Acknowledgements
To Mark my husband, who did not bat an eye in 2002 and promptly responded, Go for it! when I asked what he thought about my starting my own practice. Thank you for your constant and unwavering confidence, support, and love. I absolutely could not have done this without you.
To Mom and Dad you laid the foundation that made this book (and any success I might humbly say I have) possible. Thank you for teaching me the value of a strong work ethic, kindness, and honor.
To Janet you have been, are, and will continue to be my mentor and friend for life. You trusted me and gave me the opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. Thank you for your confidence, trust, support, and friendship.
To Vicki my friend and colleague who let me ride on your coattails from time to time, selflessly sharing your tips for success and pitfalls to avoid. Thank you for sharing and for your friendship.
About the Author
C hristine V. Walters, MAS, J.D., SPHR, has nearly 25 years of combined experience in HR administration, management, employment law practice, and teaching. She has been engaged as an expert witness, and testified before the U.S. Congress, state legislative committees, and federal administrative agencies. Ms. Walters has been interviewed and quoted in a variety of media, including television, radio, and print media.
Throughout her career, Ms. Walters has been honored with awards and accolades, including:
Small Business of the Year Award Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, November 2010
Small Business of the Year Award B/W Corridor Chamber of Commerce, April 2010
Nominee Daily Records Leadership in Law Award, 2009
Finalist Maryland Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award, 2009
Presidents Award B/W Corridor Chamber of Commerce, 2003
Capitol Award Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 2002
Outstanding Leadership Award American Society for Healthcare Human Resource Administration (ASHHRA), 1997
Best Practices Award ASHHRA, 1996
Ms. Walters has presented at national, regional, and state conferences across the country, including the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Employment Management Association (EMA), the American Physical Therapy Association, College and University Personnel Association, Credit Union National Association, and more.
Today, Ms. Walters serves as an independent consultant doing business as FiveL Company, Helping Leaders Limit Their Liability by Learning the Law SM, providing proactive guidance, training programs, education, and counsel on employment and HR issues, policies, procedures, and practices for clients across the country and in a variety of industries. She was also an adjunct faculty member of the Johns Hopkins University, teaching a variety of courses in the graduate, undergraduate, and certification level programs from 1999 through 2006.
Ms. Walters demonstrates her commitment to supporting and advancing the needs and interests of the business community and HR profession by serving in a variety of volunteer leadership roles, including and not limited to:
Secretary Maryland SHRM State Council
Executive and HR Committees Carroll County Chamber of Commerce
President, Carroll County SHRM
Editorial Advisory Board Member Thompson Publishings FMLA Handbook
Board Member Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Board Member Hunt Valley Business Forum
Advisory Board Member McDaniel College, Graduate Program in Human Resources
Former Member SHRMs Legislative Action and Employee Relations Committees
Ms. Walters is licensed to practice law in the state of Maryland.
Foreword:
Practice Your Passion!
F or those of you looking for information to professionally grow, learn, or advance, this Foreword is for you.
Are you happy in your job? I dont mean, Yeah, its OK, I mean are you really happy? Do you really enjoy what you do or do you do it because you have to pay the bills? One study conducted by the University of Chicago in 2007 found that less than half (48 percent) of people interviewed between 1972 and 2006 said they were very satisfied with their job. I suspect those numbers may vary as the economy and job security varies.
How about this: do you know what you want to be when you grow up? If you answered No to either of those questions, you clearly are not alone. It was probably not until about seven years ago, one year after I had started my own practice, that I could honestly and wholeheartedly answer Yes to both of those questions. I love my job and hope I never have to do anything else. Now others have asked me how I got here. So, with all humility, I am happy to share some thoughts with you in the hope that you might find the same contentment.
First, I would ask, did you find your job or did your job find you? I did not seek a role in human resources administration; it found me when I stumbled upon it. It was my junior year in undergraduate school and my parents and I agreed that I should find a summer job. We happened to find a summer intern program at the Social Security Administration. I applied and was accepted. The job happened to be inthe HR department. I loved it! That stumble set me on a path that lead me to where I am today. Sure, there have been diversions. At the close of my summer internship it was pretty much agreed that I would return after I graduated and have a job. As fate would have it, however, that was the year President Reagan put a temporary freeze on federal hiring. So when I graduated the economy was slow and, after searching for a few months, I ended up taking a job as a teller in a credit union. That diversion lasted about six years in the banking and finance industry. But I never lost the HR bug.
It takes patience and diligence and its not easy sometimes. I know many of you reading this book know that. I looked and looked, applied and applied for jobs in human resources, but was not hired because I had no experience. So I went back to school, took classes at night, and completed my Masters degree. Within about four months of getting my degree, I landed my first job in human resources. I was so excited. I was back on the path ... for awhile.
Sure, there have been other diversions along the way too. After spending nearly 10 years in HR administration, I was getting a little burnt out. I had also gone to law school at night, graduated, and had passed the bar exam. I did not want to litigate nor did I want to leave human resources and move into our corporate counsels office. I also had a fabulous vice president of human resources whom I figured was not going to leave anytime soon (I reported directly to her) so I think this was the point at which I started wondering, What do I want to do when I grow up? So I ended up taking a job in academia and outside of human resources. As I transitioned to my new employer I was worried, nervous, and scared that I had made the wrong choice professionally. But you know what? That turned out OK too. After about two years I looked at my career path, where I had been, and where it looked like I was going, and decided I had veered off track; I was not where I wanted to be. But where did I want to be? I still did not know what I wanted to do when I grew up!
