Employment Law

There was a time when employment law was exclusively the concern of the company attorney. Sure, there were certain things managers were told not to do — like ask questions about an applicant's family responsibilities during an interview or have staff handle personal errands on company time — but beyond these and a few other "no-nos," employment law was pretty much considered common sense. One quick look at recent, costly court cases and you'll realize those days are gone for good.

Today, employment laws are far-reaching, and managers — along with the organizations they work for — can't afford the luxury of ignorance. You must be up to date on the law, as well as all its fuzzy interpretations, and know precisely how those laws apply to situations within your organization. Otherwise, you risk employee complaints, lawsuits, and hefty fines. Additionally, federal laws and the courts' interpretation of those laws has changed in recent months. For the uninformed, it's a recipe for disaster.

That's what makes this one-day program — offering a comprehensive overview of current employment law — so valuable for managers, human resources directors, and others in your organization. Unlike other presentations, this course focuses on practical workplace applications that prepare you to deal with the real-life issues you face every day that, quite literally, hold your company's profits and your reputation in the balance.

Don't leave your organization at the mercy of confusing, unclear, contradictory employment laws. Get the answers you need in one comprehensive presentation by enrolling now!

Who should attend?

Employment Law — Seminar Overview

Americans with Disabilities Act & Family and Medical Leave Act
Essential EEOC Documentation & BFOQ Standards
FLSA Wage and Hour Law Compliance
Employment-at-Will, Hiring, Disciplining, and Firing
Updates on Interviewing, Hiring, and Records Retention
Employee Privacy "Hot Spots"

Americans with Disabilities Act & Family and Medical Leave Act

Laws, recent court decisions, basic requirements, and current parameters
"Reasonable accommodations" and "hardships" as defined and dictated by courts
The tricky terrain of stress-related and mental disabilities
Policies that are legal in dealing with an employee who has a "managed" health condition or disease

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Essential EEOC Documentation & BFOQ Standards

How to ensure your Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications (BFOQ) for every job are legally compliant
Title VII: who's covered, what's covered, and the surprising things that aren't
Recent rulings and where the law's laser-focus is scrutinizing EEOC compliance today
The #1 thing you can do to ensure your policies and procedures are EEOC compliant
Must-know tips for dealing with a multi-cultural workforce and language barriers
Retaliation and whistleblowers — what you can and can't do now
Essential steps to take when investigating employee allegations

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FLSA Wage and Hour Law Compliance

Case Studies: the surprising recent violations with the Department of Labor
New changes in wage and hour law to keep you current
At last — clear-cut guidelines for classifying every employee as exempt or non-exempt
Tips for avoiding costly mistakes in classifying employees
The essential step you must take to ensure jobs are classified in a way you can justify
Legally approved ways to deal with contract workers, telecommuters, and home-based workers
How you must treat "special absences" such as religious holidays
When you can — and can't — legally dock pay or otherwise penalize employees

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Employment-at-Will, Hiring, Disciplining, and Firing

Understanding the Model Employment Termination Act (META)
What you must know about "at-will" employment to sidestep legal landmines
The single most important thing you can do to avoid wrongful termination suits
How handbooks are impacting ability to terminate "at will" in court
The most common ways employee handbooks expose you to legal risks
Ways to ensure your employees are up to date on handbook and policy changes
Essential techniques for following the court-accepted way to document performance and behavior issues
The art and purpose of writing behavior expectations into job descriptions
Your rights in dealing with acceptable performers with attitude problems — what you can't do
Simple steps you can take to make your discipline and termination practices above legal question
What you must never do when terminating an employee during probation

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Updates on Interviewing, Hiring, and Records Retention

A checklist to ensure you interview and hire legally
Pre-employment and employment records you must keep — and how long to keep them
What to cover, and also what not to mention, in employment contracts and offer letters
Legal and illegal pre-employment testing: what you need to know
The latest on background, credit, and reference checks that may surprise you
Employers' rights with drug testing and substance abuse on the job — legal issues to avoid

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Employee Privacy "Hot Spots"

What organizations can do to protect employee privacy of information
Employee behaviors that impact their health and company insurance rates — what you can and can't mandate
Your rights and responsibilities when you know of an employee's medical issue, managed condition, or disease
Guidelines for managing employee personal and medical information
Employee rights regarding Internet, e-mail, voicemail, and video surveillance
What you can monitor legally — and what is strictly out of bounds
Immediate steps to follow if an employee says you've invaded his/her privacy
How to build technology policies and procedures to use at work and from remote locations
The legal way to deal with inappropriate Internet communications, including company bashing and employee gossip

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