How to Become a Best Workplace Starting Today!
Best employers stay current on trends in employment law to avoid disruptive and expensive audits, charges and lawsuits. Please join us for our 33rd Annual Labor and Employment Seminar on Tuesday, September 15, as we team with Puget Sound Business Journal and Lake Washington Human Resource Association to discuss current employment trends. This annual seminar, geared toward employers, managers, human resource professionals and corporate counsel, is part of our ongoing Employment Law School For Managers® series.
Agenda:
7:30 – 8 a.m. Registration and Breakfast
8 – 8:10 a.m. Welcome and Introduction
8:10 – 9 a.m. “Fast and Furious”: Annual Labor and Employment Update — Top Tips for Best Employers
Laura T. Morse, Lane Powell PC
It has been another busy year with many changes to laws affecting employers and you should know about them. You will receive an update on the law and practical tools for responding to these changes. Some of the topics that will be covered include: how to handle reasonable accommodations, including for pregnancy; tips on revising your policies to avoid scrutiny from the NLRB; evaluating independent contractor designations under the new DOL guidance; and how to make sure you are complying with Seattle’s new “wage theft” ordinance.
9 – 9:45 a.m. “In the Line of Fire”: What Works in Responding to the EEOC, DOL and OFCCP in Investigation and Enforcement Matters
D. Michael Reilly, Lane Powell PC
Government investigations of employers and charge filings are on the rise. Being nimble in responding to government inquiries is critical. Are you ready if a government agency shows up at your door? Learn about recent agency investigations and enforcement efforts; get reasonable, court-approved defensive measures to limit the scope of agency investigations; and understand what strategies can help you prevent small matters from morphing into a broad pattern or practice claims.
9:45 – 10 a.m. Break
10 – 10:45 a.m. Making “Friends with Benefits”: What Your Benefits Lawyer Would Tell You If You Would Just Return His Call
Craig A. Day and Rachel M. Bowe, Lane Powell PC
Employee benefits laws are changing rapidly and new issues are cropping up even in the most ordinary HR transactions. Even if your work does not involve employee benefits, knowing something about COBRA, ERISA, Section 409A and the ACA will help you go about your daily business without subjecting your company or employees to penalties or visits from the DOL or IRS.
10:45 – 11:30 a.m. “So You Hired an Axe Murderer”: How to Avoid This and Ensure the Pre-Employment Process Runs Smoothly
Katheryn Bradley and Colleen M. O’Neill, Lane Powell PC
Do you want to avoid having axe murderers at your workplace? Are you unsure as to how you can screen applicants properly and in compliance with the law? All employers must navigate the pre-employment and pre-hire phase with care to avoid potential landmines during the process. From the background screening process (i.e., drug tests, criminal background checks and background investigations including searches on social media) to the interview process (i.e., questions that can and cannot be asked and disability accommodation requests), this presentation will address each part of the pre-employment process and stress how they must be handled with care to ensure compliance with the law and to create the best workforce.
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Lunch
12:15 – 12:45 p.m. “The Internship”: How to Team With Universities and Structure Your Internship to Comply With Changing Laws and Regulations
Dr. Mary Heitkemper, Gonzaga University Career Center, and D. Michael Reilly, Lane Powell PC
Employers are using internships now more than ever to recruit and “test run” the best candidates. Setting up an internship incorrectly could be costly to the employer. Are unpaid internships legal? How does the ACA affect how you set up internships? The speakers provide an “Internship in a Box” with forms to structure your program right and to systemize your internship. You will also learn how to team with universities to tailor your internship to your company’s needs.
12:45 – 1:00 p.m. Break
1 – 1:30 p.m. “No Country for Employers”: Don’t Get Caught in the Wild, Wild West of Immigration Law
Andrew J. Stevenson, Lane Powell PC
Employers are experiencing more challenges in recruiting and immigration law compliance. Learn about the most common (and potentially costly) pitfalls in handling employment eligibility and compliance with immigration laws. Receive insights and practical strategies on: mistakes in employment eligibility verification; tips and best practices for I-9 compliance and audits; E-Verify and the future of employment eligibility screening; avoiding immigration-related discrimination; and drafting and implementing a corporate immigration sponsorship policy.
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. Digging Your Wage and Hour Practices Out of the “Jurassic” Period
Sarah Swale and Kelly M. Lipscomb, Lane Powell PC
Learn how to prepare now for the possible mass extinction of the salaried exempt employee in light of the DOL’s proposed regulations raising the minimum salary threshold for white-collar exemptions. And learn best practices for dusting off and cleaning up your ancient overtime, meal and rest break, and timekeeping policies — you’re going to need them.