MMPA conference covers health insurance, changing workplace

The Massachusetts Municipal Personnel Association’s inaugural Fall Conference on Sept. 14 and 15 in Lenox featured nine workshops focused on human resources nuts and bolts, employment law, and the future of municipal health insurance.
 
Attorney Kevin Feeley led a 75-minute workshop on how to assess if your municipality is ready for fiscal 2018 and ways that cities and towns can prepare for the evolving health insurance landscape.
 
Feeley advised attendees to be prepared for significant changes every three to four years, a reality that is likely to accelerate before it slows down.
 
He encouraged attendees to offer employee wellness incentives and cited Reebok and the city of Pittsfield as case studies that illustrate why this works and how to make it manageable on a municipal scale.
 
On the second day of the conference, 80 MMPA members attended a MIIA Rewards workshop on employee engagement and the changing workplace culture. Cally Ritter, training and development director at AllOne Health, broke up her session by engaging attendees in interactive discussions and problem-solving using examples that occur every day in municipalities.
 
Guided by Daniel Pink’s Theory of Intrinsic Motivation, Ritter asked the group to view issues through the lens of autonomy, purpose and mastery. By focusing on viewing employees and everyday work in relation to these criteria, Ritter helped the group come to new conclusions about motivation and engagement.
 
When asked about the MMPA’s first Fall Conference, Christine Lindberg, the new human resources director in Dracut, said, “The two-day conference afforded me the opportunity to gain valuable information in an idyllic setting while interacting with engaged and knowledgeable professionals.”
 
For more information about the MMPA or the sessions offered at the Fall Conference, contact MMA Member Services Coordinator Devon Elizabeth Williams.