Telework in an Age of Uncertainty Course

Webinar 1: Legal Risks of Telecommuting In The COVID-19 Climate

Credit: 1.25 HRCI, 1.25 SHRM

75 Minutes, Published March 20, 2020

Updated to address concerns about the possible impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Telecommuting, or remote employment, has become exceedingly popular as a manner to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and offer a more attractive employment package to employees. Unfortunately, telecommuting arrangements do not come without legal risk to the employer as well. In this practical webinar, you will examine these risks and learn about the possible ways to minimize them. You will also learn about liability for work injuries, an employer’s obligations for telecommuters under the FMLA, ADA, and other federal laws, and ways to effectively structure procedure and handbook policies to address these laws.

Webinar 2: Addressing Coronavirus and Other Infectious Diseases in the Workplace

Credit: 1.25 HRCI, 1.25 SHRM

75 Minutes, Published March 30, 2020

CoronaVirus (COVID-19) has emerged as an ongoing public health crisis in the U.S. As a result, there is a mounting responsibility for employers to effectively maintain occupational health and prevent transmission between employees or exposure from third parties. OSHA penalties for exposing workers to a “recognized hazard” can trigger penalties of up to $134,937 per affected employee. While OSHA has not yet completed an “infectious disease” prevention rule, they can still issue citations under the General Duty Clause if employers fail to use all feasible methods of prevention. In this practical webinar, you will learn how COVID-19 can present a hazard in all workplaces – not just health care settings – and how this impacts work practices and HR policies. In addition to this, you will explore how OSHA’s ongoing rulemaking to create an infectious disease standard is progressing, and how pressure from Congress in the wake of COVID-19 may result in an emergency standard.

Among other things you will learn:

1. How best to integrate OSHA and CDC guidance for application in the workplace

2. Which other OSHA rules interface with infectious disease exposures, including respiratory protection, fit testing and medical evaluation requirements

3. How quarantine and related requirements can impact worker rights under the ADA and other federal/state employment laws.

You will also review best practices to follow to minimize the risk to workers from all types of infectious diseases to ensure a safe workplace for your employees.

Webinar 3: Managing Remote, Virtual, and Telecommuting Workers

Credit: 1.5 HRCI, 1.5 SHRM

75 Minutes, Published June 24, 2019

Accomplishing work in the new millennium has become synonymous with “Virtual Leadership”. The current competitive business environment and the changing nature of work and the workforce requires effective leadership that spans the boundaries of time and space to help employees to work together – apart. Leadership of virtual teams is not the same as leadership of face-to-face, co-located teams. Leading a virtual team is more difficult, as it requires a dynamic interaction between technological systems and human systems that the virtual leader has to address and balance for work to be accomplished.

1. 4 essentials for virtual teamwork

2. Tools and techniques to facilitate “working together apart” in virtual environment

3. The importance of virtual contracts

4. Tips for effective virtual meetings

Webinar 4: Telecommuting and Related Policies and Programs

Credit: 1.25 HRCI, 1.25 SHRM

75 Minutes, Published September 26, 2019

In this practical webinar, you will learn how to handle requests from employees to work remotely. You will learn how to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), and other employment laws when handling these requests.

Webinar 5: Working Remotely in the Covid-19 Era

Credit: 1.25 HRCI, 1.25 SHRM

75 Minutes, Published March 24, 2020

Whether the reason is the COVID-19 pandemic, a natural disaster, a lack of office space, or other impediments, choosing to have people work from home is happening at an increasing rate. While it is easy to tell employees to just “work from home,” the ability to successfully work from home takes more than a laptop and an internet connection to get the optimal level of productivity and results when there is no longer a common workplace. In addition to this, whether you have been working remotely for years or are new to remote work, it is necessary to implement best practices to speed up success and ensure greater productivity.

In this practical webinar, you will receive a detailed overview of practical tips and best practices to ensure that you have the greatest success in leading a remote team.

Upon course completion, you will be able to:

• Determine what makes remote work different (it isn’t only what you think)
• Identify a leader’s biggest new responsibilities when leading remotely
• Outline the seven steps that will accelerate your team’s progress when working remotely
• Build an action plan for you – and your team in the critical early days of remote work

Clear Law Institute is a recognized provider of recertification credits with both the HR Certification Institute^® (HRCI^®) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

For both institutions please reference the course number on your certificate to submit a course for credit.

Ryan Murphy

Cipriani & Werner

Ryan defends employers throughout Pennsylvania against Workers’ Compensation, unemployment compensation cases, and other employment matters, including pre-litigation counseling litigation and the appeal process. He has represented businesses, employment agencies, law enforcement, and various state agencies in the defense of their workers’ compensation claims to limit exposure. Mr. Murphy has received two Bachelor’s degrees, With High Distinction and with Honors, from The Pennsylvania State University. he received his J.D., cum laude, from The Dickinson School of Law.

Adele Abrams

Adele L. Abrams P.C.

Adele Abrams is an attorney, Certified Mine Safety Professional, and trainer. She is president of the Law Office of Adele L. Abrams P.C. in Beltsville, MD, Charleston, WV, and Denver, CO. Her multi-attorney firm focuses on representing employers in OSHA/MSHA matters and employment law nationwide. She also serves as adjunct faculty of University of Colorado and Catholic University, where she instructs on employment law. Ms. Abrams is a nationally recognized expert on mine andoccupational safety and health issues. She is a member of multiple state bars and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court.

Susan Strauss

Dr. Susan Strauss is a national and international speaker, trainer, author, and consultant. Her specialty areas include management/leadership development, organization development, discrimination, and communication, and she trains and consults with virtual managers and teams. She is the author of over 30 books and publications and has appeared on national and international TV and radio programs. She has her doctorate in organizational leadership.

Jessica Brown

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Jessica Brown is a partner in the Labor & Employment and Class Action practice groups at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Ms. Brown has been ranked by Chambers USA for fifteen consecutive years as one of “America's Leading Lawyers for Labor & Employment.” She won the Denver Business Journal’s “Outstanding Women in Business” award for the Law category in 2015. Ms. Brown is a frequent author and speaker on employment law, investigations, and leadership issues. She received her law degree from the University of Texas in Austin, where she served as Executive Editor for the Texas Law Review, was a member of the Order of the Coif, and graduated with High Honors.

Kevin Eikenberry

Kevin Eikenberry Group

Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group and the co-founder of the Remote Leadership Institute. He is the author, co-author or contributing author to over 20 books including (with Wayne Turmel) the best-selling The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership.