Employment law/HR is a minefield of risks-it is full of traps for the unwary. This K&S program offers an update on hot button issues that Massachusetts employers face, along with a review of best practices. Join us for a discussion regarding issues relating to wage and hour laws, Massachusetts leave law, and NLRB decisions that affect private employers.

Agenda

PANEL 1: Wage and Hour: Best Practices & Considerations

  • Understanding Employees’ Rights With Respect To Final Pay
  • Termination Decisions And Management Training
  • Employee Protections Against Retaliation After Raising Concerns Regarding Wages
  • Commissions v. Bonuses
  • Drafting Vacation And Sick Time Policies
  • Employee Classifications
    • Independent Contractors
    • Exempt v. Non-Exempt
  • Wage Theft Bill

PANEL 2: Leaves of Absence & Reasonable Accommodations: Everything Employers Should Know

  • Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave Act: An Overview
    • Employee Right To Return To Work
    • Rebuttable Presumption Of Retaliation
    • Topping Off PFML Benefits
  • Family & Medical Leave Act: An Overview
  • Drafting The Best Leave Policies
  • Reasonable Accommodations
  • Best Practices For Employers To Keep In Mind

PANEL 3: Recent National Labor Relations Board Decisions & Their Inevitable Impact On Private Sector Employers

  • Workplace Polices: A Sword Or A Shield?
  • Employee Handbooks: The Lens Via Which Workplace Policies Should Be Drafted
  • Confidentiality Restrictions
  • Non-Disparagement Provisions
  • NLRB’s Joint Employer Rule

Faculty

BRITTANY DARCY is an Associate at Kenney & Sams, PLLC with broad experience in commercial litigation and arbitration, employment law, corporate disputes, construction, and general business law. Brittany has been honored with awards for several facets of her practice, establishing her reputation as a compassionate and strategic advocate in complex employment, family, and commercial litigation matters.

MICHELLE DE OLIVEIRA is a Director at Kenney & Sams, PLLC, where she advises on all aspects of employment-related matters from drafting employment agreements and handbooks to conducting internal investigations and litigating complex issues before state and federal courts and agencies. Michelle guides management in issues relating to leaves of absence, employee discipline, hiring and firing decisions, accommodations, and any other management need. She has authored numerous articles addressing employment law issues and has received multiple accolades for her contributions to the field

CHRISTOPHER A. KENNEY, a co-founder of Kenney & Sams, PLLC, is a nationally recognized litigator and mediator assisting organizations and individuals across diverse industries including real estate, construction, manufacturing, health care, pharmaceuticals, and hospitality. As the former President of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association (Massachusetts chapter), and Director of the IADC Trial Academy, he is a respected authority in the legal community.

DAVID KERRIGAN, a Director at Kenney & Sams, PLLC, is a litigator with three decades of experience both asserting and defending challenges to state regulations and statutes, and civil rights claims. He advises individuals and groups on contract claims, employment disputes and discrimination, prevailing wage issues, independent contractor classification issues, breach of lease claims franchise litigation, professional licensing issues, and more.

LAURA M. RAISTY, a Partner at Kenney & Sams, PLLC, counsels and defends employers in employment law matters. Laura has decades of experience advising companies of all sizes, including non-profits, on how to handle workplace disputes involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblowing, wrongful termination, breach of contract, and wage and hour matters. She also handles the full range of employment-related litigation, arbitration, and mediation matters before courts, administrative agencies, and other tribunals.

HERLING ROMERO, an Associate at Kenney & Sams, PLLC, is a rising star in the employment law arena. A skilled litigator and counselor, he advises defendants and plaintiffs on employment matters related to wage and hour, allegations of discrimination and harassment, accommodations, and other workplace disputes.

GREG VANDEN-EYKEL, a Partner at Kenney & Sams, PLLC, counsels companies on all aspects of the employer-employee relationship. Often serving as outside general employment counsel, Greg guides management in all employment related needs including contracts, employee handbooks personnel policies, non-competition agreements, workplace safety, employee discipline, and hiring and terminations. He also represents employers in litigation before state and federal bodies.