Monday Workshops

Monday , 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm

401(k) Plan Fee Disclosure - Are You Ready?
Workshop Code: B03M2

If you had to defend your 401(k) plan's expenses - to auditors, regulators and plan participants - what would you say? Would the fees for all services rendered in the plan be considered "reasonable" and competitive? This session on the changing landscape of 401(k) fees and fee disclosure regulations will provide answers to these important questions and more.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—40/60

What's Next? Projecting the Future of Variable Pay
Workshop Code: C07M2

Twenty-five years ago variable pay below the executive level was uncommon. Fifteen years ago merit increase budgets were nearly double the size of variable pay budgets. Not so today, when most U.S. corporations have their broader workforce on a variable pay plan and are funding bonuses at nearly three times the level they are budgeting for merit increases. This session uses trend data and emerging practices to project the future and prepare for even more changes to variable pay.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40

Sales Compensation Pirates: Where Did the Money Go?
Workshop Code: C09M2

Some sales compensation plans can be too generous when "pirates" take advantage of the pay increases without increasing sales revenue. When this occurs, sales management and finance will wonder how the sales compensation plan provided more pay than expected. Learn where to look for policies that permit excessive pay, gain skills to evaluate sales compensation program costs, and understand practices that contribute to sales compensation pirates.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—40/60

Taking the Best Path to Implementing a Global Pay Structure: The General Mill's Experience
Workshop Code: C18M2

An increasing number of multinational organizations have implemented global or international level structures. Some have built their global pay structures on measures of internal value; others around external measures - market value. Learn General Mills' approach in designing a global leveling system and compensation structure with cross-border consistency. Gain a high-level understanding of the mechanics involved in implementing a common structure, including securing buy-in, obtaining market data, and managing through the myriad of laws and customs.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—70/30

Rewards and Employee Engagement: Just for the Good Times?
Workshop Code: C23M2

Research and case examples show that the link between rewards and employee engagement is often misunderstood and overly simplified. A tougher economic climate only exposes these weaknesses. But this lack of understanding also represents a real opportunity for reward professionals. By paying more attention to how rewards design can fit the needs and character of employees in pursuit of higher levels of engagement, attendees can build total rewards practices that boost organizational performance.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—null/null

Cultural Differentiators of High-Performing Companies: Unlocking the Door to a Highly Engaged Workforce
Workshop Code: T04M2

Though a sound strategy is essential to achieving high performance, organizations can't execute on strategy without a highly engaged workforce. Pulling key insights from more than 2 million engagement survey responses, this session looks at what distinguishes a high-performing company's organizational culture and how employee buy-in drives performance to outperform the competition.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—100/0

Creating a Performance Culture at United States Fund for UNICEF
Workshop Code: T09M2

Hear how U.S. Fund for UNICEF (USF) first reviewed compensation, benefits, and performance management design and practices to implement a comprehensive plan for real change. With critical employee input, USF aligned HR policies with the organization's business needs and marketplace best practices that ultimately created a performance culture. The presenters will also discuss the training programs that were developed and administered to all managers within the organization.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

New Administration, New Congress and New Supreme Court Cases Impact on Total Rewards
Workshop Code: T14M2

Sorting through the public policy issues that might affect business and, more specifically, human resources is a daunting task. Walk through key total rewards "hot topics" and a timely overview of federal legislative, regulatory and legal developments that will likely affect the total rewards profession this year.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Headlines and Hallmarks: The 2008 Kanter Award
Workshop Code: W03M2

Need the latest and best data to make the business case for work-life endeavors? Get the "best of the best" from more than 2,000 studies reviewed for the Kanter Award for Excellence in Work/Family Research. The award is given to the best research article published in a scientific journal during the prior year. The purpose of the award is to raise awareness of excellent work-family research that practitioners can use in their work and for researchers to identify future studies.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—70/30

A Showcase of the Best in Federal Work-Life Programs
Workshop Code: W04M2

Both public- and private-sector organizations will benefit from this interactive and informative session that highlights standout federal agencies that have created unique, high-value work-life policies and programs to support employees who operate on the front lines of public service. Learn from their best practices as well as challenges.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Workplace Flexibility: Bridging the Gap Between Innovative Business Strategy and Thoughtful Public Policy
Workshop Code: W11M2

