Stay up to date on the latest legislative changes and court decisions impacting your human resource practices! This essential instruction focuses on day-to-day issue spotting – covering current hot button issues and highlighting practical pointers to avoid and handle common problem areas. Experienced faculty will take you through the critical legal issues you need to know from hiring to firing – including wages and benefits, workplace privacy and safety, discrimination, and more. Don't miss this opportunity to learn techniques from those with years in the field. Order today!

1. Recent Developments in Labor & Employment Law
2. Hiring Issues
3. Employment Contracts
4. Workplace Safety
5. Is Your Employee Handbook Up to Date?: Essential Components and Sample Policies for Today's Workplace
6. Wage and Benefit Issues
7. Discrimination and Harassment
8. Retaliatory Discharge and Whistleblower Claims
9. Employee Discipline and Termination
10. Workplace Behavior and Privacy Issues

1. Recent Developments in Labor & Employment Law
   9:00 - 9:35, Greg Guidry
   1. Legislative Developments (Federal and State)
   2. U.S. Supreme Court Decisions
   3. Federal and State Labor Agency Developments
   4. Other Recent Developments of Interest to HR Professionals
2. Hiring Issues
   9:35 - 10:15, Greg Guidry
   1. Legal Do's and Don'ts in Interviewing and Hiring Applicants
   Employment Applications
   3. Testing Issues
   4. Medical and Drug Testing Issues in Hiring
   Background Checks
   6. Arrest and Conviction Inquiries
   7. Credit Checks
   8. Social Media Background Checks
   9. Negligent Hiring
   10. I-9 Requirements
   11. Hiring Independent Contractors
3. Employment Contracts
   10:30 - 11:10, Greg Guidry
   1. Pros and Cons of using Employment Contracts
   2. Typical Provisions, Including Confidentiality, Noncompetition Provisions
   3. Common Legal Issues Arising From Employment Contracts in Louisiana
4. Workplace Safety
   11:10 - 11:45, Greg Guidry
   1. OSHA Overview
   2. Other Safety Laws
5. Is Your Employee Handbook Up to Date?: Essential Components and Sample Policies for Today's Workplace
   12:45 - 1:20, Monica V. Bowers
6. Wage and Benefit Issues
   1:20 - 2:00, Monica V. Bowers
   1. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
      1. Misclassification of Employees (Exempt/Non-Exempt)
      2. Unpaid Overtime or Prework Time
      3. Calculating the “Regular Rate”
      4. Meal and Rest Breaks
      5. Fluctuating Workweek Pay and Tip Credit
      6. Unauthorized Work and Working Off-the-Clock
      7. Non-Exempt Employee Travel
   2. Benefits: Health Insurance, Flex Spending and Retirement Plans
      1. Modifications to the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA)
      2. Changes to Flexible Spending Accounts
      3. Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) – Pitfalls to be Wary of
   3. Leave Policies: Required by Law?
      1. Vacation and Sick Leave
      2. Jury Duty and Voting Leave
      3. Military Leave - Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
      4. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
         1. Covered Employers and Eligible Employees
         2. Qualifying Reasons for Leave
         3. Notice Obligations
         4. Certification and Medical Documentation Requirements
         5. Leave, Reinstatement and Other Employee Rights
   4. Part-Time Employees and Temps: Wage and Benefit Obligations
   5. Unpaid Internships and Training Programs
   6. Record-Keeping: What and How Long
7. Discrimination and Harassment
   2:00 - 2:35, Monica V. Bowers
   1. Title VII and Related State Laws
   2. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Amendments (ADAAA)
      1. Interpretation of “Disability”
      2. Shift to Employer Burden (Interactive Process)
      3. Handling Accommodation Requests
   3. Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
      1. Age Threshold and Employee Threshold
      2. Out-of-Retirement Issues
      3. Reduction-in-Force Issues
   4. Other Laws to be Aware of: Equal Pay Act (EPA), WARN, GINA, Etc.
   5. Handling Complaints/EEOC
   6. Record Keeping/Retention Considerations
   7. Preventing Discrimination and Harassment
   8. Workers' Compensation Discrimination
   9. The Best Defense: Policies, Handbooks and Training
8. Retaliatory Discharge and Whistleblower Claims
   2:50 - 3:25, Maria F. Manuel
   1. State and Federal Laws Prohibiting Retaliation
   2. What Constitutes Unlawful Retaliation
   3. Strategies to Avoid Retaliation Claims
9. Employee Discipline and Termination
   3:25 - 3:55, Maria F. Manuel
   1. Documenting Employee Performance and Behavior Issues
   2. Legal Considerations and Cautions
   3. Handling Employee Terminations to Avoid Claims
10. Workplace Behavior and Privacy Issues
    3:55 - 4:30, Maria F. Manuel
    1. Employee Surveillance and Workplace Searches
    2. Electronic Monitoring (Phone, E-mails, Internet)
    3. Dress Code and Personal Appearance
    4. Drug and Alcohol Testing
    5. Workplace Violence
    6. Suggested Policies

MONICA V. BOWERS is an attorney with Bowers Law Firm, Attorneys at Law. She practices in the areas of government, labor and employment, and government contracts. Ms. Bowers is a member of the New Orleans, Louisiana State, Tennessee, National and American bar associations. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and U.S. District Court for the Middle and Western districts of Tennessee. Ms. Bowers attended Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, and earned her B.A. degree from Mount Holyoke College and her J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law.

GREG GUIDRY is a shareholder in the Lafayette, Louisiana office of Onebane Law Firm, where he heads the Labor and Employment Law Section and Practice Group. He is licensed in Louisiana and Texas and has successfully represented management throughout the United States in all aspects of labor and employment law, including advice, training, prevention tactics and litigation for 34 years. His practice includes traditional labor law (union avoidance, union elections, collective bargaining, and NLRB issues) and employment law (employment discrimination and harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour, and developing employment law issues). Mr. Guidry also serves as a neutral mediator in employment law disputes. He is active in numerous business and professional associations, including the Society of Human Resource Management, and its local chapter ASHRM; is past chair of the Louisiana State Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law; and serves as management representative on several committees of the American Bar Association's Section on Labor and Employment Law and other national trade associations. He serves as chair of the Louisiana State Bar Association annual employment law seminar, and frequently lectures and writes on labor and employment law topics. He has been quoted in SHRM's HR Magazine. Mr. Guidry was elected as a fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in recognition of his contributions to the field of labor and employment law; and he has served on the Credentials Committee for that group. He has contributed to several national books on labor and employment law matters. Mr. Guidry is also president of the Management Labor and Employment Roundtable, a national association of labor and employment lawyers and other professionals representing management in labor and employment law matters. He has been selected by his peers for listing in both Best Lawyers in America and in Louisiana Super Lawyers in the field of labor and employment law.

MARIA F. MANUEL is a shareholder with the Onebane Law Firm where she practices labor and employment law. Ms. Manuel received her J.D. degree from Louisiana State University in 1996 where she served as senior editor of the Law Review and graduated with honors. She is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association and a past president of its Labor and Employment Law Section. Ms. Manuel is a member of the American Bar Association, Labor and Employment and Litigation sections. She is also a past state council director for the Louisiana Society for Human Resource Management and a past president of the Acadiana Society for Human Resource Management. She is a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR). Her practice focuses on all aspects of labor and employment law, including, but not limited to, leave advice and litigation, wage and hour advice and litigation, drug and alcohol testing, employee handbook review and preparation, supervisory and management training, employment discrimination litigation and advice, health care litigation and compliance advice, and immigration compliance.

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