2019 Hot Topics in Employment Law Seminar

Bricker & Eckler’s annual “Hot Topics” seminar provides human resources professionals and in-house attorneys with insight into ongoing and emerging labor and employment issues. This year, we are pleased to welcome guest speakers from DHL Supply Chain and Express to represent the in-house counsel perspective. We hope you will join us for an interactive discussion on current employment laws and regulations, as well as practical strategies for dealing with today's ever-changing employment environment.

This course has been submitted to the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Continuing Legal Education for 3.0 total CLE hour(s) instruction. Approval is pending. Additionally, 3.0 HRCI credits have been approved.

There is no fee to attend. However, space is limited.

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AGENDA

Registration & Breakfast
7:30-8:20 a.m.

Welcome & Introductions
8:20-8:30 a.m.

Jim Petrie, Partner

Panel: #MeToo and Time’s Up: Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations, Addressing Pay Equity & Creating Cultures of Inclusion
8:30-9:10 a.m.

Lisa Kathumbi, Partner
Vanessa Roig, Legal Counsel, DHL Supply Chain

This session will analyze the impact of #MeToo and Time’s Up on issues of sexual harassment and pay equity in the workplace. We will examine recent legal developments and explore strategies for mitigating risks and exposure. As part of this discussion, we will consider best practices for legal avoidance, including the role of effective workplace investigations and investments in inclusion. 

ERISA Welfare Plans and Wellness Programs – How Employers Identify and Avoid Common Mistakes
9:10-9:35 a.m.

Lauren Gresh, Of Counsel

This session will analyze examples of welfare plans that have made some of the most common ERISA compliance mistakes and how those mistakes can be corrected or avoided. We will discuss well-known compliance opportunities and focus on the far-reaching impact of ERISA, ADA and HIPAA in wellness programs.

Networking Break
9:35-10:05 a.m.

Mandatory Arbitration Agreements: Are They Still Enforceable?
10:05-10:40 a.m.

Kofi Semenya, Associate
Lisa Whittaker, Employment, Compliance, and Litigation Counsel, Express

This session will explain the recent U.S. Supreme Court and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) precedent concerning the use of mandatory arbitration agreements in light of growing public scrutiny. 

The Life Cycle of an Employee: A Tax and Wage & Hour Perspective
10:40-11:15 a.m.

Jill Bigler, Associate
Justin Cook, Associate

Using fact patterns based on real-world scenarios, this session will address various tax and wage and hour issues that arise during the life cycle of an employee, including employment structures with multiple entities, employee misclassifications, wage withholding and wage reporting errors, bonuses, under/overpayments of wages and settlement agreements.

Pot-Luck: Medical Marijuana Legal Update
11:15-11:35 a.m.

Joëlle Khouzam, Partner

This session will address recent developments around Ohio’s medical marijuana law and the general efforts to decriminalize marijuana. Attendees will learn about the recent legalization in Ohio of CBD (Cannabidiol) oil and its implications for businesses, school districts, hospital systems and other employers.

Using Social Media to Fight Workers’ Comp Fraud
11:35 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Sue Roudebush, Partner

If you’re not on social media, you’re missing out! The social media accounts of unsuspecting workers’ compensation claimants provide a wealth of information. But online investigations need to be completed quickly and ethically. This session will teach human resource professionals and claims investigators how to correctly utilize social media to save money on their workers’ compensation claims and fight workers’ compensation fraud. Understanding when and how to utilize social media are the keys to a successful social media investigation.

Closing Remarks
12:00-12:10 p.m.

Jim Petrie, Partner