What’s Hot And What’s Not: Understanding Legal Topics Affecting Your Workplace Today

Learning Objectives:

•Identify potential risks arising out of and relating a variety of current legal issues impacting employers;
• Understand the potential for employer liability;
• Assess policies and procedures for potential trouble spots; and develop strategies for limiting or reducing potential liability.

Session Description:

The employment law landscape is ever changing and constantly evolving. Employers who do not keep up with the most recent developments will find themselves facing potential liability and related employee morale issues. Specifically, we will review:

• The National Labor Relations Board most recent initiatives, including posting requirements and an increased regulatory presence that will impact all employers, regardless of whether the workforce is unionized;
• The latest in FMLA and ADA issues, including new developments in absence management programs and related leave issues;
• Social media continues to be pervasive in our culture and workplaces. Learn how to address (or not) your employees’ actions in the social media world, how to more effectively regulate employees’ social media use at home and work;
• The Department of Labor’s enforcement and investigation of wage and hour issues is reaching a record pace. In particular, the DOL is focused on various independent contractor issues and employee misclassification issues. Moreover, the DOL is issuing new aggressive regulations that will impact many aspects of your wage and hour program;
• And many more hot topics.

Biography:

KELLI WEBB MICHAUD is an associate in the Cleveland office of Jackson Lewis LLP. She is admitted to practice law in Ohio state court and in several federal courts in Ohio and Michigan. Ms. Michaud received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business.

Ms. Michaud regularly counsels employers on ADA, FMLA and related leave issues. She has conducted numerous training sessions on litigation avoidance, anti-harassment and management of employee leaves. She regularly works with employers to develop and implement personnel policies. In addition, Ms. Michaud is a frequent speaker before business and employer associations, including the Cleveland chapter of the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM), of which she is a member.

Ms. Michaud also has extensive litigation experience representing employers in employment discrimination/harassment/retaliation, whistle-blowing, promissory estoppel, and restrictive covenant disputes. She has also worked with clients to draft, develop, enforce and defend various restrictive covenant agreements, including claims involving non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, the protection of confidential information and related business claims.

Ms. Michaud has authored an article in the Ohio State Law Journal and contributed to an article on wellness programs. She is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan, Ohio and American Bar Associations and their committees on labor and employment law and litigation. She also works with several volunteer organizations in the Cleveland area that provide assistance to local schools and individuals. She has been designated as a “Rising Star” for 2009, 2010 and 2011 by Cincinnati Magazine.