2005 Meeting and Event Calendar - Monthly meetings (except the Annual Statewide Conference and the November Meeting) will be held at the Metropolitan.  Meetings are usually the third Thursday of each month unless the facility is not available - then we will schedule as close to that date as possible.  Click here to view the 2005 Calendar.

Voting Results on Chapter Bylaw Changes
Chapter members voted at the August meeting (or by proxy) on several Bylaw changes proposed by the board. Also voted on was a measure to give the board authority to amend the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation from time to time as they see fit. All proposed changes were passed—full voting results are available here.

NPW Community Outreach Effort
The chapter received disappointing news in August, when we learned that we’d lost our time slot to volunteer at the local pledge phone bank for the MDA Telethon.  This was an outreach / chapter visibility effort that we had planned for all summer.

Undaunted, the board scrambled for a last minute alternative to help our community during National Payroll Week.  Robin Murphy CPP checked with the Ronald McDonald House, and they offered to let us serve dinner to the children staying there, and their families, on Labor Day!  Board members Karen Klein CPP, Barb Muellerleile CPP, and Patrick White CPP joined Robin that evening, where we served up a terrific meal for 60 hungry people.  The menu included fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, fruit salad, chips, milk and juice.  For dessert we provided a special NPW-decorated cake (click photo to view a larger image) and ice cream!

Summer Community Outreach
The Northstar chapter’s community outreach effort for the summer was the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. Two of our own board members, Robin Murphy CPP and Karen Klein CPP, participated in the event.  Along with over 1900 other women and men, they walked the entire 60 miles throughout the Twin Cities over the course of three days.

All donations made by chapter members were matched dollar for dollar by the chapter! The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Philanthropic Trust.  According to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, approximately 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and nearly 40,000 will die from the disease.

Click on a photo to view a larger image:

2004 Fall Conference
October 7, 2004
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Edinburgh USA - Brooklyn Park MN

"The Many Hats of The Payroll Professional"

Learn more about this year's Conference guest speakers and breakout sessions.

NEW! - Online Conference Registration & Payment.

Meet the Northstar Officers
Officer profiles and photos have been added to the Northstar site  <more>

I-9 Updating and Re-Verification
The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services advises that if an employee is rehired within three years of the date he/she initially completed a Form I-9, the employer may re-verify the information instead of completing a new form.  <more>

UPDATE May 2004! - Senate votes to derail implementation of “white collar” exemption regulations  <more>  Previous Legislative Update - On April 20, 2004, the U.S. Department of Labor issues final regulations revising the definitions of who is exempt from the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act as a “white collar” employee for the first time in more than 50 years.  <more>

Presenting our 2003 Payroll Woman of the Year - Sheri Beck CPP !!
Click here for more details on Sheri and her well-deserved award, along with a recap of our December meeting.

IHIRM Twin Cities Privacy Workshop
Tuesday, June 15th

TCIHRIM (the Twin Cities chapter of the International Association for Human Resource Information Management), in conjunction with the National IHRIM organization, is offering "Managing Privacy Challenges in the Use of Employee Privacy Information".  This one-day course on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 is a comprehensive, in-depth workshop on the new and emerging HR data privacy issues facing global and U.S. employers, including practical, up-to-date information about how organizations can successfully meet growing challenges in the use of employee personal information. The course will provide an intensive education in an exclusive learning environment with Dr. Donald Harris, President of HR Privacy Solutions. Dr. Harris is one of the world's leading authorities on HR data privacy and the developer of several international conferences on this topic. Click here for complete course information and to register.  APA members who register should indicate that they are an APA member in order to get the IHRIM member rate. Make sure to register early to secure a place.

AMERICAN PAYROLL ASSOCIATION - Late-Breaking News
June 11 Is Not a Tax Deposit Holiday, but Penalty Relief Is Available

Despite the fact that President Bush has ordered federal government offices to close on Friday, June 11 as part of the national day of mourning for President Ronald Reagan, the Internal Revenue Service has told APA that there will be no extension of the Friday employment tax deposit due date for semiweekly and next-day depositors.  However, the IRS did say that it will waive late federal tax deposit penalties for deposits due on Friday if both of the following two conditions are met:

Even though state government agencies and offices will be closed in several states on June 11, no state has announced that it will give employers additional time to make a state tax deposit without being penalized. However, an employer that receives a late deposit penalty should contact the state revenue department to request penalty relief on a case-by-case basis if it was unable to make its deposit because of a bank closure.

Register for the National APA Congress!

The American Payroll Association’s 22^nd Annual Congress will be held April 25th-29th at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel / Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.  There are more than 100 workshops to choose from, where you can obtain the knowledge, resources, and contacts you need to maintain compliance, reduce costs, and improve performance!  Click here for more information, and to register online.

MTMA Annual Conference
Thursday, May 6^th

Many Minnesota payroll professionals wear multiple hats.  If your duties or those of a co-worker extend to cash management, take note of the Minnesota Treasury Management Association (MTMA).  The MTMA provides a forum for improving the management of corporate cash through education, communication, and recognition of the cash management profession.  Their 22^nd Annual Conference “Capitalizing on Your Full Potential” will be held  Thursday, May 6, 2004 at Touchstone Energy Place at RiverCentre (on Kellogg Street), St. Paul, MN.  The Keynote speaker will be Kevin Carroll, the idea man behind Nike's "Just Do It" Philosophy.  For more information, go to the MTMA website.

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE ON APA PUBLICATIONS THROUGH THE NORTHSTAR CHAPTER - LIMITED TIME OFFER

Northstar members may now take advantage of special discounts on The Payroll Source and several other excellent APA publications.  Thank you to Terry Meggitt, CPP for arranging this special offer available only until January 23, 2004.  Click here for a Microsoft Excel order form with a list of the items available.  If you're interested in placing an order, print and complete the order form, and send it with a check, payable to Northstar Chapter, to:  PO Box 131412, St, Paul, MN  55113-0012

Click here for an Acrobat PDF order form.  To get a complete description of the items, visit this link at the APA Web Site.  We expect most items will be received by early March and plan make them available for pick up at the March or April chapter meetings.  Terry has also offered to set aside a time to make order pick ups available at his office in east Bloomington.  If necessary, we will also try to set up a pick up time/location in the north metro if that is more convenient for some members.