In This Issue:

• Human Capital Management Conference
• Background Screening - Now a Necessity
• New FLSA Overtime Regulations
• Look Before You Leap: The Fundamentals of HR Metrics
• Your Product Service Center
• Items of Interest
• Upcoming Events

The Genesys Human Capital Management Conference sets sail September 19-21, 2004! This 24th annual event is open to all, including Genesys customers, partners, industry experts, industry association members and professionals from the business community. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this strategic conference to learn more about key human resource issues and topics.

Dates: September 19-21 Location: Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers Details & Registration: Conference Page

Expert Presenters

You'd expect nothing but the best from the Genesys Human Capital Management Conference and that's exactly what you'll find! Genesys has gathered the highest caliber presenters and speakers for this year's event. From customers and partners, to industry thought leaders, our presenters are highly-respected. Presenters include attorneys, professors and security experts; HR, payroll, benefits, compensation, recruiting and training experts; finance, timekeeping, COBRA and FLSA experts; plus experts on metrics, enrollment, background screenings, and other human capital management trends. Conference attendees will have over 25 thought provoking sessions from which to choose -- and that's on top of the Genesys client sessions!

Focused, Hour-long Sessions

The Genesys HCM Conference has something for everyone! Sessions are varied and informative and include the following hot HCM topics.

Human Resources and Payroll Trends

• Extreme HR: Trends in HR Staffing and Process Improvements
• HR Strategy First, Then HRIT Strategy
• New Developments in Legislation Affecting HR Interests, Parts I & II: New FLSA Regulations, HIPAA, and New Issues in Employment Law
• Case Study: Cost Benefit Analysis of Moving to the Web at Delta Dental Plan of California
• HR Outsourcing Is Here! How is Your Firm Going to Embrace HRO to Improve Efficiencies?
• The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for Your Payroll Production
• Using HR Metric Data with your Financial System for Forecasting and Reporting
• Genesys Payroll Tax Filing Services
• Project Management: The Keys to Success
• What's New in Human Resource Outsourcing: Added-value Services

Recruitment and Selection

• Enterprise Applicant Tracking Systems: More Than Just Job Boards and Resumes
• Background Checks and The Law
• Framed To Fail: How Companies Mis-structure New Leadership Roles and What You Can do About It

Employee Satisfaction and Retention

• Kick It Up A Notch With Self-Service
• Building Employment Brand and a Committed Workforce: The key is Retention
• Case Study: The Evolution of Employee Assistance and Work/Life Programs
• Improving Employee Satisfaction Through Web Solutions

Benefits and Compensation

• Compensation Planning Gets an Extreme Makeover
• Innovative Solutions to Reduce Healthcare Costs
• COBRA Administration Outsourcing
• Core Enrollment Services
• Implementing Flexible Spending Accounts
• Managing Compensation in a Tight Economy
• Variable Pay: What's New and What's Needed Now!

Learning and Performance Management

• Optimizing Productivity with Learning and Performance Management
• Improving Employee Performance Through Blended Learning
• Performance Management for Human Resource Functions

Security and Data Integrity

• Best Practices in Data Integrity and Its Role in Strategic Project Planning
• Beyond Worms and Viruses: Information Security for Managers and Executives

Time and Attendance

• Best Practices in Time and Attendance
• An Alternative to Manual Timekeeping and Leave Requests
• Licensed versus Hosted Time and Attendance: Which Solution is Best for You?
• Human Time: A Brief Product Description

Additional Sessions for Genesys Clients

• Implementing Web Services
• The Latest System, Product and Service Enhancements
• Genesys Reports
• Migrating to Version 6.1
• Roadmap for the Upgrade of Version 6.1 SQL Applications to .Net
• Round-tables:
  • Benefit Payments
  • Payroll
  • Technical Platform
• Pre-conference Workshops:
  • The Inside Track on the Genesys Tool Set
  • Using the Genesys Product in the 6.1 Environment
  • Version 6.1 Migration Success Planning

For a complete list of session descriptions and presenting organizations, view the Conference Agenda (a PDF file).