Many businesses have turned to workplace flexibility to recruit and retain the best workers, boost productivity and increase their competitive advantage. Policymakers have been exploring various approaches for increasing access to workplace flexibility across industries and professions. This presentation explores how innovative business strategies and thoughtful public policy can work together to create workplace flexibility policies that support both employees and employers.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—70/30

Monday , 3:15 pm to 4:30 pm

Answering the Tough Questions About Variable Pay and Incentives
Workshop Code: C12M3

Learn how to kick-start improving your variable pay/incentive plans with answers to the most frequently asked variable pay questions - effective communication, optimizing performance measures, setting performance levels that drive business results and workforce engagement, and more. It's time to change variable pay challenges into opportunities and take action to increase the effectiveness of variable pay when you return to your organization.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Differentiating Employee Value Proposition for the Salesforce
Workshop Code: C17M3

What has more value for a top sales person: $6,000 increase in base salary, $12,000 more incentive opportunity, or one more qualified lead per week? This presentation will unveil new insights that show a "customer-oriented" approach to developing an Employee Value Proposition for the salesforce, how it differs from that of other employees and the implications for compensation professionals.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40

Managing Pay in a Changing Economy
Workshop Code: C19M3

A cross-industry panel of compensation practitioners explores how changing world events affect how employees and their employers view pay. While organizations have spent the past decade restructuring compensation programs and training employees with a focus on variable pay, employees hit by the changing economy crave stability over risk. Join the discussion on balancing short-term employee and company needs while planning for the future of the organization.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

The Global Expedition to Engage Talent: Total Rewards Around the World
Workshop Code: T01M3

Marked differences exist in various regions around the world, due primarily to cultural orientation and the interplay between government and the private sector. This presentation outlines specific global total reward examples, covering the latest research, trends and case studies. Get a "global schematic" of total reward perspectives, methodologies and approaches that are practiced in organizations within various regions around the world.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Creating PharMerica: The Role of Total Rewards in M&A
Workshop Code: T06M3

See the total rewards challenges that came with the creation of PharMerica, the merger of two long-term care pharmacy businesses. Instead of cherry-picking the best of the programs from the two companies, the HR team needed to develop a PharMerica-specific strategy and programs (exactly as needs to be done to support strategic change in any organization). The results? The HR team saw strong employee acceptance and retention despite meaningful changes for the majority of the workforce.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40

Employee Value Proposition: The Future of Total Rewards
Workshop Code: T11M3

Employee Value Proposition represents an important new way of viewing the multi-faceted bond that connects employees with their employer in the context of Total Rewards. Review the results of a recent poll of WorldatWork Advisory Board members regarding their understanding and definition of employee value proposition and how this bond has been stretched in today's economy. Learn their best practices, lessons and recommendations for sustaining and even reinforcing an organization's employee value proposition through a Total Rewards approach during a difficult economy - now is not the time to step away from your Total Rewards strategy and commitment to a strong employee value proposition.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Managing Flexstyles and Work-Life Flexibility: What Managers Need to Know
Workshop Code: W02M3

In this age of 24-7 work with constant connection over a distributed workforce, professionals and managers increasingly struggle with how to effectively implement and manage work-life flexibility and employee preferences. This unique workshop has two parts: work-life relationships from the employee perspective and work-life talent management from the manager perspective.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Back-up Care: Case Studies from Accenture, Baptist Health, Columbia University, and Fulbright & Jaworski Law Firm
Workshop Code: W06M3

A growing number of organizations offer back-up care to help address employees' childcare and eldercare concerns, reduce absenteeism, boost productivity and morale, and enhance recruitment and retention. Panelists will share case studies on this emerging trend and the factors in today's business environment that led to increased interest in this benefit, how they developed the business case for it, and how they measure success.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Marriott Matures: Assessing and Addressing Older Associates' Needs
Workshop Code: W08M3

In response to a large percentage of the workforce aged 55+, Marriott launched a multi-phased project to examine aging workforce trends and understand the impact on the business and to design solutions to address the issues, specifically productivity, lost time, financial insecurity and associate relations. If your workforce is aging, get the tools to replicate this program in your organization.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

Tuesday Workshops

Tuesday , 9:00 am to 10:15 am

Power to the Patient: Managing Health-Care Costs by Managing Demand
Workshop Code: B04T1

