When used consistently and fairly employment laws assist in creating and maintaining an environment that promotes cooperation and professionalism – and prevents costly penalties and lawsuits. Are you using the current employment laws correctly? Use this essential guide to obtain definitive advice on all the phases of employment law. If it's important to you to promote a positive employment environment – and comply with the law – this is for you! Order today!

1. New Hires – Getting it Right From the Start
2. If You're Prepared to be Sued, You're Less Likely to be Sued
3. Employment Laws You Need to be Familiar With
4. Sensitive Issues: Substance Abuse and Leaves of Absence
5. Internal Investigations
6. Wage and Hour Issues
7. Separation of Employment

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1. NEW HIRES – GETTING IT RIGHT FROM THE START
   8:30 - 9:30, Belinda B. Jackson
1. Job Applications: Getting the Data You Need
2. The Interview Process: How to Portray Your Message Throughout
3. Screen References Through a Filter of Reality
4. Job Offers, Terms and Conditions of Contracts
5. Orientation and Training: Keeping the “Keepers”
2. IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO BE SUED, YOU'RE LESS LIKELY TO BE SUED
   9:30 - 10:30, Scott K. Sheets
1. Take Inventory of Your Current Handbook and Explore New Ideas
2. Use "Employment At-Will" to Your Advantage
3. Don't be Recklessly Indifferent With Employee Training
4. Tracking of Handbook and Policy Updates Given to Employees
5. Strategies for Management Buy-In
3. EMPLOYMENT LAWS YOU NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH
   10:45 - 12:00, Scott K. Sheets
   1. The Latest Employment Law Developments and How They Affect You
   2. Age Discrimination and Employment Act (ADEA)
   3. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
   4. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Sexual Harassment
   5. Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)
   6. Older Workers' Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA)
   7. Uniformed Services Employment Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
   8. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
   9. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
   10. Social Security Mismatch Letters and I-9
   11. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
4. SENSITIVE ISSUES: SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND LEAVES OF ABSENCE
   1:00 - 2:00, Lonnie C. Simmons
1. Drug and Alcohol Testing
1. Establish Control By Way of Written Policies
2. Suspicion vs. Random Testing
3. Advise, Establish and Train an Internal Medical Review Officer
4. Local Lab Options
5. Dealing With Test Results
2. Walk Softly When Dealing With "Leaves of Absence"
1. Establish Family/Medical, Victims, Disability, and Worker's Compensation Leave Policies
2. Build a Safety Net for Situations That May Arise
5. INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS
   2:00 - 3:00, Mark J. Grigoraci
1. The New Trend of Outsourcing Investigation - Money Well Spent
2. Equal Employment Opportunity Guidelines
3. Always be Aware of What Will be Discoverable From the Investigation
4. What to do With the Evidence to Resolve the Issue
6. WAGE AND HOUR ISSUES
   3:15 - 4:00, Stephen A. Weber
1. State-Specific Wage and Hour Laws
2. What Qualifies as Overtime
3. Differences to be Aware of: Salaried Exempt vs. Salaried Non-Exempt
4. Options for Employees Reporting Time Worked
5. Handling Deductions From Wages
6. Other
7. SEPARATION OF EMPLOYMENT
   Stephen A. Weber, 4:00 - 4:40
1. Reviews, Warnings, Discipline and Suspensions
2. There is a Time for Termination
3. Is Your Paper Trail Ready for Possible Litigation?
4. Monetary Transactions to Discuss
5. Severance Packages
6. Separation Pay
7. The Exit Interview
8. Documents and Disclaimers

MARK J. GRIGORACI is an attorney at the law firm of Robinson & McElwee PLLC, where his practice encompasses all aspects of workers' compensation law, along with counseling employers with respect to a variety of employment issues. Mr. Grigoraci is experienced in a variety of workers' compensation issues, including treatment, compensability, permanent partial disability and permanent total disability. He has also been involved in the litigation of federal black lung cases. Mr. Grigoraci is additionally a licensed property and casualty insurance agent. He was previously a litigation attorney in the Workers' Compensation Defense Division for the West Virginia Attorney General's office. Mr. Grigoraci earned his B.S. degree, cum laude, from Marshall University and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He is a member of the West Virginia State Bar.

BELINDA B. JACKSON is a 1992 graduate of the Ohio State University College of Law and was admitted to the West Virginia Bar that same year. Ms. Jackson is admitted to practice in all of the federal courts in West Virginia and in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has been employed by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia since 2004, where she serves as counsel for human resources. Ms. Jackson is also an adjunct instructor at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology, where she teaches undergraduate courses in labor and employment law. Her prior work history includes two years with the West Virginia Division of Highways' Legal Division and ten years of defense litigation experience where she primarily represented employers who had been sued by their employees.

SCOTT K. SHEETS is a partner in the Huntington law firm of Huddleston Bolen LLP, where he practices in the areas of employment law (including the defense of employers with respect to sexual harassment claims), labor law and general litigation. His practice includes the representation of employers in contract negotiations, litigation and general consultation. Mr. Sheets earned his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from Marshall University and his J.D. degree from the College of William & Mary. He is a member of the Cabell County, Ohio State and American (Labor and Employment Law Section) bar associations, The West Virginia State Bar (Employment Law Committee), and the Defense Trial Council of West Virginia.

LONNIE C. SIMMONS is a member in the Charleston law firm of Ditrapano, Barrett & Dipiero, PLLC, where he practices in the areas of employment law, personal injury and civil and criminal appeals. He earned his B.A. and J.D. degrees from West Virginia University. Mr. Simmons is a member of The West Virginia Bar Association, the West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the West Virginia Employment Law Association, and he is the chair of the Kanawha County Public Defenders Corporation.

STEPHEN A. WEBER is a member of the firm of Kay, Casto & Chaney, PLLC in its Charleston office. He holds a B.S. degree from Mount Saint Mary's College, a J.D. degree from the College of Law of West Virginia University, and an LL.M. degree from the School of Law, University of Missouri at Kansas City. He served in the Judge Advocate General's Department of the United States Air Force with the rank of Captain. For the last 30 years, his practice has been concentrated in labor and employment law and commercial litigation. He is listed in The Best Lawyers In America and in the 2007 Chambers USA's The Clients Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business. His clients include health care facilities, construction companies, wholesale and retail businesses, and media enterprises. He has tried cases on both the trial and appellate level in both state and federal courts as well as before administrative agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the West Virginia Human Rights Commission. He participates in many community activities including Goodwill Industries of Kanawha Valley, Inc., the Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health, and the Kanawha Dental Health Council, Inc.

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