(866) 440-0302
2023 Employment and Labor Law Update
Gain the legal insights you need | June 8–9, 2023
Presented in partnership with Ogletree Deakins, our 2023 Employment and Labor Law Update provides HR professionals and business leaders with specific, practical advice from experienced employment lawyers and HR experts.
Whether you join us online or in person in Greensboro, NC, this two-day event offers the insights and legal updates you need to run a compliant organization — plus 9.25 Business HRCI/SHRM and CLE credits.
Event Pricing
In Person
Joseph S. Koury Convention Center | Greensboro, NC
- $499 – Catapult members
- $549 – Non-members
Lunch is included with in-person registration.
Virtual
- $349 – Catapult members
- $399 – Non-members
Event Agenda
Day 1: Thursday, June 8, 2023
8:00 am – 8:45 am – Registration, Breakfast, and Networking
8:45 am – 9:00 am – Welcome and Opening Remarks- Cheryl Richards, Ph.D., and Bob Sar
9:00 am – 9:45 am – “Headline News”—Key Developments Impacting Employers in 2023 (Bob Sar)
The past year has been yet another busy one for employers – between the midterm elections and new developments in labor law, employee benefits law, immigration policy, and more. This opening session will provide a high-level overview of these developments and how they might impact your business.
9:45 am – 10:30 am – Blurred Lines: A Conversation on Questionable Comments and Behaviors in the Workplace (Haseeb Fatmi and Jefferson Whisenant)
Are “that’s what she said” jokes appropriate in the office? What about comments on a person’s hairstyle or religious clothing? And what about offensive music at work? Controversial statements or questionable work behaviors can become more than just a tricky inter-office tiff. This session will discuss where employers should draw the line on coworker commentary and actions — whether innocent or intentional — that could be considered discriminatory.
10:30 am – 10:45 am – Break
10:45 am – 11:30 am – WARN[ing]! These Policies Could Cause a RIF[t] in Your Business (Dalton Green)
Layoffs are back in the news in a big way as the economy continues to struggle. And the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act (and its state counterparts) and reductions sin force (RIF) can be complicated for employers to navigate from a legal, practical, and even emotional standpoint. This session will provide an overview of everything from designing RIF policies and selection documents to maintaining compliance with complex and somewhat ambiguous WARN Act requirements.
11:30 am – 12:15 pm – Top 10 Steps You Can Take Today to Avoid an OSHA Citation (Michael McKnight and Michael Rubin)
With everything employers have on their plates, preparing for an OSHA inspection is often a task that gets pushed to the back burner until the inspector knocks at the door. This session will outline 10 practical steps employers can take immediately to avoid being cited by OSHA in the event of an inspection based on research and data regarding the most commonly cited OSHA standards.
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm – Lunch
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm – EEOC Charges and Unemployment Compensation Claims: Preparing for and Handling Both (Jefferson Whisenant)
Virtually every employer has been there: What do you do when you get an EEOC charge? What if you also receive an unemployment compensation claim arising from the same facts? This session will discuss the importance of coordinating responses to charges and unemployment compensation claims to ensure consistency and effectiveness of responses.
2:15 pm – 2:30 pm – Break
2:30 pm – 3:15 pm – North Carolina Law Update (Paul Holscher)
This session will explain the most important court decisions, legislative and regulatory changes from the state court and government systems in North Carolina.
3:15 pm – 4:00 pm – Settlement Strategies: Unpacking Unconventional Approaches (Allen Thomas)
It’s well-known that most disputes settle, but surprisingly little information about effective settlement strategies is available. This session will center on exploring the pros and cons of various settlement strategies for employment claims and cases and identifying the practical implications that may be of significant interest to your business.
4:00 pm – Day 1 Wrap-Up – Doug Blizzard and Bob Sar
Day 2: Friday, June 9, 2023
8:00 am – 8:45 am – Registration, Breakfast, and Networking
8:45 am – 9:00 am – Welcome and Opening Remarks – Doug Blizzard and Bob Sar
9:00 am – 9:45 am – 2023 Benchmarking: The Top Issues for Employers (Bob Sar)
Ogletree’s annual client benchmarking survey will be hot off the press. Gain valuable insights from what other employers are experiencing and planning. Learn the biggest concerns for employers in 2023 and what strategies and actions employers are planning for their workforces.
9:45 am – 10:30 am – Regular Rate Irregularities; Can Creative Pay Lead to Blockbuster Overtime Claims? (Kevin Joyner and Charlotte Smith)
Referral and sign-on bonuses, profit sharing, safety and attendance rewards, inflation assistance, commuter pay . . . and the list goes on. Employers struggling to attract and retain talent are developing creative ways to remain competitive in recruiting and incentivizing and rewarding their workforces. While the goal is laudable – and often indispensable in a tight labor market – employers that offer these “creative” payments should carefully consider whether they correctly calculate employees’ regular pay rates in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime requirements. This session will discuss FLSA-compliant ideas regarding common and not-so-common forms of pay to help with hiring and retention.
