OVERVIEW

Orlando, Florida: October 2-4, 2013
Las Vegas, Nevada: November 13-15, 2013

Join us in Orlando or Las Vegas for an all-new program with practical guidance for overcoming the latest management challenges. Choose your sessions from a multi-track program covering the very latest on the very latest trends in employment law. You can tailor your Symposium experience to address specific areas of interest, although you are never locked into a specific track.

Legal Compliance Track

Get ready: The EEOC is requesting a staggering $373,711,000 budget for 2013 — an increase of nearly $14 million over the 2012 appropriation. The agency is also looking to hire 46 brand-new full-time investigators, to “promote enforcement of systemic discrimination cases.” Even the best-intentioned employers can make devastating missteps when it comes to compliance with the full array of federal anti-bias laws. Now’s the time to get prepared.

EEOC: Learn how to protect yourself from litigious employees (and former employees) and zealous government investigators
NLRB: You don’t need a union, or even the threat of one, to get on the NLRB’s bad side. Learn how the agency’s reach is increasing — and how to stay off their list of targets.
Wage/hour: Clocking in and out… donning and doffing… classification errors… overtime violations. There are just so many ways to get it wrong here. We’ll explain how to make sure you stay out of trouble.
OFCCP: If you’re a federal contractor, watch out: Your life is about to get a whole lot more difficult. We’ll give you all the details, as well as tips for keeping your head above water.

Healthcare Track

Following the 2012 election, both Obama and “Obamacare” are here to stay — and the countdown to the 2014 individual mandate is on. That’s why you need to get your house in order now, in 2013. If you have 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees, that includes deciding if you’ll “play or pay” pursuant to what’s considered perhaps the most contentious of all the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions. You won’t want to miss our up-to-the-minute healthcare track sessions. We’ll cover the following and much more:

Short-term — but pressing — obligations as they relate to play or pay
The keys to formulating a successful long-term strategy for your employees’ health benefits
Common missteps to avoid when designing and administering cafeteria plans, and the specific compliance challenges your organization may face
How to create an effective wellness program that won’t create unexpected legal landmines under federal law
Best practices for negotiating with vendors to get the best deals on benefit offerings

Compensation and Benefits Track

A well-organized pay program is more important now than ever before, in the wake of the Great Recession. Merit budgets are smaller, compensation programs are challenged, and you simply need to do more with less. We’re also seeing philosophical changes occurring at the highest levels of government with respect to the idea of “pay for performance,” such as demands for aggressive approaches to reducing the wage gap between men and women. In order to keep up with other employers, as well as to attract and retain top talent, it’s a must for you to be up-to-date on the latest trends so you can remain competitive. We’ll explain:

Everything you need to know about job evaluations
Pay surveys and pay ranges
How to effectively communicate with employees about their compensation and benefits
The keys to effectively incentivizing the behaviors you want to encourage — without breaking the bank
Tips for making employees aware of just how much value they’re receiving from their benefits packages

Employment Law Hot Topics Track

We’ll give you the real skinny on the latest HR-related developments that are keeping you up at night: wage/hour conundrums…“BYOD” (Bring Your Own Device) dilemmas… drugs in the workplace… guns in the workplace… and so much more:

Marijuana laws, medical and otherwise: What HR needs to know
The U.S. Supreme Court’s much-anticipated ruling on what it really means to be a “supervisor”
The sweeping impact the DOL’s proposed “Plan/Prevent/Protect” (P3) initiative could have on your workplace
The ever-shifting world of same-sex marriage laws, and their effect on your benefits plans
Potential changes to the rules on class waivers in arbitration agreements
And much more — stay tuned for the breaking developments we’ll schedule as they arise!

And don’t miss our new Pre-Conference Workshops…

Pre-Conference Workshops: Expanded Offerings for 2013!
Orlando: October 2, 2013 and Las Vegas: November 13, 2013

Hiring: Everything You Always Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask
Advanced FMLA: Challenges and Solutions
Performance Appraisals That Actually Improve Performance
Supervisor Training: Practical Tools for Turning New Managers Into Effective Leaders
Job Descriptions: How to Tackle Tricky Drafting Hurdles to Maximize Compliance and Effectiveness
Welcome to the Golden State: An Introduction to California’s Uniquely Employee-Friendly Employment Laws (Las Vegas Only)
Electronic Recordkeeping: Creation, Storage, and Destruction Procedures for the Digital Age (Orlando Only)