NOARK Panel Discussion Highlights Pending Change

Health care reform and the “fiscal cliff” are hot topics among many business professionals, but perhaps none more so than those who work in human resources.

That much was evident at the November meeting of the Northwest Arkansas Human Resources Association, an affiliate of the Society for Human Resources comprised of more than 300 local professionals. About 120 attended the 90-minute lunch meeting at the Holiday Inn Northwest Arkansas in Springdale.

The program featured discussions led by a six-person panel, including moderator Darrin Coon, chief human resources officer at John Brown University. Topics ranged from testifying before legislative bodies to guns in the workplace, but understanding and dealing with repercussions of health care reform and the fiscal cliff seemed to resonate most with those in attendance.

And while potential changes related to the potential federal spending cuts and tax hikes are still in flux, changes related to health care are imminent.

“Now is the time to move forward,” said Cammie Harp, president of CK Harp & Associates in Springdale.

Attendees also were urged to provide feedback to elected officials at all levels when issues concerning health care, taxes or any other policies arise.

“They really don’t know HR,” panelist Cathleen Hoffman, a human resource manager at Daisy Outdoor Products, told the crowd. “They really don’t know what to do. They need us to tell them what to do to fix the issues.”