. He leads our Talent Management initiative in the Pacific Southwest region and has more than 16 years of experience helping organizations transform their cultures and employee behavior through a variety of human resource processes. He is the co-author of "Measuring Organizational Improvement Impact."
March 2005
Results of the 2004 National Mercer Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans
The survey results represent about 600,000 employers with at least 10 employees and more than 90 million full- and part-time employees. You will hear about the latest issues first hand. You will gain an understanding of how employers are seeking relief through: cost-shifting, stepping up consumerism and even, seeking government intervention.
Our Speaker:
Mike Wilson - Mike has over 18 years experience with large employer benefit plans and is the Health and Welfare Practice Leader for William M. Mercer's Orange office. Mike focuses in strategic planning, development, implementation and evaluation of Health and Welfare programs and is a frequent speaker on this topic.
January 2005
2004 & 2005 Legislative and Legal Update with Attorney Richard Simmons
Start off the new year right by being informed of what's ahead. 2005 brings a wave of legislative changes for California employers. Are you aware of these changes? Do you know what you need to do to comply with the new laws?
Richard Simmons, author of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers will speak to OCCABA members about the 2004 and 2005 legislative changes. Richard is on the forefront of California labor law and is a very talented public speaker. He has the unique ability to entertain and educate an audience at the same time.
Richard is a partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. He represents employers in matters involving wrongful discharge, wage and hour, employment discrimination, personnel policies, affirmative action and various other labor relations issues.
Richard has published several different books to assist California employers with the administration and compliance of the various labor laws. These books will be available for purchase at the meeting. Also, OCCABA will give away one copy of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers to 5 meeting attendees.
November 2004
The Variable Compensation Rosetta Stone: Making Incentive Pay Plans Work For Your Company
With more pressure than ever on companies to perform, organizations and compensation professionals need to take a fresh look at their variable compensation plans that provide cash to employees.
Incentive compensation is a powerful management device. There are many such programs: management bonus plans, employee gainsharing, sales incentives and others. Leading companies select and deploy the right variable compensation plans to improve employee performance. However, not all incentive plans are appropriate for all companies. Some will succeed at your company but others will fail. Learn how your company's management model determines which incentive plans work and which will not. Discover how to select the right plans, measures and practices to improve employee performance.
David Cichelli of The Alexander Group plans to share his insights on practical guidelines for effective design and implementation of short-term variable pay plans that can yield significant results in employee motivation and performance.
He intends to address the design of plans that add business value, deliver expected results and are accepted by the workforce. He also plans to provide insights on alternatives, workable solutions, selection of performance measures and goals, common symptoms associated with poorly designed plans and common features associated with well designed plans.
David is senior vice president of The Alexander Group and a WorldatWork faculty member based in Irvine, California. He is a frequent speaker and published author on variable compensation issues, trends and best practices.
September 2004
Benefit Communications
We all know "Ben and Jen" are OUT, and "Brad and Jen" are IN, but who really knows what's IN and what's OUT in benefit communications? Join us to learn about what's HOT and what's NOT in benefit communications. Mike and Anna (who are currently IN) will dip into their vast experience as employee benefit communicators to tell you what is IN in benefit communications and why employee engagement matters to benefits communications.
If your work life has anything to do with plan design, administration or communications, you will want to come - HOT benefits communications are for everyone!
Anna Thomasson is a Principal with Towers Perrin, specializing in human resources and communications consulting. Her expertise is in developing communication and human resource programs that meet business objectives. Anna's assignments include facilitating strategic planning retreats, designing and developing a comprehensive benefit communication campaign, implementing new compensation programs, planning and executing merger integration communications, and designing and launching health care consumer education campaigns.
Michael LaCasse has been the leader of the personalized communication services (PCS) practice in the Los Angeles office of Towers Perrin since 1987. The unit supports a number of Towers Perrin offices with the development and delivery of personalized employee communications of all types, including printed total compensation statements, interactive voice response enrollment systems and a variety of web-based systems for applications such as benefits enrollment, on-line total compensation statements and health care decision support tools.
July 2004
HR Technology: Past, Present and Future
Are compensation, benefits and other human resources professionals being freed from administration to focus on consulting with management? By reducing paperwork and administrative burdens, HR technology can allow all types of HR professionals to focus on high-value activities.
