Training Course Syllabus:

Hear Tips and Tactics from Experienced Practitioners

This essential course 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 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. Register today!

• Ensure overtime and employee leave policies are compliant with the law.
• Learn appropriate methods for calculating and tracking FMLA time.
• Make sure employee handbooks contain the critical provisions necessary to keep them up to date with current issues.
• Discuss the latest interpretations of “disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Prevent workplace safety violations by knowing safety regulations and record keeping requirements.
• Know how to appropriately handle thorny employee behavior issues while ensuring privacy rights are upheld.
• Set up proper discipline and firing procedures to avoid wrongful termination and retaliatory claims.

1. Is Your Employee Handbook Up to Date?: Essential Components and Sample Policies for Today's Workplace
   9:00 - 10:00, David L. Barron
2. Wage and Benefit Issues
   10:15 - 11:30, David L. Barron and Micah Heilbrun
   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
3. Discrimination and Harassment - Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Amendments (ADAAA)
   12:30 - 1:15, Micah Heilbrun
   1. Interpretation of “Disability”
   2. Shift to Employer Burden (Interactive Process)
   3. Handling Accommodation Requests
4. Whistleblower/Retaliatory Discharge
   1:15 - 2:00, Carmen Cavazos Pratt
   1. Whistleblower Protection
   2. Why Retaliation Happens
   3. Strategies to Prevent Retaliation
5. Employee Discipline and Termination
   2:00 - 2:45, Carmen Cavazos Pratt
   1. Evaluating Employee Performance While Mitigating Liability
   2. Employee Discipline Plan and Documentation
   3. Legal vs. Illegal Reasons for Terminating an Employee
   4. Disciplining an Employee Without Fearing a Retaliation Claim
6. Workplace Safety
   3:00 - 3:45, Matthew T. Deffebach
   1. OSHA and Workplace Safety Laws
   2. What is a Recordable Injury?
   3. Keeping the Required Records
7. Workplace Behavior and Privacy Issues
   3:45 - 4:30, Matthew T. Deffebach
   1. Employee Surveillance
   2. Searches of Desks, Smartphones, Lockers, Vehicles, Equipment, Briefcases, Etc.
   3. Monitoring Employee Communications: Calls, Email and Internet Use
   4. Dress Code/Personal Appearance
   5. Drug and Alcohol Testing
   6. Psychological and Personality Tests
   7. Workplace Violence
   8. Off-Duty Behavior and Activities
   9. Policies to Have in Place

Seminar Summary:

This essential course focuses on day-to-day issue spotting – covering current hot button issues and highlighting practical pointers to avoid and handle common problem areas. (see full course description)

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