2023 Employment Law Conference "Live & In-person"

Session

Title

Description

Presenter(s)

Welcome - General Session 1

Lifting the Judicial Curtain: Behind the Scenes at Trial

With the courts back to doing business “live and in-person,” we are seeing a renewed focus on employment litigation. Join a panel of AALRR’s seasoned trial attorneys for a behind the scenes look at what judges and juries focus on during trial.

Cal/OSHA and COVID-19: The Saga Continues

In late 2022, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted to adopt final regulations for the prevention of COVID-19 in the workplace.  This session will provide an understanding of the key areas of concern and discuss strategies and guidance for compliance.

Jonathan Vick

Preparing for a Reduction in Force

With recent economic uncertainty, some employers are considering reductions in force (RIF). This session will prepare employers to minimize legal risks related to RIFs through proper planning and implementation. Topics to be covered include selection of employees for layoff, federal and state notice requirements, remote employee considerations, and severance agreements.

Paul Fleck

Stay up to Date with Wage & Hour Developments

California's wage and hour laws are perhaps the most complex in the country. This session will provide an in-depth review of the most problematic aspects of compliance and discuss improper practices that are most likely to lead to wage and hour claims, including a discussion of recent developments with respect to arbitration agreements and PAGA actions.

Brigham Cheney

Sarkis Atoyan 

Practical Guidance for Administering Leaves of Absence

Employers continue to struggle with administering leaves of absence, often because situations that potentially trigger leave protections are not identified or managed effectively.  This challenge is exacerbated by the complex interplay of state and federal leave laws. This session will offer practical guidance for analyzing employer obligations and navigating through the complex morass of leave laws.

William Betley

Mia Lomedico

Anatomy of an Effective Workplace Investigative Report

One of the most important tasks of a workplace investigator is to memorialize each investigation in a manner that accurately documents the investigation conducted, provides the decision-maker with facts needed to decide the matter, and offers the best defense of the investigation.  This session will provide a roadmap to preparing an investigative report that reflects a clear, comprehensive, and accurate representation of each investigation.

Susan Steward

Melisa McKellar

Lifting the Veil on Pay Transparency

2023 brings expanded pay transparency laws for California employers. This session will feature a comprehensive overview of recent pay transparency developments, discuss pay equity implications, provide insights on risk reduction, and review practical strategies for compliance.

Amber Solano

Jonathan Judge

Addressing Requests for Reasonable Accommodation

What is a request for accommodation? What makes an accommodation “reasonable”?  What triggers an employer’s duty to accommodate? What are the latest developments in this area of the law?  All of these questions, and more, will be answered during this informative session.

Ann Smith

Glen Williams

Successfully Managing and Retaining Talent

Today’s employers are faced with unprecedented challenges in managing and retaining talent.  This session will examine trending topics in managing and retaining talent, including utilizing stay interviews to assess employee satisfaction and bolster retention, and updating the performance appraisal process.

David Lester

Michele Collender

Employment Law Update

2023 brings many changes in the laws affecting California employers at the local, state, and federal levels.  This session will focus on new laws impacting California employers in 2023 and beyond, important employment cases being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and California Supreme Court, bills anticipated to make their way through the California legislature this year, and litigation trends of which employers should be aware.

Catherine Lee

Joshua Lange

General Session 2

Economic Forecast and the California Workplace

Chapman University President Emeritus Dr. James Doti will forecast the future of the economy to help guide and fortify Southern California’s business community. Mixing data with insights from colleagues and humorous takes on his half-marathon runs and appearance on “The Bold and the Beautiful;” Dr. Doti will discuss the state of the economy which will focus on a projected sharp drop in residential permits, lagging advanced industries jobs and new business growth in California.

Dr. James Doti

Introduction with Robert Wenzel

Reception

Networking