Event Details

The Annual WKHRMA Seminar will be held on Wednesday, October, 26th! Registration from 8:30 a.m.  - 9:00 a.m. Program from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Register

Please use this link to register for this year's seminar. Our registration deadline is Wednesday, October 19th at 12:00 noon.

Presentation Topics

Extra! Extra! The Latest News from Courts, Regulators and Litigants!  This session will address key federal and Kansas court decisions from the past year that affect employers, with lessons learned and best practices going forward.  We will also take a look at litigation trends and regulatory changes that will inform your decisions into 2023.

Diagnose This! 2022 Leave Law Trends. In 2022, who doesn’t have a diagnosis? Whether its stress, anxiety, PTSD, or long COVID, employers are facing new waves of employee diagnosis. Employers are left to untangle the complex web of ADA, FMLA, and Workers Compensation and state leave law requirements. This session should relieve your stress by providing practical employer guidance on managing modern leave law requests, legal compliance, and best practices

When was the last time you gave your company a checkup? Any doctor will tell you that annual physical exams are essential to your ongoing health and are the best way to reduce and resolve health issues before they become critical. The same is true for your business.  When was the last time your human resources department had a checkup? This session is designed to help you identify potential compliance risks with your current policies and practices – from recruiting, to pay practices, to leaves of absence – before they become critical.

Shhhh! Not at Work! Controversial Topics in the Modern Workplace. Get comfortable – or uncomfortable – we are tackling the cringe worthy controversial workplace topics you know your employees are talking about at work. We will cover topics including abortion, guns, domestic violence (Depp and Heard trial), politics, war, and more. This session will address how these controversial topics may create legal exposures for your business you may not have thought about. You won’t want to miss this!

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.

Lauren Sobaski 

Lauren Sobaski focuses her practice on employment discrimination and related litigation, employment law training, wage and hour law, and business immigration compliance. Prior to engaging in the practice of law, Lauren spent 15 years in human resource management. This experience gives her a unique insight into the employment law matters that are most important to her clients. Lauren regularly advises employers with business compliance matters, including representing clients during government audits by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division (WHD). She also conducts I-9 and E-Verify compliance training, performs I-9 audits and speaks on workplace immigration topics.

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.