Live Audio Conferences

Contractor Safety Management: How to Protect Yourself from Lawsuits, Injuries, and Legal Liability

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is focusing much of its efforts on multi-employer liability through enforcement actions and citations. But even beyond the OSHA requirements, you need to be concerned about additional potential liability, employee exposure to contractor-created hazards, competency and certification issues with equipment and job performance, and so much more.

Some companies find it difficult to effectively manage contractor safety concerns, taking a “what’s the use?” stance. This is a dangerous path to go down – in fact, there are several things employers can do to control the legal and safety risks involved with on-site contractors. The key is knowing what to do, and when.

This 90-minute audio conference CD is all about contractor safety management. Our expert – a safety professional with decades of experience – will discuss how to establish a contractor safety management program, its important components, and its value to your company.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• The components of a negligence lawsuit
• How to establish pre-bid and on-site expectations for contractors
• Steps to reduce open contractor liability
• Ways to control safety without compromising contractor direction and control
• How to communicate expectations and receive feedback with contractors
• The best ways to rate contractors based on safety performance – and why you should do this

About Your Speaker:

Robert Baldwin is a 28-year veteran of the safety profession and founder of Safety Resources, Inc. in Zionsville, Indiana. Baldwin is dedicated to providing clients with both occupational safety programs and practices and risk management strategies and implementation plans to assist companies with preventing loss and maintaining strong revenue-generating operations in the midst of changing times.

Baldwin personally consults with business leaders and operations executives throughout the United States. He stays current in the safety profession by actively participating in a number of professional associations, researching new areas of risk management and contributing articles to a number of publications. He holds a B.S. in organic chemistry and is a member of the associate faculty for Purdue University, where he teaches a senior-level safety course. Baldwin is also an OSHA Training Institute authorized instructor and a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers.

• Contractor Safety Audio Conference - CD $199.99 [Add to Cart]

Union Elections: What You Can Do Now to Fight Organizing Tactics – Legally - and Remain Union-Free

If your workplace is union free – and you want to stay that way – you can’t rest easy. In this presidential election year, America’s labor unions are working harder than ever to recruit new members and convert more workplaces. One nationwide survey says 60 million U.S. workers who don’t belong to a union today would join one tomorrow if they could.

When you’re facing the prospect of a union on your own doorstep, the steps you take to resist those organizing efforts could spell major trouble if you don’t understand the laws and rules that apply to union elections. And even if you manage not to cross any legal lines, you could still poison your relationship with rank-and-file workers for a very long time if you’re not careful.

During this strategy-packed audio conference on April 15, our speaker – a former National Labor Relations Board attorney who’s guided many employers through union elections – will give you proven tactics for defending your workplace against organizing attempts. You’ll learn real-world techniques for coaching your supervisors in handling questions from their workers and for battling union claims and promises without breaking the law.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• How to prepare your organization to resist union organizing drives before they surface
• What’s new these days in organizing tactics (such as “neutrality” agreements and corporate campaigns)
• How you should respond if you receive a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) petition – and why you should be on guard for organizing efforts outside NLRB’s procedures
• The legal do's and don’ts of communicating the facts about unions to your workers, without violating labor rights in the process
• What you can – and cannot – do to control organizing efforts on your property and on your time clock
• The most common mistakes employers make in resisting labor efforts that could actually turn your employees in favor of a union
• Why recent court cases and regulatory rulings will affect your ability to counter unions targeting your workers

Maria Anastas, Esq., is a partner in the San Francisco office of the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. She provides legal support, strategic advice, training, and extensive communications guidance to employers during traditional union organizing drives and corporate campaigns. She represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), negotiates collective bargaining agreements for employers, provides contract administration advice, and defends employers during grievances and arbitration hearings. A former NLRB field attorney, Anastas has been named “One of the Top 100 Labor Lawyers in America” by the Labor Relations Institute. She earned her law degree at Tulane University.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

How Do Audio Conferences Work?

