This audio conference was recorded on Wednesday - May 13, 2009

Credits:

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification.

Description:

Many employers have their hands full these days putting out the fires caused by a very tough economy: current layoffs and reductions in force, shifting work schedules, and cuts in pay and benefits.

Lurking all around them, unfortunately, are hidden legal dangers that pose enormous legal and financial risks down the road–from employee policies and forms that haven't been updated in years and frontline supervisors who haven't been trained in the latest HR laws and rules to misclassified employees, misinterpreted leave and paid-time-off guidelines, and disgruntled workers eager to find a reason to haul you into court. Making matters worse, many HR professionals find themselves too overwhelmed to keep up with constant, complex changes in employment laws and court cases.

Don't wait until you're hit with phone calls and legal complaints from government regulators and plaintiffs’ attorneys!

Speaker(s):

John M. McKelway, Jr., Esq., is a partner in the labor and employment group of the law firm McCarter & English, LLP. He focuses his practice on preventive counseling, employee relations, arbitration, litigation, and appeals before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. He deals with issues ranging from harassment and discrimination claims and wrongful discharge complaints to wage/hour matters, ERISA, employment contracts, unions, and hiring and termination disputes. McKelway has been listed as both a Massachusetts "Super Lawyer" and in the labor and employment section of "Best Lawyers in America" for 2006, 2007, and 2008. He earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School.

Order this informatice 90-minute audio conference recording, where you'll learn:

• Why it makes sense now&ndashespecially during a recession!–to review your current HR practices and fix problems before they erupt
• What you should do right now to set plans for a top-to-bottom HR self-audit
• The steps involved in reviewing your existing employment policies, files, and procedures
• Which red flags you should look for as the critical signs that you may be in legal trouble
• Who should conduct the HR audit&ndashand when it makes sense to bring in outside help
• Which types of employee claims and government investigations increase dramatically during recessions&ndashand how you can prepare for them before they hit your organization
• How to fix any problems you discover during the course of your HR audit (without making matters worse!)