Southwest Florida Employment Law Blog : Southwest Florida Employment and Labor Lawyers & Attorneys for Discrimination Lawsuits and Civil Rights Cases in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs & Sanibel FL

Yesterday, Henderson Franklin's Employment Law Practice Group hosted the 20^th Anniversary of its HR Law & Solutions seminar at Sanibel Harbour Resort.  The seminar was a great success!  Over 300 attendees heard presentations on a variety of law topics, including retaliation, workers' compensation, and immigration, and they tested their skills in a lively game of "Employment Law Jeopardy."  We also welcomed back the hilarious Sean Carter, "Humorist at Law," to rave reviews, and inducted four new members into the HR Law & Solutions Hall of Fame.

We capped the day with a special surprise celebration, when Norman Love of Norman Love Confections arrived to present a giant, multi-level chocolate cake.  The entire cake -- even the law books and gavel -- was edible!  Attendees enjoyed the delicious cake along with a champagne toast. It was the perfect ending to our anniversary celebration.

To all who attended, I would like to extend a sincere thank you from all of us.  We couldn’t ask for a better group, and we look forward to 20 more years with you all!

Here are a few photos from the event.  For the complete album, be sure to visit our Facebook page.

Hall of Fame Inductees Frank Shore, Pam Fairfax, Donnie Laubheimer, and Chief Bill Lombardo.

Employment Law Jeopardy

Side view of the amazing Norman Love Confections cake

Champagne toast for our 20th Anniversary!

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Preparation for the 20th Anniversary HR Law & Solutions seminar is well under way, and we have reached record numbers -- with nearly a month to go!  As of this post, we have 295 attendees registered.  The good news is that we've secured additional space, so we can continue accepting registrations even after we hit 300.  The better news, for those of you who haven't registered, is that to celebrate the largest attendance in HR Law & Solutions history, we will give a prize to registrant #300 at the seminar!  If you haven't registered, please do soon!  This seminar is sure to be our best yet, and we are so excited to share everything we have planned with all of you.  Check out my previous post for the event schedule and details, and click here to register.  Looking forward to seeing you March 27!  

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I am excited to announce we have just opened registration for the 20th Anniversary of our HR Law & Solutions Seminar!  The seminar is March 27 at Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa.  Topics and speakers include:

• Employment Law and Legislative Update presented by Attorneys Robert Shearman and John Agnew
• First Report of Injury: Best Practices to Save Your Bottom Line presented by Attorneys Cora Molloy and David Roos
• DHS/DOL Immigration Audits: Is Your Company Ready? presented by Board Certified Immigration Lawyer Tulio Suarez 
• Dealing with the Retaliation Claim Boom presented by Board Certified Employment Lawyer John Potanovic
• Employment Law IQ: Test Your Knowledge and Issue Spotting Abilities presented by Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer Vicki Sproat and Attorney Suzanne Boy
• It's Not the Fruit, It's the Root presented by guest speaker Sean Carter, Humorist at Law.

Also, as I teased in my Save the Date post, we have some fun surprises up our sleeves, including a surprise guest and a special 20th Anniversary celebration!  Download the seminar brochure here.  Click here to register.  Can't wait to see you all!

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Henderson Franklin is so excited to announce the 20th Annual HR Law & Solutions seminar will take place March 27, 2012 at Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa.  To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we have several great topics planned, we are bringing back the hilarious Sean Carter, and we might just have a few surprises up our sleeves! 

Registration will open in the beginning of February.  Thank you for your continued support of our seminar -- we are looking forward to making it the best yet, and can't wait to share all we have planned with you.

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Last week, we hosted the 19th Annual HR Law & Solutions seminar.  We welcomed a huge crowd and, for the first time, two fabulous guest speakers.  Paul Macleish got the day started off right (bagpipes anyone?!), and Dr. Rick Goodman finished the day with a bang.  In between, attendees learned about new cases, the FLSA, worker's compensation, and GINA from Henderson Franklin attorneys.

We inducted three new members into the HR Law & Solutions Hall of Fame:  Lori Burke of INgage Networks, Anna Evans of Lykes Insurance, and Sandie Peterson of Markham Norton.  Our Hall of Fame recognizes attendees for their contribution to our seminar, and to the HR field in Southwest Florida. 

Anna Evans, Sandie Peterson, Lori Burke

A packed house!