An audio conference is remarkably cost-effective and convenient. You participate from your office, using a regular telephone. You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time.

Plus, for one low price you can get as many people in your office to participate as you can fit around a speakerphone.

Because the conference is live, you can ask the speakers questions—either on the phone or via e-mail.

With your registration, you also receive conference materials, with additional practical information from Business & Legal Reports, sent to you via e-mail shortly before the conference.

Why You Can Sign Up to Attend This Event with Confidence

If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied with this audio conference, simply let us know, and we will return your entire registration fee.

• Union Elections Audio Conference - April 15 $219.99 [Add to Cart]
• Union Elections Audio Conference and CD - April 15 $269.99 [Add to Cart]

Workplace Violence: How to Recognize the Threats and Keep Your Employees Safe on the Job

One in every 20 employers around the United States will deal with violence in the workplace this year. Assaults and homicides are now the second leading cause of fatal occupational injuries (after transportation accidents) – and women make up 61 percent of the victims.

In many cases, the threat comes from inside the organization – for example, a disgruntled employee who shows up at work armed and ready to cause trouble. However, many employers also face the equally disturbing risks of violence against their workers by outsiders – including attacks by upset customers or clients, assaults or robberies by criminals, and even domestic disputes that spill over onto the job site.

There’s no foolproof way to prevent workplace violence threats from outside your organization. But, you can learn to control these risks by recognizing the warning signs, enforcing proven policies to keep your employees safe while they work, and reduce your chances of falling victim to outside threats.

Learn the dos and don’ts of preventing workplace violence from the outside during our practical 90-minute audio conference on April 17. Our expert speaker – a nationally recognized expert in helping employers prepare for the unexpected – will share hands-on advice for safeguarding your workers against violent crimes, improving the physical security of your facilities, and dealing with sensitive issues such as domestic abuse. Plus, you’ll have the chance to post your own questions about outside workplace violence threats during the conference.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• Proven techniques for recognizing and evaluating potential workplace violence issues arising outside your organization
• How to identify possible security problems posed by customers, criminals, or workers’ spouses and partners – and what you can legally do about them
• The “weak links” in physical security that are commonly found in many workplaces – and how you can plug those holes without spending a fortune in the process
• What you must consider when you involve local law enforcement officials in your preventive planning (in other words, what the police can and cannot do for you!)
• Why criminals routinely target certain businesses or employees, and how you can counter those risks
• How you can provide support for workers caught in domestic violence disputes, while also protecting the rights and the safety of their co-workers
• The financial and legal risks posed by workplace violence incidents – from workers’ compensation claims to victims’ litigation – and how you can protect your organization

Andrew Foose, Esq., is president of Brightline Compliance, a Washington, D.C.-based human resources consulting firm that delivers online and instructor-led training on dozens of topics to more than one million employees in more than 500 different companies and organizations. A former senior trial attorney in the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, he now provides public and on-site seminars around the country for in-house counsel, labor and employment attorneys, and human resource professionals. Also, Foose has provided investigative training for clients such as Boeing, Coca-Cola, the Department of Homeland Security, Lockheed Martin, and the World Bank. He is a graduate of Harvard University, Columbia University School of Law, and Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

How Do Audio Conferences Work?

An audio conference is remarkably cost-effective and convenient. You participate from your office, using a regular telephone. You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time.

Plus, for one low price you can get as many people in your office to participate as you can fit around a speakerphone.

Because the conference is live, you can ask the speakers questions—either on the phone or via e-mail.

With your registration, you also receive conference materials, with additional practical information from Business & Legal Reports, sent to you via e-mail shortly before the conference.

Why You Can Sign Up to Attend This Event with Confidence

If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied with this audio conference, simply let us know, and we will return your entire registration fee.

• Workplace Violence Audio Conference - April 17 $219.99 [Add to Cart]
• Workplace Violence Audio Conference and CD - April 17 $269.99 [Add to Cart]

Workers’ Compensation: Why Getting It Wrong Can Hurt Your Bottom Line; How To Protect Yourself

You may think you know all you need to about workers’ comp in your state, but misconceptions abound.

