This past Friday, the PA Chamber’s Director of Government Affairs Alex Halper addressed the Pennsylvania Society for Human Resource Management State Council’s Legal & Legislative Conference.

SHRM is a national organization with state and local chapters that represents human resource professionals and engages in advocacy focused on employment and the workplace. The PA Chamber and SHRM work together closely to advocate for shared priorities and PA SHRM has a standing seat on the PA Chamber’s Labor and Employment Committee.

Halper provided conference attendees an overview of the political and legislative landscape in state government.  He reviewed the redistricting process and previewed the upcoming 2022 primary and general elections.  Transitioning to public policy and legislative priorities, Halper discussed a number of employment and workplace issues on which lawmakers are focusing in the state legislature or which the PA Chamber and other advocates are supporting.  The discussion covered a range of topics – from workforce and wage/hour issues to medical marijuana and workplace safety.

Finally, Halper emphasized the importance of advocacy and how HR professionals are often best positioned to articulate the employer perspective on these key issues.