Technology-based systems have changed the way employees, management and entire organizations behave, think and perform. Studies report that companies have better growth in shareholder value if they focus HR technology to improve service and accuracy, or to cut costs.
Bruce Walton of Watson Wyatt plans to provide members with information on how technology is changing the way HR professionals are conducting business and communicating with employees. Many organizations are automating routine administrative functions and paying greater attention to providing "value-added" services to employees and management. The automation of transaction-based processes allows HR to provide employees and management with consultation, staff development, organizational development and strategic planning.
Bruce plans to discuss how compensation and benefits professionals can find, demonstrate and quantify the return on technology investment and enhance their role as strategic business partners in order to handle their workloads.
Bruce is a senior consultant in the San Diego office of Watson Wyatt Worldwide and is a frequent speaker and published author on HR technology issues, trends and best practices.
May 2004
Bill Butterworth: Bringing Back the Balance In Life
Life has often been compared to a race. Yet many folks never go the distance. Life has also been described as a tightrope walk. Trying to balance professional commitments, personal life, family issues, and community activities can throw us off the highwire. In this presentation, we identify possible reasons why we tend towards imbalance and how we can bring balance back into our lives. This talk is filled with practical advice, thought-provoking strategies, and a good time for all!
Our Speaker:
Bill Butterworth
www.BillButterworth.com
March 2004
Results of the 2003 National Mercer Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans
The survey results represent about 600,000 employers with at least 10 employees and more than 90 million full- and part-time employees.
You will hear about the latest issues first hand. You will gain an understanding of how employers are seeking relief through: cost-shifting, stepping up consumerism and even, seeking government intervention.
We will also discuss what's new in areas such as Gastric bypass (bariatric) surgery, domestic partner coverage, HIPAA, and drug benefits.
Our Speaker:
Mike Wilson - Mike has over 18 years experience with large employer benefit plans and is the Health and Welfare Practice Leader for William M. Mercer's Orange office. Mike focuses in strategic planning, development, implementation and evaluation of Health and Welfare programs and is a frequent speaker on this topic.
January 2004
Focus on Strengths for Maximized Performance
Charles McClendon is a Performance Management Consultant with the Gallup Organization. Charles will be with us to share exciting new developments in the field of Performance Management.
The Gallup Organization has studied human nature and behavior for more than 70 years. They have leveraged this deep understanding of human nature and behavior to develop research-based measurement tools, development programs, and strategic advisory services with one single purpose in mind: to help organizations and individuals maximize their performance.
Gallup researchers have discovered that in order to win in today's increasingly competitive marketplace. A new model of performance management is needed. Based on proven research, this new model provides conclusive evidence that organizations can only reach their full potential by emotionally engaging their employees and customers.
Mr. McClendon will share some of his insights and experiences gained in a broad array of companies and industries. He will show us how a 'strengths based' performance management philosophy will improve both individual and organizational performance to achieve measurable improvements that boost the bottom line.
This meeting will appeal to anyone in HR management, Organizational Development, or general management. Please encourage your peers and other organizational leaders to attend as your guest as we start a new year with new ideas.
All attendees will be also be entered into a drawing to take home a copy one of Gallup's new books on this topic.
November 2003
2003 & 2004 Legislative and Legal Update with Attorney Richard Simmons
Start off the new year right by being informed of what's ahead. 2004 brings a wave of legislative changes for California employers. Are you aware of these changes? Do you know what you need to do to comply with the new laws?
Richard Simmons, author of "The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers" will speak to OCCABA members about the 2004 proposed legislative changes. Richard is on the forefront of California labor law and is a very talented public speaker. He has the unique ability to entertain and educate an audience at the same time.
Richard is a partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. He represents employers in matters involving wrongful discharge, wage and hour, employment discrimination, personnel policies, affirmative action and various other labor relations issues.
Richard has published several different books to assist California employers with the administration and compliance of the various labor laws. These books will be available for purchase at the meeting. Also, OCCABA will give away one copy of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers to an OCCABA member.
September 2003
Trends, Projections and the Future of Total Rewards
Carri Banka, Senior Compensation Manager for WorldatWork, will join us to present an update and overview of the annual WorldatWork 2003-2004 Salary Budget Survey.
