President's Message

From Wisconsin SHRM "Monthly State Council News"

Are you planning to attend the SHRM Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando in June?

If so, you will want to register for the conference's premier networking event, “HR After Hours: Midwest Edition at SHRM 26!”
 
Wisconsin State Council SHRM, along with our friends from the Illinois State Council SHRM, Indiana State Council SHRM, Minnesota State Council SHRM, and North Dakota SHRM State Council, are partnering to host a casual, engaging networking reception specifically for SHRM 26 attendees from our great Midwest states. The event is being held at The Hampton Social-Orlando, located just two miles away from the convention center, on the first night of the conference, June 16^th, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  Click here to continue reading and register today!

The SHRM26 dates are June 16-19, 2026, and the featured speakers include John Maxwell, Simon Sinek, and Oprah Winfrey.

Save the Date: October 14–16, 2026
WI SHRM State Conference – Celebrating 40 Years of HR Excellence

Join us for an unforgettable experience as we explore Human Resources: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Change. This year’s conference brings together HR professionals from across the state for three days of learning, networking, and inspiration.
Enjoy:

• Dynamic keynote speakers sharing insights to elevate your HR practice.
• Engaging educational sessions designed to provide practical tools and strategies.
• Entertainment and social events to connect with peers and celebrate the profession.
• Opportunities to expand your HR network and gain fresh perspectives.

The 2026 conference will be hosted at the Kalahari Resort & Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells and is also available online for virtual attendees.

Sponsor and Exhibitor registration will open in early April, offering organizations the opportunity to connect with HR professionals from across Wisconsin and showcase their products and services.

Watch for registration details for both the conference and hotel soon—and be sure to follow WI SHRM on social media for the latest updates. You won’t want to miss this milestone event!

Does your organization have an open Human Resources position?

The WI SHRM Council has a highly active job board. Job postings start at $225 per job. Click here  to view the job board. Revenue from the job board goes back to your local chapter!

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Membership

By Amber Wierzba, SHRM-CP, Membership Director

We have added one student and 3 professional members this month – Taylor Kalis (s), Sarah Fecht (p), Mackenzie Haugen (p) and Sara Jarr (p).  Please join me in welcoming them to our community! 

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

Every Job Should Be a Good Job: The SHRM Foundation's Quality Jobs Initiative

What makes a job a good job? It's a question HR professionals are uniquely positioned to answer — and to act on.

The SHRM Foundation is calling on employers to do exactly that through its Quality Jobs Initiative, a framework designed to help organizations move from aspiration to action when it comes to building workplaces where every employee can thrive.

Why Job Quality Matters

The business case is clear: workers in low-quality jobs are more likely to experience burnout, turnover, and disengagement. The downstream effects — lost institutional knowledge, rising hiring costs, and declining productivity — are costly for organizations of every size. On the flip side, employers who invest in job quality earn reputational advantages with employees, customers, and communities alike.

As HR professionals, we sit at the intersection of people strategy and business outcomes. That makes us essential partners in this work.

A Framework for Action

The SHRM Foundation identifies eight pillars of job quality that employers can put into practice today:

• Recruit with intention — build inclusive pipelines centered on skills and potential, not credentials or connections
• Support employees and their families through meaningful benefits: health coverage, paid leave, retirement, and caregiving assistance
• Include by making belonging and enablement lived values, not just talking points
• Empower employees with voice and agency in decisions that shape their work
• Stabilize through safe environments, predictable schedules, and job security
• Engage by cultivating a culture of respect and shared purpose
• Pay Fairly with transparent, equitable wages that grow alongside contributions
• Advance employees through upskilling, career mobility, and clear promotion pathways

Tools to Help You Get There

The SHRM Foundation's Quality Jobs Resource Hub is designed specifically to help HR leaders translate these pillars into practice. The hub includes assessment tools to evaluate fairness, inclusion, pay equity, and growth opportunities within your organization; ROI and wage calculators that connect job quality investments to business outcomes and local living-wage data; and case studies and research from leading employers already doing this work.

Whether you're benchmarking where your organization stands today or building a business case for leadership investment, the Resource Hub is a practical starting point.

The Bottom Line

Quality jobs aren't just good for employees — they're good for business, and good for our communities. The SHRM Foundation is helping HR leaders lead the way.

Explore the Quality Jobs Resource Hub at shrm.org/foundation/thriving-together/quality-jobs and join the movement to make every job a good job.

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Continued Education

By Nicole Haugen SHRM-CP, Certification Director

I Have My SHRM Certification… Now What?

Earning your SHRM certification is an exciting professional milestone, but it’s also just the beginning of your continued growth as an HR professional. Once you have earned your credential, it is important to understand how the recertification process works so you can maintain your certification and stay current in the field.

SHRM credential holders are required to recertify every three years. There are two ways to maintain your certification: you can either earn 60 Professional Development Credits (PDCs) during your three-year recertification cycle or retake the certification exam.

