'First Thursday' - Labor Law Seminar Series

Workplace Harassment: Do's and Don'ts for Employers When Informed of Harassing Conduct

The Chamber sponsored seminar series, 'First Thursday' is designed to clarify new California labor laws for Chamber-members, and their legal obligations under many old ones, as well.  This is FREE to members.
 
The need for this information has been recently highlighted by a complicated new law requiring California employers to provide paid sick days each year to almost all employees as of July 1, 2015. For those who thought they already understood it, this law was amended on July 13, 2015.
 
The seminar series will be conducted by veteran Petaluma labor and employment attorney, Jay Putnam. Putnam, who has advised employers in labor matters for almost 35 years, hopes to provide local business owners and managers with a solid, working understanding of California labor law, as a means of helping them avoid the often-crippling cost and disruption caused by lawsuits resulting from a misunderstanding of applicable legal requirements.
 
The seminars will cover the basics of California labor law, as well as the specifics of some of the most confusing requirements. He says the philosophy of his practice is, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and that he intends to emphasize what employers can do, in advance, to discourage lawsuits.
 
The series will tackle a different subject each month. These will include an introduction to basic principles of California labor law, including discussion of the often misunderstood "At-Will Employment Doctrine," what makes a worker an independent contractor, overtime compensation requirements and when an employee is exempt from them, workplace harassment (both sexual and intimidation-based) and what employers need to do about it, the importance of carefully drafted employment policies, and how commercially-available employee handbooks often encourage lawsuits and recent legal restrictions on management's right to inspect the employer's property, such as desks, lockers, email and social media accounts (maintained on company computers).
 
Putnam says the series will be informal, and that he will address the questions that have puzzled those in attendance, sometimes for years. "I want employers who are confused by these laws to know that they're not alone," he said. "I have spent much of my career grappling with the same confusion, because many of the requirements imposed on employers don't seem to make sense, and sometimes conflict with each other."
 
Members are encouraged to bring their questions, and to suggest topics they would like to see addressed in the seminars. Putnam says he intends to conduct the seminars as "informal, working sessions, where people can bring their lunch and their questions and leave each month with important information that will immediately improve their business operations."
 
To register, please email the Chamber at pacc@petalumachamber.com, or call 707.762.2785