Many employers believe, for example, that if an injury happens at work, it is automatically a comp claim. That the system tends to work in employers’ favor. That they have no control over their premium costs.

All of these beliefs are false – and costly. How you manage (or mismanage) workers’ comp can directly affect, to the tune of thousands of dollars every year, your bottom line.

Join us on April 29 for an in-depth audio conference all about the best ways to control your workers’ comp costs and avoid common pitfalls that can cost you big. Our expert – an experienced workers’ comp attorney - will provide you with smart strategies to implement at every step of the process.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• Common misconceptions and mistakes – and how to avoid them
• How to cut your comp costs without alienating employees
• The factors that drive your workers’ comp costs – and which are in your control
• Why it’s smart to promote workers’ comp as an employee benefit, and how to go about doing this
• Simple steps you can take right now to cut costs and boost profits

Mark Webb, Esq. is with Employers Direct Insurance Company in Thousand Oaks, California. Webb works closely with workers’ compensation regulators, policymakers, and advocates in the business community and organized labor to maintain the efficient operation of California’s multi-billion dollar worker benefit system. Previously, Webb was Assistant General Counsel for American International Companies (AIG), where he coordinated lobbying activity in the Western United States on legislative and regulatory issues involving property and casualty, life and annuity, and consumer finance lines of business. He serves on numerous advisory and legal committees for the California Division of Workers’ Compensation, CWCI, CHSWC, WCRI, and several state business associations. Webb holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

How Do Audio Conferences Work?

An audio conference is remarkably cost-effective and convenient. You participate from your office, using a regular telephone. You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time.

Plus, for one low price you can get as many people in your office to participate as you can fit around a speakerphone.

Because the conference is live, you can ask the speakers questions—either on the phone or via e-mail.

With your registration, you also receive conference materials, with additional practical information from Business & Legal Reports, sent to you via e-mail shortly before the conference.

Why You Can Sign Up to Attend This Event with Confidence

If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied with this audio conference, simply let us know, and we will return your entire registration fee.

• Worker's Compensation Audio Conference - April 29 $219.99 [Add to Cart]
• Workers' Compensation Audio Conference and CD- April 29 $269.99 [Add to Cart]

Construction: Why You Must Promote a Crew-Based Safety Climate, and The Best Ways to Make It Happen

Construction sites are a favorite target of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), given the frequency and severity of on-the-job injuries. Traditional safety approaches and training often fall short in this area because they focus on individuals – but as you know, work performed by teams and larger groups is how things get done on the construction site.

You need a crew-based approach to safety to keep everyone safe and productive at your sites. And fewer injuries means fewer lawsuits for you, as well as lower workers’ comp premiums. Don’t waste any more time on ineffective training that’s not targeted for your specific work arrangements. Instead, join us on May 7 for a detailed 90-minute audio conference all about crew-based safety.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• What crew-based safety is, and how to implement it at your job sites
• How to effectively train temporary workers and those who travel from site to site
• Best practices and real-life success stories
• Why taking a crew-based approach to safety can actually boost productivity – dramatically
• What to do when you have an employee who won’t get on board with the rest of the group and its training
• Simple steps you can take now to make your construction sites safer and more efficient

Ron Prichard has devoted his career to leading teams in effective project completion. Following his graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and eight years of active service leading U.S. Army engineering units, he began a dual career in the U.S. Army Reserves – both continuing to serve in leadership roles and working within the construction industry.

Prichard has a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in engineering and is a licensed civil engineer. He has worked with owners, contractors, and insurance carriers on dozens of projects. Over the past decade, he has concentrated his research and business practice on improving the safety of construction projects.

In addition to his construction experience, including serving as a project manager on several projects for a general contractor, he has served as both a member and leader of teams in a variety of professional and service organizations. His interest in effective leadership has fueled a lifelong study of military history to identify the success factors common to competent, capable, high-achieving teams.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This audio conference qualifies for Continuance of Certification (COC) credit. CSPs will earn 0.05 COC points for attending this audio conference.

