May 8, 2024 | Virtual

Administering employee leave of absences ranks among the top challenges for employers. But for organizations with remote workers operating in multiple states, the task is even more daunting. Employers must contend with employee-friendly statutes, both state and local, including laws mandating employer-paid leave for illness and other reasons. Complying with the myriad of legal requirements is no small feat. In this session, we will provide an overview of leave laws, what you should consider with a remote workforce, and how to build a time-off program that is reflective of your company culture and attracts and retains talent.

• In this presentation, attendees will learn effective practices when administering leave cases for their remote employees
• In this presentation, attendees will learn what time-off policies top-performing employers are embracing, from paid parental leave to comprehensive sick and vacation policies.
• In this presentation, attendees will learn how to develop HR strategies that drive transformation and elevate the workforce experience.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) interactive process is not always easy, and leave managers are often challenged with difficult requests from employees needing accommodations due to their disability. In this session, we will present various ADA interactive process scenarios, based on recent legislation and court rulings, and will demonstrate how to prepare for ADA-related conversations, share examples of different workplace accommodation requests, provide practical guidance on how to address difficult accommodation needs, and reveal consequences for incorrectly administering the interactive process.

• In this presentation, attendees will learn how to prepare for the ADA interactive process and their legal obligations, under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• In this presentation, attendees will gain practical knowledge to support difficult employee accommodation requests
• In this presentation, attendees will learn about recent court cases and the consequences of not following the ADA interactive process

Leave administration is complex and getting more complicated by the day. What happens if an employer fails to satisfy their obligations related to a Family and Medical Leave Law (FMLA) request or doesn't recognize an employee's need for FMLA leave? What options do they have? In this session, we will cover a variety of scenarios -- such as retroactive designations, sending notices after the fact, whether or not employees have suffered harm, and more -- and ask attendees to vote on how the employer should proceed. We'll also walk through the applicable compliance requirements and offer tips on how you could proceed if you ever found yourself in similar circumstances.

• Attendees will be able to identify when they have potentially failed to meet an employer obligation under FMLA.
• Attendees will be able to identify the compliance requirements applicable to a failure to satisfy an employer obligation under FMLA.
• Attendees will be able to identify how to proceed when they determine that they have failed to meet an employer obligation under FMLA.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is the most significant federal worker protection legislation passed by Congress in many years, and it fills serious gaps in prior federal leave and accommodation legislation with regard to the rights of pregnant workers. Under the PWFA, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is charged with implementing and enforcing the law's requirements. Carol R. Miaskoff, Legal Counsel to the EEOC, who led the EEOC's work on the development of the PWFA regulations, will share important perspectives about this watershed legislation, and the EEOC's commitment to it. We'll also discuss the practical aspects of the regulations and share insights about the scope of the PWFA and its impact on state and local pregnancy accommodation laws.

• Understand EEOC's important perspective about the PWFA and the EEOC's commitment to it, hearing firsthand from the leader of the EEOC responsible for implementing the PWFA, including development of regulations.
• Understand the scope of the PWFA and its impact on state and local pregnancy accommodation laws
• Understand the practical aspects of the regulation and what you need to do as an employer with 15 or more employees.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has long stood as the cornerstone of employee rights, offering crucial leave provisions to eligible workers nationwide. However, the landscape of leave programs has evolved, with individual states increasingly taking center stage by implementing their own measures, including unpaid leave mandates, paid family and medical insurance schemes, and provisions for sick or safe leave. This expanding tapestry of regulations has transformed the realm of employee leave into a complex circus of intersecting policies and requirements.

Yet amidst this swirling spectacle, employers must navigate a myriad of challenges as they strive to maintain compliance with both federal and state regulations, while also managing their own internal leave and compensation policies. The modern workplace resembles a bustling circus ring, with HR professionals and managers taking on the roles of skilled Ring Masters, orchestrating the delicate balance between employee needs and operational demands.

In our upcoming discussion, we invite you to join us under the big top as we explore how the FMLA is impacted by various other leave programs. From determining what information to request from an employee to how your accrued paid leave policies apply, we’ll equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to confidently navigate the leave of absence circus. Together, let’s transform the chaos of leave management into a well-coordinated performance, where every employee’s needs are met, and every employer is empowered to be the true master of the ring.

CEUs

This webinar qualifies for the following CEUs: 1 ADMS, 1 CDMS, 1 CLMS, 1 PHR, and 1 SHRM. 

If you are not a DMEC member and need to record a CLMS CEU for attending this event, please contact Jai Hooker at jhooker@dmec.org for assistance. 

March 25-28, 2023 | Dallas

Our closing "Ask the Experts" session allows conference attendees to submit their most challenging questions to our panel of distinguished FMLA/ADA legal experts. You provide uncensored questions, and they provide the unfiltered answers. This interactive discussion between attendees and panelists allows audience members to have their "real-world" questions answered by the specialists. Come prepared with your toughest questions and the most perplexing challenges faced by your company. And best of all, there will be no billable hours or consulting fees incurred!

• Attendees will be able to submit their most challenging questions to our panel
• Attendees will gain legal knowledge from our panel of legal experts
• Attendees will gain answers to toughest questions and the most perplexing challenges faced by their colleagues

With the growing number of statutory state laws, it can be a daunting task to decide what type of paid family and medical leave (PFML) plan makes the most sense. Employers have a lot to consider, including but not limited to, cost, employee experience, and state private plan requirements. In this session, we'll discuss employer responsibilities for state plans and private plans, and how employers make decisions on whether or not to offer a private PFML program. We'll also provide suggestions for how to ensure the best private plan experience if you choose that option for your organization.

• Identify the key factors employers consider when deciding whether to have a state or private paid family and medical leave plan.
• Learn employer obligations with a state plan versus a private plan.
• Understand private plan requirements.

Building compliant benefit plans around a multigenerational workforce can help retain valuable, mature employees and lay a foundation for the younger generations to grow their careers. In this session, we will discuss a holistic and compliant approach to worker well-being -- touching on what is important to each generation from a leave, disability, mental health, and financial wellness perspective.

• Learn how paid leave programs - both mandatory and optional reflect the needs of a workforce seeking work-life balance
• Understand how to proactively manage reasonable accommodations for any generation of workers, including older workers, the sandwich generation, and pregnant workers beginning families
• Understand the compliance pitfalls and watch items when developing or expanding a multi-generational benefits program
• Be able to evaluate what health and wellbeing resources are best for your workforce