La Crosse Area SHRM | July 2026 Newsletter

President's Message

Registration is now open for Wisconsin SHRM's 40th State Conference October 14-16, 2026 Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

Celebrating 40 Years of HR Learning, Leadership, and Connection

Join us as we celebrate 40 years of conference education excellence at the Wisconsin SHRM Conference! Whether you're a seasoned HR leader or new to the profession, you'll leave energized, informed, and ready to make an impact.

For four decades, HR professionals from across Wisconsin have gathered to learn, connect, and grow together. This year promises to be our most exciting conference yet, featuring inspiring speakers, practical learning opportunities, valuable networking, and plenty of reasons to celebrate this milestone anniversary.

Prepare to be challenged, energized, and inspired by an incredible lineup of keynote presenters:
 John Bernatovicz | HR Like a Boss
Scott Tillema | Leading Under Pressure: Decision-Making When It Matters Most
Jennifer McClure | HR as Chief Disruption Officer: How HR Leaders Can Drive Transformation and Shape the Future of Work

For more information and registration, please visit: Home - 2026 WI SHRM State Conference

To get the best pricing, be an Early Bird and book your place at the conference before 7/31/2026.

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Membership

Check out our upcoming events! LASHRM Events

Interested in becoming a member? Join LASHRM

Have questions? Reach out to [email protected]  

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SHRM Foundation

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Continued Education

Advance Your HR Career with SHRM Certification – Join a Study Group This Fall!

 Earning your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential positions you as a recognized expert and leader in the Human Resources field. SHRM certification enhances your confidence and credibility and proves your HR competence, giving you a competitive edge in your career.

Preparing for the SHRM exam can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Participating in a SHRM study group offers a structured, interactive, and supportive environment that makes studying more effective. With peer support, real-world HR case discussions, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to success, study groups are proven to help improve exam pass rates. LASHRM has partnered with Fox Valley SHRM to offer you an exciting opportunity to join their virtual study group at no cost to you (aside from the cost of study materials). All members are recommended to purchase the SHRM Learning System.  As a certified learning chapter, we are able to offer this to our participants at a reduced rate of $700 (includes shipping). 

For every live session attended, participants will be entered into a drawing to receive reimbursement of the SHRM member early-bird test registration fee.

Study Group Details

This is a valuable opportunity to prepare for your SHRM certification with the support of a dedicated group of peers.

REGISTER HERE

For more information or to ask questions, please contact: 

Nicole Haugen, SHRM-CP at [email protected] or Taylor Linskens at [email protected]

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Emerging HR Professionals

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Programming

Register Now

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Sponsored Messaging | Express Employment

Why Local Business Leaders Must Embrace Skills Audits Now

Provided by Adam Glahn, Owner of Express Employment Professionals of La Crosse, WI  

As the workforce evolves and demands companies to adapt to new technologies, processes and changing priorities, having the right skills on your team is crucial. To identify your team’s strengths, missing skills and areas for growth, use skills audits.

Why Conduct Skills Audits

The workforce is facing a skills gap and 59% of the workforce will need to reskill by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum. While skills gaps may be identified during hiring, ongoing skills audits are needed to ensure your team is equipped to do their best work as priorities shift and new skills are required.

Skills audits center around identifying talent need. Deloitte describes steps to take and target outcomes in four areas:

·         Logic behind skills audits

·         Assessing current skills vs. needs

·         Choosing methods of filling gaps

·         Reward and retain talent

This analysis can pinpoint which skills your team needs to learn or gain experience in, and which new hires can fill when joining the team.

How to Do a Skills Audit

The most effective skills‑audit approach is the one that feels natural for your team and delivers real value in your day‑to‑day work. The goal is to identify existing skills compared to the skills needed to gain an understanding of areas of improvement.

Customize these skills audits options to best fit your team.

Interview vs. questionnaire:

Skills audits can be done in person or by a questionnaire. Either way, prepare the questions in advance, communicate the goal of the assessment and provide positive feedback for participation, without passing judgement of skills one may lack.

Personal vs. group setting:

Team members may benefit from one-on-one discussions where they can be transparent about their weaknesses, or they may prefer to have the conversation as a group to uplift each other’s strengths and potential.

Skills Matrix

Developing a skills matrix or customizing a template creates documentation about current skills and experience levels.

When to Do a Skills Audit

The Academy to Innovate HR has five scenarios when skills audits should be conducted.

·         A new role is added

·         Someone’s role changes

·         An employee changes departments

·         Special skills are needed for a new project

·         Performance management to measure if expectations are being met

Anticipated Outcomes of Skills Audits

Effective skills audits enable companies to stay responsive to changing business needs. By proactively addressing strengths and skills gaps within your team, you can foster employee growth, align talent with business goals and ensure your workforce remains competitive in a dynamic market.

