Employment Law Developments in California

AGENDA 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Opening and Welcome 9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. ''Eye on Employment Law'' This session sets the stage for the program by summarizing the latest legal developments, case rulings, legislative and regulatory activity, and other trends impacting California employers. 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Workplace Harassment Rulings – Stopping Discrimination or Imposing Codes of Conduct? Many recent court rulings holding employers liable for workplace harassment have focused almost exclusively on the allegedly inappropriate behavior – with the issue of whether the conduct was based on a protected category becoming an afterthought. Are courts imposing codes of conduct, despite the U.S. Supreme Court's admonition? And if so, what is an employer to do in order to avoid liability? 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Reduction in Force - Managing Your Workforce Through An Economic Downturn Employers in California and nationwide have been facing tough economic conditions this year. Economic downturns usually are accompanied by a decrease in staffing. This session will serve as an excellent reminder of the key steps in successfully managing your workforce, from individual terminations to reductions in force. 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Luncheon with the lawyers and special presentation – new leadership in Washington, D.C. with a new agenda: Who they are and what they want to achieve 1:30 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. California Wage and Hour Issues, and How To Minimize Class Action Risks Through Self-Audits Wage-related questions and concerns confront HR professionals on virtually a daily basis. This session will analyze some of the more common and problematic situations, as well as identify potential problems before they turn into an agency investigation or even litigation – with audits being an important part of this strategy. Audits must be conducted carefully, however, and we will discuss the ''r