Due to be released August 1st, this No. 1 selling research book from WorldatWork is one of the largest and most reliable surveys of its kind. The 2003-2004 Salary Budget Survey details budgeted salary increase data covering a broad spectrum of organizations, both public and private. Information is presented by geographic area, industry group, employee category and type of compensation.
The survey encompasses a variety of data and will be useful as you plan for next year's budgets, salary structure movements, trends in total rewards and other related issues. Please join us as we hear from the experts on specific trends and projections, which are vital to planning for successful growth in the coming year.
All attendees will be entered into a drawing to take home a copy of this year's survey (a $125 value)!
July 2003
Meeting the Needs of an Aging Workforce
How can employers design their compensation and benefits programs to attract, retain and motivate an aging workforce?
By 2006, nearly 40% of the U.S. population will be older than age 45. This aging of the population is likely to result in serious shortages of skilled workers and may cause employers to think differently about managing older workers. As the labor shortage for employees with critical skills and experiences worsens and baby boomers age, the need for compensation and benefits programs targeted to the aging work force increases.
How will employers be impacted by the baby boomers' pending exit from the workforce? Many members of the baby boomer generation (those born between 1940 and 1960, now ages 43 to 63) may soon retire from the workforce. What impact will this have on compensation and benefits packages designed to attract, retain and motivate this employee group?
Tom Grass of Watson Wyatt plans to summarize U.S. workforce age demographics of the recent past and present, and projections for the future, and discuss they're impact on compensation and benefits programs for employers now and in the future.
Tom is the Managing Consultant for Watson Wyatt's Irvine and San Diego Offices and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Employers Council on Flexible Benefits (ECFC).
May 2003
Total Rewards Professionals in a Changing Business Environment
Fred Whittlesey is an internationally recognized expert in allocating organizations' financial capital to their human capital. He consults in executive, sales, and incentive compensation, as well as performance evaluation, organization analysis, and related areas. He has worked with numerous organizations including publicly traded, privately held, Subchapter S, not-for-profit, partnerships and others in a variety of capacities.
Fred was formerly the Director, Global Compensation for Amazon.com, and before that at Broadcom Corporation (right here in Orange County) he was the Director, Compensation/HR Technology. Fred was successful in developing and implementing a variety of cutting edge programs while serving in both of these roles.
Prior to these corporate positions, Fred had 16 years of experience as a management consultant with firms including Towers Perrin and Mercer and founded Compensation and Performance Management, Inc. in 1991.
Fred received his MBA with honors from UCLA, concentrating in human resource management and marketing. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from San Diego State University with a BA in industrial/organizational psychology. He is an instructor for World At Work and as the following comment demonstrates, Fred is a highly sought after and effective communicator.
March 2003
Health Care and time off market trends and strategies to deal with these tough times
Health benefit costs continued to accelerate in 2002. Employers are looking for any opportunity to combat increases of approximately 20% expected in 2003.
You are invited to attend Mercer's briefing on the 2002 results of their National Survey of Employer-sponsored Health Plans, which includes responses from 2,900 employers. Topics will include employer cost shifting, effectiveness of managed care, prescription drug trends, retiree medical coverage, consumer driven health plans, Internet/Intranet applications, and local market update.
Lost time benefits are now equivalent to 15% of payroll costs, with an average of 39 days off per employee per year.
Mercer will preview the results of their annual Employer's Time Off and Disability Program Survey.
Mike Wilson - Mike has 20 years experience with large employer benefit plans and is the Health and Welfare Practice Leader for Mercer Human Resource Consulting's Orange office.
Ophelia Galindo - Ophelia has over 16 years experience in the absence and disability management areas, developing and implementing integrated employee absence management programs, incorporating a wide range of lost time benefits, including short term and long term disability, Family Medical Leave, wage continuance, paid time off and worker's compensation programs.
January 2003
2003 Legislative and Legal Update with Attorney Richard Simmons
Start off the new year right by being informed of what's ahead. 2003 brings a wave of legislative changes for California employers. Are you aware of these changes? Do you know what you need to do to comply with the new laws?
Richard Simmons, author of "The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers" will be speaking to OCCABA members about the 2003 legislative changes. Richard is on the forefront of California labor law and is a very talented public speaker. He has the unique ability to entertain and educate an audience at the same time.