Providing self-care information helps employees become more knowledgeable about when they need medical assistance and when they can take care of themselves, thus reducing the demand for medical services. Hear research from 20 studies that demonstrate measurable savings associated with this important aspect of consumer-driven health care and learn the five major components of a medical self-care program.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Hablamos Espanol: Improving Benefit Plan Participation of Employees with English as a Second Language
Workshop Code: B05T1

Studies show that U.S. employees with English as a Second Language (ESLs) have a lower rate of participation in retirement, medical and other benefit programs. This presentation will discuss the reasons for this, which transcend employee economic status and size of employer. Gain strategies for improving participation through effective communication and plan design, such as automatic enrollment, employer retirement contribution and pay-based medical premium contributions.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—40/60

Balancing Internal Equity With Market Competitiveness: A Playbook for Design and Communication
Workshop Code: C05T1

Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH) is the oldest and largest partnership bank in the US that provides a range of commercial banking, global custody, investment management and private banking services globally. This session will provide an overview of the ground-up process BBH undertook to retool the firm-wide employee bonus plan in efforts to introduce structured "bonus guidelines" into a largely discretionary program. Presenters will discuss hands-on tools/techniques used to develop, analyze, implement and communicate the bonus guidelines program globally. The session will also discuss BBH's keys to success: The change management aspect as employee bonus recommendations may have moved "up or down" from the past, and the often overlooked communication strategy. Learn how the introduction of greater transparency and structure in the bonus process has created a vital tool for Human Resources to aid in the recruitment, retention and development of talent.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

The Human Side of Sales Compensation Change
Workshop Code: C08T1

Sales compensation plan change includes such important considerations as the will and skill of the salesforce to adapt their behavior to be rewarded under the new plan. This is particularly challenging when a company makes infrequent changes to its plan, as it was with Land O' Lakes Purina Feed. Learn about the techniques used to engage salespeople and managers at all levels in the change process to alter behavior.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Surveys: The Good, The Bad... And How to Tell the Difference
Workshop Code: C14T1

Discuss with the experts the most common challenges encountered by firms in providing reliable results - data source challenges for survey firms and participants, incomplete and erroneous participant submissions, purchased surveys vs. surveys requiring participation, and vendor processes for improving the quality of data reported. Leave knowing how to assess the quality and reliability of a compensation/benefits/HR topical survey source.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

What's in Store for Executive Compensation in 2009 and Beyond
Workshop Code: E03T1

Several critical issues are bringing those involved in executive compensation many sleepless nights lately - overall economic conditions, Say on Pay, tax changes designed to limit pay and severance, deferred compensation, unions and shareholder advisory group involvement, and more. Get answers to attract, retain and motivate current executives and flip on the high beams for a look down the road at tomorrow's executive management team.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Demonstrating a Sound Executive Compensation/Performance Connection in a New Era
Workshop Code: E08T1

Compensation committees and total rewards professionals are facing unprecedented changes that impact the pay-for-performance model. Some changes strengthen the model, including a closer look at how pay and results are measured and greater disclosure. Other changes, like prohibiting severance and change-in-control payments altogether, restrict it. This session scrutinizes the pressures imposed and the opportunities presented, with new and creative ideas to consider in light of external pressures to limit compensation.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Using Total Rewards to Drive Business Performance Improvement
Workshop Code: T05T1

Research has confirmed a link between human capital initiatives and business performance, but managers worldwide are looking for more evidence on the effect programs can have on key performance indicators and their balance sheet. Identify where programs are contributing to poor performance and analyze the costs and benefits of improvement. By improving business dialogue and presenting ideas and solutions in a way business leaders are familiar with, participants will drive both business performance and employee engagement.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—70/30

Talent Management and Total Rewards: Making the Gears Mesh
Workshop Code: T08T1

Many companies have a performance appraisal program. Succession planning systems aren't unusual. A few even know who their A, B and C players are and have systems in place to manage each group. But how well are these programs integrated? See how some best-managed companies combine talent management, performance management and total rewards. And leave with tips to speak with authority to get these programs working together.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

The Art of Total Rewards Management at the Metropolitan Museum
Workshop Code: T12T1