Work Hard / Play Hard

After a full day of HR issues and trends, it'll be time to relax and have some fun! You'll hop aboard an amphibious vehicle for the ride of your life with Boston Duck Tours. The fun begins as soon as you board your "DUCK", an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle. First, you'll be greeted by one of the legendary tour ConDUCKtors, who'll be narrating your tour. Then you're off on a journey like you've never had before. You'll cruise by all the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts, from the golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill, Boston Common and Copley Square to the Government Center to fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market, and more. And, as the best of Boston unfolds before your eyes, your ConDUCKtor will be giving you lots of little known facts and interesting insights about our unique and wonderful city. And just when you think you've seen it all, there's more. It's time for "Splashdown" as your ConDUCKtor splashes your DUCK right into the Charles River for a breathtaking view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines, the kind of view you just won't get anywhere else.

Luxurious Accommodations

Not just a hotel. Boston's hotel. Built in 1927, the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers is a member of Historic Hotels of America, and recipient of Successful Meeting Pinnacle Award for delivering excellence in meetings. With an unmatched location, this historic hotel is adjacent to the Public Garden with its Swan Boats and the chic boutiques, art galleries and restaurants of the world famous Newbury Street. Rich in history, the hotel today offers the same hospitality expertise, and service that has attracted United States Presidents, international corporations and celebrities for the past 76 years.

For those attending this year's conference, the special hotel rate is $149.00 Single; $169.00 Double Occupancy. To make your hotel reservations, call The Plaza's Central Reservations Office toll free at 1-800-225-2008 or you can call The Plaza directly at 617-426-2000 and reference the Genesys Human Capital Management Conference.

Discount rate valid through August 25, 2004. Reservation requests received after 5:00 p.m. ET on August 25th will be accepted at the hotel's prevailing rate, based on availability.

Customer-only Activities

• Welcome Reception:   The official kick off for the conference is Sunday, September 19th from 6:30-8:00 PM. in the Imperial Ballroom of the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers. Customers are encouraged to network with other Genesys clients or rekindle old friendships. The welcome reception provides a wonderful opportunity to relax after a day of traveling and to ease into the information-filled days to come!
  
  
• Ask the Expert:   Genesys is pleased to offer clients exclusive access to private, half-hour consulting sessions on-site at the conference. One-on-one sessions provide clients with the opportunity to get detailed answers to their unique business and IT questions. To schedule your one-on-one in advance, please contact Lucille Breen at 978-685-5400, extension 3165 or via e-mail at lbreen@genesysHCM.com.
  
  
• Adult Guest Program:   The Adult Guest Program includes daily continental breakfasts and luncheons, Sunday evening's Welcome Reception, Monday evening's Boston Duck Tour, and Tuesday's all-day walking tour of Boston's Historic North End. During the walking tour, guests will discover the North End and experience "Little Italy" like a native, while the tour guide reveals the secrets of America's oldest Italian neighborhood and its cuisine. Van transportation is provided; pick up is at 9:30 AM, returning at approximately 2:00 PM. The cost of the Adult Guest Program is $275 per person. Individual Guest Program events can be purchased separately.

What's Included in the Conference Fee?

Genesys Customers	General Public
Sunday evening's Welcome Reception
Admission to all industry sessions, Monday & Tuesday	Admission to all industry sessions, Monday & Tuesday
Exclusive admission to all customer-only sessions, Monday & Tuesday
Monday evening's Boston Duck Tour	Available for an additional fee
Tuesday's President's Council
By-appointment access to 'Ask the Expert' sessions
Two dinners
Daily continental breakfast, luncheon, and refreshment breaks	Continental breakfasts, luncheons, and daily refreshment breaks
A CD containing all conference presentations	Available for an additional fee

Additional Information

Attire throughout the conference is business casual.

For additional information on the Genesys Human Capital Management Conference, please contact Lucille Breen at 978-685-5400, extension 3165, or via e-mail at lbreen@genesysHCM.com.

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Barry J. Nadell, President
InfoLink Screening Services, Inc.

"Background Checks" - Two of the most popular words in the English language today.

A background check requested by a home health agency before hiring a woman to care for an elderly patient revealed that four years prior, she was convicted of 2nd degree robbery, spent one year in jail, and was forced to take an anger management course. Three weeks after the agency denied employment, her name appeared in the local paper after having been arrested for the murder and kidnapping of a child.

