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2009 Conference Early Registration
Pay half the fee for our November 4 conference, Capitalizing on Maine's Changing Demographics, when you register by August 31. Visit Working Together to register. Early registration is $25.00.
The conference will cover critical business issues such as Maine's future workforce, why diversity is a crucial strategic consideration, how a diverse workforce expands market share and reduces legal liability, and the importance of diversity in a global economy.
This conference is for business owners, hiring managers, and human resources and marketing/public relations professionals-anyone who wants their company to tap into Maine's expanding workforce to maximize bottom line and gain competitive edge in the marketplace.
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New Conference Sponsorship Level
Are you looking for a great way to market your company to the Maine business community? We have multiple levels of sponsorship available for our November conference, including a new "supporter" level of $500.
Current sponsors include: Custom Disability Solutions, Mainebiz, HR Times, L.L.Bean and Verrill Dana.
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Go here for more information, or contact Merritt Carey by email or by phone at 207.828.4882.
Hannaford Bros receives 2008
Business Leadership Award
Annual Business Awards Call for Nominations
Does your company stand out for its commitment to employing people with disabilities? Nominate your business or organization for one of our annual awards and be recognized at the November 4 conference, Capitalizing on Maine’s Changing Demographics.
Award categories include:
- Large Business Leadership Award, presented to businesses with 50 or more employees that demonstrate a company-wide commitment to furthering employment opportunities for people with disabilities;
- Small Business Leadership Award, given to businesses with fewer than 50 employees that illustrate a growing and continued commitment to furthering employment opportunities for people with disabilities;
- Workforce Achievement Award, presented to Maine businesses that have shown a strong commitment to either significantly increasing the number of people with disabilities within the workforce or employing people with disabilities for the first time. This award is also known as the "Just Do It" award and is intended to credit an employer that eagerly and enthusiastically begins diversifying its workforce by employing people with disabilities.
Visit Working Together to submit a nomination.
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Working Together Website Revamp
Have you seen the recently revamped Working Together website? We have streamlined the site to make it easier to find the information you need about upcoming events, local resources for businesses interested in diversifying their workforce, and tools you can use to recruit, hire, and retain people with disabilities at your company.
Your feedback is important to us! Please check it out and let us know what is useful and what additional resources we should add.
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Become a Mentor for Disability Mentoring Day
For one day, you can mentor students and job-seekers with disabilities. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate positive community leadership and to access new or emerging talent - potential recruits for internships and permanent positions. As a mentor, you host participants at your job site, providing informational sessions and the chance to observe a typical workday and learn about skills needed to succeed in your field.
Disability Mentoring Day is October 21, 2009 - Go here to get involved.
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In Case You Missed It: Seminar Recap
On June 24, 2009, Working Together, in partnership with the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, brought employers from the Lewiston/Auburn area together for a half-day seminar, Talk to Lawyers and HR Specialists: A conversation about diversity in the workforce & employing people with disabilities. Employers discussed the benefits of a diverse workplace, the legal landscape of hiring people with disabilities, and the successes and difficulties businesses have had incorporating diversity into their workforce.
Participants heard from Rebecca Webber of Linnell, Choate & Webber, who provided a comprehensive legal overview, emphasizing that the more you diversify your workforce, the more you decrease your chances of facing legal troubles over employment issues. Working Together Business Partner Liaison, Merritt Carey, discussed some of Working Together’s efforts to expand employment of people with disabilities and educate employers on some of the benefits of employing people with disabilities. In addition, Marcia Leander of UNUM, presented her company’s policies and practices of employing people with disabilities.
Thanks to all of those who came to the seminar for making it a dynamic and educational morning. Look for future business seminars like this on our events calendar.
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FYI: ADA Rulemaking Update, Karen Gordon Mills Visits Maine Business Event
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was amended by Congress and approved by the President in 2008. On January 1, 2009, the amendments took effect, but without executive guidelines from The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC), the agency that enforces the law. As of June, however, the EEOC is moving closer to finalizing interpretative rules that will guide the implementation of the amendments. The proposed rules are being reviewed by other federal agencies at present time. When this process is completed, the EEOC will begin accepting public comments.
Visit the EEOC's website for more information on the proposed rules.
According to a June 23, 2009, Mainebiz report, Karen Gordon Mills, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), attended a seminar for Maine small businesses interested in learning about starting a business. Ms. Mills’ visit was scheduled to reinforce her commitment to making federal programs for small businesses more accessible, the report said. Of the $4.3 billion the SBA has distributed in new loans for small businesses since the stimulus package was passed in February, $30 million has been guaranteed for Maine businesses through more than 170 loans, according to Mainebiz. Visit the SBA website to read more about Karen Gordon Mills and the SBA.
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