Sexual Harassment...Discrimination...Violence in the workplace...FMLA...Wrongful Discharge...Union Avoidance...Employee Handbooks...The Americans With Disabilities Act...Drug testing...Hiring employees...Employment and non-compete agreements...

...These areas, and more, are presenting employers, personnel professionals and legal counsel with more claims and litigation problems than ever before. And, as many employers are finding, the solution to minimizing problems in the workplace frequently boils down to: (a) knowing what the problems are; and (b) how to possibly prevent them from occurring in the first place.

As the detailed Course Curriculum below illustrates, this course offers specialized instruction on current and emerging areas employers must contend with-presenting a solid analysis of the law balanced with a keen understanding of the workplace.

The emphasis is on strategies for minimizing an employer’s liabilities with maintaining a harmonious and productive workforce....employer and employee rights and responsibilities...preventative measures...damage control...efficiently resolving problems and controversies when they first occur.

The Course Curriculum

1. Terminations
   1. Avoiding discriminations suits
   2. Importance of obtaining releases
   3. Voluntary vs. involuntary workforce reductions
   
   
2. Discrimination: Answering A Discrimination Charge
   1. Preparing position statements
   2. Conferences
   3. Dealing with agents and investigators
   
   
3. Preventing Sexual Harassment & Other Discrimination In The Workplace
   1. The need for a proper internal training program
   2. Training frontline supervisors
   3. Implementing an effective policy
   4. Implementing an effective investigative proceeding
   
   
4. Violence In The Workplace
   1. Implementing a prevention policy
   2. Identifying characteristics of potentially violent individuals
   3. Knowing the signs of violent trouble
   4. Implementing a security program
   
   
5. Do’s & Don’ts of Recruiting
   1. Training interviewers
   2. Disabled employees
   3. Work sharing
   
   
6. Hiring Issues
   1. Obtaining & providing references
   2. Researching applicant’s backgrounds
   3. Pre-employment testing
   4. Drafting applications
   
   
7. Prevention & The Americans With Disabilities Act
   1. Interviewing applicants
   2. Negotiating reasonable accommodations
   3. Drafting employee job descriptions
   4. Discharging disabled employees
   
   
8. Employment Handbooks
   1. Disclaimers
   2. Acknowledgements
   3. Recommended Provisions
   
   
9. Employment Agreements
   1. Pro’s & Con’s
   2. Terms
   3. Cause Provisions
   4. Covenants Not To Complete
   
   
10. Trade Secrets
    1. Secrets
    2. Misappropriations
    3. Inevitable Disclosure
    
    
11. Arbitration Of Employment Claims
    1. Necessary Documentation
    2. Conducting grievance hearings
    3. Selection of arbitrator
    4. Arbitration hearings
    5. Arbitration agreements
    
    
12. Performance Management
    1. Drafting evaluation forms
    2. Training frontline supervisors in there roles as evaluators
    3. Importance and need to do evaluations consistently and swiftly
    
    
13. FMLA
    1. Leave Policies
    2. Attendance Policies
    3. Notice Obligations
    4. Workers’ Compensation
    5. Retaliation
    
    
14. Union Avoidance
    1. Pre-election
    2. Conducting an election campaign
    3. NLRB proceedings
15. Legislative Developments
    1. Federal
    2. State
    
    
16. Use of Independent Contractors
    1. Types of independent contractors
    2. Impact of worker misclassification
    3. Independent contractor vs. employee
    4. Supreme Court test to determine worker classification
    
    
17. E-mail, Voice Mail, Computer Systems & Internet Use
    1. Employer vs. employee rights
    2. Employer policies
    
    
18. Employment Practice Liability Insurance
    1. Advent of EPLI
    2. EPLI vs. other types of employer insurance
    3. Inclusions/exclusions of policies
    4. Advantages/disadvantages of EPLI
    5. What is included in the underwriting analysis for EPLI