Mintz's Annual Employment Law Summit 2023 - Boston

We had a fantastic year with three successful employment law summits in New York, Boston and San Diego! Scroll down to view a recap of our 2023 agenda and click here to stay up to date on critical employment law updates and events, including upcoming news about our 2024 Summits. 

Assumptions about the nature and structure of work have been revisited and employers find themselves operating in a workplace transformed. 

Now, with a multi-generational, geographically-dispersed, politically and socially conscious workforce in tow, a continued expansion of the regulatory landscape, and a greater pressure to enhance the overall employee experience, employers must be ready to confront the many new challenges that lie ahead – all while remaining competitive and reducing potential exposure.

Join us on May 2, 2023 for Mintz’s Seventh Annual Employment Law Summit as we bring together thought leaders to discuss the employment law hot topics of the day.

This year, we are pleased to announce Lauren Moran, Chief of the Fair Labor Division at the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office as our keynote speaker.

Who should attend? C-Level executives, compliance officers, in-house counsel, and HR professionals from all industries.

Agenda & Topics Covered:

Breakfast & Check-In (8:00 - 8:25 AM)

Opening Remarks (8:25 - 8:30 AM)

First things First: Prioritizing Hiring & Onboarding Compliance in an Evolving Marketplace (8:30 - 9:20 AM)

Whether an employee’s hiring and onboarding occurs in the office, remotely, or as a hybrid of the two, it’s crucial that employers understand the associated legal risks as it can make all the difference between a successful experience and a costly lawsuit. During this opening segment, we will cover requirements and best practices for properly hiring and onboarding new employees (in office and remotely), focusing on employment salary history and pay transparency, artificial intelligence in the hiring process, background checks and drug testing, employment applications and job postings, trainings and orientations, and more. 

Presenters: Mike Arnold, Kathryn Droumbakis and Natalie Groot (Mintz)

To Have and To Hold: Leveraging Change to Drive Engagement and Retention (9:20 - 10:10 AM)

The workforce is more connected, mobile and diverse than ever.  Given this, employers need to understand the factors, trends, and developments driving the retention of high-performing employees.  Specifically, this panel will discuss the “new normal” driving employee’s everyday experience and practices for retention, including effective performance management techniques (including in the hybrid environment), the prevalence of quiet quitting but also quiet hiring, the impact of GenZ’s growing presence in the workplace, the importance of DEI, as well as focusing on health and wellness in the workplace, and much more.

Moderator: Drew Matzkin (Mintz)

Panelists: Julianna Akuamoah (Chief People Officer, NOBULL), Jay Babbitt (Vice President, Human Resources, Northland Investment Corporation), Kelley Burwood (Deputy General Counsel, Employment & Mobility, HubSpot)

Coffee Break (10:10 - 10:25 AM)

Managing a Harassment and Discrimination Crisis: A Workplace Investigations Playbook (10:25 - 11:15 AM)

Increasingly, crisis events are a significant part of the work of general counsels, HR professionals, and their teams – both avoiding them from a proactive compliance standpoint as well as developing effective reactive strategies. Our panel will present, in an iterative, moderated “docudrama” format, the approach, roles, responsibilities, and best practices associated with responding to a workplace crisis and investigation that unfolds in real time. This interactive discussion will focus on the challenges in-house attorneys, HR professionals, and key members of the C-Suite may face as they advise their companies and business partners on responding to crisis events that have direct consequences for their various stakeholders.

Presenters: Geri Haight, Corbin Carter and Natashia Tidwell (Mintz)

Compensation Considerations in Hiring, Firing and Everything in Between (11:15 - 12:05 PM)

Today, the business, tax and legal considerations around the design, implementation and efficacy of different compensation models continue to evolve. This session will discuss at a high level some of the significant compensation issues facing companies needing to attract, retain talent and, where necessary, separate with talent. Topics we will cover include:

• Granting of Equity at Hire, Types of Equity, and Tax Strategies for Employees.
• What to do about Underwater Options; Revisiting Repricing.  
• How to Deal with Expiring Options
• Our CEO wants to conserve cash and hold off on their own salary payment.  Great, right?
• Equity Considerations in Terminations- acceleration, extension and other changes.

Presenters: Anne Bruno and Benjamin Ferrucci (Mintz)

Lunchtime Keynote Speaker and Q&A Session (12:05 - 1:00 PM): Lauren Moran, Chief of the Fair Labor Division at the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office

Coffee Break (1:00 - 1:05 PM)

When It Is Time To Say Goodbye: Best Practices For Navigating the Separation and Post-Separation Landscape (1:05 - 1:55 PM)

In this session we will take a deep dive into the thorny, complicated issues that arise when it’s time to end the employment relationship and the issues that arise thereafter.  Topics include: separation/severance agreement do’s and don’ts, tips for ensuring the safeguarding of employer information (including trade secrets), physical property (e.g., laptops) and reputation, final wage payment law compliance, and finally, the keys to implementing and enforcing an employee’s post-employment restrictive covenants.

Presenters: Brendan Lowd and Emma Follansebee (Mintz)

Closing Remarks (1:55 - 2:00 PM)

_{Mintz is an accredited CLE provider.  This program is accredited in the following states: California (4.0 general credits) and New York (5.0 credits in the Areas of Processional Practice).  Through reciprocity, this program is also eligible for 5.0 credits in New Jersey and 4.0 credits in Connecticut. This program is eligible for 4.0 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification.  If you are seeking credits for a state not listed above, we will issue a certificate of attendance that you may use to apply for credit in your state of licensure.}

For any additional questions, please contact [email protected].

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