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Human Resource Professionals Connect with State Labor Officials at Second HR Day 
October 3, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 3, 2014
Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009, cell: 557-1483
A few slots remain for the repeat engagement on Oct. 30 of this educational program for businesses
AUGUSTA?About two hundred human resource managers from across Maine gathered at the Department of Labor (DOL) building in Augusta on Thursday to meet with agency officials, learn more about the services the department provides employers and ask questions relating to employment regulations.
This was the second biannual presentation of a jointly-sponsored program with the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management (MESHRM).
?Employer engagement is what HR Day is all about?showing our businesses how we can be a help, not a hurdle,? said Governor Paul R. LePage. ?Thank you to all of our participating employers for taking the time to get an update on both the law and the services the Department of Labor provides. My administration has placed a priority on making Maine a great state in which to live, work and do business.?
A few slots remain for a repeat engagement of HR Day 2014 on Thursday, October 30 from 9 a.m. to noon in Florian Hall at the Central Maine Commerce Center, 45 Commerce Drive in Augusta. Although there is no charge to attend the event, registration is required at http://meshrm.shrm.org/events/2014/10/day-maine-department-labor-encore-presentation . The Oct. 2 event filled within 24 hours of opening registration.
?This event was a huge success,? Deborah Whitworth, MESHRM director, stated. ?The department?s team did a fantastic job in pulling the program together and the presentations were fabulous. The department chose just the right speakers who talked about just the right things. It?s clear that Commissioner Paquette and her team have their fingers on the pulse of what?s on the minds of HR practitioners in Maine.?
Christine Riendeau, Central Maine Medical Center?s senior HR business partner, said that HR Day ?was great?connecting names with the faces within the department was helpful. We learned how DOL can support both the employer and the employee.?
The program, the Maine Department of Labor Update, featured Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette, the directors of the bureaus that comprise the department and other key department staff.
?It is important that businesses not only understand regulations, but that they understand that the Department of Labor offers a whole range of services that help Maine businesses hire, train, and keep a strong workforce. It also helps when an HR manager can match the name of our staff with a friendly face,? said Commissioner Paquette.
Programming highlights included descriptions of the services the department provides as wells as answers to frequently-asked labor law and unemployment questions. Subject-matter experts from the department's Bureau of Employment Services, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Bureau of Labor Standards, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation, and Center for Workforce Research and Information took questions from the audience in an open forum.
The Maine Department of Labor is committed to serving Maine workers and businesses by helping employers recruit and train a talented workforce, providing workers with the skills they need to be competitive in the economy, assisting individuals when jobs are lost, ensuring safe and fair workplaces for people on the job and researching and analyzing employment data to support job growth.
The Maine Department of Labor provides equal opportunity in employment and programs. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to people with disabilities.
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