The importance of each total reward element depends on many factors, including the demographics of your employee population. The difficulty of leveraging each element while maintaining equity is compounded when you employ a highly diverse population. The Metropolitan Museum of Art faces unique challenges in managing total rewards including defining a competitive level of pay for individuals recognized as the foremost experts in their fields. See how the total rewards concept is applied to the Museum's retail, academic, investment and administrative populations.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Tuesday , 10:45 am to 12:00 pm

The Pathmark Acquisition - An Opportunity to Rethink Retirement Benefits
Workshop Code: B01T2

Follow the evaluation of the retirement strategy for non-union employees when The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company acquired Pathmark stores in December 2007. By soliciting proposals from vendors, the change to investment options and fund choices came with the highest level of quality at the most competitive cost. See how developing an RFP process presents a unique opportunity to solicit responses from vendors that can add significant value, especially if an RFP has not been conducted in a while.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Disease Management Programs - Do They Really Save Money?
Workshop Code: B06T2

To address the increasing cost of health care, plan sponsors have increasingly turned to disease management programs to provide treatment for conditions that can be managed, such as asthma and diabetes. Disease management programs provide additional services to enrollees to help the participants maintain or improve their health status and reduce hospitalizations. This session answers the key question for skeptical employers: Does the reduction in costs offset the fees charged?

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

Setting Quotas Effectively and Paying People Properly
Workshop Code: C02T2

Even the best-designed sales incentive plans fail if they are not aligned with effective quotas. In tough economic conditions, understanding the different methods to set quotas, the impact of decisions and a review of current practices will help you choose the right quotas for your organization. Learn how to align quota setting with customer needs, business objectives and sales resources.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Using Metrics to Achieve Strategic Goals: The New York University Story
Workshop Code: C03T2

NYU has more than 16,000 faculty and staff, a financial budget of more than $2 billion, 30 schools and administrative units, and 25 locations. Not only is there a need to manage compensation and performance today, but the university is expanding dramatically both here in the US and abroad. Learn how NYU's Compensation Team measures five main areas of compensation team performance with financial metrics, employee performance, service delivery, external pay competitiveness and global metrics.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

How to Pay Competitive Wages in a Tight Labor Market Without Violating Antitrust Laws
Workshop Code: C11T2

In order to recruit and retain key employees, HR professionals are spending more time than ever making sure their organization is paying competitive wages. This may put you at risk as an employer. The mere existence of similar employees with similar compensation levels at different employers within the same geographic area may be seen as circumstantial evidence of anti-trust violations, whether or not participants actively talk to one another. With analysis of recent cases and personal experience of an antitrust investigation, this presentation helps protect you from the risk by analyzing what causes antitrust concerns and red flags.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—40/60

Strengthening the Relationship Between Performance Management and Pay Delivery
Workshop Code: C15T2

In many cases, performance management programs were never designed to work with compensation programs, and, as a result, often they work against one another. The affect is that organizations that want to be recognized for high performance are often considered only mediocre - even by their own employees. Learn the common disconnects between these programs and how to fix the problems with the support of management and employees.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Underwater Option Exchanges - A Discussion with Starbucks and Google
Workshop Code: C25T2

The economic downturn of 2008 left many companies grappling with the complex problem of underwater stock options. Addressing underwater options through repricings has historically been viewed negatively by investors and the press due to past abuses. However, today's environment offers alternatives to conducting a responsible underwater option exchange program that are beneficial to employees while still winning the approval of company shareholders. In this panel discussion, presenters will deliver an in-depth discussion of winning alternative ideas that address the contentious issue of underwater stock options. Topics of discussion will include: - The various alternatives that exist for addressing underwater stock options - The implications from a company and shareholder perspective for all the major design considerations including eligibility, exchange ratios and vesting for new awards of an underwater exchange program. - The SEC tender offer rules for offering an underwater option exchange to employees - The accounting impact of these programs and how to mitigate expenses to earnings - Best practices for valuing underwater options, specifically determining an expected life - Best practices for employee communications and program administration.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Executive Compensation in Uncertain Times
Workshop Code: E11T2

Given the current economic climate and the ongoing financial crisis, it is more important than ever for companies to demonstrate that they are paying for performance and aligning executive compensation packages with shareholder returns. In this session, find out why accounting for risk within compensation opportunity improves the pay for performance relationship. And learn the best practices in executive compensation and pay for performance based on recent research and case studies.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Real-World Performance: Getting Results from Long-Term Incentive Plans
Workshop Code: E14T2

