Spring Labor & Employment Seminar

DATE: 04/13/2023
TIME: 1:00 - 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Portland Regency Hotel, 20 Milk Street, Portland ME 04101
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Please join us for our 2023 Spring Labor and Employment Seminar as we discuss recent labor and employment developments. Following the afternoon seminar, we will provide cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and the chance to network with other attendees.

Register HERE

Attendees will qualify for 2.75 SHRM credits.

Agenda

• 1:00 – 1:05 p.m. Introduction & Welcome

• 1:05 – 1:35 p.m. What Employers Need to Know About Remote Work and State Employment Laws Post-COVID
Presented by Shiloh Theberge and Carolyn Liegner
Given the increase in remote work as a result of COVID-19, many employers have become “multi-state” employers, either intentionally or unintentionally. This presentation will provide an overview of what employers should be considering – as both a legal matter and a practical matter – as a result of employing individuals in more than one state.

• 1:35 – 2:10 p.m. Benefits Update: Secure 2.0
Presented by Molly Gilligan
This year’s Benefits Update will focus on what Employers need to know about the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. This legislation builds on the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (“SECURE”) Act of 2019 and includes provisions to expand and increase retirement savings, preserve retirement income, and simplify and clarify retirement plan rules.

• 2:10 – 2:20 p.m. Break

• 2:20 – 2:50 p.m. Maine Equal Pay Law and Employer Defenses
Presented by Bill Wahrer
Maine has seen a dramatic rise in the number of Maine Equal Pay Act claims, which follows a national trend of increased pay equality litigation. Yet, Maine’s Equal Pay Act differs significantly from other equal pay laws and is the subject of great debate currently. This presentation will provide an overview of the law, its potential liabilities, possible defenses, as well as projections about where the law will go.

• 2:50 – 4:00 p.m. Legal Update – Pregnancy Accommodations, Associational Discrimination, Individual Liability under the Maine Human Rights Act, changes at the Maine Human Rights Commission
Presented by Tara Walker
This presentation will include updates on a number of hot topics in employment law that are currently changing (or potentially changing), including revisions to the Maine Human Rights Commission’s procedural rules, the potential need to revise template severance agreements, the possibility that non-compete agreements will be unlawful, the increase in protected categories in terms of discrimination and harassment, and updated laws relating to pregnancy accommodation and breastfeeding.

• 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. “Stump the Lawyers” Q&A Session
Our panelists will provide an opportunity for attendees to submit questions related to any topic in an attempt to “stump the lawyers” with a rare or challenging question you may have been curious about.

• 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception

Register HERE