HR 101: A Primer for Newbies Dr. Kimberly C. Chambers Director of Human Resources Adlai E. Stevenson HSD 125 kchambers@d125.org 847-415-4111

Purpose of today’s conversation Discuss the key HR Administrator responsibility Learn tips and tricks from an old veteran HR administrator in managing the responsibilities of this role If this is your first or second year in HR, this is the place for you! If you have been in HR longer, please jump in an contribute.

What is the primary responsibility of an HR Administrator?

We protect the Board and District. How?

Setting and Monitoring Culture We demonstrate our culture to our candidates and new employees from our first interactions with them Welcoming, understandable hiring processes Respond to requests quickly and accurately Friendly, embracing onboarding process We demonstrate our culture in how we interact with our employees Respond quickly and accurately Treat everyone with respect, even when having difficult conversations We demonstrate our culture in how we support our administrators Provide adequate guidance and training Provide the necessary resources for them to complete the HR-related portions of their jobs

Providing Effective and Timely Communication We notify employees of policies, procedures, and other necessary information We notify supervisors of the same We serve as problem-solvers We work closely with employee groups (unions, associations, administrative teams)

Competently Negotiating and Writing Policy Collective Bargaining We know the mandatory topics of bargaining We negotiate on behalf of the Board but remember that we all need to work together after the process is over! We know the CBA better than anyone We manage the CBA We make sure that others understand the CBA Board Policy We write compliant policy We know the policy We manage the policy We train others on the policy

Providing Supportive Supervision and Evaluation We write and implement evaluation plans and protocols for faculty, administrative staff, and support staff Improve performance Recognize excellent performance Document sub-standard performance We provide professional development and training for managers and evaluators on Appropriate documentation Use of the plan/protocol Importance of process and deadlines We create employee handbooks…and keep them updated

Appropriately Managing Information & Data We gather necessary information and keep it organized and updated Personnel files (paper, digital) Human Resources Information Systems We appropriately store and manage medical and HIPAA files We appropriately store and manage investigation files

Compassionately Handling Employee Discipline We follow the CBA, Board Policy, state statute, and federal statute – and we train others to do the same We treat employees fairly and in a non-discriminatory fashion We do not make employment decisions based upon protected factors We document, document, document! (And ensure that others do the same) What did the employee do? What should the employee have done? What was the impact of the employee’s actions? What do you expect from the employee in the future? Legalese… (right of rebuttal, union representation, information in the personnel file, etc.)

Creating Careful and Compliant Hiring and Staffing Practices We create recruitment plans What is your District looking for? Develop a profile We hire great employees Legally-compliant process Properly licensed and endorsed We appropriately assign employees to best serve the students’ and district’s needs Ensure compliance with FLSA (work hours, overtime, lunches, breaks); exempt and non-exempt status We do not move around poor performers We manage releases, RIFs, and dismissals We provide induction and mentoring programs to new employees

Monitoring and Managing Compensation & Benefits We administer programs fully and without bias We serve as a resource to all staff members (on all sorts of things!) We benchmark salaries and benefits against comparable districts We research trends in salary and benefits and make recommendations

Delicately Handling Investigations & Complaints We respond graciously to threats of lawsuit, EEOC complaint, and Wage & Hour violation allegations “Here’s my contact information” We respond to and manage complaints and grievances We thoroughly and quickly complete investigations Harassment Misconduct Title IX Discrimination

Decision Making Cheat Sheet Do I have both all sides of the story? What does the state school code say? What does my district’s CBA say? What does my district’s board policy say? What is the history around this issue? What is my district’s past practice? Would I make the same decision for any other employee? Can I defend my decision to … my superintendent? My Board? The Association President? A reporter? A Hearing Officer or Judge?

Resources Your District’s: An HR Mentor State School Code Legal Counsel CBA/s Board Policy Evaluation Plan/s Employee Handbook/Manual/s An HR Mentor State School Code State Pension Sites National Labor Relations Board US Department of Labor FMLA Wage and Hour Division EEOC US DOJ/Office of Civil Rights ADA State Licensure/Certificate websites

Professional Resources American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) Boot Camp Annual Conference – Fall State-Level Organizations Illinois Association of School Personnel Administrators (IASPA) Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM)

Remember… Ask lots of questions Be consistent Make defensible decisions Act in a purposeful manner Remember to be gracious and kind – even when (especially when) others are not Forgive yourself your mistakes

Questions?