If your skills audit unveils a need to hire additional workers, Express Employment Professionals is here to support you with a talent pool that’s ready to work.

About Express Employment Professionals

At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing more than 11 million people globally since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com. 

The La Crosse Express office is located at 2240 Rose St and serves Administrative, Industrial, and Professional hiring. Local businesses and applicants are encouraged to stop by, visit https://www.expresspros.com/Onalaska/ or call 608-779-4252

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Sponsored Messaging | The Insurance Center

DOL Clarifies Trump Accounts Are Generally Not Subject to ERISA

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued guidance confirming that Trump Accounts and most Trump Account Contribution Programs generally do not create an ERISA-covered retirement plan.

Trump Accounts are a new type of traditional IRA for eligible children. Beginning July 4, 2026, contributions may be made by parents, grandparents, employers, and others. Employers may contribute up to $2,500 per employee annually (indexed for inflation after 2027), and those contributions are generally not taxable to the employee.

According to the DOL, employer contributions typically will not trigger ERISA coverage as long as participation is voluntary and the employer does not control investments, impose additional restrictions, or otherwise treat the program as an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

For employers considering offering a Trump Account Contribution Program, this guidance provides reassurance that these contributions can generally be made without creating an ERISA retirement plan, provided the program follows applicable IRS and DOL requirements.

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Sponsored Messaging | The Alliance

Rural Healthcare: Keeping Access to Care Depends on Collaboration

Across Wisconsin and across the country, rural healthcare systems are facing real challenges. Hospital closures, workforce shortages, and rising costs continue to put pressure on providers and the communities that rely on them.

In western Wisconsin alone, two hospitals and nearly 20 clinics have closed in recent years, forcing patients to travel farther for care and placing additional strain on remaining providers.

The Reality Facing Rural Providers

Rural healthcare organizations often serve older populations with higher rates of chronic disease while operating with smaller patient volumes and tighter financial margins. Recruiting and retaining clinicians can be difficult, and investments in technology and facilities are often challenging to sustain.

At the same time, rural providers are often among the largest employers in their communities and play a critical role in supporting local economic growth and quality of life.

The good news is that preserving access to care in rural communities is possible with collaboration.

Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Reedsburg Area Medical Center are two Wisconsin healthcare organizations proving that providing high-value healthcare is possible in rural communities.

Sauk Prairie Healthcare: Leading Through Innovation

Sauk Prairie Healthcare, serving more than 45,000 patients in south-central Wisconsin, has established itself as a regional leader in affordability, transparency, and value-based care.

One of the ways they’ve differentiated themselves is through a willingness to embrace innovative payment models. Sauk Prairie Healthcare has implemented bundled pricing for dozens of common procedures, giving patients and employers greater certainty around the total cost of care before services are delivered.

Sauk Prairie Healthcare applies many of those same principles to its own workforce. Using tiered network strategies, an onsite pharmacy, and robust wellness programs, the organization actively works to improve access to high-value care while helping manage healthcare costs for employees and their families.

Reedsburg Area Medical Center: Keeping Care Local

For more than 120 years, Reedsburg Area Medical Center has been a trusted healthcare provider for its community.

When leadership recognized that some patients were leaving the area in search of lower-cost care, they chose to address the issue head-on. The organization developed bundled pricing for more than 25 services, helping make care more affordable and predictable and keeping care local whenever possible.

Reedsburg Area Medical Center’s employee health plan reflects its commitment to affordability not only for patients, but for its own workforce. By investing in high-value healthcare options and thoughtful benefit design, the organization is reinforcing the same principles of transparency, accessibility, and value that guide its broader mission.

Beyond healthcare services, Reedsburg Area Medical Center remains deeply invested in community wellness through fitness classes, wellness groups, childbirth education, tobacco cessation programs, farmers markets, and other initiatives that support healthier lifestyles.

A Model for Rural Healthcare

What stands out to me about both Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Reedsburg Area Medical Center is their willingness to challenge traditional thinking.

Rather than viewing rising healthcare costs as something beyond their influence, they have actively pursued strategies that improve value for employers, patients, and their communities.”

Instead of viewing employers as separate from healthcare delivery, they have aligned their employee health plans with their broader commitment to delivering high-value healthcare. And rather than competing in isolation, they have embraced partnerships that strengthen their communities.

These are exactly the kinds of innovative, collaborative approaches that advance rural healthcare.

Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative

One organization that gives me optimism about the future of rural healthcare is the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC).

For more than 40 years, RWHC has shown the power of collaboration. Owned by 44 nonprofit rural hospitals, the cooperative helps providers work together to address shared challenges, from workforce shortages and regulatory barriers to healthcare affordability and access.

Beyond advocacy, RWHC provides shared services that help rural hospitals improve efficiency, strengthen operations, and continue serving their communities. Its work demonstrates an important lesson: no single organization can solve rural healthcare’s challenges alone.

