Hosted By: Warner
Location: Amway Grand Plaza, 187 Monroe Ave., NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
| 8:00 - 8:30 am | Legislative Update - Recent Developments in Employee Benefits Get the latest on the Affordable Care Act and current trends and issues affecting 401(k) plans. This session will focus on recent developments affecting 401(k) plans, including upcoming changes to the definition of “fiduciary” that may change how your plan is administered, and a variety of issues related to the ACA, including: employer responsibility rules, new reporting requirements and legislative proposals to reform the law. The session will also feature a discussion of government enforcement actions related to HIPAA and employee wellness programs, as well as pending litigation that could affect various aspects of health care and 401(k) plan administration |
| 8:40 - 9:40 am | Breakout Sessions - Select one in each time slot |
EB-1A) Keeping Your Wellness Program Healthy (and Legal)
The vast majority of health care costs are preventable, and implementation of a successful wellness program is an important and often overlooked business strategy to control those costs. This session offers an in-depth review of the recently updated legal requirements that govern corporate wellness programs and provides practical advice on necessary changes to your programs so that they remain compliant with the law and receive the highest return on investment.
EB-1B) Retirement Plan Panel Discussion
Employers must disclose to employees information about welfare benefits and retirement plans, but making the information understandable can be challenging. This session will review benefit plan disclosures an employer must make, including the law applicable to their content, form and distribution. We will also discuss the challenges to communicating benefits accurately and understandably, the risks posed by inaccurate communications, retaining records, and other best practices.9:50 - 10:50 amBreakout Sessions - Select one in each time slot
EB-2A) Navigating the Retirement Plan Marketplace
What are the options for plan service providers? How do we figure out what our retirement plan services truly cost? And how do we avoid overpaying?
In the retirement plan marketplace, hidden fees, conflicts of interest, confusing terminology, escalating plan litigation, increasing audit activity, and constant law changes can make what sound like simple questions to answer seem overwhelming. This session will discuss these questions and include an overview of plan service provider models, spotting red flags in provider fees, and best practices for navigating the retirement plan marketplace.
EB-2B) Health & Welfare Panel Discussion
Our panelists will answer your questions about health and welfare plan compliance issues. To prime the discussion, the panel will discuss government enforcement initiatives and best practices to avoid penalties.11:00 - 12 noonBreakout Sessions - Select one in each time slot
EB-3A) Benefit Plans in Mergers and Acquisitions
We are seeing a significant increase in mergers and acquisitions. Unfortunately, benefits issues are not alwaysbeing adequately addressed during the transaction. Buyers and sellers need to be aware of potential liabilities that could impact purchase price or indemnification obligations, but also need to ensure a smooth transition process because how benefit plans are transitioned is one of the first impressions a buyer makes to its new employees. Whether the transaction is a merger, stock purchase or asset purchase, benefit plans are impacted. This presentation will provide guidance for navigating due diligence issues and deciding whether to assume, terminate or merge retirement plans, and how to successfully transition health and welfare plans. We will focus on key areas of concern and best practices.
EB-3B) Worker Classification — Do You Have the Full Story?
What difference does it make under your retirement and health care plans if you hire a worker:
Part-time or full-time?
On a temporary basis?
Through an agency?
Through a Professional Employer Organization (PEO)?
As an independent contractor?
As an intern?
As a co-op?
As contingent?
We will discuss the consequences of hiring workers in various classifications of eligibility, retirement service counting, nondiscrimination testing, health care reform requirements and penalties, etc. The consequences are likely different than you think.12 noon - 12:45 pmLunch Program - Networking Lunch
A program-free lunch. No videos, presentations or interruptions, just a chance to network with colleagues and discuss best practices.12:45 - 1:45 pmHot Topics in Labor and Employment
Our panelists will prime the discussion with latest legal updates and examples of best practices in the labor and employment world. Participants will be invited to ask questions of the panel.1:55 - 2:40 pmBreakout Sessions - Select one in each time slot
L-1A) Increase Your FLSA Budget—the Government Did
Employee classification revisions are happening. The Department of Labor received $11.8 billion in discretionary funding, including a budget increase of more than $41 million for the Wage and Hour Division, contemplating that it will hire 300 new investigators across the country to assist in FLSA enforcement efforts. Use the tips that you learn during this session to shield yourself the best that you can from time-consuming DOL audits and expensive class action litigation.
L-1B) Recruiting, Hiring and Onboarding
How can employers maximize their chances of hiring a quality workforce while complying with a myriad of local, state and federal laws? We will answer this broad question by zeroing in on issues such as inquiries about applicants’ criminal backgrounds and the manner in which candidates’ social media accounts are accessed and used in the screening process. Traditional areas such as permissible and impermissible interview questions, a range of other EEO issues, drug testing and enticing candidates to want to work for you will also be discussed.
L-1C) Recent Changes to the FMLA, ADA
Join us for an instructive look at recent developments in the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. These complex and evolving laws create some of the most nuanced and challenging questions HR professionals face on a day-to-day basis. Through real-world examples, we’ll highlight the big issues, review developments and offer best practices and suggestions for compliance.2:50 - 3:35 pmBreakout Sessions - Select one in each time slot
L-2A) Employment Litigation Update
Employers Beware: The volume of employment litigation remains on the rise. Employers cannot afford to be anything less than vigilant. Join us as we review significant developments in employment litigation, including discrimination, harassment, accommodation and wage and hour issues. We will discuss not only how recent court decisions impact your business, but what you need to do to stay in compliance and address potential issues proactively.
L-2B) Managing Talent
In the war for talent, employers are paying increasing attention to performance management, talent mapping, training and development and succession planning. But each of these areas carries significant legal risks. This session will explore the do’s and do not’s in this important area of human capital management.
L-2C) Protecting Your Business with Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation and Confidentiality Agreements
Employees and independent contractors with access to sensitive data or proprietary information are positioned to undermine your business, unless you create boundaries and establish protections to reduce your vulnerability. Learn how properly crafted non-compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements can help protect some of your most important business assets.3:45 - 4:30 pmBreakout Sessions - Select one in each time slot
L-3A) Dealing With Data Security
As more and more companies experience data breaches, it has become clear that the question is not “if” but “when.” Your legal, contractual, and business obligations can sometimes be confusing and in conflict with each other. In this session, we will discuss the issues you need to consider when deciding how to respond to a data breach, including a discussion about potential costs involved.
L-3B) Update on NLRB Decisions
The National Labor Relations Board continues to make news, whether it’s handing down new rules governing union elections, issuing decisions dealing with employee use of the employer’s e-mail system, or defining what types of rules employers may or may not include in employee handbooks or policies. This presentation will provide an update on union organizing activity and will discuss what ALL employers (union and non-union) should be doing in light of the Board’s new rules and recent decisions.
L-3C) EEOC Cracking Down on Discrimination
At the end of its 2014 fiscal year, the EEOC hired 300 more staff to help meet its Strategic Plan for 2012-2016, as well as its Strategic Enforcement Plan. In this session, we will discuss the areas the EEOC is focusing on, ways to reduce your risk of a discrimination claim and how to respond to a charge of discrimination.
