Event Details

The Annual WKHRMA Seminar will be held on Tuesday, October, 24th! Registration from 8:30 a.m.  - 9:00 a.m. Program from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Register

Presentation Topics

 Extra! Extra! The Latest News from Courts, Regulators and Litigants!  All three branches of government have been busy this year from SCOTUS to local governments.  We will have a discussion about these breaking topics ranging from arbitration agreements to restrictive covenants to LGBTQ+ issues to weed.

But I Thought He Was A Good Hire??? – In many situations, bad employees are a direct impact of a bad hire.  Learn how to avoid some of the pitfalls when hiring employees as well as other defensible hiring practices including background investigations and FCRA trends, the latest update on I-9 issues, and how whether AI can/should be used in hiring decisions. 

Accommodate This!  Successfully Navigating the Interactive Process – There has been a surge of accommodation requests by employees in all industries.  Many of the requests are now including a “work from home” component that pre-pandemic would have never been considered.  But COVID changed the landscape.  This session will walk through step-by-step guidelines as to what employers must do to address accommodation requests and procedures that can be enacted to help employers avoid the common pitfalls.

How To Effectively Handle Workplace Investigations – One of the most difficult parts of employment counsel or HR’s role is handling investigations into employee complaints of discrimination/harassment.  But instead of fearing these investigations, they should be viewed as a tremendous opportunity to solve a workplace problem and prevent a lawsuit from ever being filed.  During this session we will discuss the simple and effective steps for handling these investigations.

Presenters

Melody Rayl

As a partner in Fisher Phillips’ Kansas City office, Melody Rayl zealously advocates for private and public-sector employers in all aspects of employment related counseling and litigation. Melody regularly advises and counsels her clients through difficult situations and provides training to supervisory and management level personnel on a variety of employment related topics to assist them in avoiding litigation before it happens.  When litigation does occur, Melody works with employers to develop an appropriate litigation strategy to address the unique nuances of each situation. She has successfully defended clients in individual discrimination, harassment and retaliation litigation from inception through resolution before state and federal courts and administrative agencies.  Melody is a frequent speaker on employment related topics to human resource professional and attorney colleagues throughout Kansas and Missouri.

Laura Bailey Brown

Laura Bailey Brown is a partner in Fisher Phillips’ Kansas City office and focuses her practice on defending and counseling employers in a variety of complex employment law matters including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and breach of contract.  Laura has broad experience in a myriad of industries and has represented clients across the spectrum, from small businesses to governmental entities to Fortune 500 companies.  As a skilled trial attorney, she has experience in all phases of the litigation process and has represented clients before federal, state, and administrative tribunals.  She regularly speaks and writes on employment and labor law issues, and she presents to attorneys, risk managers, and human resources professionals on an array of workplace issues, such as maintaining a respectful work environment, conducting internal investigations, and creating and maintaining effective employment policies.

Annual Seminar Sponsors: Coming Soon

If you are interested in sponsoring our upcoming seminar, please email wkhrma@gmail.com.