Background checks today are no longer a luxury; they are a necessity. In short, employers are being cautious. At the same time, applicants and employees fear that employers can dig into their past in ways that have nothing to do with the job.

Whether you are hired or promoted for a job may depend on the information revealed in a background check. Job applicants and existing employees, as well as independent contractors who work at various employers' location sites and volunteers, may be asked to submit to background checks. For some job positions, screening is required by federal or state law. Today, security and safety cautious employers have opened their eyes and checkbook after weighing the risks inherent in not first performing a background check.

Why are employers more cautious today?

Simple Facts: According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2002, 6.7 million people were on probation, in jail, prison, or on parole by yearend - 3.1% of all U.S. adult residents or 1 in every 32 adults. Furthermore, 67.5% of prisoners were rearrested for a new offence within 3 years from release from prison (almost exclusively for felonies or serious misdemeanors). Statistics conducted by InfoLink Screening Services, Inc., a national background screening company, reveal that thus far in 2003, 7.9% of criminal searches exposed a criminal conviction, 3.4% of drug tests were positive, 20% had something negative on their credit report, and 28% had negative driving records including DUI's. In addition, searches also identified job applicants who were convicted of federal crimes, listed as registered sexual offenders, or had licensing problems. Finally, over 15% of past employment references were negative or had discrepancies on what was reported by applicants.

Negligent Hiring: Employers who fail to take action to control abusive, belligerent, or combative employees often find themselves embroiled in litigation. Injured employees and patrons have sued employers for the negligent hiring or the negligent retention of an alleged employee who caused their injuries. These suits have alleged that the employer failed to accurately check references, criminal records, or general background information that could have shown the employee's likelihood for criminal or tortuous behavior.

The negligent hiring and negligent retention theories of liability have been recognized in a number of states and lawsuits are on the rise. If an employee's actions hurt someone, the employer may be liable. The threat of liability gives employers reason to be cautious in checking an applicant's past. A bad decision can wreak havoc on a company's budget and reputation as well as ruin the career of the hiring official. Employers no longer feel secure in relying on their instinct as a basis to hire. Court decisions make it clear that employers do have an obligation to take precautions when hiring their employees. Although we don't see as many cases as in the past due to out of court settlements, the phenomenon of negligent hiring suits is not going to go away and all employers must take steps to guard against the substantial liability that these suits can engender.

Current Events: News events about child abuse or abductions have resulted in laws in many states requiring background screening on anyone who works with children. Other news about disgruntled workers injuring or killing co-workers have made employees and managers suspicious of anyone who seems "not normal". Heightened security after September 11, 2001 has created an awareness and fear of vulnerability along with the corporate scandals of 2002.

Inaccurate Information: False or inflated information supplied by job applicants is frequently in the news. Some estimates are that 30% to 40% of all job applications and resumes include some false or inflated facts. Such reports make employers wary of accepting anyone's word at face value.

Legal Requirements: Federal and state laws require that background checks be conducted for certain job positions. Federal law prohibits a bank or financial institution from hiring an individual who was convicted of dishonesty. Department of Transportation and the aviation industry have for years had strict background requirements. Furthermore, most states have enacted requirements for background checks for anyone working with children, the elderly or disabled. Finally, many government positions require a background check for security clearances.

Something happened: Often an occurrence of violence in the workplace, a theft, suspicion of workers' compensation fraud or a sexual harassment complaint has been the catalyst for a company's change in philosophy as to how they hire. Unfortunately, these are costly eye-openers.

Disclosure is required by an employer prior to requesting a background check. InfoLink Screening Services, Inc.'s clients provide full disclosure and obtain authorization prior to a background screen. Notwithstanding, the following chart indicates the percentage of "hits" [i.e. negative findings] found by InfoLink during the first five months of 2004.