Many organizations are re-evaluating their long-term incentive strategies in response to institutional investors' desire for a more direct link between pay and performance. This presentation will examine the recent experiences of two companies that used different approaches to incorporate performance metrics into their long-term plans. One used restricted stock and the other restricted stock units settled in stock and cash. Hear the pros and cons of introducing a long-term performance element into the compensation program, including the realistic time horizon from inception to roll out.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—40/60

The Evolution of Global Total Rewards: Implementation and Integration at HP
Workshop Code: T18T2

Dig into the new realities of aligning global business strategy with workforce strategy, fine-tuning the total rewards programs and integrating a new business within a global enterprise like HP. For HP, a company that thrives on cutting-edge advancement and reinvention to drive better business performance, the global total rewards strategy has evolved, and segmentation - a way for companies to determine where to best allocate limited total rewards resources - plays an important role in design and implementation.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—40/60

Reward Strategies For Difficult Economic Times
Workshop Code: T20T2

Organizations should be reevaluating their rewards strategies, to ensure they are appropriate given the current environment. The economic crisis has changed the game and there is a danger that current strategies and programs, developed in better times, are not well suited to navigating these troubled waters. Alternative strategies for controlling costs and for ensuring the workforce is viable into the future will be evaluated.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Tuesday , 1:45 pm to 3:00 pm

Creating a Phased Retirement Strategy
Workshop Code: B10T3

With key employee data, including the number of eligible retirees in the next five years or the departments they work in, a company can create a phased retirement strategy that makes sense for a unique workforce. In what parts of your organization do these employees work? Is there key institutional knowledge that the company cannot afford to lose, making these demographic patterns all the more important? A case study of Target Corporation will give you tips on how to slice and dice that data to make it meaningful and understandable to senior management.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

The Benefits Edge: Honing the Competitive Value of Employee Benefits
Workshop Code: B11T3

To rethink the competitive value of employee benefits, employers must see benefits not as an expense, but an investment in employee acquisition, retention and productivity. The session offers two criteria for judging the success of a benefits program as a contribution to a company's competitive advantage: 1. Does your benefits program position you to compete for and retain the best talent against companies to which you might otherwise lose them? 2. Do you get the most out of every dollar that you spend on benefits?

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

Salary Compression 101: Five Things Every Compensation Professional Needs to Know
Workshop Code: C04T3

New employees paid at or above the rates for equally trained incumbents can trigger costly turnover. Compensation professionals must be skilled at recognizing pay compression issues at all levels and employing retention programs and communication strategies that address employee concerns. This session addresses five key considerations in managing salary compression, including recent data and best practices from practitioners who tackled salary compression issues by tailoring the message of compensation, benefits and other HR programs.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—40/60

Playing the HR Leadership Role in Sales Compensation Transformation
Workshop Code: C13T3

Many companies have transitioned sales compensation responsibilities from Sales to the compensation professionals in the HR organization. For rewards professionals, managing a successful working relationship with sales executives can be an arduous task. To help sales executives improve alignment between strategy and pay, Office Max's compensation professionals had to do more than simply facilitate the plan design process. They had to define principles and rules to guide change.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

The WILD Side of Performance & Recognition Programs: What Zookeeping Teaches Companies About Effectively Rewarding Behavior
Workshop Code: C21T3

Apply lessons from the Animal Kingdom to business: trust-building, identifying optimal behavior, the challenges of fixed reward programs and addressing poor performance. And meet Joe, an "employee" who turned from an aggressive, low-performing outsider to a valuable team contributor. Joe's tale is familiar in the workplace, except for one detail- he's a 300-pound dolphin. Conventional wisdom suggests that what gets measured gets rewarded and what gets rewarded gets repeated, so this session helps you coach managers and supervisors to truly become reinforcement experts.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Rethinking Rewards for Lean Systems
Workshop Code: C28T3