Collaboration is the Path Forward

Across Wisconsin, we’re already seeing examples of what is possible when healthcare organizations think and act differently. The challenge now is scaling those successes so more communities can benefit.

The future of rural healthcare won’t be determined by any single provider, employer, or policymaker. It will be shaped by our collective willingness to collaborate and innovate to drive focus on long-term value.

By working together, we can help ensure rural communities continue to thrive, and that access to care remains a cornerstone of life in rural Wisconsin.

What role do you think employers and community healthcare organizations should play in preserving access to care in rural Wisconsin? Reach out at [email protected].

Curt Kubiak is the President and CEO of The Alliance, a non-for-profit cooperative that helps employers save money on their healthcare spend. After an early career in the manufacturing sector, Kubiak has spent nearly two decades as an executive in the healthcare industry in Wisconsin.

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Sponsored Messaging | Trust Point

SECURE 2.0 AMENDMENTS: What Plan Sponsors Need to Know

As part of SECURE 2.0, several new optional provisions are available for 401(k) plans beginning in 2027. These provisions are intended to provide participants with increased flexibility with regards to both contributions and distributions.

Important Considerations:

While these features can provide increased flexibility and situational access to funds, they also introduce several important considerations for Plan Sponsors:

Increased Administrative Complexity

Each provision adds new processing rules, administration coordination, and in some cases, new distribution types.

Ongoing Monitoring & Consistency

Some provisions include repayment rules, eligibility requirements, or event-based triggers that require ongoing oversight.

Participant Communication & Education

Additional education is often needed to ensure participants understand when and how these options apply, as well as the tax implications.

Impact on Retirement Outcomes

Some of these provisions expand access to retirement funds prior to retirement, which may reduce participants’ long-term savings and impact overall retirement readiness.

Your Options for 2027

1. Elect to adopt some or all of these provisions
2. Choose not to adopt any at this time

Your Trust Point Relationship Manager is available to discuss these options and answer any questions as you determine the approach that best fits your plan.

Optional Provisions:

Terminally Ill Distributions

Allows participants who are terminally ill to access their retirement funds without early withdrawal penalties.

• Physician certification required
• 10% early withdrawal penalty waived
• Subject to income tax
• No specific dollar limit
• Repayment permitted within 3 years (to recover taxes paid)
• Requires sensitive participant communication

Qualified Disaster Recovery Distributions

Designed to provide financial relief to participants impacted by major disasters, giving them access to funds with more favorable tax treatment and repayment flexibility during recovery.

• Available to participants whose primary residence is in a FEMA declared disaster area
• 10% early withdrawal penalty waived
• Subject to income tax
• Distribution limits apply per disaster
• Repayment permitted within 3 years

Qualified Birth or Adoption Distributions (QBAD)

Allows participants to access their retirement account following the birth or adoption of a child.

• Distribution limit up to $5,000 per child
• Must be within 1 year of the child’s birth or legal adoption date (adoption of a spouse’s child does not qualify)
• 10% early withdrawal penalty waived
• Subject to income tax
• Repayment permitted within 3 years
• Requires documentation of eligibility and timing

Emergency Personal Expense Distributions

Allows participants to take a small penalty-free withdrawal for unforeseeable or immediate financial needs related to personal or family emergency expenses.

• Allows one distribution per calendar year
• Distribution limit up to $1,000 10% early withdrawal penalty is waived
• Subject to income tax
• Repayment permitted within 3 years
• No additional emergency distributions permitted during the repayment period unless the prior distribution is repaid or replaced by new contributions

Domestic Abuse Victim Distributions

Provides access to retirement funds for participants who have experienced domestic abuse, offering financial support in sensitive and urgent situations.

• Available to participants experiencing domestic abuse
• Distribution limit is the lesser of $10,000 (indexed) or 50% of the participant’s vested account balance
• 10% early withdrawal penalty waived
• Subject to income tax
• Repayment permitted within 3 years
• Requires careful handling of sensitive participant information

Student Load Matching Contributions

Allows employers to make matching contributions based on employees’ qualified student loan repayments instead of retirement deferrals.

• Employer match based on qualified student loan repayments
• Requires verification of loan payments
• Treated as matching contributions (subject to vesting)
• Subject to annual plan limits (IRS limits)
• Adds payroll and recordkeeping complexity
• May support recruitment and
  retention efforts

Your Relationship Manager is available to discuss these options and answer any questions as you determine the approach that best fits your plan.

