32nd Annual Employment Law Seminar (Virtual)

Thank you for your interest in Parsons Behle & Latimer’s 32nd Annual Employment Law Seminar.

Upon completing registration, you will receive an email from SeminarWeb with additional information regarding access to the seminar courses.

Please Note: Three separate room links will be provided in the SeminarWeb email.

There are three rooms where the course presentations can be accessed. Attendees can switch between rooms, if desired.

• The Room #1 link should be used to access presentations as well as the Welcome/Introduction and the Keynote Address.
• The Room #2 link will provide access to presentations only.
• The Room #3 link will provide access to presentations only.

Please Note: This seminar has a potential of four (4) total HRCI or CLE credit hours (per state) available. HRCI credit has been approved. CLE credit has been approved in Idaho, Montana and Nevada; credit is pending in Utah.

To receive HRCI credit or CLE credit for this seminar: On “Step 3: Credit Selection” of the registration process, please select “I am interested in applying for credit for this program” under all three rooms (this includes clicking the box for the type of credit you’d like to receive).

We look forward to seeing you at the seminar. For questions, please contact Jeremy Jones at jjones@parsonsbehle.com.

Agenda

8:30 - 9 a.m.

• Room #1: Welcome, Introductions and Conference Logistics – Sean A. Monson and J. Kevin West

9 - 10 a.m.: Course Session 1 (each presentation below is 60 minutes in duration)

• Room #1: Remote Working Considerations in the ERA of COVID-19 – Liz M. Mellem
Currently, most businesses have at least some employees working remotely. How can employers track accurate hours for employees who are not at the business’s work site? For employees completing work off-the-clock? Monitoring and supervising remote employees can lead to both challenges and opportunities for companies. Liz Mellem will discuss best practices and strategies for managing remote employees.


• Room #2: Mental Health Accommodations: A Growing ADA Problem – J. Kevin West
Employers and employees, particularly younger employees, are struggling to adapt as a generation of workers. Many enter the workforce with higher reported rates of mental illness. This presentation will help employers properly react to mental health situations and explore new and more effective accommodations, while simultaneously protecting business operations.


• Room #3: The Pandemic Workplace Continues: Updates on Contact Tracing, OSHA Guidance and Vaccinations – Amy A. Lombardo
As employers continue to operate within pandemic parameters, it remains difficult to keep up with evolving government directives and recommendations. Amy will review how employers can legally conduct contact tracing. She will provide updates regarding OSHA’s safety guidance, the agency’s enforcement discretion and the employee complaint procedure. Amy will also answer the question of whether an employer can require employees to be vaccinated when a vaccine becomes available.

10 - 11 a.m.: Course Session 2 (each presentation below is 60 minutes in duration)

• Room #1: Sex? Drugs? Guns? Travel Time? Ensure Your Employment Polices are Up-to-Date – Derek Langton
Ensure your company’s employment policies are clear and comply with current law. As a best practice, employers should have a well-drafted and up-to-date policy in place before it is needed. Derek will discuss several significant policies that are often included in employee handbooks or policies and procedures manuals, including travel time, guns in the workplace, drug testing and romance in the workplace.


• Room #2: Implementing a Diversity & Inclusion Program – Christina M. Jepson
In a year when the Black Lives Matter movement has been at the center of national discourse, Christina will discuss why organizations need a Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) program and what it should contain. She will also address cutting-edge D&I issues.


• Room #3: Trends in Employment Law Cases Related to COVID-19 – Sean Monson, Susan Motschiedler and Mark Wagner
In 2020, nearly every employee and employer has experienced some change to their workplace. With the Federal government’s introduction of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which includes the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, employers face compliance with additional new laws during difficult times. This, and the practical realities of dealing with a pandemic, have led to additional aspects of litigation for employees to pursue against employers. This presentation will focus on the national trend of traditional employee vs. employer cases filed as a direct result of COVID-19.

11 a.m. - Noon: Course Session 3 (each presentation below is 60 minutes in duration)

• Room #1: Independent Contractor vs. Employee: The Devil’s Bargain – Sean A. Monson
“I sure would like to classify that worker as an independent contractor and save some FICA taxes. I wonder if I can?” Many employers ask this question, particularly in the current gig economy as a greater number of traditional employees work from home. The incorrect response causes trouble with state and federal regulatory authorities for many employers. Sean and Amy will discuss the rules regarding independent contractor designations, including recent case law developments and new regulations proposed by the Department of Labor.


• Room #2: Getting Your Company Ready for a Sale or Acquisition: How to Get your Employment House in Order – Susan Baird Motschiedler
Companies work hard to build relationships, develop quality products and services, and deliver consistent value to customers – yet may consider selling. It is never too early to ensure a business is in order and attractive to investors and buyers, whether the owner plans to place the business on the market in the next few months or the next few years. Susan will discuss the employment issues to address now to best position a company for successful marketing and sale, higher valuation and to minimize post-closing liabilities.


• Room #3: Employee Privacy in a Post-COVID-19 World – Mark A. Wagner
As some employees continue to work from home and others begin to return to physical workplaces, what activities should employers monitor and what information should they gather? Mark will discuss current employee monitoring practices, the legal need to monitoring certain employee activities, and how to manage the legal risks involved.

Noon - 1 p.m.

• Room #1: Keynote Address – Steven Newman
Steven Newman is the former chief executive officer of Transocean Ltd, the owner of the Deep Water Horizon offshore drilling rig involved in the Macondo Well tragedy on April 20, 2010. Steve will share valuable insights about effective steps employers should take in preparation for, and while in the middle of, a crisis.

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