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May 1, 2014, was not a typical day in the office for us. We left our offices from across the state and headed to the Trump National Doral Hotel to join over 380 attendees at our 24th Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar.

Thanks to all the private and public sector employers who joined us-it was great to see so many friends who have joined us from past seminars and to meet first-time attendees who are now new friends. We may have taken a picture of you if you were an attendee. Check out our photos by clicking here.

For those who were unable to attend the seminar, some of our most popular sessions will be back for encore presentations at our Miami office beginning this Fall – stay tuned for details.

If you missed this seminar or attended but need a quick refresher, here are the top takeaways from our 16 presenters.

1. Bob Kofman The NLRB and EEOC Sand Traps: What’s Happening in 2014? The NLRB’s and the EEOC’s actions regarding employer policies require every private sector employer to quickly update their employee handbooks, employment policies and general releases.

2. Andy Rodman and Susan Toepfer  – Whiners or Winners? Whistleblowers Who “Tee Off” on Employers. Employers must know how to identify whistleblowers and give them the ability to resolve concerns internally.

3. Ingrid Ponce and Bob Turk – Employment Discrimination – Do Juries Carry A Full Set of Clubs? Juries will punish those employers who do not have or fail to follow written policies; fail to train supervisors to respond to and document employee issues; and who do not treat employees fairly.

4. Sharon Dixon – The Top 10 HR “Need to Knows” About the Affordable Care Act As We Drive Into 2015. Employers need to be prepared now in order to comply with the most expensive aspect of employer compliance with the Affordable Care Act – the pay or play rules starting next year.

5. Kara Nickel Avoiding The Rough When Dealing with “Family Responsibility” Issues. Human Resources must train managers and supervisors not to make assumptions about an employee’s commitment or ability to do the job because of the employee’s family responsibilities for children, spouse, an elderly parent or a disabled relative.

6. Eric Gabrielle and Tobi Lebowitz – Employee Privacy, “BYOD”, the Cloud and Social Media: Par is No Longer Acceptable for the Course. There are privacy laws that limit (but do not bar) an employer’s ability to electronically monitor their employees’ conduct.

7. Lisa Berg New Mental Disorders Could Lead To Spike In ADA Claims. Employers have an obligation to assess whether newly recognized mental disorders constitute disabilities that need to be accommodated.

8. Glenn Rissman – Avoiding Hazards On the Course, Understanding Immigration Options Before Extending An Offer of Employment. Finding the right “immigration fit” for foreign born employees depends on a variety of factors, including the nature of the job, the employee’s skills and education, the employee’s nationality and sometimes even the “nationality” of the business.

9. John Heber – Executive Employment Contracts – There Are No Mulligans (Do-Overs). Executive employment contracts need to be carefully drafted to consider the potentially huge effect tax laws and regulatory issues can have on the employer/employee relationship.

10. Freddy Perera and Rene Ruiz – “The Art of the Deal”: Negotiation and Psychology In The Workplace. Employers can learn how to achieve workplace and labor peace through proper negotiation techniques, psychology and some “common sense”.

11. Bayardo Alemán and Eric Roth – Is The Grass Greener With Your Competition? Drafting And Enforcing Covenants Not To Compete. A well drafted non-compete agreement can be a very effective tool for protecting business interests if an employer properly defines the scope of its restrictions.

A number of employers have contacted us to present their favorite sessions “in-house” directly to their management teams. If you are interested in holding one of your favorite seminar sessions as an in-house session at your business, please contact Aleesha Khan our Director of Marketing for details.