Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. presents a Labor & Employment Conference for Healthcare Professionals, focusing on new or recurring issues and concerns which executives, managers, and human resources professionals face daily in the healthcare industry. Date     Thursday, March 14, 2019 8:30 AM Registration 9:00-4:00 PM Conference Location    L'Auberge  777 L'Auberge Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70820

Agenda

8:30 Registration

9:00-9:15 Introduction

9:15-10:00 FMLA: Current Issues and Trends Affecting Healthcare Employers
E. Fredrick Preis, Jr. and Philip Giorlando 

 We will review recent trends at the DOL in terms of compliance and on-site audits, medical certification challenges, effective use of recertification to combat leave abuse, the importance of clear and accurate communications, and other practical leave issues commonly occurring in the healthcare arena.  

10:00-10:45 Mandatory Arbitration Agreements and Class Action Waivers
Murphy J. Foster, III

Discussion of the “who, what, when and why” of a mandatory arbitration program, including discussion of the benefits and challenges, the Supreme Court’s decision concerning inclusion of class action waivers, implementation of an arbitration program, and examples of recent outcomes.

10:45-11:00 Break

11:00-12:15 Wage and Hour Challenges in the Healthcare Industry
Charlotta Williams, Assistant District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

Our special guest, Ms. Charlotta Williams, from the Department of Labor, will address DOL interpretations and trends in wage and hour law which often affect the healthcare industry, including discussion of exemption and misclassification issues, joint employment considerations, hours worked/compensable time, and minimum wage/overtime compliance principles in general.

12:15-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:45 Compliance, Retaliation, and Government Investigation of Healthcare Employers
Catherine M. Maraist

Catherine brings to the Conference her considerable experience in both civil and criminal healthcare matters as a former United States Attorney in the Middle District of Louisiana.  She will draw on this experience as well as her defense of healthcare entities to share “best practices” when an organization is faced with the unexpected arrival of a government investigator. Effective use of compliance plans in protecting the organization and effective investigation of complaints to avoid (or mitigate risk associated with) retaliation claims, as well as the potential civil liability resulting from successful claims, will also be addressed.

1:45-2:30 Minimizing Risk in the “New” Harassment Environment
Eve B. Masinter and Matthew M. McCluer

Recognizing that harassment claims continue to rise, we will re-visit the current climate and discuss the importance of addressing the organization’s culture, recent opinions and interpretations of employee reporting obligations and employer defenses, the change in mindset from what is legal to what is prohibited, and recommendations going forward. 

2:45-3:30 Personal Liability of Healthcare Managers and Human Resource Representatives
Rachael Jeanfreau

 An important review of scenarios in which healthcare managers and human resource representatives find themselves sued personally, including discussion of why employees choose to pursue individual liability, the legal basis for such claims, and best practices to avoid liability.

3:30-4:15 Annual Lagniappe: Random (but important!) Employment Issues Arising in the Healthcare Industry
Melissa M. Shirley

 We will explore a number of hot topics affecting the healthcare industry, including accommodating (or not) employee or patient service animal needs; how much leave time is ever too much under the ADA; are your settlement agreements “unsettling?”; is your lactation room compliant?; Louisiana’s “extra” protections for pregnant employees; and more!

Contact

Marketing
Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P.
225-376-3626
marketing@bswllp.com