Grassroots Advocacy: What Is It & What Role Can You Play?

1. Grassroots Advocacy: What Is It & What Role Can You Play?

2. What Is Advocacy? Advocacy– The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support. The American Heritage: Dictionary of the English Language – 4th Edition

3. The Importance of Advocacy “America is not governed by the majority, but by the majority of those who participate.” - Thomas Jefferson

4. What is HRVoice? A member benefit that allows SHRM members to directlyinfluencethe outcome of state and federal policies and create long lasting relationships with legislators and legislative staff.

5. SHRMGovernmental Affairs State Public Policy Federal Public Policy Regulatory/Judicial Affairs Member Advocacy

6. Exercise Your Voice As amember advocatefor the HR profession, it is important that you keep your elected officials informedon public policy issues and how they affect the HR profession and your organization.

7. How You Can Play a Part Build Relationships Member Advocacy Stay Educated Inform Others

8. Stay Educated • Use SHRM as a Resource • Know your opposition’s arguments and be able to refute them • Tell your story – make itPERSONAL – Give them the HR perspective • Research voting history on related issues - find out your legislator’s position on the bill • Understand and familiarize yourself with the bill

9. Educational Resources Washington, DC & State Insiderwww.shrm.org/government/insiders_published State Pending Legislation Report www.shrm.org/government/states/pendingleg_published HR Congressional Monitor www.shrm.org/government/scoreboard_published www.shrm.org/government/update Washington, DC & State Insiderwww.shrm.org/government/insiders_published State Pending Legislation Report www.shrm.org/government/states/pendingleg_published HR Congressional Monitor www.shrm.org/government/scoreboard_published www.shrm.org/government/update

10. Educational Resources • Public Policy Statements/Fact Sheets • Public Policy Presentations • State and Federal Monitoring & Tracking • Webcasts & Conference Calls • Toolkits

11. Legislative Alerts Legislative Alerts sent from the SHRM Governmental Affairs staff informing HR professionals of proposed legislation on the state and federal levels.

12. Sample Alert – Rhode Island

13. Sample Alert – Rhode Island (cont.)

14. Inform Others •Your Voice – as HR Professionals, your point of view provides a unique perspective that your Member of Congress may not have heard or even considered. • Your actions – Your advocacy efforts will ultimately impact and benefit you as well as the employers and employees across the nation.

15. Relationship Building • Visit your legislators • Write letters, call offices, send e-mails & faxes • Letters to the Editor, opinion pieces, press conferences • Committee testimony • CREATE LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS! • Make it personal by TELLING YOUR STORY • Be a CATALYST for CHANGE

16. Day Inside the Beltway (DITB) The "Day Inside the Beltway" program encourages SHRM members to travel to Washington, D.C. for a day of Capitol Hill office meetings. Activities include meeting at SHRM headquarters with SHRM Government Affairs staff, and at the Senate and House of Representatives offices with your chapter members’ respective Members of Congress

17. Tampa Chapter DITB Feedback "I am grateful that SHRM and HR Tampa are paving the way for us to make a difference. If one HR professional can make a difference — imagine what several of us can do!" --Cheri Farnham, Member of the Tampa DITB Delegation

18. Day Inside the Beltway (DITB)

19. Day Inside the District (DITD) The “Day Inside the District” program is a local initiative that provides an opportunity to generate interest and support of issues important to the HR professional on a federal and state level. Most members of Congress and state legislators a good deal of time in their home districts and the DITD is the ideal opportunity for relationship building.

20. Day Inside the District (DITD)

21. Overview of SHRM’s Government Affairs Program Relationship Building Activities

22. Overview of SHRM’s Government Affairs Program Member Advocacy Program

23. HR Voice • HR Voice letter writing program - Overcomes most objections that members have to participating: • Don’t know what issues to write on • Don’t know what to say • Don’t know who my representatives are • Composing a letter takes too long

24. Get Involved. USE YOUR VOICE! • Go to www.shrm.org • Sign in using your member number and last name. • Click on “Governmental Affairs," then go to “HRVoice” on the left side of your screen. • Choose “Write your elected officials.” • 5. Click on one (1) of the current issues listed under the heading “Take Immediate Action on these Hot Issues.”

29. Overview of SHRM’s Government Affairs Program HR Voice Letter Writing

30. For Questions on Member Advocacy • Questions? • Please contact SHRM’s Member Advocacy Specialist: • Recardo Gibson • 1-800-283-7476 ext. 6091 • Recardo.Gibson@shrm.org