While the California Legislature has been focused on the state's economic woes, it has still managed to pass a few new laws that will impact the workplace. Additionally, the Labor Commissioner, Cal-OSHA, and the California courts have issued new rulings and regulations. The Labor Commissioner has issued memoranda and opinion letters on meal periods and furloughs. Cal-OSHA has issued H1N1 regulations, and the courts have handed down numerous rulings relating to class actions, wage/hour, PAGA, trade secrets, FEHA, and independent contractors.
Further, as the Obama Administration completes its first year in office, the effects of the Administration's new direction in the labor and employment law arena can already be seen. The federal Legislature has adopted an activist role on issues ranging from additional changes to the Family Medical Leave Act to proposing legislation that would provide for paid sick leave for H1N1-related time off. The EEOC, NLRB, OFCCP, and DOL have been re-energized and given larger budgets for enforcement activities. We have a new Supreme Court justice and the President is looking to appoint dozens of new federal judges, all of whom will shape legal precedent in labor and employment law for years to come.
In addition to these changes in state and federal law, a new set of issues has arisen as employees increasingly use the Internet and social media sites. Employers must proactively address the impact and potential liability of both employee and employer use of these online resources.
Topics for this seminar will include:
- Impact of federal and state decisions, laws, and regulations on your operation
- Trends and changes to watch in such areas as California wage/hour, social networking, employee free choice, disability discrimination, and more
- Recommendations for "best practices" in 2010
Choose a seminar location:
Irvine - Thursday, February 4, 2010
Milpitas - Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Please note that all sessions are identical. You only need to attend one.
This program has been approved for 2.75 (Specified - California) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org.
About the Speaker
Betsy Johnson is a Partner in the Labor and Employment practice in the Los Angeles office of Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., where she practices labor and employment law. In addition to representing employers in employment litigation in state and federal courts, Ms. Johnson provides day-to-day advice to her clients in all areas of employment and labor law.
Ms. Johnson is a frequent speaker at employer trade association seminars on various topics, including:
- Managing the disabled employee
- Drafting effective personnel policies
- Implementing proactive approaches to handling LOA and time off
- California and federal wage and hour law
- Handling employee medical issues
- Preventing wrongful terminations
- Discrimination and harassment claims
- Employee compensation and benefits plans
Ms. Johnson has participated in seminars for the California Continuing Education of the Bar, the Orange County Bar Association, California Chamber of Commerce, Counsel on Education in Management and ADP, and is a regular speaker on various employment and labor law issues.