Service Description	Hit Ratio
Criminal Search	8.25%
DMV Information	38.64%
Drug Screening	3.00%
Employment Credit History	35.50%
Employment Verification	24.03%
Education	5.22%
Professional License	2.02%
Social Security Trace	3.60%
Workers' Compensation Search	9.15%

 

About Barry J. Nadell: Barry Nadell is President and cofounder of InfoLink Screening Services, Inc., a national provider of employment background screening, drug testing programs, drug awareness training, behavioral assessments, employment physicals and online employment applications. Mr. Nadell is a member of the American Society of Industrial Security, the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, the Society for Human Resource Management and the American Management Association among others and has addressed the national conventions of these organizations and more on topics relating to background screening. Mr. Nadell has been interviewed on numerous occasions by local and national media, including a segment on ABC News "A Closer Look" with Peter Jennings. For more information call 1-800-990-4473 Ext. 1324, email info@infolinkscreening.com or visit www.infolinkscreening.com.

Note: Barry Nadell will be speaking at the Genesys Human Capital Management Conference this September on the topic of background screening and the law. For additional conference details and registration, please visit the Conference Page.

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How Payroll Managers Need to Act to Comply with the New FLSA Regulations

Payroll Managers need to begin preparing for the August 23, 2004 deadline regarding the new FLSA regulations. In an effort to do this, Payroll Managers should be meeting with their Human Resource Managers to determine how the impact of the new regulations will affect their organization's current compensation practices. Payroll and HR Managers need to work collaboratively to analyze the new rules, review existing employee classification and pay practices, revise policies and practices to be compliant with the new regulations, and implement the necessary changes within their organization.

Time is of the essence, as the new rules will go into affect on August 23, 2004. Now is the opportunity for Payroll and HR to consult with each other as well as legal counsel to establish a compliant strategy to address the new regulations.

Payroll and HR need to address the following to ensure compliance:

• Identify anyone who may lose exempt status under the $455.00 per week threshold. They must decide whether the salary of employees discovered in the assessment will be increased, or whether they will be reclassified as non-exempt.
  
  
• Review the job descriptions of exempt employees who meet the $455 per week salary level test, measuring those responsibilities against the new requirements for one or more of the white-collar exemptions. Organizations may realize that some employees who are currently classified as non-exempt now meet the exemption requirements. However, organizations may determine some employees do not meet the exemption requirements and should be reclassified as nonexempt
  
  
• Review pay practices for nonexempt employees to ensure they are paid for all hours worked. Employers need to ensure that they are not violating the FLSA by failing to include shift differentials, on-call payments, non-discretionary bonuses, commissions and other forms of incentive earnings in nonexempt employees' overtime pay.
  
  
• Develop a policy addressing the salary program for exempt employees. The complaint procedure should instruct employees that improper deductions are a serious violation of company policy. Employees should be instructed to report any improper deduction to human resources.
  
  
• Establish a policy requiring that nonexempt employees record all working time, and that all recorded working time must be paid.

For more information on the new FLSA Regulations, refer to the PDF file, New FLSA Regulations: What They Mean to You. This is a copy of the presentation that was shown during the June 9th webinar hosted by Genesys and presented by Christopher Vrountas, Esq., and Tom McCraw, Esq., from the Law Office of Nelson Kinder Mosseau & Saturley.

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Lisa Rowan, Director of Business Development at Genesys, recently addressed an audience of 200 HR professionals and members of NEHRA and IHRIM at an event devoted to the area of HR Metrics. Insight had an opportunity to speak to Ms. Rowan about this presentation and her views on the subject.

Insight: The title of your presentation, "Look Before You Leap" is interesting. What did you mean by that?

Rowan: Metrics and analytics are very hot buzz terms at the moment. There's this sense that everyone is racing to put HR measurements in place. But in the rush, they may not be measuring what's of most importance to their organizations.

Insight: Can you give us an example?

Rowan: Turnover is a classic example. Knowing the turnover rate itself is probably a baseline need. But more importantly, analyzing the factors behind turnover may be much more valuable to the organization. For example, being able to see that the highest rate of turnover is occurring in those with around 6 years of service may indicate that employees are seeking greener pastures once they've become fully vested. Or, if the numbers indicate that a certain department or region is experiencing a higher degree of turnover, it might mean that there are management issues in play.

Insight: How would you suggest organizations approach an HR metrics project?