Richard is a partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. He represents employers in matters involving wrongful discharge, wage and hour, employment discrimination, personnel policies, affirmative action and various other labor relations issues.
Richard has published several different books to assist California employers with the administration and compliance of the various labor laws. These books will be available for purchase at the meeting and Richard will offer a special discount to OCCABA members. Also, OCCABA will give away one copy of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers to an OCCABA member.
November 2002
A Discussion about Ethics in our Profession
In 2002, corporate ethics and compensation practices - especially executive compensation - have been in the public spotlight like never before. Between Enron, Global Crossing and the contentious public debate about the expensing of stock options, compensation ethics has now taken center stage. Four months before the Enron story broke, WorldatWork had assembled a panel of senior-level compensation and benefits practitioners, consultants and academics to discuss ethics in the profession. Our meeting will be similar to these discussions, as well as many held at compensation and benefits associations around the country in 2002. Much of the information from these discussions is also included in the Focus on Ethics column that appears monthly in workspan magazine.
This discussion will frame the relevant issues from the perspective of WorldatWork, and engage those in attendance to think about how they might react to real-life ethical situations they will likely encounter in their professional lives. Audience members will contribute to the dialogue, as well as walk away with new ideas about how ethics come into play in the rewards professions, and what to do when confronting them.
Our Speaker:
Ryan Johnson is the manager of public affairs and survey research at WorldatWork, the global association for compensation, benefits and total rewards professionals. Prior to joining WorldatWork, Ryan was a senior consultant with CHS, a consulting firm serving health care and pharmaceutical clients. He also spent seven years at the Morrison Institute at Arizona State University, a university-based public policy research institute. Ryan began his career in Washington D.C. on the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Small Business.
September 2002
Orange County's Economy and Labor Market
In today's tight labor market, employers are faced with attraction and retention issues. One way HR professionals can help management achieve their goals is to consider Orange County's economic climate when determining what programs are right for their organization now and in the future.
Mark Davis and Gloria Gowens of Towers Perrin plan to summarize the county's economic climate of the recent past and present, and projections for the future; and discuss the economy's potential impact on the availability and type of labor. They'll discuss how the labor market has challenged employers and how companies may react if/when the availability of labor changes.
Mark and Gloria will discuss past, present and projected unemployment rates. They'll discuss how the unemployment rate may impact the ability of employers to attract and retain employees.
Mark is a principal in the Irvine office of Towers Perrin and is the leader of the Rewards and Performance Management practice for the Western Region. Gloria is also a principal in Towers Perrin's Irvine office and member of the Rewards and Performance Management Practice.
July 2002
Improving Employee Loyalty and Retention
Luellen Lucid, Ph.D., will present Watson Wyatt's latest research findings and recent experience with Southern California organizations regarding current trends in retaining top performers and improving employee loyalty.
Superior human capital practices are a leading indicator of financial success:
How to Keep Top Performing Employees:
Southern California vs. National Statistics: Differences & Similarities
About the speaker: Luellen Lucid leads Watson Wyatt's Strategic Rewards Practice in Southern California. Located in the Los Angeles Office, she participates in a broad range of compensation and performance management assignments. Luellen has over 18 years of human resources consulting. She develops broad-based pay and incentive programs for clients in aerospace, manufacturing, health care, education, public sector, financial services, transportation, retail, and utilities. Luellen holds a B.A. from Reed College and a M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Yale University. She has also participated in executive post-graduate work at Harvard University. She has served on the faculty at California State University-Northridge in the Business Department and has been a Director on the Board of the Los Angeles Compensation and Benefits Association (LACABA).
May 2002
Creating Enthusiasm for Life
Work-life balance, stress management, values, goals, responsibility, accountability and adaptability all affect the potential to create enthusiasm for life.
Please join us to meet Tom Bay, an uplifting, motivational speaker who plans to provide valuable insight and inspirational messages to OCCABA members.
Tom plans to deliver an inspirational program that can help members learn to deal effectively with life. By sprinkling his presentation with examples of his own, often humorous, experiences and foibles, Tom plans to create an atmosphere in which audience members feel motivated to get their lives on track.
