Fisher Phillips partners Kenneth A. Knox, David Buchsbaum and Andrew Froman, as well as attorney Candice Pinares-Baez, recently spoke at the HR Florida Conference, held in Orlando. The HR Florida Conference & Expo is the annual conference of the HR Florida State Council, a state affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Each year the event attracts more than 1,500 human resource professionals and vendors throughout Florida and internationally, representing virtually every industry, and companies ranging from small businesses to large industrial centers.
Knox’s presentation, titled “Strategies to Improve Safety, Reduce OSHA Penalties, and Improve Company Profit,” focused on the high cost to employees of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations and penalties, and examined the enforcement-focused organization’s special emphasis on programs and safety legislation. Among a wide array of topics, Knox discussed essential elements of OSHA compliance, the use of safety issues by unions, and how, when used properly, safety compliance can be a profit center.
Buchsbaum presented “Scrutinizing Your Wage/Hour Practices” and provided information to employers on taking a proactive approach to examining FLSA practices and correcting deficient areas to avoid costly penalties. He offered ideas on how to examine current practices to identify trouble spots, strategies for complete and accurate timekeeping, and which documents to maintain to ensure compliance with FLSA record-keeping requirements.
Froman addressed issues on the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) at his presentation, “Let’s Discuss The Fair Credit Reporting Act, the EEOC’s Pronouncements on Background Checks, and the ‘Ban the Box’ Movement.” He noted that a recent rash of class action lawsuits alleges that employers using third parties to perform background checks are not complying with the FCRA. His session highlighted key compliance issues, offered suggestions on how employers can protect against litigation, and provided recommendations for working with third party providers to ensure they are not committing errors.
Pinares-Baez presented the seminar “Is Your Employee Handbook Up-to-date?” She provided valuable information for employees, identifying the dos and don’ts of what employee handbooks should include and the most practical strategies for making them indispensable management tools. Pinares-Baez discussed the recent National Labor Relations Board position and case law developments as they relate to handbooks and policy manuals, and reviewed best practice employment policies related to social media use, confidentiality and trademark issues.
Fisher Phillips attorneys are ready to help you take a stand: in court, with employees and unions, or with competitors. Fisher Phillips has the experience and resolve to back you up. That’s why some of the savviest employers come to the firm to handle their toughest labor and employment cases. The firm has more than 350 attorneys in 32 offices. In addition to Fort Lauderdale, the offices are in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Gulfport, Houston, Irvine, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.
