It’s a hidden—yet powerful—benefit for the 300,000+ members of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): the Ask an Advisor Service.

When SHRM members have pressing HR questions, the Ask an Advisor Service is a resource members can utilize to call in, chat or e-mail their HR questions and receive answers from seasoned SHRM-certified HR Knowledge Advisors.

With more than 300 combined years of HR expertise—spanning multiple industries—these 20 HR experts now dedicate their time to offering world-class advice and assistance to HR professionals.

“Our Knowledge Advisors’ expertise is unparalleled. They assist our members by answering questions on any HR topic, helping professionals effectively serve their organizations,” SHRM HR Knowledge Center Director Amber Clayton said.

Questions come into the service via phone, e-mail and chat, and SHRM members, as part of their professional membership package, receive 15 free inquiries per 12-month membership period. Digital inquiries are usually answered within 24 hours. Currently, the Ask an Advisor Service is fielding about 250 questions a day and responds to 60,000 questions a year.

“Currently, we are seeing countless questions about COVID-19 vaccination policies—especially with the confusion surrounding OSHA’s [Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s] Emergency Temporary Standard and the court challenges,” Clayton said. “While our service does not take the place of or offer legal advice, our range of expertise covers all areas of HR.”

Coupled with SHRM’s ever-growing resource library already offering toolkits, how-to guides and hot-off-the-press news and information, the Ask an Advisor Service elevates these offerings by recognizing each workplace poses its own unique challenges.

“We understand each organization—in reality, each employee—brings new and sometimes unusual questions and challenges into the equation,” Clayton said. “Our members turn to us to get advice when they are in uncharted waters.”

The HR Knowledge Advisors receive countless questions about OSHA guidance and COVID-19 vaccine requirements, but also see a steady stream of questions around state and federal compliance, especially involving compensation and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

“FMLA compliance causes quite a bit of confusion in the HR world,” Clayton said. “As experienced HR professionals and executives, our advisors can walk a SHRM member through the requirements of the law so they can administer FMLA with ease.”

As an added benefit, the SHRM Member Network tracks and records the most common Ask an Advisor questions and answers for reference, so members can see the most relevant, talked about issues within the Ask an Advisor Service.

“The Ask an Advisor Service captures the true value of SHRM membership by providing relevant answers to specific questions brought forth by HR professionals,” Clayton said. “We are proud of this service and want our members to know we are here to help them through all their unique HR challenges.”

Already a SHRM Member? Add SHRM’s Ask an Advisor Service to your phone Contacts for easy access by scanning the QR Code Below.