CTHRA's Spotlight On...

CTHRA's Symposium Features Stephen M.R. Covey and The Speed of Trust
What are the 2008 industry benchmarks in employee benefits? What are the latest trends in compensation? How are companies using human capital metrics? Could a trust-building program really make a difference in your company's overall performance?  On October 13 in Atlanta, CTHRA's 2008 Achieving HR Excellence Symposium will provide the answers to these questions, plus practical insight on other critical HR issues including talent management, employee engagement, and the value of employee resource groups (ERGs).

"CTHRA's Symposium is the only educational event featuring industry-specific HR benchmarks, trends and best practices. It's truly a can't-miss event for cable and satellite HR professionals, which is why I'll attend with several members of Comcast's team," said Bill Strahan, Vice President of Compensation and Benefits for Comcast Cable and member of CTHRA's Symposium planning committee.

 Stephen M. R. Covey, author of the paradigm-shifting book The Speed of Trust and co-founder and CEO of CoveyLink Worldwide, will kick off the Symposium by illustrating how trust is a hard-edged economic driver which companies and individuals can leverage to propel their success. Covey advocates that establishing, growing and restoring trust is the critical leadership competency of the new global economy—more important than vision, strategy, systems and structure. During his session, Covey will discuss the concept of the Trust Dividend™ and the 13 behaviors that increase and inspire trust. Attendees will receive a free copy of Covey's book and a book signing will immediately follow his presentation.

CTHRA's Symposium also includes breakfast, an awards luncheon, break out sessions and a networking cocktail reception. All events will take place at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.

Please visit CTHRA's website for more information and secure online registration. Space is limited, so register now!

Strategy Showcase  

Helping Employees Cope with Record-High Fuel Costs
According to the U.S. government's Energy Information Administration, on August 4, 2008 the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.88, up 104% from a year ago. With skyrocketing fuel costs demanding a larger portion of employees' paychecks, many employers have programs aimed at helping employees cope.

According to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), the vast majority (98%) of surveyed employers offer benefits rather than increased pay. So we asked CTHRA members to share their initiatives. Popular programs include:

• Condensed work week/flexible work arrangements
• Telecommuting
• Weekly gas allowance
• Van pools
• Increased mileage reimbursement
• Monetary incentives/monthly raffles for car poolers
• Discounted Sam's Club and Costco memberships to leverage discounted gas prices
• The option to deduct qualified transportation expenses from employee paychecks on a pre-tax basis within limits mandated by the IRS
• Mass transit and/or parking discounts

The impact? Employees are responding positively. In Houston, more than 100 Comcast Cable employees currently take advantage of van pooling. In June, Cox Communications employees participated in Cox Conserves' designated day of telecommuting. And The Weather Channel motivated 41 employees to "carpool for cash" and "spare the air and their wallets" in June with two $500 awards: one was given to the person who carpooled the most in the month of June and one winner was randomly selected from all participants.

It's worth noting that while current gas prices have spurred many companies to launch commuter-friendly programs, several CTHRA members reported a spike in employee utilization of existing programs.

Related Reading
Companies Help Employees Deal with Fuel Costs, The Wall Street Journal

Employers Using Benefits to Help Employees Fill the Tank, Society for HR Management (SHRM)

Helping Employees Beat the High Cost of Commuting, FORTUNE magazine

Company Programs Help Employees Save on Gas, SmartMoney

Does Your Company Help You Commute?, Forbes

As Gas Prices Skyrocket, Employees Look to the Boss for Help, Inc.com

Related Resources
Several service providers offer employer commuter programs and resources. A few cited by CTHRA members include:
Wageworks
Commuter Club of the Cumberland CID/Atlanta
The Clean Air Campaign (for employers in Georgia)

Please note that CTHRA does not endorse the services of any company or organization.

To share a resource, please submit to CTHRA's online Resource Center content manager.

This Just In...

CTHRA Names 2008 Award Winners
CTHRA is pleased to announce that The Weather Channel's Emerging Sales Leader Development Program (ESLP) and Cox Communications' SVP and Chief People Officer Mae Douglas are the 2008 recipients of CTHRA's Excellence in HR Awards.

The Weather Channel's training and development team collaborated with the ad sales arm to ensure that TWC has highly qualified internal candidates who are ready to be promoted when vacancies occur, and ESLP was born! The ESLP starts with a rigorous selection process. Each class then completes an intense, four-part development program which focuses on the development of self and others, profitable business strategy, sales, and leadership execution.

