Plunkett Cooney will conduct a complimentary webinar that will provide an update on the current status of the Affordable Care Act and its continued impact on employers.

The webinar will be Thursday, Nov. 13, beginning at noon Eastern time.

Labor and employment law attorney Gary W. Francis will provide an update on the ACA.

The webinar will include a refresher on the law and its basic concerns for employers, an outline of the law’s 2014 regulations and finalized guidance on how to implement the law, a summary of the recordkeeping and reporting obligations for employers, and a discussion of what is on the horizon, as well as upcoming issues for employers when the ACA timeline moves to completion.

Register for the webinar.

A new rule issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will significantly increase the type of injuries that must be reported to the agency.

A report in The National Law Review says that the new rule will require employers to notify OSHA of any workplace fatalities within eight hours and to report all hospitalizations, plus any injuries that result in amputations or loss of an eye within 24 hours.

The rule will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, for workplaces under federal OSHA jurisdiction, The National Law Review reports. OSHA is encouraging States with OSHA-approved job safety and health programs to implement the new requirements by the same date, but employers will need to verify State plan changes or contact legal counsel for more information.

Read the story.

Stephen Dwyer, general counsel for the American Staffing Association, had a blunt warning for staffing companies and employers hiring temporary workers: “OSHA is on the lookout. You are going to be much more susceptible in terms of your contracts with staffing agencies and training for temporary workers,” when he spoke to the Safety Leadership Conference recently.

Dwyer told the conference that OSHA will be examining the contracts between companies that hire contract workers and the staffing companies that supply them, the hazard assessments that are conducted for workplaces staffed with temporary workers and the general safety and site-specific training provided to temporary workers, reports EHS Today.

Ed Foulke,  a partner in Fisher & Phillips, also addressed the conference. He told of one of his clients who drew OSHA scrutiny of safety for temporary workers after a temp was killed on the job two hours into his shift on the first day of work.

Read the story.

Recent headlines show that corporate management and general counsel should have policies in place to root out potential employee wrongdoing and to do so quickly, reports JDSupra Business Business Advisor.

It is most important for companies to have clear procedures for reporting wrongdoing, JDSupra says on its website.

“No company can take steps to investigate or manage improprieties it knows nothing about. Every company should have written procedures and periodic training on internal reporting procedures. Employees should understand the personnel to whom issues should be raised, and they should be encouraged to speak up when they have concerns about malfeasance. Often, it is necessary to have both a separate department tasked with handling these concerns as well as a clear chain of command within each department,” JDSupra continues.

Read the story.

Littler Mendelson will present a free webinar on employer responsibility requirements imposed by the Affordable Care Act.

The webinar will be Tuesday, Dec. 16, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

On its website, the firm says that in 2015, employers with 100 or more full-time employees will be required to comply with the employer responsibility requirements imposed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

In this webinar, Littler attorneys will review these pay or play rules, and will discuss what is in store for employers beyond 2015. From the phasing out of transitional relief to the Cadillac tax, presenters will explain how employers should continue preparing for what the ACA has in store for years to come.

Register for the webinar.

Susan Hatmaker and Aimee Rainwater of Hatmaker Law Group will present a free employment law webinar discussing the  latest updates for employee handbooks.

The 60-minute webinar will be on Wednesday, November 19, 2014, beginning at noon Pacific time.

The Hatmaker Law Group’s monthly webinars serve as educational opportunities for employers, owners, managers, accountants, attorneys, and human resource professionals to stay current with up-to-date information on important California employment law issues.

For more information, contact Laura Dakin at (559) 374-0077 or email laura@hatmakerlaw.com

Ballard Spahr presents a complimentary on-demand webinar on dealing with employment issues involving workers’ religious beliefs.

On its website, the firm says that the fact that employees hold diverse religious beliefs has long been a given for employers. But what happens when religious beliefs and practices affect employee behavior at work, or conflict with employer practices and policies?

This webinar reviews the various regulations governing religious expression in the workplace and discusses recent cases addressing issues such as reasonable religious accommodations, dress codes, and the Affordable Care Act contraceptive mandate.

