How to Bring Oregon Employee Handbooks Into Compliance

Agenda / Content Covered

1. Wage and Hour Provisions: What You Must Include
   1:00 - 1:45, Rishi Puri
2. Bringing Leave and PTO Policies Up to Speed
   1:45 - 2:15, Sarah N. Turner
3. Updating Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policies: Legal Best Practices
   2:15 - 2:45, Sarah N. Turner
   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
4. Creating and Updating Alcohol, Drug, and Marijuana Policies (With Examples)
   3:00 - 3:30, Sarah N. Turner
5. Best Practices for Discipline and Termination Policies
   3:30 - 4:15, Heather J. Van Meter
   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:

Rishi Puri is an attorney at Lane Powell, and represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment, including collective bargaining agreements, discrimination, and wage and hour claims before state and federal courts. He provides advice and counsel on a range of employment matters, and often works with clients in the retail and technology industries. Mr. Puri has significant experience in class actions, having played an integral role in multiple lawsuits that included up to 70,000 members. He has won numerous motions for summary judgment and adjudication. Mr. Puri earned his B.S. degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business and his J.D. degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Sarah N. Turner is a partner with the employment/labor, ERISA/Life, health, & disability, and cannabis, hemp & CBD practice groups; and is a co-managing partner of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP’s Seattle office. Ms. Turner’s employment and labor practice focuses on employers and includes a hybrid of counseling and litigation. She is an experienced litigator who has represented and defended employers in matters involving claims for wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, privacy, defamation, ADA, leave and benefits, breach of contract, violation of non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and wage and hour. Ms. Turner practices in both Washington and Oregon’s state and federal trial and appellate courts, and in arbitrations before American Arbitration Association and Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services. She also has experience representing clients before federal and state agencies including the National Labors Relations Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, Department of Health, Washington’s Labor & Industries, Washington’s Human Rights Commission, Employee Security Department, Seattle Office of Civil Rights, Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries, and other state and local administrative agencies. Ms. Turner earned her bachelor’s degree from University of California, San Diego and her J.D. degree, cum laude, from New England School of Law. She is a member of American Bar Association, Washington State Bar Association, Oregon State Bar Association, King County Bar Association, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, and Defense Research Institute. Ms. Turner is admitted to practice in Washington; Oregon; Massachusetts; United States District courts, Washington, Eastern and Western District; United States District Court, Oregon; United States District Courts, District of Massachusetts; and United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Heather J. Van Meter is an attorney at Bullard Law, where she practices employment law advice & litigation, personnel policies & prevention practices, business formation & contract law, public sector & administrative law, professional licensing, investigations, complex litigation, and arbitration & mediation. She began her legal career as a big firm associate, becoming a partner at Williams Kastner. Ms. Van Meter then took advantage of an opportunity to teach in Vietnam, teaching commercial law and company law at RMIT-Saigon. Returning from Vietnam, she taught Constitutional law and evidence at Lewis & Clark Law School, then spent nearly nine years in the Oregon Department of Justice’s Civil Litigation Section, defending the state and its employees in employment, contracts, torts, civil rights, administrative law, and other legal disputes. Ms. Van Meter earned her bachelor’s degree from University of California; her M.B.A./M.P.A. from Willamette University- Atkinson Graduate School of Management; her J.D. degree from Willamette University College of Law; her M.st from University of Oxford; and her Ph.D. from University of Birmingham. She is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington, including Oregon and Washington state and federal courts and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.