Lean systems represent a comprehensive approach to creating value by eliminating waste in all its forms. Lean systems represent a profound, systematic approach to improving performance. Yet, while HR professionals realize that rewards have strong effects, positive or negative, on employee motivation and behavior, reward systems are a major blind spot for Lean advocates, who typically are engineers and operation experts. Our session explores the implications of Lean for all aspects of total rewards, including base pay, careers, incentives, and recognition. We will explore the key issue: what form the rewards should take to reinforce Lean behaviors and strategies? We also explore how Lean thinking leads to reward systems that are simple, understandable, and relatively cost-effective - that is, lean - something not characteristic of the reward systems in most contemporary organizations.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40

Making It Personal: How McKesson Enhanced Attraction and Retention for Executives
Workshop Code: E02T3

As employers attract and retain executives in an environment posing competition for key talent with unrelenting rigor around cost management, McKesson elevated total compensation communication with an online tool, My Total Wealth. More than a typical compensation statement, this resource helps executives better understand and appreciate the programs in which they participate. For recruits, the Candidate View helps bring offer letters to life and illustrate the full potential of McKesson rewards programs over time.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—70/30

The Quest for Alignment: Executive Pay and Performance
Workshop Code: E12T3

In today's world, it's not so much high pay for high performance that attracts attention... but rather high pay for failure. How aligned are companies in matching pay and performance? Will companies really pay low when performance is poor? And where do companies most often stumble in achieving alignment? Learn how to manage executive pay so that it both aligns with performance and encourages retention of your best executive talent.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40

How Many Degrees of Separation Between Your Reward and Business Strategies?
Workshop Code: T13T3

Although academics and consultants place great importance on the alignment of reward programs with business strategy, the research on the topic is limited. A survey shows how rewards professionals formulate and align their business strategies and reward programs, and the effect that rewards alignment has on financial performance, corporate reputation and employer brand. "Best" reward practices that are effective regardless of the business strategy will be identified.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Best Practices for the Future That Your Organization Needs Now
Workshop Code: W09T3

In a competitive world, companies are exploring the future of work linked to people, policies and best practices to answer the question: What does the future look like and how can we be organizationally prepared? A recent working retreat of thought leaders identified a set of emerging work-life trends and issues that are shaping the workplace and the workforce. Hear the critical learnings and get promising practices and tools.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40

From Research to Reality: Designing and Implementing Total Flex
Workshop Code: W12T3

Employers today must achieve diversity goals and manage a workforce with gender, generational and ethnic differences - and do it with shrinking resources. Recent Hewitt research identified major roadblocks preventing even the most flexible organizations from reaping the critical results from their investment in workplace flexibility. Overcome these roadblocks with concrete solutions that utilize technology to enable a high-performance, flexible and mobile work culture.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Tuesday , 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm

How Hershey is Using Strategic Onboarding to Help Employees Understand Benefits and Total Rewards
Workshop Code: B02T4

When the time comes for new employees to elect benefits, the information overload can cause the value of these rewards to be lost. Learn how Hershey Entertainment & Resorts implemented strategic onboarding technologies online. With help during pre-boarding and throughout their employment, employees determine best choices for their families, analyze health-care options that might save money and leverage wellness plans, and become informed consumers of company reward programs.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Linking Workforce Effectiveness and Workforce Health for a Competitive Advantage
Workshop Code: B12T4

Despite the declining state of health for global workers, employers are making changes to deliver financial value to their organizations. Organizations that link workforce effectiveness to health and wellness have seen reduced sick leave and disability costs and higher market value and shareholder returns. This presentation will discuss the evidence and the model that supports organizational and health changes, and how this is linked to employee effectiveness and better bottom-line results.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Implementing a Performance and Rewards Structure at Potlatch Corporation
Workshop Code: C06T4

Using diagnostic tools to understand the business priorities of a rapidly changing organization, Mercer partnered with Potlatch to design and implement a new performance and rewards infrastructure. This "soup to nuts" transformational process came to life through collaboration with a cross-functional design team, a hands-on compensation manager, and visibly supportive senior leadership. This presentation will describe the tools, roles and process used to effectively design, implement and communicate a new compensation program.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

Driving Business Results Through Global Pay for Performance
Workshop Code: C16T4

Western Digital is a global hard drive company that has major production facilities in Asia. Over the last several years the company has added thousands of new employees globally, and dramatically shifted their workforce from a primarily North American workforce to a global workforce. Critical to driving Western Digital's global business success is maintaining the strong pay for performance culture they are known for. Learn how they leveraged technology to centralize and automate total compensation programs while measuring each employee with objective performance measures aligned to company performance.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Roundtable Discussion: 21st Century Employee Recognition Knows No Boundaries
Workshop Code: C26T4

