How to Bring New Mexico Employee Handbooks Into Compliance

Agenda / Content Covered

1. Wage and Hour Provisions: What You Must Include
   1:00 - 1:30, Lorna M. Wiggins
2. Bringing Leave and PTO Policies Up to Speed
   1:30 - 2:00, Lorna M. Wiggins
3. Sample Policy Toolkit for the Digital Age (With Drafting Examples)
   2:00 - 2:30, Michael J. Progar
   1. Best Practices for Creating and Updating Telecommuting Policies
   2. Taking a Stance on BYOD
   3. Internet Use and Social Media Policies: What They Must Contain
   4. Restricting Employee Communications: What You Need to Know
   5. Overcoming Employee Privacy and Monitoring Issues
4. Updating Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policies: Legal Best Practices
   2:45 - 3:15, Michael J. Progar
   1. Harassment Policies: Outlining Prohibited Conduct, Reporting Procedures, etc.
   2. Dating Policies: What Employers Need to Know
   3. Spelling Out the Consequences of Policy Violations
   4. Hot Topics and Trends in Discrimination Law
5. Creating and Updating Alcohol, Drug, and Marijuana Policies (With Examples)
   3:15 - 3:45, Bryce J. Denny
6. Best Practices for Discipline and Termination Policies
   3:45 - 4:15, Bryce J. Denny
   1. Discipline Policy Issues - How to Handle Them
      1. Discipline and Termination Policy Drafting Essentials
      2. Ensuring Policies Are Consistent With Other Contracts: Legal Best Practices
      3. Disciplinary Memo Do's and Don'ts (With Examples)
      4. Dealing With Inappropriate Employee Behavior That Isn't Addressed in Your Current Discipline Policy: Essential Guidelines
      5. Progressive Discipline Policies: What You Need to Know
      6. Applying Discipline Policies Uniformly: Why It Matters
   2. Best Practices in Terminating Employees: Conducting the Meeting, Informing Employees of the Termination, etc.
   3. Separation Agreements and Releases: When to Use Them and What They Should Contain
   4. Departing Employees: The Employer's Checklist

Accreditation Details:

Bryce J. Denny is the owner of Bryce J. Denny Attorney, where he primarily practices labor and employment law. Mr. Denny is admitted to practice in both Texas and Louisiana. He was reappointed in 2017 to a three year term on the Louisiana State Bar Labor Law Advisory Commission. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Louisiana State Bar Association. Mr. Denny earned his B.A. degree from Austin College in Sherman, Texas and his J.D. degree from Baylor University.

Michael J. Progar is a partner and founding member of Doherty & Progar LLC, with more than 40 years of experience in representing the interests of insurance companies, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. As lead counsel, he has tried more than 50 jury trials to verdict. Mr. Progar practices primarily in the areas of personal injury, employment law, and insurance coverage. He is admitted to practice in the states of Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois. Mr. Progar earned his B.A degree from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law.

Lorna M. Wiggins is a shareholder in the Albuquerque law firm of Wiggins, Williams & Wiggins, P.C. She has practiced primarily in the areas of labor and employment law. Ms. Wiggins started practicing law in New Mexico after completing a judicial clerkship. Much of her practice includes advising management on various personnel issues, including hiring, discipline, termination, and layoff issues; negotiating employment contracts; non-compete agreements; patent waiver agreements; and assisting management in developing and implementing personnel policies. Ms. Wiggins regularly assists management in certification and decertification elections, negotiating union contracts, arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges. She regularly defends employers before the New Mexico Human Right Commission, EEOC, OFCCP, NLRB, and state and federal courts. Ms. Wiggins routinely provides training to employers in recognizing and eliminating discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and is a frequent lecturer on labor and employment law. She attended Southern Methodist University and earned her B.S. degree, cum laude, from the University of North Dakota; and her J.D. degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law. Ms. Wiggins is a member of the Albuquerque and American bar associations, and the State Bar of New Mexico.