The publisher of your state's Employment Law Letter presents...

Doing Business in California Virtual Summit: What Non-California Employers Need to Know - on DVD

Does your orgainztion have a presence in California or employees working remotely from there? If so, you need to get up-to-speed on the state's unique employment laws, many of which are far more employee-friendly -- and complicated -- than laws elsewhere. Don't risk a costly lawsuit or administrative fine. Participate in this live interactive one-day online conference and get the latest on the Golden State's newest rules and regulations from top California employment lawyers, all without leaving your office.

You'll learn:

• How the state’s rough economic climate is affecting employment lawsuits
• California’s unique laws that impose personal liability for harassment
• Key differences between CFRA and FMLA
• How to treat interns and trainees under state minimum wage law
• How California privacy laws affect workplace searches and investigations
• And much, much more...

This lively satisfaction-guaranteed event packs hours full of real-world, practical, use-it-now guidance for employing in California. Order now!

Your Virtual Summit Agenda:

• Session 1: Passport, Please: The Realities of Doing Business in the Golden State
  8:00 a.m.-8:15 a.m. (All times Pacific)
• Session 2: Anti-Bias Law in California: What It Takes To Comply
  8:15 a.m.-9:15 a.m.
  
• Session 3: Employee Leave Laws: Navigating the Complexities in California
  9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
• Session 4: Wage & Hour: Avoid the Common Traps That Could Sink Your Business
  11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
• Session 5: Surviving the Not-So-Good, the Horrifically Bad, and the Downright Ugly of California Employment Law
  12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
• Session 6: Q & A with Conference Experts
  1:15 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

The publisher of your state's Employment Law Letter presents...

Doing Business in California Virtual Summit: What Non-California Employers Need to Know -- FULL AGENDA ON DVD

Session 1: 8:00 a.m.-8:15 a.m. (All times Pacific)
Passport, Please: The Realities of Doing Business in the Golden State
California: It’s a place like no other for employers. Especially if you’re new to the Golden State, it’s hard to get used to the state’s complicated array of employment laws -- many of which far exceed the scope of federal law. In the opening session, we’ll provide an overview of the legal issues, the regulatory environment, and the other factors that consistently create headaches for anyone who does business in California.  

• The Employee State: A look at the major laws and regulations that have earned California the well-deserved reputation of being the most employee-friendly state in the nation
• The legal climate surrounding class actions, and recent lessons learned from court rulings
• Jury awards gone wild: Understanding trends in the state’s jury awards -- and why California juries are awarding more money to plaintiffs than those in other states
• The impact of the Great Recession continues to affect California: Learn how the state’s rough economic climate is affecting employment law issues

Session 2: 8:15 a.m.-9:15 a.m.
Anti-Bias Law in California: What It Takes to Comply
Federal anti-bias laws go a long way toward protecting employees’ rights, but California’s laws go even further -– much further, in fact. In this session, you’ll learn just how the state and federal laws differ, and what it takes to keep your employment practices in compliance with California’s rules. Plus, find out the specifics of your obligation under state law A.B. 1825 to provide recurring sexual harassment training to your supervisors.

• State protected categories not covered by federal law
• California’s unique laws that impose personal liability for harassment
• How state law defines the difference between harassment and discrimination, and how the same conduct may be used as evidence of both
• How the recently expanded ADA compares to California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) -- and why plaintiff’s attorneys continue to prefer to sue under FEHA
• Latest court cases on FEHA’s obligation to engage in an interactive dialogue and provide reasonable accommodations
• Understanding California’s sexual harassment training requirements
• State laws and regulations that pertain to gay, lesbian, and transgender employees

Morning Break:  9:15 a.m.-9:30 a.m.

Session 3: 9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Employee Leave Laws: Navigating the Complexities in California
And you thought FMLA compliance was tough. California’s state family leave counterpart, the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), makes FMLA look like a walk in the park. From its convoluted notification rules to its certification requirements that essentially limit employers from asking for a diagnosis, CFRA presents all kinds of challenges for California employers. In this session, we’ll provide some clear guidance on how to manage the intricacies of the CFRA and other “only in California” leave laws and issues.