Rowan: The majority of the project time should be spent up front in the planning. There are thousands of factors that can be measured when it comes to human capital management and it would be difficult to measure them all. People-related costs account for the majority of an organization's expenses. I recommend that the team consist of members of different constituencies within the organization. In this way, different viewpoints and needs can come to the surface. It is important to take a look at the organization's overall goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and use these as the basis for determining what HR-related metrics tie to these KPIs.

Insight: What are the sources of data for the analytics?

Rowan: Virtually every system in the organization contains data that may be needed. If revenue per employee is a KPI, then the sales or accounting database needs to be tapped. If customer satisfaction is an important measure, then the CRM system contains vital data. Once again, solid upfront planning will help the team understand from where they need to acquire data.

Once the data sources have been identified, it is wise to build a metrics warehouse that takes periodic feeds from the sources. With the warehouse, any number of tools will be able to access and report on the data.

In addition to internal data, it is very important that benchmark data be identified and included. Measurement without a yardstick is not meaningful. For example, if your organization experiences 10% turnover annually, how do you know whether this is good or bad? Knowing what the average is for your industry or area of the country would enable you to know whether your results are in line.

Insight: Where can one find benchmark data?

Rowan: There are numerous sources available. For one, the Saratoga Institute is well known for having benchmarks on an enormous number of human capital management factors. For another, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Statistics is a fantastic free resource. You can search by region and industry and download data directly from their web site at: http://www.bls.gov/data/home.htm.

Insight: Do you have any final words of advise to those looking to deliver HR metrics for their organization?

Rowan: On a final note, I'd remind people to do a lot of upfront research to determine what statistics will be valuable to their organization. As well, the team will want to think about how they deliver the information to the users. Senior level management will want to have the specific KPIs of interest to them delivered summarized to their desktop. HR and line management will need to have the ability to drilldown to get at the details in order to answer their questions.

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The Genesys Product Service Center was designed exclusively for use by Software clients, enabling them to update and maintain their Genesys system more efficiently and effectively, on their own schedule, as they see fit. The PSC provides Software clients with 24/7/365 access to critical, client-only information. Simply by logging on, and providing a user name and password, Software clients have immediate access to key information such as:

• The latest release
• Product enhancements and resolution
• Release documentation
• Downloadable files
• Prior 2004 releases
• V6.1 information
• Q&A's from the webinar "Why 6.1 is a Migration and not a Conversion"
• Archived email announcements

Software clients can access the PSC by selecting Customer Connection on the Genesys web site www.genesysHCM.com or directly by clicking Product Service Center (a prompt will request user name and password). From the Customer Connection Welcome page, select Product Service Center.

If you have any questions regarding the Product Service Center, please contact Leslie Goida by phone at 978-685-5400, extension 3027, or by e-mail at lgoida@genesysHCM.com.

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• Live PeopleComeFirst™ HRMS Demonstrations. Attend one of our free, upcoming webinars to view Payroll and HR: The Simple Solution, firsthand. All webinars being at 2:00pm, ET. Register for the July 28th session today!
  
  
• Recent Genesys Research Evaluates Business Process Outsourcing Request for Proposal Process. Study, titled "Understanding the RFP Process for Companies Leveraging Business Process Outsourcing," cites payroll as the second largest outsourced business process. To download a complete copy of the 27 page study, click here.
  
  
• Genesys Enhances Partnership with Mitchell Humphrey to Provide Integrated Financial and HR Solutions. Government agencies, municipalities and corporations benefit from strong technology platform and single point of accountability. To view full details, click here.
  
  
• Genesys Introduces New Nationwide Channel Partner Program to Address Growing Human Resources Outsourcing Market Requirements. Known as the HRO Partner Program, it is available to consulting, services and technology providers that will be carefully qualified by Genesys, to ensure that services and support provided meet the Company's stringent channel program requirements. To view full details, click here.

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Genesys is pleased to be participating at the following conferences and trade events in 2004. We welcome you to visit us at any of them.

Date	Event	Location
September 19-21	Genesys Human Capital Management Conference	Boston, MA
October 13-15	7th Annual HR Technology Conference & Exposition	Chicago, IL
October 2-22	NEHRA HR Invention Convention	Boston, MA

To view additional information about all upcoming events, visit the Genesys Events Page. The event listing provides you with links to the various sponsoring organizations. You are encouraged to visit these sites to learn more about each event.

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