Watch the on-demand webinar.

Squire Sanders has made available online a free webinar that addresses developments in courts’ treatment of military leave, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The program also provides practical guidance for employers managing employee leave in light of evolving requirements, the firm says on its website.

Presenters are Squire Sanders partner D. Lewis Clark, Jr.; and lawyers Tara A. Aschenbrand and Traci L. Martinez.

Topics include

• Military leave overview, practical implications and policy changes
• FMLA overview, intermittent leave and ADA implications
• ADA developments and reasonable accommodations
• Risks and benefits of third party administrators overseeing employee leave

Watch the on-demand webinar.

Wolfsdorf Rosenthal has posted a free on-demand webinar about issues regarding visas and green cards for artists and entertainers.

On its website, the firm says this session explores the O & P visas and EB-11 green card categories as well as strategies for successful processing for various artists of extraordinary ability in the arts including the film, television, music and entertainment.

In addition, there is an in-depth insight into how to qualify and meet the various eligibility criteria, along with a general overview of application procedures including obtaining advisory opinions and timelines.

The moderator is Cliff Rosenthal.

Watch the on-demand webinar.

Susan Hatmaker of Hatmaker Law Group, along with guest speaker Eric Andersen, CSM of L.L. Andersen Consulting, will present a free employment law webinar discussing the top three safety compliance issues that employers face today.

They will also explore methods for preventing workplace violence.

The 60-minute webinar will be Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014, beginning at noon Pacific time.

The Hatmaker Law Group’s monthly webinars serve as educational opportunities for employers, owners, managers, accountants, attorneys, and human resource professionals to stay current with up-to-date information on important California employment law issues.

For more information, contact Laura Dakin at (559) 374-0077.

Register for the webinar.

McDonald Hopkins has posted online the third webinar in its series of “Avoiding Common Employment Mistakes” sessions designed to provide practical strategies to handle tough employment issues, including advice and solutions for real-life compliance issues.

On its website, the firm says that, faced with aggressive governmental agencies and increasingly knowledgeable employees, employers must be prepared with effective offensive and defensive strategies for addressing employment-related issues.

This webinar discusses recognizing when the ADA is triggered, effectively engaging in the interactive process and providing reasonable accommodations, properly involving medical personnel and opinions when required, and properly documenting ADA situations.

Watch the on-demand webinar.

Littler Mendelson will present a free webinar explaining the portions of the ACA that make workforce restructuring so attractive.

The webinar will be Tuesday, Oct. 21, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

On its website, Littler Mendelson says that under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers with 100 or more full-time employees may find themselves paying large penalties in 2016 if they do not provide their employees with minimum essential coverage in 2015 that is both affordable and provides minimum value.

Many employers are exploring the possibility of restructuring their workforces to minimize this penalty risk, the firm says. Besides explaining the portions of the ACA that make workforce restructuring so attractive, Littler attorneys will discuss the risks and possible benefits that may come along with restructuring a workforce.

Register for the webinar.

Hirschfeld Kraemer will present a free webinar designed to help employers seeking an LGBT-inclusive workplace and the challenges they face.

The 90-minute webinar will be Tuesday, Sept. 9, beginning at noon Pacific time.

The webinar will include an update on the status of the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act; ERISA compliance issues and tax implications for employers and employees with respect to benefits provided to employees in same-sex marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships; coverage of non-discrimination laws for LGBT employees; and policies and practices in the everyday life of a workplace (harassment and bullying, confidentiality, restrooms, employee) that H.R. departments need to know.

Register for the webinar.

Davis, Brown, Koehn, Shors & Roberts, P.C. has posted a complimentary on-demand webinar discussing compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Amendments to the ADA have expanded the law’s coverage and employers’ responsibilities under the law, the firm says on its website.

“This session will help you understand your responsibilities under the ADA,” according to the website. “During the session, we will focus on case studies and real world scenarios to help prepare you for ADA compliance.”