Bad stress results when people do not control their lives. Instead, people can harness the power of stress, regain control, and use it to achieve positive results. Tom plans to present specific techniques to help audience members take control and cope with the conflicts, pressures and joys of the daily activities called "life."
Tom Bay, Ph.D. has had a successful speaking career for well over two decades, with more than 5,000 speaking engagements to his credit. He is a published author and a sought-after authority who has been featured in widely recognized business journals and national newspapers.
March 2002
Mercer/Foster Higgins Survey Results
You are invited to attend Mercer's briefing on the 2001 results of their National Survey of Employer-sponsored Health Plans, which includes responses from 2,800 employers. Topics will include employer cost shifting, effectiveness of managed care, prescription drug trends, retiree medical coverage, consumer driven health plans, and Internet/Intranet applications.
Mercer will share their observations of how employers are dealing with the challenges, they will address critical issues related to employee health and health plan management and discuss emerging and evolving options available to companies in 2002.
Mike Wilson - has over 18 years experience with large employer benefit plans and is the Health and Welfare Practice Leader for William M. Mercer's Orange office. Mike focuses on strategic planning, development, implementation and evaluation of Health and Welfare programs and is a frequent speaker on this topic.
January 2002
Total Rewards Management: Compensation, Benefits and The Work Experience
In today's tight labor market, employers continue to face attraction, retention and motivation issues. One way HR professionals can help companies achieve their goals is to look at total rewards when determining what programs are right for their organization.
In recent years, successful organizations have proven that a strategy of well-designed compensation and benefits programs, implemented in the context of their organization's total environment and culture, is critical.
Total rewards represents all the tools available to an employer that may be used to attract, retain and motivate employees. Their collective impact can vary dramatically, especially in today's competitive and quick-changing environment. Mark Englizian would like to share with you an approach to total rewards management that consists of compensation, benefits and the work experience.
Mark Englizian, CCP, is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for WorldatWork, and Director of Compensation and Stock Planning at Microsoft Corporation.
November 2001
529 College Savings Plans
Along with the costs of buying a home and planning for retirement, saving for higher education expenses is perhaps the largest financial burden a parent will face. In fact, the average cost of a four-year private college education currently is nearly $100,000, and some experts predict that by the year 2020, it will exceed $260,000.
A 529 College Savings Plan is a valuable new tool that will assist employees or individuals in meeting the rising costs of a college education. In this seminar you will learn about 529 plans, their tax benefits and who can benefit from a 529 Plan. In addition, we will discuss items plan sponsors need to consider when evaluating potential 529 Plan partners.
Ron Betten, a First Vice President with UBS PaineWebber, Scott Trout, Vice President UBS PaineWebber, and Ghalib Kanji, Financial Advisor, will be our presenters. Combined they have over 35 years experience in the financial services business.
September 2001
Are your "exempt" status employees correctly classified?
Attorney Richard J. Simmons, author of The Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers, will be speaking about recent developments and court cases regarding incorrectly classifying employees as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and State Law. Several companies have been found in violation and are paying MILLIONS of dollars in fines and back overtime wages.
There are also differences between the State and Federal Law with regard to the classification of exempt and nonexempt status employees. Generally speaking, California law tends to be more restrictive than Federal law. Richard will review the major differences and identify the common pitfalls and areas of exposure.
Richard is a partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. He represents employers in matters involving wrongful discharge, wage and hour, employment discrimination, personnel policies, affirmative action and various other labor relations issues.
For OCCABA members only, Richard will give a special discount on any of his publications that are purchased at the meeting.
July 2001
Next Generation Recognition and Rewards
In the midst of a slowing economy, employers are still faced with the need to retain key talent. Employees don't just want to work for a company; they want to be engaged by their work and feel valued for their contribution. Recognizing employees for their efforts and achievement is critical to employee commitment and fundamental to business success.
While the concept of recognition and rewards is not new, Nancy Way and Karen Hayward would like to share with you the next generation of Recognition and Rewards. Nancy is Principal of Way Consulting Group, specializing in the design and implementation of Internet based recognition and reward programs. Nancy is former Director of Corporate Compensation for PacifiCare Health Systems in Santa Ana. Karen is Vice President, Sales for BeyondWork, a leading provider of Internet-delivered recognition and retention systems. Prior to joining BeyondWork, Karen was a 20-year veteran and officer of Xerox Canada Ltd., where she held numerous assignments including VP Marketing and VP Sales.