Since its inception, two gender-diverse classes have graduated from TWC's program. Seventy percent of the 2005-2006 graduating class were in management positions within one year of graduation, and the ESLP return on investment for the 2006-2007 class was $21.2 million in incremental revenue/savings and revenue deals. The success of the ESLD program earned several awards, including the first Long Term Excellence in Sales Award given by industry expert Jack Myers.

The far reaching accomplishments of Mae Douglas earned her CTHRA's Leadership Excellence Award. Douglas has made significant contributions within Cox Communications by correlating business goals with employee needs. Her leadership on several key initiatives has resulted in several awards for Cox Communications, including DiversityInc magazine's 2008 Top 50 Companies for Diversity, WICT's best cable operator for women, and Training magazine's Top 125 for T&D. Mae's contributions to the industry and community are equally noteworthy. She has served on the board of directors of Cable Positive, WICT Foundation, and NAMIC.

In the words of Pat Esser, president of Cox Communications, "Mae has the unique ability to make others not only be better, but want to be better. She inspires others to play at a different level."

Please join us to honor The Weather Channel and Mae Douglas during a special awards luncheon during CTHRA's Symposium on October 13 in Atlanta. Register now.

CTHRA's Updated Vision and Mission

In June, CTHRA's board of directors updated our association's mission and vision statements. We welcome your feedback!

CTHRA's Mission: the Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association (CTHRA) is the voice for human resources related initiatives and trends in the industry, acting in the role of people strategist and business advisor.  CTHRA provides its members with industry-specific resources including educational programs, knowledge sharing opportunities and compensation, benefits and metrics surveys.

CTHRA's Vision: CTHRA will be the premier source for human capital knowledge for the cable telecommunications industry.

Symposium Registration is Up and Running
Online registration is now available for CTHRA's Achieving HR Excellence Symposium, October 13, Atlanta, GA!

NAMIC's Diversity Career Expo
NAMIC is recruiting exhibitors for its Diversity in Communications Career Expo scheduled for Sept. 16 at the New York Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. The event is being held in conjunction with the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference. For more information, please contact Monique Wells at 212-594-5985, ext. 18 or Monique.wells@namic.com.

Member Connection

Congratulations to CTHRA members Scripps Networks and Bright House Networks for being named the 2008 Diversity Champion award winners by the Walter Kaitz Foundation. Both companies will be honored at the Kaitz Dinner in NYC on September 17.

CableFAX Magazine named its picks for the 2008 top 10 places to work in cable. CTHRA congratulations our members who were recognized:

Bresnan
Bright House
Charter Communications
Comcast
Cox Communications
Discovery Communications
ESPN
Scripps Networks
Time Warner Cable
Turner Broadcasting System

And a round of applause to Cable One and Hallmark Channel who CableFAX named as Honorable Mentions!

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE

CTHRA congratulates the following members and colleagues on recent promotions:

Mike Biondolillo has joined the QVC as vice president of client services. He is the former VP, human resources at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Nick Brecker has joined QVC's HR department as vice president of total rewards. He had been human resources director for Tyco International.

Robert Doodian has been promoted to senior VP of corporate employee relations and staffing for Cablevision Systems Corp.

Comcast's Southern Division in Atlanta has elevated Teresa Fasick to division vice president, compensation, benefits and HR administration. She had been senior director, division compensation and benefits.

NEW MEMBERS

We welcome these individuals who joined CTHRA in May – June
Beth Bennett, Vice President Human Resourse Communications, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Terri Borro, LMS, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Kevin Carmody, Instructional Designer, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Pat Crull, VP, Chief Learning Officer, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Elizabeth Cunningham, Instructional Designer, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Alice Cutter, Sr. Director, Learning, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Karen Deaton, Program Coordinator, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Rose Fortner, Department Coordinator, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Christy Grant, HR Coordinator, Turner Broadcasting/CNN
Scott Hayes, HR Consultant, Discovery Communications, Inc.
Gilda Jennings, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Dan Johnson, Instructional Designer, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Chrystal Joy, OD Consultant, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Rachel Kennedy, Director of Operations, TeamPeople, LLC
Fabienne Lauture, HR Assistant, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Sonya Lucki, Recruitment Manager, Discovery Communications, Inc.
Dee McEachran, Sr. Manager, Learning, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Terri Moore, Sr. Manager, Diversity & Inclusion, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Will Paco, LMS Manager, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Ron Phillips, Division Vice President of HR, Comcast Cable
Del Ram, Analyst, Comcast
Brandy Reese, Instructional Designer, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Peter Ross, Senior Manager, OD, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Nancy Surkovich, Manager, Human Resources, Comcast
Michelle Thomas, Senior Vice President, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Jack Tootson, Sr. Director, OD, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Kevin Yount, Instructional Designer, Time Warner Cable - Corporate