O'Brien endorsed SHRM's principles for an alternative approach to costly new mandates that would respond to the diverse needs of employees and employers, and reflect different work environments, union representation, industries and organizational size. SHRM advocates a federal policy that would:

Encourage employers to offer uniform and coordinated paid leave; Create administrative and compliance incentives for employers who meet the leave standard; Provide certainty, predictability and accountability for employers and employees; andAllow for different work environments, industries and organizational size.

"It is clear that the H1N1 pandemic presents extreme challenges to business, government and non-profit organizations of all types. SHRM and its members are focused on keeping their workforces as safe and healthy as possible and keeping their businesses running until this public health threat has run its course. In the meantime, we caution against rushing to impose new mandates that will do more harm than good," O'Brien concluded in her testimony.

To review SHRM's Principles for a 21st Century Workplace Flexibility Policy, visit: shrm/about/Documents/051209%20FINAL%20WF%20PrinciplesREVISED.pdf.

SOURCE Society for Human Resource Management