• Rundown of the various leave laws that are unique to California
• Staying compliant with the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) -- the state version of FMLA
• Key differences between CFRA and FMLA
• How pregnancy leave is handled under CFRA, and how it differs from FMLA
• How California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave law overlaps with FMLA, CFRA, and Paid Family Leave
• How to ensure compliance with California’s paid family leave program, which gives employees paid leave to care for a new child or seriously ill family member
• Your obligations under California’s kin care law

Extended Break:  10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m.

Session 4: 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Wage & Hour: Avoid the Common Traps That Could Sink Your Business
California has more wage/hour class-action lawsuits than any other state, and even actions brought by individual employees can be financially devastating. In this session, learn how to avoid some of the most common -- but costly -- wage & hour mistakes that even the savviest California employers tend to make.

• Why California is seeing more wage & hour actions than any other state
• How to comply with California’s strict laws regarding final paychecks
• How state law interprets work time, and the way in which you should compensate employees for their work
• Steps you can take to ensure your executive, administrative, professional, and sales employees are properly classified under the state’s tricky exempt/non-exempt rules -– and what to do if you discover they’re not
• Why the state’s overtime law is more generous than federal law, and the rules for calculating overtime the right way - so you don’t pay more overtime than is required
• The latest on the still-unsettled meal and rest break saga and how to best protect yourself in the meantime
• How to ensure compliance with California’s tricky travel time rules
• Scheduling arrangements you can –- and can’t -– make in regards to alternative workweeks
• Whether interns and trainees are exempt from state minimum wage law

Afternoon Break:  12:15 p.m.-12:30 p.m.

Session 5: 12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
Gotcha! Surviving the Not-So-Good, the Horrifically Bad, and the Downright Ugly of California Employment Law
California’s “bounty hunter law” exposes employers to multi-million-dollar lawsuits for the smallest of infractions. Making matters worse is the lengthy list of bewildering, only-in-California laws that you may not even be aware of. In this session, we’ll take a hard look at these and other onerous laws, and what you can do to boost your compliance and limit your liability.

• How the state’s Private Attorney General Act (aka “bounty hunter” law) works, and why it has led to an increase in the number of employee lawsuits
• Why non-compete clauses are generally a no-go in California –- and what you can do instead to protect your confidential info
• The secrets to creating an enforceable employment arbitration agreement in California
• No texting while driving: Are you – and your employees -- in compliance for work-related trips?
• How California privacy laws affect workplace searches and investigations
• Off-duty conduct: What you can and can’t prohibit -- and discipline for
• The questions you’re not allowed to ask regarding the criminal history of an applicant or employee
• Restrictions on drug and alcohol testing of applicants and employees

Plus, we’ll give you and your fellow attendees an opportunity to share your own experiences with dealing with and managing the state’s quirky employment laws.

Session 6: 1:15 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Q & A with Conference Experts
Listen to this Q&A session with experts in the field and get your toughest questions answered.

Your Virtual Summit Leaders

James S. Brown is a partner with the law firm of Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP and chairs the firm’s Employment and Labor Law Group. He has represented employers in matters before the California Labor Commissioner, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, city and county human rights commissions, California's Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, the National Labor Relations Board, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs of the U.S. Department of Labor, and the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Mr. Brown acts as local counsel for out of state corporations sued in California, or provides primary representation for management side litigants throughout California. He is on the Advisory Board of Contributors for the California Employment Law Letter and also routinely authors Employment Law Alerts and Employment Law Briefings articles for the firm.

Mark I. Schickman is a partner at Freeland Cooper & Foreman LLP in San Francisco. He concentrates on employment and labor law, litigating every type of employment matter and providing advice in avoiding liability for discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, union-related charges, and all other aspects of the employment relationship. He has served as president of the Bar Association of San Francisco and as governor of the State Bar of California – posts that keep him focused on the entire employment law landscape in California.

Cathleen S. Yonahara, an associate at Freeland Cooper & Foreman LLP in San Francisco, represents and advises clients in all areas of labor and employment law, including Title VII, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, the California Family Rights Act, and the Private Attorneys General Act in the state Labor Code. She represents employers in court and before government agencies, including the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and Cal-OSHA. Her cases commonly involve claims of employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and breach of contract. Her practice includes counseling clients on employee hiring, discipline and termination, as well as employment agreements, employee handbook policies, wage and hour laws, leaves of absence, and providing reasonable accommodation.