2023 HR & Employment Law Conference

Employment Law 2023… and Beyond: What Happened, What’s Next, and What to do About It

Michael G. Trachtman, Esq., Partner — Wisler Pearlstine General Counsel Initiative Employment law is changing quickly and dramatically. The post-pandemic era has created different workplaces and new legal issues. The EEOC, DOL, NLRB and other agencies are pursuing new agendas. Employee poaching is rampant, and the old retention strategies are much less effective. A vastly different Supreme Court is vacating established precedents and creating new ones. Businesses that adjust can prosper; those that cannot will struggle. Based on over 40 years’ experience, business attorney and MEA outside general counsel Michael G. Trachtman explains where we are, where we are headed, and how to use the changes in this legal landscape as a key to future success.

Dangerous Intersection: Navigating Leave Under the FMLA & ADA

Amy McAndrew, Esq., Director of Legal and Compliance Services — MEA When an employee suffers an illness or an injury, employers can enter a dangerous intersection of employment laws: the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). While each of these laws serves a different purpose, injured or sick employees may have rights under one or both of them. It is crucial that employers understand that, if both laws apply to the situation, the employee must be afforded all rights available under each applicable law. Failure to do so can result in significant penalties and expensive, time consuming law suits.

Latest EEOC Enforcement Trends

Debra Lawrence, Esq., Regional Attorney, Philadelphia District Office — Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Learn how discrimination law is ever evolving, and how the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s enforcement and litigation efforts impact your organization

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Benefits & Tools to Success

Melinda Ramos, SVP of People Partnerships & Experience — Bounteous Building an effective diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) practice requires intention, investment, and attainable goals. In this session, we will discuss the benefits of DEI practices in the workplace, tips, and tools for success as you progress in your journey. We will discuss DEI in this current climate, what success looks like, and how you can make meaningful change that benefits your business.

A Hazy Landscape: Marijuana & The Workplace

Tracey Diamond, Esq. Partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group— Troutman Pepper Jessica Rothenberg, Esq. Associate — Troutman Pepper As more states and cities legalize marijuana, the complexities of how to address it as an employer only grow, and the stakes become higher. Can employers test for marijuana? Should they? How can a multi-jurisdiction employer navigate conflicting laws? What are the risks in taking an aggressive stance? Join us for a discussion of how to navigate marijuana and the workplace.

Coast to Coast: The Compliance Challenges of Remote Work

Mary Hackett, Esq. Senior Attorney — Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney/Hackett Legal Sarah Spletzer, Esq. Senior Employment Counsel — MEA Many companies are now fully entrenched in the highs and lows of having a distributed, remote workforce. Join West Coast and East Coast employment attorneys as they compare and contrast the employment process -- from hiring, to employee management, to termination -- and discuss just how much that process can vary by jurisdiction. This session will offer practical tips for employers including what makes certain states more or less desirable for employment purposes.

Heard on the Employer Hotline Q&A

Jane Disher HR Advisor — MEA Member organizations call the MEA hotline thousands of times every year for guidance on HR and compliance issues. During this session, MEA HR advisor Jane Disher will share some frequently asked questions and answers.