Panelists from industry-leading global corporations have one thing in common: Successful, strategic employee recognition programs that help reinforce a culture of appreciation that knows no boundaries. The results are increased levels of employee engagement and customer loyalty, high productivity, higher sales and profits, and increased operating income and earnings per share. This session offers insight into budgeting a global recognition program, using metrics to determine the program's effectiveness in specific geographic areas, and communicating the rollout to a dispersed workforce.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Proxy Disclosure Trends 2009
Workshop Code: E01T4

This presentation will be a data-driven, examples-based analysis of pay trends from several hundred proxy statements and will provide attendees with a real-time look at how executive pay practices have evolved since the implementation of the new SEC rules. Attendees will get a detailed overview of emerging best practices surrounding perquisites, severance agreements, claw-back policies, ownership guidelines, performance metrics, peer-group design and topics of concerns for investors.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—90/10

Keeping Up With the Peer Group
Workshop Code: E09T4

Boards and shareholders want the confidence that pay levels are appropriate relative to peers to ensure pay attracts and retains top talent, but is not overly generous. This session describes the criteria for selecting a good peer group, and when a custom peer group may not make sense. Investigate the uses of peer groups, how to define them, and the challenges when the number of true peers dwindles.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

High-Performance Redefined: How Companies Drive High Performance and Long-Term Growth
Workshop Code: T07T4

To grow globally and respond to business opportunities and challenges, leading multinationals have redefined the meaning of high performance that establishes clear objectives on both desired behaviors and results. This significantly changes the implications of achieving performance objectives, particularly in the areas of pay differentiation and career progression. By understanding current and future focus on performance, organizations will be better able to align reward and talent management to high performing practices.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

New Administration, New Congress and New Supreme Court Cases Impact on Total Rewards
Workshop Code: T15T4

Sorting through the public policy issues that might affect business and, more specifically, human resources is a daunting task. Walk through key total rewards "hot topics" and a timely overview of federal legislative, regulatory and legal developments that will likely affect the total rewards profession this year.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Innovative Sustainability Practices - For the Environment and Employee Engagement!
Workshop Code: W07T4

This workshop brings together two expert practitioners from the State of Utah and Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) who have recently implemented sweeping changes within their organizations through workplace flexibility. Both are focused on addressing sustainability in regard to energy, the environment, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. In 2008, Utah became the first state to move almost exclusively to a 4 day/10 hour work week. The initiative is called "Working 4 Utah". Responding to the annual employee attitude survey conducted in 2006, REI introduced the Customized Work Environment (CWE) program, developed to enhance the supportive workplace culture and to help all employees be successful not only on the job, but also at home and in their communities. Attendees will know about the process, timeline and specific steps that Utah and REI took in moving employees to a 4/10 work schedule and Customized Work Environments, respectively. They will know what challenges to anticipate during implementation and how both organizations addressed them and moved forward.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—20/80

The Emerging Connection Between Work-Life Effectiveness and Health Outcomes
Workshop Code: W10T4

In a competitive world, companies are exploring the future of work linked to people, policies and best practices to answer the question: What does the future look like and how can we be organizationally prepared? A recent working retreat of thought leaders identified a set of emerging work-life trends and issues that are shaping the workplace and the workforce. Hear the critical learnings and get promising practices and tools.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—70/30

Wednesday Workshops

Wednesday, 7:30 am to 8:45 am

You and Your Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM): Improving Discounts, Fees and Rebates
Workshop Code: B08W1

Since we've found that most employers can save approximately 30% off total drug spend with appropriate pharmacy management, we'll discuss an optimal annual management strategy of the three pharmacy benefit levers of contracting, benefit design, and clinical strategy. As part of this review we will present a deeper dive into: Aligning interests-getting your PBM in synch with you; "Low hanging fruit" strategies of maximizing your pharmacy deal through benchmarking; "Best-in-class" contract language; Market overview of coalition efforts and the" nuts and bolts" of pharmacy audits as government agencies are increasing emphasis on transparency.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

