Employer Resource Institute Webinar

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
10:30 a.m. to Noon Pacific

Order Option       Price   1. Live Conference       $219       2. Live Conference + CD Recording       $299       3. CD Recording Only       $219

Dealing with family and medical leave requests can cause more headaches for employers than almost any other HR issue.

It's doubly difficult in California, because you're forced to comply with both the federal FMLA and the state CFRA. And the two don't always agree:

• Under federal rules, you can ask employees why they're taking paid leave - but you can't ask in California unless the workers are requesting sick leave.
• California passed its own law governing leave for pregnancy-related disabilities that, combined with other types of family leave, can mean up to 29 weeks of combined time off.
• Federal FMLA forms allow doctors to indicate a diagnosis showing why an employee needs leave, but California law forbids this unless your employee consents. (You're even prohibited from asking for second opinions, in some cases.)
• Under California law, your workers may request leave to care for registered domestic partners - but not under FMLA.
• One California rule says that, if both parents work for you, you can limit their combined leave for a child's birth, adoption, or foster placement to 12 weeks in a 12-month period. But that contradicts another state law that forbids discrimination based on marital status.

Join us on March 17 for a 90-minute webinar specifically for California employers. As an added bonus, you'll receive sample policies that you can adapt for your California workplace to avoid these leave "gotchas." You'll learn:

• How to comply with the basic rules governing family and medical leave in California
• The key areas where FMLA and CFRA regulations don't mesh - and what you should do in these situations to avoid legal trouble
• The impact of 2009's sweeping FMLA changes on California employers, from the new "exigency" military leaves to changes in notice requirements
• What you're now allowed to do in the state to document and verify the medical details about a worker's leave request
• How you should handle pregnancy-related leave requests to comply with both federal and state rules
• The current state rules governing leave requests to care for domestic partners (e.g., the effect of the current Prop 8 court battle on these rules)
• How you can review and adapt the sample policies included with this webinar to sidestep FMLA/CFRA worries like a pro

About Your Speaker:

Charles L. Thompson, Esq., is a partner in the San Francisco office of law firm Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PC. Ogletree Deakins is one of America's largest law firms that focuses its practice exclusively in the arena of labor and employment law. Thompson has extensive litigation and trial experience defending employers in federal and state courts, and he advises them on complying with the full range of employment and labor law matters. He teaches labor and employment law at San Francisco Law School. Thompson earned his law degree from the University of Texas.

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). This program is also a California-specific continuing education activity for PHR-CA and SPHR-CA recertification. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.

The Employer Resource Institute is an approved MCLE Multiple Activity Provider, and this program has been approved for 1.5 hours of MCLE credit by the State Bar of California. For more information, please contact our customer service department at (800) 695-7178.

Bonus Offer

As an additional benefit, you will receive a no-risk trial subscription to Employment Law Compliance for California Supervisors when you register for this webinar (or purchase a CD recording). Each month, you'll receive copies of the current issue to share with your front-line supervisors. If you want to continue to receive the newsletter, simply pay the invoice you will receive in the mail. If you decide the newsletter isn't for you, just write cancel on the invoice and return it. You will owe nothing, and all issues you receive are yours to keep. As with all ERI products, your satisfaction is guaranteed 100%. (Offer good for new subscribers only.)

How Do Webinars Work?

A webinar is remarkably cost-effective and convenient. You participate from your office, using a regular telephone and a computer with an Internet connection. You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time.

Plus, for one low price, you can get as many people in your office to participate as you can fit around a speakerphone and a computer screen.

Because the conference is live, you can ask the speakers questions - either on the phone or via the webinar interface.

You will receive access instructions via e-mail several days before the event. You don't need any additional materials before the webinar starts. Your conference materials will be available for you to view, print, and download when you log in to participate in the event.

Why You Can Sign Up To Attend This Event with Confidence

As with all Employer Resource Institute products, you're completely protected. If for any reason you are unsatisfied with this webinar, simply let us know and we will return your entire registration fee.