SHRM’s Member Advocacy Program : What Role Can You Play?

1. SHRM’s Member Advocacy Program: What Role Can You Play?

2. SHRM’s Member Advocacy Program: What Role Can You Play? Overview of Today’s Remarks: • Advocacy – What is it and why is it important in today’s political environment • SHRM’s Advocacy Program – Where are the components of a successful advocacy campaign • With regard to Member Advocacy – Where we are and where we need to be • SHRM’s Advocacy Team Initiative • Conclusion and Q & A

3. What Is ‘Advocacy’? According to Webster’s Dictionary, the noun “advocacy” is defined as: “The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support.”

4. “Why is Advocacy Important?” “America is not governed by the majority, but by the majority of those who participate.” Thomas Jefferson

5. “Can You Really Make an Impact?” “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

6. Anatomy of a Successful Advocacy Campaign

7. SHRM’s Direct Lobbying Capabilities 4 full-time lobbyists on staff: • Mike Aitken, Director of Government Affairs (immigration reform, etc.) • Lisa Horn, Manager of Health Care (health care and workplace flexibility) • Michael Layman, Manager of Labor and Employment Law (EFCA, ENDA, paycheck fairness, etc.) • Kathleen Coulombe, Manager of Tax and Benefits (COBRA, Sec. 127 benefits)

8. SHRM Partnership Activities Washington Outreach • Governmental • Office of Disability Employment Policy • President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy • Public- and Private-Sector Entities • Congressional Management Foundation • Congressional Black Caucus Foundation • Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute • Congressional Quarterly • National Journal • Democratic Leadership Council • Republican Main Street Partnership • Families and Work Institute (FWI)

9. Example of Paid Media

10. Example of Earned Media

11. Member Advocacy SHRM’s Greatest Advocacy Asset!

12. Member Advocacy SHRM’s Greatest Advocacy Asset! • Over 265,000Individual Members • Located in Alexandria, VA – just 7 miles from Capitol Hill • 50 State Councils & Over 575 Affiliated Chapters (most with a dedicated “legislative director”) • Our members are located in every Congressional District & State • 4 staff Federal lobbyists, 2 member advocacy/state affairs staff, 1 legal/regulatory affairs staff person

13. Member Advocacy SHRM’s Greatest Advocacy Asset!

14. Member Advocacy Opportunities to Showcase SHRM’s Greatest Asset • Capitol Hill Advocacy Day during SHRM’s Employment Law & Legislative Conference • SHRM’s Day Inside the Beltway (DITB) and Day Inside the District (DITD) programs • SHRM’ HR Voice Letter-writing Program (Federal & State) • HR Issues Update e-newsletter

15. Member AdvocacyThen and Where We Need To Be Increased Effectiveness • SHRM Government Affairs • Team (GAT) • Mass Letter-writing • Capitol Hill Advocacy Day • During Legislative Conference • Limited Days Inside the District • Sporadic Days Inside the • Beltway • District-by-District Presence • Recurring, Tracked District Meetings • Tracked District Interactions • (Phone Calls, Town Halls, etc.) • Enhanced Communication Flow • to Chapter / Council / Legislative • Directors • Mass Letter-writing to Continue

16. Using Diverse Advocacy Strategies can be More Effective in “Breaking Through the Dam” than Focusing on Only One E-mail campaign Phone calls from VIPs Constituent visit Town hall meeting Congressional Management Foundation 2008 Findings

17. The Most Influential Communications are Personal 99% 96% 96% 94% 91% 88% 93% 65% 63% 57% Congressional Management Foundation 2008

19. About the A-Team

20. SHRM Advocacy Team • Intended to build upon the successful (but mostly) ad-hoc advocacy efforts already underway across the country • Year two of five-year implementation (incremental rollout) • Informs legislators of policy impacting employers and employees in their district • Two levels of participation 1. HR Advocate – broad-based participation to engage members at he state and district level 2. “Advocacy Captains” – one per congressional district in each target state who takes a leadership role • SHRM’s Regional-Chapter structure does not necessarily align with boundaries of legislative districts

21. Advocacy Captain Requirements • Must be a SHRM member in good standing • Strong preference for prior or current experience as an HR professional (HR certification highly desirable) • Must live within the congressional district he / she is representing as an Advocacy Captain • Appointment is made by SHRM with input from state councils and chapter representatives, among others • Serve a two-year term beginning the first day of January and ending the last day of December. May be reappointed for additional terms. It is advisable that an individual serves in this position for multiple terms.

22. SHRM’s Greatest Advocacy Asset

23. “All Politics is Local” President Ronald Reagan with Former House Speaker Tip O’Neill (D-MA)

24. Sharing Some Quality Face Time with HR Who better to share the HR perspective on an issue than you?

25. SHRM’s Member Advocacy Program: What Role Can You Play?