May 2001
Are You Ready for Next Years Sales Compensation Plan?
Although compensation professionals may disagree on many issues we all agree on one thing - sales compensation plans work. The real question is whether or not your plan is truly working to support the organization's objectives. In this seminar you learn practical strategies to evaluate sales compensation plans, identify market conditions which influence plan design, and recognize internal changes that may impact on sales compensation.
Our presenter is Nancy Costa, Vice President with The Alexander Group, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in the development and implementation of marketing and sales strategies. Ms. Costa works with clients in a wide variety of industries including high technology, telecom, utilities, aerospace/defense, chemical and general manufacturing. She currently serves as The Alexander Group's Technology Business Team Leader where she leads the Firm's efforts for clients in the Technology market.
March 2001
Mercer/Foster Higgins National Survey of Employer Sponsored Health Plans
For the third straight year healthcare costs rose at double the rate of general inflation. Higher increases are projected for 2001 and 2002. In addition, changes to the Southern California healthcare reimbursement system will put added financial pressure on local companies. Mercer will present the results of their most recent survey of over 3,300 employers including local data for Southern California employers. The information and discussion will focus on what's driving these changes and employer reactions to this quickly changing marketplace.
Mike Wilson is a Principal in the Orange office of William M. Mercer and the Office Practice Leader for their Health Care & Group Benefits consulting practice. He consults to public and private sector organizations on a variety of issues including alignment of benefits strategy to business strategy, benefit plan re-engineering, flexible benefits, retiree medical re-design and compliance. He has consulted to large employers at Mercer for 12 years and has 18 years experience in the employee benefits field.
January 2001
Can You Rely on Free Salary Information from the Internet?
Once considered private and inappropriate for discussion, compensation information is now routinely distributed by journals, professional associations and staffing organizations. The advent of the Internet has made compensation data available to anyone seeking information. In this seminar we will be separating the fact from the fiction regarding salary information on the Internet and even tackle the terrifying employee question - "Why do I make less than the people in this survey?"
Our presenter is William A. Caldwell, an independent consultant specializing in the compensation and benefits field of Human Resources, and is Managing Director of Caldwell Consulting, Inc. He is also Editor-in-Chief of The Compensation Guide, a continuously updated handbook covering multiple, current topics within the compensation specialty, and published by the West Group.
November 2000
Child Care as a Competitive Advantage
Employees with inadequate child care are more likely to be late for work, absent, or distracted on the job than parents who are confident about their children's child care arrangements. It is estimated that high rates of turnover, absenteeism, and low productivity cost employers more than $3 billion a year. Child care is especially critical for the growing number of employees who are single parents or have working spouses. In this seminar you will learn about different strategies employers are using to add significant value through child care related programs.
Our presenter is Dr. Sheri A. Senter, Founder, President and CEO of National Pediatric Support Services. Dr. Senter a respected author and speaker on the subject of child care and been a guest on numerous radio and television programs.
September 2000
Effectively Managing Incentive Programs
Incentive compensation, or performance-based pay, is a rapidly growing management trend that is dominating compensation planning - and for good reason; it works. The problem is that the internal systems to manage the programs frequently rely on labor intensive and error prone "spreadsheet" tracking which diverts attention from focusing on strategic compensation issues. This seminar will cover strategies for using the latest technologies to model, calculate incentive payments and communicate real-time incentive information via the Web to employees.
Our presenter is Julie Todd, Western Region Sales Director for Incentive Systems. Ms. Todd has extensive experience designing and installing Enterprise Incentive Systems in a broad range of industries.
July 2000
Stock Options From The Employee Perspective
Most companies give them, all employees want them, and fortunes are made (sometimes) with them. Stock options have become a highly visible and significant part of compensation, but do you and your employees really know how to effectively maximize their value from the employee perspective?
In this seminar, you will gain an understanding of what employees need to know about stock options to make your program a success, including:
Our presenter is Ole S. Nielsen, Vice President, Corporate Executive Services, with Merrill Lynch. Mr. Nielsen has extensive experience in providing financial planning services to executives of firms throughout Orange County.