2024 ANNUAL LEGAL UPDATE   

Session 1 - Ethics in HR: Avoiding the Line in the Sand

In today’s world of faster, better, cheaper, businesses are in an all-out sprint to beat the competition. Sometimes this means management and HR are being asked to push the envelope or go right up to that line in the sand. Is it right to push it just a little? To see how far you can bend it before it snaps? To rationalize the fact that it was just once, or who’s it going to hurt?

HR professionals must remain above the fray. We must work with both the company and the employees. We can’t give either stakeholder a reason to doubt our motives. If we do, we reduce, or eliminate, our ability to be effective in our human resources role. In fact, the Society for Human Resource Management has a Code of Ethics that every member agrees to follow.

In this session, participants will learn why it is critical for HR professionals to follow not only the letter of the law (rules, regulations, guidelines, norms) but also the intent. Your reputation is on the line, but so is that of the entire HR profession.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the provisions of the HR Professional Code of Ethics including professional responsibilities, professional development, ethical leadership, fairness and justice, conflicts of interest, and use of information.
2. Learn how unethical behavior from HR or executives have impacted companies.
3. Develop a strategy to deal with ethical dilemmas in the workplace and impact change.
4. Identify ways to avoid the perception of being the “Department of No” and instead discover alternative solutions that are a win-win while still maintaining ethical standards.

Session 2 - 2024 Employment Law Round-Up, And What To Look For In 2025

During this presentation, we will dive into the current status of several employment laws that have undergone changes in the last year to guide employers in their efforts to stay compliant with the alphabet soup of employment laws that they frequently encounter. Attendees will learn the key highlights from the EEOC’s Fiscal Year 2024 which will aid in their understanding of how these employment law changes played out in practice. Finally, the presentation will include “post-election predictions” which will discuss the laws, rules and regulations that are predicted to be changed further and should remain on employers’ radars moving into 2025.

Learning Objectives:

1. Equip participants with tools and frameworks to address ever-changing laws, rules, regulations, and standards in employment law, guiding them in their efforts to remain compliant with the same.
   
2. Present research that illustrates how the 2024 changes in employment laws were implemented by the EEOC in Fiscal Year 2024.
   
3. Promote continuous learning and development by encouraging participants to stay current in their employment law practices and monitor predicted, upcoming changes to employment laws in 2025.

Certification Information

This activity has been approved for 2 Professional Development Credits (PDC) by SHRM and 1 HR and 1 Business credit with the HR Certification Institute.

The use of this official seal confirms that this Activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.

Support the Future of HR! Participate in the 50/50 drawing!

The 50/50 Drawing is a fun way to donate to the SHRM Foundation! During each SHRM Jacksonville sponsored online event, for each raffle "ticket" sold to event attendees, their name will be entered into a drawing. The winner of the drawing will receive 50% of the proceeds in the form of an electronic gift card. The remaining proceeds are donated to the SHRM Foundation. For in-person events only, 25% of proceeds are given to a local SHRM Student Chapter featured on the day of the event.

Don't forget to purchase your 50/50 "tickets" during the registration process!

$5.00 for 8 submissions

For more information about the SHRM Foundation, click HERE.

About the Speaker(s)

Chad Sorenson, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

President, Adaptive HR Solutions

Chad Sorenson is the President of Adaptive HR Solutions and has over 25 years of diverse business, communications and human resource experience.

He works with companies throughout the Southeast U.S. that range from 5 to 1,200 employees and focuses on leadership development, manager training, employee performance management and employer compliance in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, construction trades, and professional services organizations. Chad also works with trade associations providing HR support to member companies. Prior to founding Adaptive HR Solutions in 2008, Chad was Vice President, Director and Manager of Human Resources for several companies in the Jacksonville area.

Chad serves as the 2021-2022 President of the HR Florida State Council which represents over 16,000 HR professional across Florida as the state affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management. He was also the President of SHRM Jacksonville in 2015 and 2016. He is certified as a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Chad regularly speaks to other SHRM Chapters, business associations, and companies across the region on topics such as leadership development and employee engagement.

In addition to giving back to the HR field, Chad is actively involved in his church and has been a volunteer leader with Boy Scouts for over 12 years. He is an Eagle Scout and a graduate of Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. The keys to his success are Devotion to God, Dedication to Family, Continuous Service, Lifetime Learning, and Always Remembering to Laugh.

Melanie O. Baker

Associate
Jackson Lewis

Melanie O. Baker is an associate in the Jacksonville, Florida, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Her practice focuses on representing employers in workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counseling.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Melanie clerked for Judge Puig-Lugo of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for approximately two and a half years. Judge Puig-Lugo presided over a Civil Calendar, which contained a variety of civil matters, ranging from employment disputes to constitutional claims. While she enjoyed training in D.C., Melanie’s love for her Florida family, the beach, and warm weather eclipsed any possibility of staying north. Thus, Melanie happily returned to her home state of Florida following her clerkship. Melanie focused her first two years of practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation and professional liability.

Melanie strives to connect with clients in order to truly understand their story, their people, and their mission. Her experience as a whole has taught her the value of analyzing a dispute from all angles and confirmed her interest in and aptitude for employment law. Melanie brings that background, understanding, and experience to her work as an employment lawyer.