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   

Location  

L'Auberge 

777 L'Auberge Avenue

Baton Rouge, LA 70820

9:00—9:15

Introduction
Gregory D. Frost

9:15—10:00

Navigating the Americans with Disabilities Act
Melissa M. Shirley

An important update on ever evolving issues such as whether accommodation must be medically necessary; the importance of training front-line supervisors on possible triggers to the “required” interactive process; what supervisors and HR personnel should be trained to say and document in response to employee requests; particular accommodation challenges for healthcare employers, such as whether/how much “leave” is required, interplay with FMLA, reduced workloads, non-competitive reassignment, an “irritant free” environment, work at home, shift changes, supervisor changes, reserved parking, and similar considerations.

10:00—10:45

Comments from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Keith Hill, Director, New Orleans Field Office, US EEOC

We are privileged to have Keith Hill, Director, New Orleans Field Office, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, address the EEOC’s focus and activities relative to harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims.

10:45—11:00

BREAK

11:00—12:00

Developments in Harassment and EEO Law
Eve B. Masinter and Rachael Coe

Following the Director's comments, we will discuss the current climate in the post-Weinstein workplace and proactive management of harassment in the “Me Too” era.  We will also cover those discrimination or harassment issues commonly arising among healthcare employers such as dealing with conduct by non-employees (e.g. vendors, physicians and other non-employed providers, patients, residents); religion and accommodation for employee religious observances/practices/dress (mandatory flu shots, caregivers wearing hijabs, weapons as religious artifacts); patient preferences; and importance of prevention through proactive strategies.

12:00—12:30

LUNCH

12:30—1:15

Safety in the Workplace
Roderic M. Chube, Assistant Area Director, OSHA
Alexander Novas, Compliance Assistance Specilist, OSHA

Our special guest, Rod Chube, Assistant Area Director, United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, will address the OSHA considerations relevant to healthcare facilities, such as recent guidance on workplace violence in the healthcare context and expectations and recommendations if/when OSHA conducts inspections.

1:15—2:00

Labor Relations (even if you are a Non-Union Employer)
Murphy J. Foster

Under the Obama Administration, the National Labor Relations Board issued numerous decisions that expanded employee rights in non-unionized workplaces. We will discuss the controversial decisions ("protected conduct" expansion) and likely course under the new administration, as well as discriminatory access concerns prevalent in the healthcare industry.        

2:00—2:15

BREAK

2:14—3:00

Highlighting Wage & Hour Concerns in the Healthcare Arena
E. Fredrick Preis, Jr. and Rachael Jeanfreau

We will address new or recurring wage issues plaguing healthcare employers such as factoring employee retention or other periodic bonuses into the "regular rate of pay"; compensability of training time; off-the-clock work; auto-deduction of lunch breaks; nursing mother facilities; rise in collective actions; exempt/non-exempt employee challenges; dangers of pay deductions; and classification of independent contractors v. employees.

3:00—3:45

Louisiana Labor Lagniappe
Melissa M. Shirley and Sunny Mayhall West

The conference will close with a round-up of state laws applicable to most health industry employers and which are less familiar to many. These include such topics as pay practices and PTO; jury duty; maternity leave and transfer; civil statutes with potential criminal type penalties for violation; whistleblower protections; and a variety of other concerns unique to Louisiana companies.