10:30 am – 10:45 am – Break
10:45 am – 11:30 am – Immigration Compliance Enforcement with a New Twist – Multiagency Workplace Focus (Bernhard Mueller)
While I-9 audits and compliance enforcement actions tapered down a bit during the pandemic, U.S. immigration agencies and other federal agencies are now shifting their priority away from apprehending undocumented workers towards focusing on employers through a multiagency enforcement approach with new objectives related to the U.S. labor market, workplace conditions, and individual workers. This session will discuss what steps companies should consider to prepare for an anticipated increase in this multiagency enforcement effort.
11:30 am – 12:15 pm – Leave Me Be! Employee Requests for Leave and Accommodations (Kevin Joyner and Vanessa Garrido)
Keeping up with the various and voluminous number of employee requests for accommodation and leave (whether paid or unpaid) can be a daunting task for employers. With the persistent proliferation and endless evolution of leave laws and compliance requirements, it can even feel like taking on an additional full-time job. Also, many employers have outsourced leave management to vendors, which can still leave them on the hook for any missteps. In this session, we will cover the latest developments in leave laws and requirements, provide the best practices for managing leaves, and offer some words of wisdom on how to stay in the know on all things leave!
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm – Lunch
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – State Wars: Updating Your Multistate Handbooks and Employment Agreements Like a Jedi Master (Allen Thomas and Savannah Singletary)
Keeping up with state and local employment laws can feel like a full-time job. This session will share insights into how multistate employers can best structure and update two essential compliance tools: handbooks and business protection agreements. This presentation will include examples of the peaks and pitfalls encountered when drafting these critical documents.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Stump the Lawyers (panel)
Back by popular demand! The audience leads this session. Try to stump the panel of Ogletree attorneys with your most perplexing workplace questions and expand on the information shared during the ELLU. You may even win a prize.
3:30 pm – 3:45 pm – Closing Remarks – Doug Blizzard and Bob Sar
Event Questions
Who Should Attend?
This two-day conference is designed to empower human resource professionals, corporate counsel, supervisors and managers, and business owners. This unique offering is a cost-effective opportunity to get specific, practical advice from Ogletree’s experienced employment lawyers and Catapult HR experts.
Where Will the Conference Be Held?
In-person attendees will experience 2023 ELLU from the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC. Virtual attendees will be emailed a livestream link prior to the conference.
Additional Questions?
Contact the events team at meeting@letscatapult.org.
Attendees Receive Credits
Catapult is an approved provider for HRCI, SHRM and NASBA. In addition, Catapult will provide credit information for CLEs for the Employment Law Update programs.
HOTELS
Not sure where to stay? No problem! For in-person attendees, Catapult has negotiated hotel rates at four hotels near the conference venue. Explore options below.
Please note: Catapult is not responsible for booking hotel accommodations.
Suggested Hotels
Walking Distance
Online Booking Code: 167174
Phone: 919-363-0771
Hyatt Brand
Mon – Th = $179 per night + tax
Fri – Sat = $169 per night + tax
Online Booking Code: D0859
Phone: 919-571-2500
Marriott Brand
Mon – Th = $209 per night + tax
Fri – Sun = $169 + tax
Renaissance Raleigh North Hills
Online Booking Code: D0859
Phone: 919-571-8773
Marriott Brand
Mon – Th = $299 per night + tax
Fri – Sun = $179 + tax
Five-Minute Drive
Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley
Online Booking Code: D0859
Phone: 919-781-7000
Marriott Brand
Mon – Th = $159 per night + tax
Fri – Sun = $129 + tax
Lodging FAQs
- Special rates only work for the hotels listed above. You must book directly through the hotel’s website or reservation department to receive the discounted rate.
- You must ask for the Catapult Rate initially while making the reservation. Reference the booking code when speaking with a reservation agent.
- The discounted rates are available based on the hotel’s availability.
- A credit card or debit card is required to hold your reservation. You must provide your card and ID at check-in for your room, tax and incidental fees.
- If you are a Marriott or Hyatt loyalty member, you can add your loyalty number to your reservation earn points towards your stays.
- If any of the hotels are running a special promotion, you may find a cheaper rate available. (Loyalty members can typically find discounts!)
- Reservations booked through third-party websites like Expedia, Booking.com or Priceline will not offer a Catapult rate. These sites are great to use for last-minute bookings, but if you book in advance and cancel, they tend to not refund any deposits paid. You do not receive loyalty points when booking through third-party websites.
