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2014 State Legislative Conference
Chippewa Valley
Thursday, March 20, 2014
The Florian Gardens
2430 Lorch Ave.
Eau Claire, WI 54701
The 2014 Wisconsin SHRM Legislative Conferences will provide HR professionals with an ideal forum to learn, discuss, network and engage with Representatives, Senators and our Legal Partner on important legislative topics.
The Legislative Conference has been approved for 5 General HRCI Credits - Register Today!
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8:00-8:55 –Registration/Breakfast/Networking
8:55-9:00 – Welcome – opening announcements
9:00-10:30 – Hot Topics in Employment Law: The Annual Legal Overview
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Featured Presenter Bob Gregg |
Presenter: Bob Gregg a partner and Chair of the Labor & Employment Law Practice Group at the Boardman & Clark Law Firm in Madison, Wisconsin
Description:
We expect the recent trend on employment issues to continue, and over the coming months we expect to see an enormous amount of activity on workplace legislative issues.
Bio:
Bob Gregg is an employment relations attorney with more than 30 years of speaking and training experience. Bob litigates and serves as an expert witness in a wide variety of employment cases. His main emphasis is helping employers achieve enhanced productivity, creating positive work environments, and resolving employment problems before they generate lawsuits.
10:30-10:45am – Short Break
10:45AM - 11:30 AM OSHA
Presenter: Mary Bauer, Eau Claire Area OSHA Office
Description:
Learn about what is new at OSHA in 2014 as it relates to emphasis on specific programs and enforcement activities related to workplace violence and employing temporary workers in your facility.
Bio:
Mary Bauer is the Compliance Assistance Specialist – CAS - in the Eau Claire Area OSHA Office. She has a bachelor’s degree from UW-Eau Claire and holds certifications for CSP (Certified Safety Professional) and CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist). Ms. Bauer was a Compliance Officer in the Eau Claire area for 20 years and eight years as CAS. Ms. Bauer was awarded the Department of Labor’s “Distinguished Career Award” in 2012.
11:30Am-12:15PM – FMLA Reform
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Featured Presenter Chris Reader |
Presenter: Chris Reader, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC)
Description:
Wisconsin is known for being a reform-focused state, often leading all other states in implementing major public policy initiatives. Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) is one such area where Wisconsin led the nation, as Governor Thompson signed Wisconsin's FMLA law five years prior to President Clinton signing the federal Act. Unfortunately, the federal and state FMLA laws have several areas of conflict, and have not yet been standardized. These differences force businesses to follow two sets of complicated laws for each employee, exposing employers to additional risk of costly litigation that their competitors in other states simply don't have to worry about. In addition to FMLA, there are several other areas of employment law where Wisconsin's law is simply not in line with the federal requirements.
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the largest business trade association in Wisconsin, is working on a common sense package of reforms to harmonize state and federal employment laws. The reform package will dramatically reduce the time and resources employers need to spend in order to stay in compliance with two sets of rules, while still maintaining the benefits and protections that Wisconsin workers have come to know and expect. The differences between state and federal employment laws and the reform package being developed to bring harmony to those laws will be discussed during this time.
Bio:
Chris Reader is the Director of Health & Human Resources Policy at Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the state’s largest trade association representing business. In this position Chris lobbies the legislature on health care policy and human resources issues, including unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, education and workforce development issues, employment laws, and telecommunications issues. Additionally, he answers member questions regarding policy and compliance related to these topics and staffs WMC’s Human Resources Committee and Health Care Committee.
Chris joined WMC in 2013 with significant experience in state government and Wisconsin politics. Previously, Chris was appointed as a Division Administrator at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Prior to that, he worked for 8 years in the state Legislature, including serving as the Chief-of-Staff for former Senator Rich Zipperer and Policy Advisor for former Representative Mark Honadel. Chris has also worked on several political campaigns throughout Wisconsin. Chris is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. He and his wife live in Sun Prairie.
12:15PM -01:45 PM Lunch | Senator Terry Moulton | Networking Table Topics
1:45PM -2:45PM Affordable Care Act Update:
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Featured Presenter Ben Jones |
Presenter: Ben Jones; Weld, Riley, Prenn, & Ricci, SC
Description:
With the Affordable Care Act employer mandate delayed until 2015, public and private sector employers were given much needed time to prepare for the new world of employee health insurance benefits. This session will provide an overview of the employer mandate rules applicable for 2015, including legal issues associated with counting employee hours, cutting employee hours, the decision to pay or play, and compliance issues created by the mandate delay.
Bio:
Ben practices with the Labor and Employment Section of Weld, Riley, Prenn & Ricci, where he advises both public and private sector clients in all areas of labor and employment law. Ben received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a B.A. in Political Science and his Juris Doctorate degree cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Ben lives in Eau Claire and is a member of Leadership Eau Claire, as well as the Eau Claire County Bar Association and the Wisconsin Bar Association.
3:00PM -4:00PM Changes in Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance (UI) Law: Impact on Employers
Presenter: Susan Andreo, State of Wisconsin, Department of Workforce Development, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division, Eau Claire Benefits Center
Description:
Are you ready? Substantial changes to Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance Law went into
effect in 2014 which impact benefit determinations.
• Misconduct: New legislation defines “misconduct” and adds specific examples of “misconduct” that will disqualify employees from receiving benefits.
• Substantial Fault: A new “substantial fault” provision has been added that may disqualify an employee from receiving benefits.
• Voluntary Quit: Under UI law, when an employee voluntarily terminates their employment, the employee is disqualified from receiving UI benefits for a period of time unless the reason for the voluntary quit is on the list of statutory exceptions. New legislation dramatically reduced and/or amended the number of exceptions that permit an employee to voluntarily quit work and collect UI benefits.
• Additional provisions: Changes also impacted individual benefits, registration and search for work requirements.
Learn more about how these changes will impact how you manage your unemployment compensation insurance benefit claims.
Bio:
Sue is an adjudication supervisor for the State of Wisconsin, Department of Workforce Development, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division, Eau Claire Benefits Center with 21 years of UI experience. Prior UI experience includes adjudication were she investigated and resolved complex benefit eligibility issues such as discharges, quits, as well as many other eligibility issue families. She also worked as a training officer where she developed and implemented training modules, trained UI law, policy, procedure and computer systems to new and senior staff, and developed and wrote workflow processes and procedures.
As an adjudication supervisor, Sue is responsible for hiring and maintaining staff development, correct implementation of UI Law, policy, and procedure, and maintaining unit standards. UI is required to meet strict federal standards for work quality, timeliness, and productivity. She is an appointed member of the West Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. Sue has presented UI to Wisconsin Labor Law Clinics, NW Wisconsin UI Employer Presentations, and many other employer/employee meetings/conferences.
4:00PM-4:15PM - Closing
