February HR Notes Monday, February 4, 2008 HR Notes is brought to you by: The HR Group, a leader and innovator in employee benefits, human resource management and outsourcing. 615.244.8484 -- www.hrgrp.com

Do you currently use interns?
If yes, please share your ideas! If not, interns can help your business achieve more, and we want to hear from you!

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce understands that having a skilled workforce is important to your business. One specific area we are studying in detail is the value of internships and their effect on increasing the skilled workforce in the Nashville area. For your convenience, we combined questions about internships and programming into one survey. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete. Please click here to take this survey and share your thoughts.


No-match letter from the Social Security Administration? Maybe not

By Charles M. (Chip) Cain, Jonathan E. Motley and B. David Joffe
Courtesy of Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry, PLC

In June 2006, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposed rule regarding the actions employers should take when they receive a "no-match letter." For those unfamiliar with the term, a no-match letter is a letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA) stating that the Social Security number reported (typically by filing a Form W-2) for an employee does not match the SSA's records. Under the DHS-proposed rule, employers were provided with a safe harbor method for attempting to resolve discrepancies identified by a no-match letter. Under the proposed rule, if an employer followed the safe harbor and could not resolve the discrepancy, the employer had 90 days to terminate the affected employee. Although the new rule was scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 14, 2007, a federal district court in California granted a preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of the proposed rule. The court's ruling makes it unclear when, or if, the proposed rule will become effective. Read more »


Landmark workforce study examines future trends

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Nashville Career Advancement Center and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, has released the results of a comprehensive study of Middle Tennessee's workforce characteristics and conditions.

The first-ever endeavor, which was conducted by the Arlington, Va.-based Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, particularly examines workforce supply and demand situations through 2017; occupational, education and skill matches with area programs in higher education; career pathways data; and changing dynamics of jobs and industry sectors. The study also incorporates insight on emerging career fields, demographic changes and current migration and commuting patterns.

Analysis was based on data from local colleges and universities, area employers and a wide range of newly synthesized workforce information. The data were compiled for the 10-county Nashville Economic Market, resulting in data sets that have not previously been available.

To view the Jan. 17 press release about the workforce study, click here.

Visit www.NashvilleChamber.com/workforcestudy to download the executive highlights, executive summary or full report.


Maturity Matters Job Fair

As more individuals approaching retirement age decide to continue working (full- or part-time) or desire to try a different work experience, the MATURITY MATTERS Job Fair® presented by Senior Citizens, Inc. offers a unique opportunity. There, job seekers age 40+ can talk with employers who value the experience, skills and work ethic of older adults.

Participation is limited to 40 area employers. To provide job seekers the broadest possible selection, the number of employers/exhibitors in any one industry or business type will be restricted. Other amenities include free admission and parking, free workshops throughout the day and individual résumé review and coaching sessions.

For $165 (until Feb. 11, $175 thereafter), each employer will have an 8' x 6' booth space, with backdrop and side drapes, a draped 6' table and two chairs, early-morning coffee and free lunch for two workers. Set-up is 7-8:30 a.m. Interview space can be arranged upon request.

For more information, contact Eileen Johnson at 743-3408 or ejohnson@scitn.org.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Patricia Hart Building/Knowles Center, 174 Rains Avenue
(At the Tennessee State Fairgrounds' Wedgewood Avenue entrance)


Are you looking for ways to engage your young professionals?
Take a look at these exciting upcoming Chamber events! 

Do you have outstanding young professionals in your company?
Encourage them to apply for the NELAs!

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the 20/20 Leadership Alliance are proud to present the second annual Nashville Emerging Leader Awards (NELA) program in 2008. The NELAs will recognize young professionals in 13 industry classifications who are excelling in their careers and making a difference in the Nashville community. Applications due Wednesday, Feb. 27! Visit www.thenelas.com for more information. Click here to see the 2007 winners.

Meet Your New Mayor
Make sure your YP employees know about this free event!

All Nashville-area young professionals are invited to a forum on Wednesday, Feb. 20 featuring the new mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Karl Dean. There will be some time at the end of the program for a question-and-answer session. Please come prepared with questions. Limited seating is available, so RSVP now! Schedule: 5 p.m. Registration & networking 5:30-6:30 p.m. Mayor's address and meet & greet Cost: Free event! Location: Father Ryan High School, 700 Norwood Drive Click here to register.

"Cool School" is back, and better than ever!
This is a must for any of your recruiters, mid-level managers or HR employees.

Today's top talents are looking for cool places to live and work. Now is the time to learn how your organization can use Nashville's coolness factors to recruit and retain top employees. Space is limited, so register now! Wednesday, March 12 8-11 a.m. Dell Computer Corporation Click here to register.

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At NashvilleJobsLink.com, you will find the right person for the job!

With more than 75,000 user sessions per month, qualified candidates can search by employer, career field or view all of the jobs posted each day!

NashvilleJobsLink.com is the only site partnered with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.