Family Responsibility Discrimination – bias against working parents and caregivers – is a hot issue right now. Going well beyond traditional family and medical leave concerns raised by working parents, FRD claims revolve around the idea that many more employees these days are juggling caregiver responsibilities, such as being responsible for aging parents, with their work for you.

What’s so urgent about this issue? More employees are learning about FRD, especially now that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has come out with a guidance specifically on this topic, and more lawyers are taking employers to court as a result. In fact, a University of California study found that FRD-related litigation jumped more than 400 percent from 1996 to 2005 – and, what’s even worse, employers lost more than half of those cases.

Join us on November 15 for this important audio conference, as our expert – an experienced employment attorney who’s helped his own clients understand (and prevent) FRD claims – will give you “plain-English” information on the legal do's and don’ts of FRD. He will explain the latest EEOC guidelines that apply to working parents and caregivers, as well as other legal theories such as “unlawful disparate treatment” that may trip you up. And, he’ll share what can go wrong when you deal with employees who are parents or caregivers so that you can avoid making the same mistakes.

You and Your Colleagues Will Learn:

• What “Family Responsibility Discrimination” means, in practical terms – and why this legal concept could cause you more trouble than traditional family and medical leave requests
• The specific types of FRD claims that workers are filing today (especially those that have carried the most weight in the cases lost by employers)
• Which federal and state laws – from the Family and Medical Leave Act to the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII – may apply in these cases
• How the recent FRD guidelines issued by the EEOC could change the way you treat workers who are parents or caregivers (and force you to re-write your HR policies in the process)
• Why men and pregnant women have now gained more power to sue their employers on the basis of FRD
• The everyday activities in your workplace that may be “triggers” leading to FRD claims and lawsuits – and the steps you must take to reduce your legal risks
• How you can train your managers to stop FRD claims before they start
• Why 2008 may be a banner year for FRD litigation – and practical steps you can take right now to help keep you out of court

Christopher M. Leh, Esq., is a partner in the Boulder, Colorado, office of law firm Holland & Hart. His labor and employment litigation practice includes defending employers against claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act and other federal and state laws. Also, he counsels employers on how to avoid discrimination and wage and hour claims, downsize and reorganize companies, and draft effective employee handbooks and policies. A frequent speaker on employment law issues, Leh is past co-chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law Committee. He earned his law degree from the New York University School of Law.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

How Do Audio Conferences Work?

Questions? Speak with a customer service representative.