7:30 - 8:00 a.m. - Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. - Welcome & Keynote Speaker

The Science of Success
Catherine Sanderson describes empirical scientific research in a highly engaging style, and gives audiences practical strategies they can implement to improve their personal and professional lives. This talk presents both surprising and not-so-surprising information on the science behind happiness and success. What role do money, marriage, friends, children, weather, age, and religion play in making us feel happier and more successful? Is it stable over time? How can it be increased? Professor Sanderson will describe cutting-edge research from the field of positive psychology on the factors that do (and do not) predict happiness and success.

9:00 - 9:45 a.m. - State of Employment Law: What Keeps Leadership Up at Night

Moderated by attorney Farrah Rifelj.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Session I

Workforce Development & Culture Track
Addressing Sexual Harassment in the #MeToo and TIME’S UP Era
Attorneys Sarah Flotte and Katherine Goyert will lead an interactive discussion on the impact of #MeToo and TIME’S UP in the workplace. This session will include training on how to recognize, prevent, and respond to harassment, how to conduct internal investigations, and how to implement effective anti-harassment training and practices. HR leaders and professionals also will have an opportunity to connect with each other and share best practices for addressing harassment issues in the workplace.

C-Suite/General Counsel Track
C-“Sweet” Roundtable: Best Practices for Limiting Liability
With regulatory change, evolving employment litigation trends, and altered agency priorities, employers continue to face uncertainty in 2019. In this two-part roundtable, attorney Scott Beightol will host a dynamic discussion covering what executives in the C-Suite need to know to limit significant liability exposure. The session will conclude with a review of what the C-Suite needs to know about trends in employee benefits, immigration, trade secrets and non-compete enforcement, and workplace safety. This high-level session will provide the opportunity to discuss best practices for protecting your business with our attorneys and your peers.
*This session is restricted to C-Suite leaders and General Counsel.
*This session runs through Session II.

Workplace Policies & Practices Track
The State of Employment Law 2019
Join Michael Best Labor & Employment attorneys Bethany McCurdy and Emi Passini for a practical, fast-paced session covering key employment law trends, legislations, and legal updates and how they directly affect employee management. Discussion topics include:

• Supreme Court Update: Key Cases before the Court
• #MeToo and TIME'S UP's Lasting Impact
• Leave Management: Handling the Interplay of ADA/FMLA
• Wage and Hour Regulations
• Trade Secrets and Non-competes: Protecting Vital Information in the Digital Age

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. - Session II 

Workforce Development & Culture Track
Dealing with the Unexpected: Family and Medical Leave Act Curve Balls
Although many HR professionals are familiar with the basic requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), everyone occasionally runs across a problem scenario they have not yet encountered.  In this session, attorneys Kirk Pelikan and Charles Stevens will describe strategies and approaches for spotting issues and administering unexpected FMLA leave requests.

C-Suite/General Counsel Track
C-“Sweet” Roundtable: Best Practices for Limiting Liability
(continued from Session I)

Workplace Policies & Practices Track
The Department of Labor[ious] Has Spoken – Getting Down to Work on the Significant Developments in Wage & Hour Law
Attorneys Mitchell Quick and Judson Stelter will discuss, among other topics, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) recent proposed changes to the minimum salary thresholds for the “white collar” overtime exemptions, notable recent DOL Opinion Letters and settlements, and two easy ways an employer can reduce wage claim exposure.

12:15 - 1:15 p.m. - Lunch

1:15 - 2:15 p.m. - Session III 

Workforce Development & Culture Track
Considerations When Creating Your Employee Benefits Strategy for 2020 (and Beyond)
In this interactive session, attorneys Carrie Byrnes, Jason Faust, and Mark Lotito will offer insights into current employee benefits trends, what to watch out for when evaluating or implementing these in vogue benefits, and what impact (if any) they might have on the workforce (including recruiting and retention efforts). Audience members will be encouraged to share anecdotes on employee benefit trends being championed in their workplaces, what effect those benefits have or have had, and what are or were challenges in implementing or maintaining those benefits. Whether it’s revamping health care offerings (concierge for all?), revisiting “wellness” on a holistic basis, adding a “student debt relief” component to the 401(k) plan, or something else cutting-edge, the panel will aim to provoke thought on trends you may be – or perhaps should be – considering.

C-Suite/General Counsel Track
Managing Privacy & Cybersecurity Concerns within a Digital Workforce (including Trade Secrets)
Corporate cybersecurity and privacy obligations continue to be a significant concern for employers. The risks of data breaches and data theft from external and internal actors, including employees, continue and are expected to increase. In this interactive seminar, attorneys Luis Arroyo and Adrienne Ehrhardt will recreate a data breach scenario and walk you through the steps your company needs to take to mitigate risk of further breach, navigate the various reporting requirements, and take proactive steps to secure information removed.

Workplace Policies & Practices Track
Immigration Update: Changes, Challenges, and Workplace Strategies
U.S. immigration policies and practices continue to shift on a regular basis. Join attorneys Kelly Fortier, José Olivieri, and Kelly Rourke as they discuss the current immigration climate, work visa trends, recent and upcoming changes, and immigration compliance strategies. The presenters will welcome questions related to any of your immigration concerns, including those tricky I-9 matters.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - Session IV 

Workforce Development & Culture Track
What You Don’t Know about #EqualPay Could Cost You
Equal pay for equal work has been the law of the land for 56 years, but the topic is hotter than ever and pay disparities still exist. With the #EqualPay movement in the spotlight and pay discrimination claims on the rise, employers face mounting pressure to close the wage gap. In this session, Michael Best Labor and Employment attorneys, Amy Bruchs and Kaitlyn Trizna, will: 

• analyze the requirements of the Equal Pay Act;
• review current trends and cases, including whether employers may rely on salary history;
• review state and federal new and proposed legislation; and
• discuss strategies how to comply with these laws to avoid and defend pay discrimination claims.

C-Suite/General Counsel Track
Ethical Considerations for In-House Counsel—a 2019 Update
During this session, attorneys Christopher Parker and Ann Ustad Smith will cover what in-house counsel need to know to ensure they are following the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Discussion topics include identifying the client, ethics rules and settlements, ethical communications with current and former employees, handling metadata, and the receipt of confidential information.
* One hour of ethics credit is currently pending for this program.

Workplace Policies & Practices Track
Mental Health, Workplace Violence, and… OSHA?
OSHA’s recent enforcement actions have placed the Agency at the crux of workplace violence and mental health issues by taking the position that employers have an affirmative duty to protect employees from hazards caused by violent or mentally ill individuals, even when the individuals are third parties. Join Patrick Bernal, Benjamin Johnson, and Charles Palmer as they walk through the potential implications of OSHA’s involvement in these types of incidents, the procedures needed to comply with OSHA guidelines, and best practices to mitigate risk while continuing to navigate the difficult legal landscape regarding mental health and violence in the workplace.