Sponsorship
Winston Sponsors and Labor Attorneys Speak at 2011 PIHRA Conference
Sponsorship
Winston Sponsors and Labor Attorneys Speak at 2011 PIHRA Conference
August 29-31, 2011
Winston & Strawn sponsored and spoke at the 2011 PIHRA Conference, held August 29-31, 2011 in Anaheim, California. The theme of this year's Professionals In Human Resources Association (PIHRA) conference was "California Human Resources Professionals: Making Strides for a Better Tomorrow." Labor and employment attorneys from Winston's Los Angeles office presented three educational sessions throughout the three-day conference.
On August 29, Emilie Woodhead led "California Wage and Hour Litigation – Finding and Avoiding the Next Class Action Before It's Filed." This presentation discussed developing areas of wage and hour law in California and across the country, including the expansion of California's Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) and recent activity in "suitable seating," off-the-clock and expense reimbursement class claims.
Laura Petroff, managing partner of Winston's Los Angeles office led "How to Handle the 'Difficult' Employee" on August 31. During this session, human resource professionals received advice on how to properly discipline and discharge employees, as well as learned strategies for protection of the company against future litigation from such "difficult" employees.
Ms. Petroff also presented "New Media in the Workplace: The Interaction Between Social Networking Sites and Employment Decisions" on August, 31. This session explored the risks social media poses for employers; discussed the challenges social media presents in hiring, managing and terminating employees; reviewed social media policies; and proposed strategies for utilizing and controlling Web 2.0 in today's complex and mobile work environment.