Your initial recertification cycle begins on the day you pass the exam and ends three years later on the last day of your birth month. SHRM recommends completing the recertification process by this end date. However, if needed, there is a 60-day grace period after the end date. The final day of that grace period becomes your official expiration date, and your recertification must be completed before that time.

Once your first cycle is complete, future cycles follow a slightly different pattern. Your next three-year cycle begins the day after your recertification file is submitted and approved, while your cycle end date will continue to be the last day of your birth month.

Another helpful feature of the recertification process is that you can submit your recertification record after the first year of your cycle if you have already earned the required 60 PDCs. When you recertify early, your new three-year cycle begins the day after your recertification is approved.

If you earn more than 60 credits, SHRM allows you to carry over up to 20 PDCs into your next cycle, but only from the Advance Your Education category. These carryover credits are automatically uploaded to your new cycle at the end of the month.

Maintaining your SHRM certification ensures you stay engaged in professional development, expand your knowledge, and remain connected to the evolving HR profession.

Want to learn more about obtaining or maintaining your SHRM certification?
Visit shrmcertification.org for additional resources and recertification guidance.

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Emerging HR Professionals

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Programming

Coming Up at LASHRM: Creating a Grief-Inclusive Workplace

Grief touches all of us — and it doesn't stop at the office door. Our April program invites us to explore one of the most human dimensions of the workplace experience: how organizations can show up for employees navigating loss.

Join us on Tuesday, April 15th from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM for a hybrid luncheon at Osteria Emilia (501 Front St S, La Crosse, WI). Whether you join us in person or virtually, you won't want to miss this one.

About the Program

Grief in the workplace is more common — and more costly — than many of us realize. Decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and strained team relationships are just a few of the ripple effects organizations face when employees experience loss without adequate support. But it doesn't have to be that way.

This session will explore how building a grief-inclusive culture can transform the way employees experience hardship at work — fostering connection, resilience, and long-term retention in the process. You'll leave with tangible strategies to implement in your own organization and a deeper understanding of the link between meaningful support and a thriving workplace culture.

Key Takeaways

Attendees will come away with the ability to:

• Understand the emotional and financial impact of grief on productivity and organizational outcomes
• Explore diverse strategies for creating a grief-informed workplace
• Recognize how meaningful grief support connects to stronger culture and improved employee retention

Meet Our Speaker

We're honored to welcome Jill Kottmeier, RN & Thanatologist, whose career has been devoted to compassionate bereavement care for patients, families, and staff alike. Jill recognized early on the profound toll that death and trauma take on healthcare workers, and she turned that insight into action — developing a formal employee grief support program and crisis response team now serving the entire Endeavor Health System. Her work has helped organizations not just respond to grief, but build the infrastructure to support their people through it.

Register Now

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Sponsored Messaging | The Alliance

On Wisconsin Healthcare: Employers as Catalysts for Healthcare Reform

What if the biggest barrier to fixing healthcare isn’t the system itself but the friction within it?

In The Catalyst, Jonah Berger explores how meaningful change doesn’t come from pushing harder, but from removing the obstacles that stop people from moving forward. This insight is particularly relevant to healthcare, where all parties often find themselves stuck in a system that rewards complexity over clarity and value. 

Employers, providers, and patients are frustrated by increasing costs, confusion, and inaccessibility in healthcare. Antagonizing “the other side” has gotten us nowhere. If we want a different outcome, we need a different approach, one that addresses friction, not blame. 

Berger identifies five barriers that block change: Reactance, Endowment, Distance, Uncertainty, and Corroborating Evidence. These aren’t just abstract ideas; they’re real forces that keep healthcare stuck in outdated models that don’t serve anyone well. 

Employers have a unique opportunity to reshape employee behavior and partner with providers to remove barriers to healthcare through the REDUCE framework. And when employers drive these changes at scale, they help shift the healthcare system itself, moving us closer to a market where value increases, and costs finally trend downward.

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Sponsored Messaging | Trust Point

Financial Wellness Is a Business Strategy — Not Just a Benefit

Financial wellness is increasingly recognized as a business strategy — not simply an employee benefit. When employees experience financial stress, it affects more than peace of mind. It can influence mental health, physical well-being, and workplace performance.

Recent research shows that more than four in ten U.S. adults say money negatively affects their mental health. Employees experiencing financial strain are significantly more likely to miss work, arrive late, or feel distracted during the workday. In other words, financial stress doesn’t stay at home — it follows employees into the workplace.

Forward-thinking employers are paying attention.

Organizations increasingly recognize that financial wellness directly influences productivity, recruitment, and retention. In today’s competitive talent environment, benefits that reduce financial confusion, simplify decisions, and support multiple goals from one coordinated strategy are no longer “nice to have.” They’re expected.