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Sponsored Messaging | Boardman & Clark

Recent Development in Wisconsin Non-Compete Law  

Emmerson Mirus, Storm Larson, Brian Goodman - Boardman Clark Law Firm

A recent decision from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals clarifies how certain noncompete agreements will be analyzed moving forward. In Steffes v. Fond du Lac Regional Clinic, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals held that noncompete agreements issued in connection with compensation/benefit plans are now subject to Wis. Stat. § 103.465. This is a change from a prior case that held that those agreements are analyzed under a less-restrictive standard known as the “rule of reason.” For this reason, Steffes will likely make it easier to invalidate restrictive covenants that were drafted with the “rule of reason” in mind.

The Steffes case involved a dermatologist who participated in a supplemental retirement plan hosted by his clinic. The plan’s benefits were conditioned on his compliance with a post-employment non-competition provision. When the dermatologist left the clinic and began practicing within a restricted area, the employer denied his retirement benefits under the plan claiming that he had violated his noncompete agreement. Ultimately, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals invalidated the noncompete agreement under Wis. Stat. § 103.465 and rejected the clinic’s argument that the rule of reason should apply to it.

For employers, the practical impact of Steffes is significant. Offering incentive compensation plans, deferred compensation arrangements, and equity awards no longer means that a noncompete agreement will be analyzed under the more flexible “rule of reason.” As a result, employers should take a fresh look at existing compensation or benefit programs involving post-employment restrictions, assess whether they might qualify as non-competes, and, if so, whether they would withstand the statute’s demanding legal standards.

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Sponsored Messaging | Capitoline Intel

The Candidate Who Looked Perfect. Until the Background Check.

By Gary Czaplewski, President, Capitoline Intel   July 10, 2026

The search had been challenging, but the hiring team was finally ready to celebrate.

After weeks of interviews, they had found an exceptional candidate for their Vice President of Finance position. The resume reflected an impressive career trajectory. The candidate presented well, interviewed confidently, and appeared to have all the credentials needed to oversee the organization’s financial future.

A contingent offer of employment was extended. Then the background screening began.

At first glance, nothing seemed unusual. But as the verification process moved beyond the application and into independent source verification, the story began to change.

The candidate had reported earning a college degree. Electronic verification indicated otherwise, showing attendance but no degree awarded.

When confronted, the candidate was adamant.

“There must be a mistake. I absolutely graduated.”

For many employers, that statement might have created enough uncertainty to delay a decision or even overlook the discrepancy. Instead, the screening process continued.

A direct call to the university registrar confirmed what the electronic records had shown: the candidate had attended the institution but had never graduated.

Around the same time, another issue surfaced. A felony conviction was identified in Illinois. Again, the candidate denied it.

Rather than treating the dispute as the end of the investigation, additional verification was performed. A court researcher obtained the original complaint and the judgment of conviction directly from the courthouse. The official records confirmed the conviction beyond question.

Armed with independently verified facts, the employer withdrew the offer.

Verification Matters More Than Information

Background screening is often viewed as a final administrative step before onboarding. In reality, it is one of the organization’s most important risk management tools.

Most candidates are honest. Some make innocent mistakes. But a small number intentionally misrepresent education, employment history, licenses, or criminal records in hopes that employers are moving too quickly to verify the details.

Executive and financial leadership positions deserve an even higher level of scrutiny.

Individuals in these roles may oversee millions of dollars in assets, approve expenditures, manage financial reporting, access sensitive information, and influence strategic decisions. A hiring mistake at this level can expose an organization to financial loss, regulatory consequences, reputational damage, and potential negligent hiring claims.

The goal of background screening is not simply to locate records. It is to establish the facts.

When Candidates Dispute Findings

Disputes are a normal part of the screening process.

Sometimes records are inaccurate. Court files occasionally contain errors. Individuals may share similar names or dates of birth. Educational institutions can have reporting inconsistencies.

That is precisely why disputed information should never be dismissed or accepted without further investigation. Effective screening requires independent verification.

That may include contacting registrars directly, confirming professional licenses with licensing authorities, reviewing original court records, or obtaining certified documents when questions remain. The objective is simple: ensure employment decisions are based on verified facts rather than assumptions.

The Value of a Trusted Screening Partner

Following the investigation, the client shared something that has remained memorable for years.

They were grateful.

Not simply because an inaccurate resume had been uncovered, but because they had avoided placing someone with falsified educational credentials and a verified felony conviction into one of the organization’s highest positions of financial trust.

The potential cost of making the wrong hire could have been measured in far more than recruiting expenses.

That hiring decision took place six years ago. Today, the organization remains a client. The reason isn’t price. It’s confidence.

Confidence that when questions arise, someone will dig deeper instead of stopping at the first answer. Confidence that disputed information will be investigated fairly and thoroughly. Confidence that hiring decisions are supported by facts that can withstand scrutiny.

In today’s hiring environment, speed matters. But accuracy matters more.

The strongest HR partnerships are built on a simple promise: when the integrity of a hire is on the line, the work isn’t finished until the truth is verified.

www.capitoline.info  Office: 414-209-1986

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