NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW COUNCIL 27TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Don’t expect “The Great Resignation” catchphrase and hashtag to go away anytime soon. At a time of unprecedented, wide-ranging challenges facing employers, recent surveys have found that 5% fewer people plan to stay at their current job than in 2021. More than 3.5 million women have already left the workforce during the pandemic - a rate twice that of men. Employees are leaving for a myriad of reasons meaning there is no one-size-fits-all quick fix for employers. So, what are employers to do? This featured panel will tackle this important issue from all angles and from different perspectives. These experts will discuss the current challenges and strategies for addressing ongoing labor shortages and increasing retention by accommodating different work styles and preferences, investing in technology, building, and maintaining a culture of equality and growth opportunities, and supporting employees’ mental health to help avoid burnout. The panelist will also share best practices for acquiring the best talent and meeting the C-suite’s hiring and retention expectations.

Please join us for a discussion of the latest developments in wage-and-hour litigation. Some of the topics our panel of experts will address include:
• Evaluating incentive, hazard, or bonus payments for nonexempt employees under the FLSA.
• COVID compensation, including monitoring unreported overtime in a remote environment.
• Reimbursement of expenses incurred due to remote work.
• Best practices for evaluating compensable time for health screening and donning and doffing PPE.
• For those of you in California, enforcement of class and collective action waivers and the current status of PAGA litigation.

After a 60-year decline, organized labored rose from the ashes is 2021 as workers took to the picket lines, held walkouts and organized with a vigor not seen in recent history in the face of rising inflation, two-tier wages, increased overtime, and COVID fatigue and burnout for those deemed “essential”. This dynamic panel will review the Rise of Organized Labor in 2021, providing insight into
• The new composition of the NLRB, the “Abruzzo road map”;
• The Board’s focus on political and social justice advocacy;
• Preventing and preparing for union organizing drives in the quickie election era; and
• The issues giving rise to “Striketober”, and the importance of contingency planning; and
• Whether the labor phoenix will continue to rise throughout 2022

The interactive process regarding workplace accommodations is a perilous path. This panel will analyze the most common mistakes that can lead to a breakdown in the interactive process and how best to navigate these challenges. Our speakers will cover disability and religious accommodation issues through a discussion of hypotheticals modeled after actual cases. Finally, this panel will cover litigation trends and avoidance strategies to address this ever-changing area of employment law.

Reception invitation will come under a separate calendar invitation and link.