Program Agenda

September 13 - 15, 2010 Nashville, TN

November 10 - 12, 2010 Orlando, FL

*Please note that the program agenda is subject to change.

Day 1:

8:30-9:00 am...............................Registration Open

9:00-9:30 am...............................Opening Remarks/Current Issues and Trends Impacting HR

This opening session will address the current trends evolving in the human resources profession. We will explore the competencies required of successful HR practitioners today. Come share your organization's best practices as you discover whether your firm is leading or lagging in the profession.

Upon completion of this session participants will:

• Identify obstacles that HR practitioners create for themselves
• Distinguish between tactical versus strategic thinking
• Consider how C-Level Executives may view HR

9:30-10:30 am...............................Legal Issues in Hiring

This session will focus on legal issues in the hiring process, including introductory discussion of immigration documentation and wage and hour record keeping requirements. Attendees should understand from this presentation:

Upon completion, participants will:

• Basic do’s and don’ts of interviewing
• Basic immigration documentation requirements
• Basic personnel file management issues

10:30 - 10:45 am............................... Break

10:45 - 12:00 pm...............................Orientation and Employee Assimilation: How a Robust Employee Assimilation Process Contributes to Productivity and Employee Retention

Plant closings, downsizing, record unemployment, why worry about assimilation and retention now? Retaining your best employees is more important now then ever before. Recent studies indicate that employees are as likely to look for new jobs in 2009 as they were in 2008. Who is considering leaving your organization? Employees seek job stability and will depart for industries and companies that appear to offer that security. Whether you will be hiring or just retaining your top talent, HR professionals need to offer robust orientation and targeted retention programs to maintain the company’s competitive edge. Come learn how your peers and colleagues across the nation are launching targeted employee assimilation programs in order to optimize employee retention. This session will provide a brief overview of the evolution of best practices as they apply to the initiation of the employee life cycle.

12:00 - 1:15 pm...............................Lunch on your own

1:15 - 2:30 pm...............................Substance Abuse and Workplace Violence

One of the biggest trends in human resources today is the increasing need for the HR professional to address substance abuse and basic workplace security issues. These are critical areas of human resources which give the HR professional a vital role in the direction and welfare of an organization.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Draft better substance abuse and workplace violence policies
• Manage substance abuse/violence issues with employees
• Avoid violations of the ADA with respect to employees with substance abuse problems

2:30 - 2:45 pm...............................Break

2:45 - 3:45 pm...............................Fundamental Safety Issues for the HR Professional

HR Professionals have a significant role to play in every organization’s safety and health program. This session will cover the basic obligations every employer must meet to comply with OSHA laws. We will also cover what role HR professionals can play in an organization’s safety and health compliance efforts.

3:45 - 4:45 pm...............................FLSA and Wage Hour Law

This session will clarify one of the most confusing areas of employment law — the Fair Labor Standards Act. Participants will gain a clear, organized understanding of the distinctions between exempt and non-exempt workers, and the complex rules regarding overtime pay. This session will emphasize the importance of properly determining a worker’s exempt status in order to hopefully avoid facing employment law’s fastest growing type of claim.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Better understand the distinction between exempt and non-exempt workers
• Better understand the rules for overtime pay
• Better understand the rules for making deduction from employee pay

Day 2:

8:00 - 9:00 am...............................LABOR LAW UPDATE

This session gives you the opportunity to catch up on the most recent developments in labor law.

In this session, participants will:

• Learn about the most recent developments in labor law
• Get insight into what to expect in the future

9:00 - 9:15 am............................Break

9:15 - 10:30 am............................... Reductions in Force

10:30 - 12:00 pm...............................Employee Retention: What do Employees Really Value?

Whereas compensation and benefits are certainly a consideration regarding an employee’s decision to both join and stay with an organization. They are not the most important factor. This session will explore research from The Great Places to Work Institute, the organization that selects the Top 100 Companies to Work for in America, as well as The Gallup Organization, as we identify those attributes of an organizational culture that employees truly value.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Identify how employee satisfaction contributes to the productivity of an organization
• Recognize those actions valued by employees
• Determine those factors that contribute to employee retention

12:00 - 1:15 pm...............................Lunch on your own

1:15 - 2:15 pm...............................Advanced Issues In The ADA and FMLA

The ADA and the FMLA present unique challenges to the HR professional because of the difficulty in applying these laws to everyday situations. This session will provide participants with a clear, organized understanding of these two laws. Participants will also gain a better understanding of recent case law developments and how to apply those changes in their own workplaces.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Better understand requirements of the FMLA and ADA
• Better understand how the two laws overlap and differ
• Understand the impact of recent case law developments in dealing with FMLA/ADA issues

2:15 - 2:30 pm...............................Break

2:30 - 3:30 pm...............................Discrimination: Litigation and Claims Prevention

This session goes beyond a basic outline of discrimination law. In this session you will learn the different types of discrimination claims, how those claims are being litigated, and, most importantly, what steps an employer can take to fortify itself against such claims. You will learn the three most important steps every employer should take to comply with discrimination law, how to respond to a discrimination claim before the EEOC or a state or local agency, and what steps can help your employer win critical discrimination litigation cases.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Understand the requirements of the various federal laws directed at preventing discrimination
• The actions you can take to prevent discrimination claims
• How to respond to a discrimination claim before the EEOC or a state or local agency

3:30 - 5:00 pm...............................Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations

As an employer, you have an obligation to investigate any claim or act of discrimination, to include sexual harassment. Such investigation should take place whether you have known, or should have known about such behaviors. Come learn those considerations in conducting an effective investigation.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Identify what may trigger an internal investigation
• How to recognize a complaint
• Steps to consider in conducting the investigation
• How to properly communicate the outcome of an investigation
  

Day 3:

8:30 - 9:30 am...............................Drafting Separation Agreements and Enforceable Non-Compete Agreements

Separation Agreements require special drafting consideration to avoid the cost of litigation and exposure for the very claims released in the agreements. This session will steer participants through the current laws and cases affecting these critical documents and prepare participants to draft better separation agreements. The session will also address non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality obligations and agreements.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Understand the components necessary for a valid and enforceable separation agreement
• Understand the appropriateness for and like enforceability of non-compete agreements

9:30 - 9:45 am...............................Break

9:45- 11:00 am...............................Creating and Revising Your Employee Handbook

Your employee handbook is a crucial tool for conveying the principles, policies, procedures and benefits of employment within your organization. But if you fail to create or revise your handbook correctly, it becomes a strong weapon in the hands of a disgruntled employee. This session will identify basic considerations all HR professionals should keep in mind as they develop and update their handbooks.

Participants will be able to:

• Identify what is and is not appropriate to include in a handbook
• Determine when to update the handbook
• Considerations in requiring a signature on the acknowledgement form

11:00 - 12:00 pm...............................Employment Law Update

This final session is a unique opportunity to catch up on the most critical developments in employment law in the past year. Participants will:

• Learn about recent developments in employment law, including case law development with respect to Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, and the FMLA
• Understand the impact of recent developments on dealing with employment law issues
• Revise policies or procedures to comply with recent changes in the law

12:00 pm...............................Course Adjourn

**Program subject to change.

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