What’s Driving Financial Stress?

Income plays a role, but it’s only part of the picture. Research consistently shows a connection between earnings and overall well-being. Even modest increases in income can meaningfully improve long-term health outcomes.

Yet financial strain is often less about income level and more about flexibility. The ability to handle an emergency expense. The capacity to save for retirement. Managing debt without feeling overwhelmed.

Today, many workers carry significant non-mortgage debt — particularly credit card balances — which can make it difficult to prioritize long-term savings. When short-term pressures dominate, retirement planning often takes a back seat.

That’s where employers can make a meaningful difference.

A More Proactive Approach to Financial Guidance

Historically, many organizations offered access to retirement plan resources but relied on employees to seek them out. Increasingly, employers are taking a more proactive approach.

Financial wellness programs today often include:

• Educational workshops and webinars
• One-on-one guidance sessions
• Tools that clarify trade-offs and priorities
• Support tailored to different life stages

And this isn’t limited to large corporations. Small and midsize employers are also investing in financial guidance as part of a broader, holistic approach to employee well-being — alongside mental, physical, and social wellness initiatives.

Looking ahead, integrated coaching and financial support are likely to become standard components of competitive benefits packages.

Customization Matters

Employees aren’t one-size-fits-all — and their financial strategies shouldn’t be either.

A 25-year-old paying off student loans faces very different priorities than a 45-year-old balancing college savings and retirement contributions, or a 60-year-old preparing for income distribution.

Effective financial wellness solutions help employees answer a critical question: Where should my next dollar go?

Modern benefits strategies are expanding beyond traditional retirement plans to include:

• Emergency savings programs
• Student loan repayment assistance
• Health savings accounts
• Education savings plans
• Disability savings options

Legislation like SECURE 2.0 has further accelerated this evolution, encouraging employers to modernize retirement offerings and better align them with real-world financial pressures.

When designed thoughtfully, these programs help employees manage short-term challenges while staying committed to long-term retirement security.

The Impact Employers See

Employers who implement emergency savings options often observe meaningful results. When employees can automatically set aside small amounts — even $10 to $50 per paycheck — savings accumulate steadily over time.

Accessible emergency savings reduce reliance on high-interest debt and provide flexibility during unexpected life events. That security builds confidence. And confidence translates into focus, engagement, and stability in the workplace.

Often, employees are surprised at how quickly consistent, small contributions grow. What begins as a simple payroll deduction becomes a tangible financial cushion.

A Fiduciary Perspective

At Trust Point, we believe financial wellness should be structured, strategic, and aligned with each organization’s goals. A well-designed retirement and financial wellness program strengthen not only individual outcomes but also the culture and long-term success of the business itself.

When employees feel financially secure, they’re better positioned to perform, grow, and contribute. And when employers invest in thoughtful financial guidance, they reinforce a message that resonates deeply: we care about your future.

Financial wellness isn’t just about reducing stress. It’s about building resilience — for your people and your organization.

Interested in more 401(k)-related information? Sign up to receive occasional informational emails.

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Sponsored Messaging | Boardman & Clark

Can I Have a Copy of My Personnel Folder, Please?

Storm Larson, Brian Goodman, and Emmerson Mirus – Boardman Clark Law Firm

You recently terminated an employee.  You thought it went about as well as it could.  A couple days later the former employee emails HR and asks for a copy of the personnel file.  So, you pull the file out of a file cabinet (or copy the digital folder) and send it to them.  Fairly simple, right?  Unfortunately, Wisconsin Law is not so simple. 

Employee and former employee access to personnel files is established in Wis. Stat. s. 103.13.  The statute very intentionally does not make reference to a lone “personnel file.”  Instead, the statute indicates that employees can request access to or copies of “any personnel documents which are used or which have been used in determining that employee’s qualifications for employment, promotion, transfer, additional compensation, termination or other disciplinary action, and medical records.”  The statute doesn’t care where these employee records are stored or in how many different places.  If the records fall within the broad definition of employee records under the law, employers have to provide the records. 

Employers have seven working days to fulfill the request. Failure to comply can result in a fine of $100 per day, which can add up quickly.  Therefore, HR professionals need to promptly perform some due diligence to ensure that managers and others don’t have responsive employee records stored in a different location. 

The statute incorporates a few exceptions to disclosure to employees, although some of these are fairly narrow exceptions.  Exceptions include: records relating to the investigation of possible criminal offenses committed by the employee, letters of reference for the employee, test documents (other than cumulative score), materials used for staff management planning, information of a personal nature about a person other than the employee, and records relevant to a pending claim between the employer and the employee which may be discovered in a judicial proceeding. 

The breadth of this statute is easily overlooked by busy HR professionals.  HR professionals should confer with legal counsel if they get a personnel record request, especially if the records were requested by a former employee who might be fishing for evidence to support a legal claim against the employer.

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