Elevate Your Employment Law Game - AALRR's 26th Annual Employment Law Conference

Registration (7:30 am – 8:00 am)

General Session One (8:00 am – 9:00 am)

Welcome, Opening Remarks, and Employment Law Update

Early Morning Breakout Sessions (9:15 am – 10:15 am)

Session One - The Leave Gambit: Tactical Leave Management in California

Even the most seasoned human resources professionals can be challenged by the complex web of federal, state, and local leave laws affecting California employers. This engaging session will break down the interplay among key leave requirements—including FMLA, CFRA, paid sick leave, pregnancy disability leave, and other protected leaves—to help employers navigate compliance with confidence. Attendees will gain practical guidance and a stronger understanding of how to manage employee leaves of absence in California’s highly regulated landscape.

Session Two - Check Your Position: Evaluating Employee Claims and Developing Winning Approaches for Workplace Risk Management 

This session presents an engaging and unique "fact or fiction" challenge. Participants will sharpen their ability to spot specific legal risks before they escalate, identify systemic issues that create repeated exposure across the workplace, clarify roles and responsibilities so everyone knows their part in risk mitigation, and develop proactive changes to create a stronger, more compliant work environment.

Session Three - Who Owns That? Employee-Created Works and the Legal Issues Human Resources Professionals Need to Know 

Employees create content everyday including presentations, training materials, forms and templates, marketing materials, social media posts, various memoranda and documents, software, and even inventions.  The modern workplace has blurred the lines between work and personal projects and raises new questions about ownership and confidentiality before, during, and after employment.  Through real life examples, this session will walk human resources professionals through the legal framework governing employee-created works and explore how hiring documents, policies, and day-to-day practices can reduce ownership disputes to protect the organization.

Late Morning Breakout Sessions (10:30 am – 11:15 am)

Session Four - Know the Board: Insights from EDD Audits and Responding to Unemployment Insurance Claims

EDD audits and unemployment insurance claims present significant challenges for California employers. This session will provide a practical overview of the EDD audit process, common audit triggers, and how employers can prepare for and respond effectively to audits. This session will also explore best practices for responding to unemployment insurance claims.

Session Five - Rules of the Game: Sound Tactics for Managing Workplace Conduct

Managing employee behavior continues to be a growing area of legal risk for California employers. This session will address evolving legal requirements, workplace expectations, and best practices for fostering a respectful, inclusive, and compliant work environment. Attendees will gain practical guidance for preventing and responding to harassment and misconduct complaints, navigating sensitive issues, and reducing the risk of discrimination and retaliation claims.

Session Six - Smart Decisions: Reducing Risk in Reasonable Accommodation Decisions

Reasonable accommodation remains one of the most challenging and high-risk areas of compliance for California employers. This session will explore the interactive process in depth and provide innovative strategies on how to respond to accommodation requests in a lawful, consistent, and effective manner.

Session Seven - PERB on the Board: Effective Defense Against Union Retaliation Claims*
(*Exclusive to city, county, and special district employers)

Union activity across California public agencies has grown more assertive, increasing employer exposure to PERB retaliation claims. This session is designed for city, county, and special district employers and will explore how PERB evaluates alleged retaliation, from protected activity to employer intent and timing. Attendees will learn to anticipate union moves, avoid common missteps, and manage labor relations strategically in a high-stakes environment.

Afternoon Breakout Sessions (12:45 pm – 1:45 pm)

Session Eight - The Endgame: Proactive Pre-Termination Planning for California Employers

Termination decisions carry significant legal and operational risks. This practical session will guide employers through best practices for pre-termination procedures, with a focus on minimizing exposure to wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation claims. Attendees will learn to properly evaluate performance and conduct issues, ensure consistency in documentation, and determine whether discipline, corrective action, or termination is appropriate.

Session Nine - AI in HR: Playing It Right Without Checkmate

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping human resources—from recruiting and performance management to compliance and decision-making. For California employers, the lure of efficiency comes with heightened legal and regulatory risk. This session will examine AI through a strategic lens, exploring where these tools are being used, where they create exposure, and best practices human resource leaders can deploy.

Session Ten - Thinking Several Turns Ahead: A Forward-Looking Framework for Wage and Hour Compliance

Wage and hour litigation continues to be one of the most active and costly areas of employment law for California employers. This session will examine current trends driving wage and hour claims, including class actions and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) litigation and will highlight common compliance missteps that expose employers to significant liability. This session will equip employers with the knowledge and tools needed to better protect their organizations in California’s highly complex wage and hour landscape.

General Session Two (2:00 pm – 3:00 pm)

Know Your Opponent: Plaintiff Attorney Perspectives on California Employment Cases

This moderated panel will feature experienced California plaintiff-side employment lawyers offering an inside look at what makes a strong employment case—and, just as importantly, what employers can do to reduce litigation risk. Panelists will discuss the practical and strategic factors they evaluate when deciding whether to take a case.  Drawing on real-world experience, the discussion will highlight common missteps that increase employer exposure as well as proactive steps that can be taken to prevent disputes, strengthen defenses, and resolve issues before they escalate into litigation.

Hospitality/Networking (3:00 pm – 4:30 pm)