Watch the webinar.

Hatmaker Law Group presents free monthly employment law webinars, providing educational opportunities for employers, owners, managers, accountants, attorneys and human resource professionals to stay current with up-to-date information on important California employment law issues.

September’s topic is “How To Conduct Workplace Investigations That Hold Up In Court.”

The webinar will be Wednesday, Sept. 17, from noon until 1 p.m. Pacific time.

Register online at www.hatmakerlaw.com/events/.

Or Contact: Laura Dakin at (559) 374-0077 or email laura@hatmakerlaw.com

HR.com will present a complimentary webcast on verifying past employment and education and obtaining references. The webinar will be Thursday, Sept. 4, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Les Rosen, Attorney and CEO of Employment Screening Resources, will be the presenter.

On its website, HR.com says this workshop reviews legal and effective technique for the reference checking process and how to verify education and spot phony credentials. There are now even web sites where applicants can purchase very convincing fake eduction and employment histories, complete with authentic looking documentation and live operators who will verify the false information. New technologies and approaches will also be reviewed, as well as special issue involving international credentials and the role of Web 2.0 in the process, HR.com says.

Register for the webinar.

Equifax will present a complimentary webinar on the top risks in the I-9 and E-Verify process and how employers can avoid them. The webinar will be Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

Equifax says the Form I-9 isn’t long, but it’s jam-packed with risk. Additionally, E-Verify is auditing your data, conducting reviews of your E-Verify practices and when appropriate refers cases to the other agencies for audit. How can an HR professional make sure the entire hiring practice is compliant? In a world where audits are more frequent, penalties can be expensive, and brand recognition can be tarnished by even the smallest of irregularities, it’s wise to know the top errors to watch for in I-9 and E-Verify compliance. Even seemingly small errors can leave your company exposed to fines and penalties, Equifax says on its website.

This session will explore the Top 10 most common errors in I-9 and E-Verify compliance and offer compliance hints and remediation steps to help make sure your workplace avoids these lurking traps.

Get more information and register for the webinar.

Whether you’re bringing on a new hire or renegotiating a current employee’s contract, you need to stay on the legal level in negotiations, writes FindLaw on its website. Brett Snider wrote the article for FindLaw’s Free Enterprise blog.

As Forbes reports, many employers are getting pretty brazen with how they (mis)treat potential employees in salary negotiations or interviews, the posting says. But you don’t want to begin your employee-employer relationship to begin on tenuous or legally shaky ground.

The five tips include: “Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep” and “Be Open to Changing Boilerplate Clauses.”

Read the article.

Michael Elkon of Fisher & Phillips presented a webinar about non-compete agreements, trade secrets and computer protection laws.

The free webinar is now available on-demand.

In a world where employees can take valuable trade secrets on a flash drive that fits on a key chain or using an email that can be the proverbial needle in a haystack of a sent folder, companies have to focus on protecting their trade secrets on the front end, Fisher & Phillips says on its website.

Additionally, in an economy where relationships and information take precedence, it is critical for a company to both retain its employees entrusted with those assets and also effectively recruit talent from competitors in a legally sound manner.

View the webinar.

Epstein Becker Green and EBG Advisors, as part of the Thought Leaders in Population Health Speaker Series, will host a complimentary webinar on emerging trends in value-based purchasing in health care.

The webinar will be Tuesday, August 26, beginning at noon Eastern time.

The session, Population Health Strategies for Employer-Based Coverage, will assess how employers and other health plan sponsors are developing new programs to promote enhanced clinical and financial outcomes for the groups and populations they manage. In particular, speakers will highlight how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is influencing population health management strategies for employer-based coverage.

The webinar will be led by two thought leaders from the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3): Francois de Brantes, MS, MBA, Executive Director; and Douglas Emery, MS, Program Implementation Leader, Western Region. Gretchen K. Young, Senior Vice President, Health Policy, The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), will also serve as a panelist and Adam Solander, Associate, Epstein Becker Green, will moderate the session.

Get more information and register for the webinar.