How Do Audio Conferences Work?

An audio conference is remarkably cost-effective and convenient. You participate from your office, using a regular telephone. You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time.

Plus, for one low price you can get as many people in your office to participate as you can fit around a speakerphone.

Because the conference is live, you can ask the speakers questions—either on the phone or via e-mail.

With your registration, you also receive conference materials, with additional practical information from Business & Legal Reports, sent to you via e-mail shortly before the conference.

Why You Can Sign Up to Attend This Event with Confidence

If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied with this audio conference, simply let us know, and we will return your entire registration fee.

• Construction Crew Safety Audio Conference - May 7 $199.99 [Add to Cart]
• Construction Crew Safety Audio Conference and CD - May 7 $249.99 [Add to Cart]

Hidden Risks of Using Facebook, MySpace, and Other Websites to Scope Out New and Prospective Hires

Just hours after you’ve faxed an offer letter to your top-choice candidate for that open supervisor position, you decide on a lark to Google his name – and you discover his personal website plastered with racy photos from his recent New Year’s party.

Or, you receive an anonymous tip to visit the MySpace page of a brand-new employee, and you find screen after screen of negative rantings about how much she hates her job – including possibly defamatory comments about her boss and co-workers.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Is it a good idea to surf the Web looking for information about your employees and applicants? And, if so, can you legally use what you find to hire (or fire) those individuals?

In today’s tech-savvy business world, those are tough questions. On the one hand, it’s your job to pick the most qualified candidates to fill openings in your workplace. If you make a mistake using information pulled from the Internet, however, you could face legal problems ranging from discrimination and harassment claims to Fair Credit Reporting Act violations.

During this 90-minute audio conference on April 30, our expert will give you the legal pros and cons of relying on online data when you screen potential and current employees – with a special emphasis on information found via Google, Facebook, MySpace, and other “social networking” sites. You’ll learn when you can use these sites for HR purposes, how to gauge whether what you learn about your workers is true or false, and the types of online material you should never search for.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• The most common mistakes employers make when they check applicants and current employees on the Web
• Which online sites pose the greatest legal threats for employers when used for HR purposes
• When it’s legal to use information found online to evaluate applicants and workers – and what types of online details you must never use or keep (no matter how damaging or relevant it may seem)
• How you can decide whether the information you’ve found online is accurate
• The steps you should take if an applicant or employee claims that your online searches constitute an illegal invasion of privacy
• When your Facebook, MySpace, or Google searches may cross the line into discrimination
• The red flags that you may have violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act when surfing the Web to learn more about applicants or employees – and how to protect yourself

Anthony J. Zaller, Esq., is a partner in the law firm Van Vleck Turner & Zaller in Los Angeles, California. His practice focuses on defending, training, and counseling managers and employers in all areas of labor and employment law, ranging from discrimination and harassment claims to wrongful discharge and wage and hour litigation. He speaks frequently for many trade associations on employment law issues. He earned his law degree from Loyola Law School and his master’s degree in business administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

How Do Audio Conferences Work?

An audio conference is remarkably cost-effective and convenient. You participate from your office, using a regular telephone. You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time.

Plus, for one low price you can get as many people in your office to participate as you can fit around a speakerphone.

Because the conference is live, you can ask the speakers questions—either on the phone or via e-mail.

With your registration, you also receive conference materials, with additional practical information from Business & Legal Reports, sent to you via e-mail shortly before the conference.

Why You Can Sign Up to Attend This Event with Confidence

If, for any reason, you are unsatisfied with this audio conference, simply let us know, and we will return your entire registration fee.

• Hiring and Social Networking Sites Audio Conference - April 30 $219.99 [Add to Cart]
• Hiring and Social Networking Sites Audio Conference on CD $219.99 [Add to Cart]