Join HRMN for our Annual Seminar!
The Annual Seminar will be a packed day as Melody Rayl and other speakers from Fisher & Phillips, LLP hit on all your biggest HR sticking points. Did you attend the SHRM Conference but missed your preferred breakout? Still have questions? Missed the conference and want the experience?
Check out the schedule and session breakdown below!
Thank you to our sponsor MART - https://allieswelcome.com/
Tickets price includes lunch.
Keynote Sessions:
Creating a Culture of Inclusiveness – Improving Ourselves and Our Organizations. This session will explore what diversity means to your organization and discuss the impact of unconscious bias on creating a culture of diversity and inclusion. We will discuss strategies for overcoming our own biases and increasing opportunities for diversity and inclusion in our organization.
- Develop an understanding of what diversity and inclusion means and why it is important to your organization.
- Understand the concept of implicit bias and how it works to defeat a culture of diversity and inclusion.
- Develop strategies for overcoming implicit bias in ourselves and our organization.
Extra! Extra! The Latest News from Courts, Regulators and Congress! All three branches of government have been busy this year from SCOTUS to the DOL to legislators. We will have a discussion about these breaking topics ranging from the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to the National Labor Relations Act to wage and hour issues and more.
- Become familiar with recent EEOC guidance and National Labor Relations Board decisions on pressing workplace issues.
- Discuss legislative changes impacting the workplace and effect on workplace policies.
- Review recent court decisions interpreting existing employment law issues.
Unseen Disabilities – Accommodating Mental Health Conditions – As employee requests for accommodating mental health conditions and other unseen disabilities continue to rise, employers often find themselves searching for answers. This session will utilize video vignettes to provide practical information on recognizing the need for accommodations and the role of the interactive process in navigating these tricky issues.
- Identifying unseen disabilities.
- How to handle workplace accommodations for non-obvious disabilities.
- Effective tips for engaging in the interactive process.
Politics in the Workplace – This session will explore some of the issues employers may face with respect to what is expected to be unprecedented workplace tension during this election season, including a 10-Step Action Plan to assist employers in navigating these difficult issues.
- Understanding why political discourse in the workplace can quickly become disruptive and even unlawful.
- Dispel some common misconceptions regarding First Amendment rights and the impact of the NLRA on workplace political discussions.
- Develop a comprehensive action plan for addressing anticipating tensions among employees both before and after the election.
Schedule:
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:30 Welcome and Introductions
9:30-10:30 Creating a Culture of Inclusiveness – Improving Ourselves and Our Organizations
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:00 Extra! Extra! The Latest News from Courts, Regulators and Congress!
12:00 Lunch
12:30 - 12:55 MART Presentation
1:00-2:30 Unseen Disabilities – Accommodating Mental Health Conditions
2:30-2:45 Break
2:45-3:45 Politics in the Workplace
3:45-4:00 Wrap-Up!
Speakers:
Melody Rayl is a Partner in the Kansas City office of national Labor & Employment litigation firm Fisher Phillips. Her practice focuses on all aspects of employment litigation and counseling. She has successfully defended and tried cases in both state and federal courts and in arbitration. Melody’s practice includes defense of a variety of legal claims as well as handling employee defection and traditional labor matters. She also frequently advises on mitigation of risk in employment matters, provides training to her business clients on a variety of employment related topics and regularly counsels businesses through difficult situations with an eye to preventing lawsuits before they occur.
Samantha Monsees is a partner in the firm’s Kansas City office with an active litigation practice in state and federal courts. Samantha defends employers across multiple industries, including hospitality, manufacturing, construction and automotive dealers in claims arising from all aspects of the employment relationship. She is admitted in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. Samantha litigates wage and hour claims, workplace safety matters, and defends harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination claims brought under state or federal law. Samantha regularly provides advice and counsel to employers on day-to-day compliance issues and litigation avoidance, assists with regulatory audits and administrative complaints, facilitates internal investigations, conducts management training, and drafts employer policies and procedures that are tailored to clients’ needs.
Darian Doser is an associate in the Fisher Phillips’ Kansas City office and represents and advises clients in labor and employment-related matters. Darian enjoys understanding the unique needs of various businesses and assisting them in navigating both compliance issues and the litigation process in a way that is most beneficial for overall business needs. Darian has successfully defended cases with the EEOC and in arbitration. She also frequently advises clients on restrictive covenant issues and strategies for mitigating the negative impact of employee defections.
Harper Palmer is an Associate in Fisher Phillips’ Kansas City office, specializing in complex labor and employment law matters. With a focus on drafting comprehensive workplace policies and defending employers across diverse industries, Harper excels in all facets of employment-related litigation. Her expertise extends to collective bargaining negotiations, where she delivers strategic insights and exceptional representation. Harper is also adept at navigating the intricacies of government audits, routinely guiding clients through investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division (WHD). In addition to her legal practice, Harper often heads up speaking engagements on employment and labor law. She regularly addresses audiences of attorneys, business owners, and human resources professionals, providing invaluable guidance on a broad spectrum of workplace issues.
Sponsors:
The Manhattan Area Resettlement Team (MART), originally founded in 2021 as the "Manhattan Afghan Resettlement Team," began as a local initiative to support Afghan refugees relocating to Manhattan, Kansas. Over time, the organization expanded its mission to assist refugees from various countries, reflecting the growing global need for resettlement aid. MART focuses on helping refugees integrate fully into the local community, providing services like housing, employment support, language assistance, and access to mental health resources. To learn more, come to the seminar and visit them at their website, www.allieswelcome.com.