You can checkout our Facebook page for more photos.  We want to thank everyone who attended for helping make the event such a success.  A very special thanks goes out to our generous lunch sponsor, Lykes Insurance.  Your continued support and partnership means so much to us!

Plans are already underway for next year's seminar -- our 20th anniversary celebration!   

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By now I hope you have registered for our 19th Annual HR Law & Solutions Seminar, as we are at full capacity with a wait list!  Inevitably, though, we will have a few cancellations, so if you haven't registered yet and would like to attend please contact Gail Lamarche ASAP.  We have so many exciting things planned, and don't forget the 5.75 HRCI Strategic Credits. Check out the agenda here.

For the first time, we will have live Twitter updates throughout the seminar, provided mostly by the fabulous Lori Burke on the HR Collier feed.  We will use #swflhrlaw and #shrm as hashtags.  If you're in the audience, feel free to join in! 

Finally, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to send in their questions for the breakout sessions in advance.  We will, of course, field live questions at the seminar, but if you want to send them in now please email them to me at suzanne.boy@henlaw.com. 

See you Tuesday!

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We are less than three weeks away from the 19th Annual HR Law & Solutions Seminar, and thanks to an overwhelming (and record-setting!) response, we are only 10 spots away from being at full capacity.  If you haven't signed up and want to attend, register here, or contact Gail Lamarche at gail.lamarche@henlaw.com as soon as possible. 

As I've told mentioned before, we are featuring two fabulous guest speakers this year.  I profiled the first, Paul Macleish, in this post last month.  I want to take a minute to profile our second guest speaker, Dr. Rick Goodman:

What can an ex-team physician for the St. Louis Rams teach local business owners and HR professionals?  Dr. Rick Goodman's high-energy speeches are designed for companies of all sizes that want to maximize their potential. Dr. Rick has been working and studying with some of the most successful people and organizations in the world for over 20 years. He has developed unique and effective systems that help organizations.

In 1995, Dr. Rick became a medical staff member for two professional sports teams, the St. Louis Rams and the St. Louis Ambush. After selling his medical practice, Dr. Rick worked with two of the largest corporations in America, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing Corporation, where he implemented strategies to form and execute self-directed work teams. Throughout the project, he worked directly with leaders from all branches of the armed services to increase the productivity of all employees, maximize efficiency, and cut costs. During the first two years, Dr. Rick saved each company several million dollars and even prevented layoffs at all of their facilities.

Dr. Rick doesn't speak, teach, or train from the text book but passionately shares his life's stories and experiences with laughter and fun. Click here for a YouTube sneak peak.

We are very excited to welcome Dr. Rick to our seminar, and we think attendees are in for a real treat.  See you soon!

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Register now to attend the 19th Annual HR Law & Solutions Seminar, sponsored by Henderson Franklin's Employment Law Practice Group. The seminar will be held on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at the Pelican Preserve Country ClubClubhouse in Fort Myers, Florida. Registration and continental breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m. Topics and speakers include:

• Becoming a True Strategic Partner by Guest Speaker Paul Macleish
• Case Law & Legislative Update by Robert C. Shearman, Esq. and John D. Agnew, Esq.
• The FLSA and the "Gotcha Dilemma" by John F. Potanovic, Esq.
• Return to Work: Workers' Compensation Strategies for Progressive/Aggressive HR Professionals by Cora C. Molloy, Esq. and David H. Roos, Esq.
• GINA at Work: What You Need to Know Now About the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act by Suzanne M. Boy, Esq.
• Leadership in Action by Guest Speaker Dr. Rick Goodman

Registration fee is $25.00 per person and includes the seminar materials, a continental breakfast, plated lunch and valet parking. Lunch is generously sponsored by Lykes Insurance.

*HRCI has approved this course for 5.75 strategic business certification hours*  The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the  of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.

Click here to register.  Contact Gail Lamarche, Henderson Franklin's Marketing Director, with any questions.  Gail can be reached at 239.344.1186 or gail.lamarche@henlaw.com. 

Check back with us in the next few weeks as we profile guest speaker Dr. Rick Goodman, and preview some of the other sessions.  We can't wait to see everyone!

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We are very close to opening registration for the 19th Annual HR Law & Solutions seminar and we couldn't be more excited!  We have a lot of great things planned this year, including, for the first time, TWO guest speakers.  The first, Paul Macleish, is profiled below.  We will profile the second guest speaker in the coming weeks. 

