Stay out of trouble! Make sure you know the fundamental concepts in human resource law. With this insightful instruction, gain a comprehensive overview of these concepts and examine the latest and most important employee law developments that impact today's workplace.

1. Lawful Recruitment and Effective Employment Contracts
2. Current Wage and Leave Time Regulations
3. Advising Your Client on Lawful Termination Procedures
4. Effective Employee Handbooks and Recordkeeping Procedures
5. Harassment Claims: Handling Internal Investigations and Litigation
6. Building an Ethical Foundation
7. Litigation Challenges, Case Law and Legislative Trends

Continuing Education Credits:   

Continuing Legal Education

Credit Hrs    State    Credit Approval Expiration

* denotes specialty credits

1. LAWFUL RECRUITMENT AND EFFECTIVE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS
   8:30 - 9:30, Heather Rider Hammond
   1. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Which Classes are Protected?
   2. Update on ADA, ADEA, EEO and Current Negligent Hiring Laws
   3. Employment Eligibility Determination – Lawful and Effective Background Checks
   4. Determining Legal Status of Candidates Under Current Immigration Laws
   5. Drafting Non-Disclosure and Non-Compete Agreements
   6. Drafting Employment Contracts for Executive-Level Professionals – Sample Contract
2. CURRENT WAGE AND LEAVE TIME REGULATIONS
   9:30 - 10:30, Heather Briggs
   1. The Interplay of FMLA, ADA and Workers' Compensation
   2. What Constitutes a Serious Health Condition Under FMLA
   3. FLSA Update: Exemption Requirements Under the DOL Regulations
   4. Lawful Compensation of Independent Contractors and Temporary and Leased Employees
   5. Settling Common Wage and Hour Disputes
   6. Litigating Wage and Hour Claims
   7. Defending Workers' Compensation Cases
3. ADVISING YOUR CLIENT ON LAWFUL TERMINATION PROCEDURES
   10:45 - 11:45, Heather Briggs
   1. Making Sense Out of the Latest Wrongful Discharge Laws
   2. The Intricacies of the Employment At-Will Rule
   3. Illegal Reasons for Discharge
   4. The Hallmarks of Legally-Defensible Documentation
   5. Drafting Letters of Termination
4. EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS AND RECORDKEEPING PROCEDURES
   12:45 - 1:45, Heather Rider Hammond
   1. The Essential Components of a Good Employee Handbook
   2. Drafting and Revising Employee Handbooks
   3. Practical Advice on Using Employment Disclaimers
   4. Do You Know Which Anti-Discrimination Provisions Are Mandatory?
   5. The Government's Recordkeeping Requirements in a Nutshell
   6. Work Injuries and Accidents: What Documents to Look For
   7. Payroll and Benefit Records: What to Keep and for How Long
5. HARASSMENT CLAIMS: HANDLING INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS AND LITIGATION
   1:45 - 2:45, Stephen D. Ellis
   1. Types of Harassment and Retaliation Defined and Illustrated
   2. Attorney's Changing Role in the Internal Workplace Investigations
   3. How to Handle Cases of Individual Liability
   4. When is the Employer Liable?
   5. How to Litigate the Harassment Case
6. BUILDING AN ETHICAL FOUNDATION
   3:00 - 4:00, Stephen D. Ellis
   1. Confidentiality and Disclosure Issues
   2. Adhering to the Code of Professional Conduct
   3. Maintaining Independence, Integrity and Objectivity
   4. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
   5. Lawful Communication With the Co-Workers in Class Action Suits
   6. If a Harassment Claim is Filed Against Employer and Manager – Can You Represent Both?
7. LITIGATION CHALLENGES, CASE LAW AND LEGISLATIVE TRENDS
   4:00 - 4:40, Stephen D. Ellis
   1. Unemployment Insurance Claims
   2. How to Handle Multi-Issue Employment Claims
   3. Effective Use of Mediation to Avoid Litigation
   4. Find Out What's Changed in Human Resource Law
   5. Recent Changes in Retaliation Standard by the U.S. Supreme Court
   6. Pending Labor Union Legislation – How Will It Affect Your Practice?
   7. Five Recent Court Decisions You Must Know

HEATHER BRIGGS is of counsel in the Burlington law firm of Gravel and Shea. She limits her practice to the exclusive representation of management in all aspects of the employment relationship. While she counsels her clients on all types of employment-related questions, Ms. Briggs' services generally relate to preventive labor and employment strategies, the defense of employment-related claims and dealing with union-organized workforces. In this area, the firm's clients are both large and small companies and have both union-free and organized workplaces. Additionally, Ms. Briggs speaks frequently on a wide variety of employment topics to various employer groups. She earned her B.A. degree from Middlebury College, her LL.M. degree from Georgetown University Law Center and her J.D. degree from the University of Akron School of Law. Ms. Briggs is a member of the Vermont Bar Association.

STEPHEN D. ELLIS is a partner in the Springfield law firm of Ellis Boxer & Blake, where he practices in the areas of professional liability, labor and employment law, business litigation and workers' compensation. He is frequently engaged by the parties or appointed by the court as a neutral for arbitration, mediation and early neutral evaluation. Mr. Ellis has previously lectured for National Business Institute and has spoken for various professional groups and bar events on topics related to his areas of practice. He earned his B.A. degree from Hampshire College and his J.D. degree from Rutgers University. Mr. Ellis is admitted to practice law in Vermont and New York and is a member of the Vermont and American bar associations and the Defense Research Institute. He is the current Chair of the Employment Law Section of the Vermont Bar Association.

HEATHER RIDER HAMMOND is an attorney with the Burlington law firm of Gravel and Shea, where her practice areas include employment and labor relations, employment litigation, environmental and land use litigation, general business litigation, and products liability/personal injury. While she has substantial experience litigating across a broad spectrum of practice areas, Ms. Hammond frequently represents the firm's clients in all aspects of the employment relationship. She earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Middlebury College and her J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from the Vermont Law School. Ms. Hammond is admitted to practice law in Vermont and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont, and is a member of the Vermont, Chittenden County and American bar associations.

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