Building a Comp Department
Workshop Code: C01W1

Regardless of your organization's size, it might be time to start building a Compensation department. While some trials and tribulations will be discussed, the goal is that participants leave this session with a Compensation Action Plan, knowing hot compensation legal topics and some example policies. A Compensation Action Plan will help new managers stay on track and set realistic completion goals.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—30/70

Successfully Navigating Income Deferral in an Uncertain Tax Environment
Workshop Code: E06W1

Should you defer income if the tax rate is lower now than it may be when you take distributions in retirement? Should your company provide both pre-tax and after-tax opportunities to employees? When is it advantageous to consider opting out of pre-tax deferral plans and move toward an individual or corporate-sponsored after-tax savings plan? Join a discussion with plan experts to forecast how the coming tax law changes will impact retirement savings plans.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—70/30

The Future of Total Rewards: Analytics to Action
Workshop Code: T02W1

Do employees' actions correspond with their responses to surveys? This session explores a new generation of workforce analytics - combining what employees "say" with what they "do." How companies integrate total rewards programs to engage employees and meet their needs should be measured objectively to track success. Effectively leveraging HR data and applying analytic techniques allows HR to be a proactive business partner taking preemptive actions to enhance the talent supply, strengthen engagement and improve the bottom line.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—70/30

Supporting Partners and Employees with Disabilities and Parents, Relatives and Caregivers of Individuals with Special Needs at KPMG
Workshop Code: W01W1

KPMG recognized that partners and employees with disabilities as well as parents, relatives and caregivers of individuals with special needs have unique challenges as they strive to meet their personal and professional responsibilities. An innovative network fosters an environment that supports this population throughout their careers. Learn how to create a similar environment that encourages open dialogue and participation where people ask for the support they need while meeting organizational priorities including work-life, diversity and inclusion.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—50/50

Wednesday, 9:00 am to 10:15 am

Value-Based Design: Reducing Cost, Improving Outcomes
Workshop Code: B07W2

Value-based design is a viable and compelling approach that enables positive patient behaviors and improves health outcomes. But how does lowering a drug co-pay tie into reducing costs? With case studies, this session will highlight the advantages of value-based design and how it's driving behavior change and outcomes that matter to the employee and employer.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Understanding and Using Global Pay Data
Workshop Code: C27W2

Global pay data can be daunting whether you're pricing jobs or designing total compensation plans for two countries or 50. This presentation will clarify an array of issues surrounding the use of global market data, including long-term incentive trends, allowances and required bonuses, currency conversion traps, benchmark job variations and more. Hear recent Towers Perrin research on how global base pay and incentive practices are evolving.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40

Managing Equity and Long-Term Incentives in a Changing Economic Environment
Workshop Code: E13W2

An unpredictable economy is the ultimate stress test for many corporate decisions, including executive compensation programs. Companies struggle to establish credible goals, shareholders demand to see compensation linked to share price results, and boards are anxious to retain key talent. Get invaluable assistance to modify existing LTI and equity programs and methods for testing the rigor of incentive plan goals and considerations for a continually changing economic environment.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40

Reward Next Practices
Workshop Code: T10W2

Leading-edge organizations focus on evolving new practices worldwide to stay ahead of the curve and keep their employees engaged and motivated. This thought-provoking presentation, based on the results of a research study jointly conducted by Hay Group and WorldatWork, will provide a balance of data-based findings and real-world examples of what the "best" view as next. Topics covered include next practices in reward design and architecture, alignment of reward practices with other talent management systems, reward implementation and doing business in a down economy.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

New Administration, New Congress and New Supreme Court Cases Impact on Total Rewards
Workshop Code: T16W2

Sorting through the public policy issues that might affect business and, more specifically, human resources is a daunting task. Walk through key total rewards "hot topics" and a timely overview of federal legislative, regulatory and legal developments that will likely affect the total rewards profession this year.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—80/20

Managing Energy: Powering Performance
Workshop Code: W05W2

This is an interactive learning opportunity for participants to experience the energy and resilience principles that have the potential to increase theirs and their employees' engagement. Participants will learn how they can incorporate energy and resilience into their existing employee health and career development programs or build them as new stand-alones. The presenters will describe the data that started GlaxoSmithKline's investment in energy and resilience, the outcomes that lead to constant course correction, the connectedness between health, career development and productivity and how they gained leadership support.

Focus Level: Strategic/Tactical—60/40