Our first guest speaker, Paul Macleish, is originally from the Scottish border.  Paul is a seasoned human resource professional, leadership coach, facilitator, author and motivational speaker. Paul created Achieve Leadership,® a company which specializes in creating and sustaining a culture of leadership excellence through sound business practices, good people skills, human resource best practices and great mentorship, development and guidance. 

Paul is an authority on the subject of developing world-class leaders to meet the challenges of today and the vision of tomorrow.   He was involved in the leadership development performance excellence strategies at Walt Disney World®, which helped transform the Disney® culture to a culture of high leadership performance and accountability.

Paul's presentation "Becoming a True Strategic Partner" will help attendees:

• understand why they need to become strategic partners
• understand how to identify key business needs that will help align participants as a strategic partner
• build an awareness of influencing skills and how to build alliances in the workplace
• understand the importance of the company vision, mission and goals and how to use them on a daily basis
• understand how to have a greater strategic impact with your boss, team and peers and elevate your professional reputation within the workplace.

Check back next week for registration, and for a very exciting announcement about the HRCI credits that will be available to attendees this year.  Make sure to register early, as last year we were near full capacity with 280 attendees.  Thank you so much for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you all Tuesday, April 26, 2011.

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This has been a very exciting year for all of us here in Henderson Franklin's Employment Law Practice Group.  Early in 2010 we started this blog, Southwest Florida HR Law & Solutions, the first employment law blog in Southwest Florida.  In April 2010 we hosted our 18th Annual HR Law & Solutions Seminar, and presented to a record 280 attendees.  The practice group has grown to include five attorneys, and we have had the privilege of not only working with our many long-standing clients, but establishing relationships with numerous new clients. 

Looking ahead to 2011, we have many exciting things on the horizon.  First up is a presentation on January 26, 2010 at Charlotte County SHRM.  In March, we will be sponsoring the HRMA of Southwest Florida luncheon here in Fort Myers.  On April 26, 2011 (SAVE THE DATE!) we will host the 19th Annual HR Law & Solutions Seminar at Pelican Preserve.  While it will be hard to top the 2010 seminar, we are already hard at work planning the agenda.  In 2011 we will feature two guest speakers, who will be profiled here in the coming weeks.  Later in the year we will host another Executive Forum.  In addition to our speaking engagements, I will be updating the blog more frequently -- I have been collecting articles, news stories, and other tidbits for upcoming posts.

Thank you all for your support over this past year.  We are very much looking forward to 2011 -- Happy New Year everyone!

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I am in Chicago attending the ABA 4th Annual Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference.  We are a little more than halfway through the conference and I have gathered all sorts of great material for this blog, and for our next HR Law & Solutions seminar (scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at Pelican Preserve Country Club in Fort Myers).

In the meantime, I thought I'd do a quick "preview-of-things-to-come" based on issues that have been addressed at the Conference: 

• Top 5 ADAAA Compliance Tips for Employers (if you recall my previous post on EEOC enforcement of the ADAAA you know you want to pay close attention!). 
• Emerging issues top employment litigators expect to explode:  social media and resulting discrimination claims; privacy in the workplace; and, misclassification of employees as independent contractors.
• GINA, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.  The EEOC is *this close* to issuing its final regulations, which should be out no later than next week.  If you don't know what GINA is you'll definitely want to pay attention to this blog over the next few weeks. 
• The next wave in FLSA litigation?  Issues over whether work communications on mobile devices count as compensable time.
• Also, check out the Department of Labor's FLSA Fact Sheet #13.  It's not new but a very useful tool for determining whether an employer-employee relationship exists.
• Watch out for a growing number of national origin discrimination cases based on English language/fluency requirements and/or accent discrimination.
• #1 thing employers should do upon learning of an employee's discrimination/harassment complaint?  You MUST complete a thorough, fast, and unbiased investigation. 

These are some of the top hot-button items discussed at the Conference.  If you see anything that piques your interest or that you would like to see as a topic at HR Law & Solutions in April, please let me know.  I will follow up with more detail on many of these topics here in the coming weeks.

