Lommen Abdo/Upsize Seminar: Focus on Prevention & Help Employers Reduce Risk

Description

Many claims against employers today involve the misclassification of workers as independent contractors, defamation and privacy claims arising out of the widespread use of social media, and concerns about resolving disputes more quickly and privately through arbitration. Not every dispute is avoidable, but an ounce of prevention can help reduce legal risks, as well as the high cost of litigation. Often business owners and employers worry about doing something that might hurt their business down the road but elect not to engage an attorney up-front, believing that it would just be too costly. Lommen Abdo and Upsize Magazine are presenting a seminar on November 19th designed to help business owners/employers assess their risk on independent contractor/employee issues, arbitration clauses in employment and other business contracts and social media issues. The seminar is also designed to help attendees establish protocols to reduce these risks within their business. ?Too often I see a business owner who fails to address an issue when it first comes up. They will either let it slide or just do what they think works rather than spend the time and resources to have the matter reviewed up-front,? Stacey DeKalb, shareholder with the Lommen Abdo Law Firm said. ?Then months down the road, that same issue rises again, but this time with a disgruntled former worker challenging the business? position or actually filing a lawsuit or administrative claim. Resolution of the issue becomes vastly more contentious and expensive. Most often, the best and most cost-efficient approach is to address issues up-front. It will save you both money and headaches.? The November 19th Focus on Prevention sessions include: EMPLOYEE OR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR? WHY DOES IT MATTER? This session will be presented by Attorneys Stacey DeKalb (employment) and Tom Dougherty (business). It will help attendees understand the differences between independent contractor and employee and why proper worker classification is important and the consequences of misclassification. Stacey and Tom will discuss steps to ensure that workers are really independent contractors if that is what is intended. They will also offer practical considerations for companies that rely heavily on independent contractors. ARBITRATION CLAUSES IN EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER BUSINESS CONTRACTS? IF SO, WHEN? This session will be presented by Attorney Keith Broady (litigator and business attorney). Keith will discuss when to consider arbitration as a cost effective process for smaller disputes when to use arbitration clauses in employment contracts to determine the law that will apply and the place for the hearing. He will offer pointers on assuring that non-competition clauses in employment contracts are reasonable as to scope and time. He will also address what should be considered when preparing an arbitration agreement. SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUR WORKFORCE: ASSET, LIABILITY OR BOTH? WHAT DO I DO? This session will be presented by Attorneys Jeff O?Brien (business) and Bryan Feldhaus (litigation). The two will discuss what ?social media? is and why it matters for businesses. They will present five interesting social media legal cases and how they affect businesses. They will conclude with the essential elements of a social media policy.