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Last night, we hosted our latest Executive Forum here at Henderson Franklin's conference center.   An Executive Forum, for those of you who are not familiar, is a small gathering of human resources and other business professionals sponsored by our Employment Law Practice Group.  Attendees join us for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, networking, and a presentation on varied topics of interest in the employment law world. 

About 25 professionals joined us last night for a presentation by Rob Teas of CIGNA on everyone's favorite hot-topic -- the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Rob shared a lot of great information, including several tips for employers as they tackle this massive legislation.  Among Rob's tips?  Employers should review coverage once "essential benefits" are defined; consider the benefits of self-funding, especially for small businesses; and assess the value of "Grandfathered" status on a plan-by-plan basis given the interim final regulations.

Also worth a special mention is the retirement of Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida's HR Director, Becky Hayes-Foriest.  Becky retires at the end of 2010 after 31 years with Goodwill.  Becky, who is pictured below (center) with Steve Csotty of WilsonMiller and Charlotte King of Hope Hospice and Community Services, was recognized by John Potanovic and presented with a gorgeous gift basket from Norman Love Confections.  We wish Becky all the best in her retirement.

If you are interested in attending our next Executive Forum, which will be held sometime in early 2011, please let me know.  We would love to have you!

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Henderson Franklin's Employment Law Practice Group welcomed a record 280 attendees to its annual HR Law & Solutions Seminar on April 27, 2010.  Attendees learned about the latest case law and legislative updates, the risks and rewards of social media plus tips on crafting a social media policy, and the top 10 ways to protect the bottom line when dealing with workers' compensation claims.  After lunch, Sean Carter had everyone laughing out loud with his hilarious "Cleaning Up the Stress Mess" presentation.

We also recognized our first HR Law & Solutions "Hall of Fame" class.  This very special class includes those attendees who were acknowledged for their tenure and contribution to our seminar.  Congratulations, and thank you to each member.  Pictured from left to right:  Jane Rawson, Peggy Taylor, Susan Merris, Richard Intartaglio, Karen Anderson, Teresa Dudek, Steve Csotty, Charlotte King, and Becky Hayes-Foriest.  Also included but not pictured:  Sabra Smith.

We would like thank everyone who attended this year's HR Law & Solutions Seminar.  Plans for next year are already in the works.  Check back here for an announcement of the date soon.

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Register now for the 18th Annual HR Law & Solutions Seminar.  This seminar, sponsored by Henderson Franklin's Employment Law Practice Group, will be held on April 27, 2010 at the Pelican Preserve Country Club Clubhouse in Fort Myers, Florida.  Registration and continental breakfast begin at 7:45 a.m.  Topics include:

• Employment Law and Legislation Update, presented by John F. Potanovic, Esq. and Robert C. Shearman, Esq.
• Social Not-Working, presented by Suzanne M. Boy, Esq. and John D. Agnew, Esq.
• Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Bottom Line When Dealing with Workers' Compensation Claims, presented by Cora C. Molloy, Esq. and David H. Roos, Esq.
• Cleaning Up the Stress Mess, presented by Sean Carter, Esq.
• Breakout Sessions

The seminar has been approved for by HRCI 4 recertification credits. "The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit."

Contact Gail Lamarche, Henderson Franklin's Marketing Director, with any questions.  Gail can be reached at 239.344.1186 or gail.lamarche@henlaw.com. 

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Henderson Franklin's Employment Law Practice Group will present the 18^th Annual HR Law & Solutions Seminar on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at Pelican Preserve in Fort Myers.

Topics this year include:  

• Employment Law and Legislative Update, an update on new court decisions and significant legislation impacting employers, presented by John F. Potanovic and Robert C. Shearman. 
• Social Not-Working, a session dedicated to helping employers understand the legal risks associated with social media in the workplace, with practical solutions on how to monitor employee online activity and create effective social media policies, presented by Suzanne M. Boy and John D. Agnew.
• Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Bottom Line from Workers' Compensation Claims, a useful guide to assist employers in protecting themselves from losses resulting from workers' compensation claims, presented by Cora C. Molloy and David H. Roos.
• Cleaning up the Stress Mess, a fun and laughter-filled presentation on how to help avoid stress and burnout in the workplace, presented by nationally-recognized "Humorist at Law" Sean Carter.

The fee is $25.00, which includes a continental breakfast and a plated lunch. HRCI credits will be available. Registration information will be available on this blog and on the Henderson Franklin website shortly.

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