Back-to-Work Seattle Webinar Series

Register Now!

The Effects of Covid-19 and the Trump Administration on Workplace Immigration Issues: What’s Happening Now, and What to Expect.

May 13, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm PDT

Location: GoToWebinar - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8157956671210844431

While the Covid-19 pandemic has been a severe challenge for the nation and the world, it has given the Trump administration an opening to push its immigration agenda farther than what might have otherwise been possible. In this presentation Jeff Winchester and Edwina Kye of our Seattle office discuss how the pandemic and the administration’s policies have affected employer compliance with Form I-9 requirements, employees working on non-immigrant visas, international travel, and even the green card process. Our presenters will predict how these issues will play out post-Covid-19, and how employers can be prepared for what’s next.

Preparing for Pandemic-Related Employment Disputes

June 19, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm PDT

Location: GoToWebinar - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3333474470878766095

The coronavirus pandemic forced many companies to execute employment decisions quickly out of necessity, amidst newly evolving administrative guidance and laws. With many workers anxious about returning to work and unemployment at record levels, businesses must act more deliberately when applying this still ever-evolving framework to address employee concerns. New legal risks arise as employees return to work. These challenges have created a perfect storm for administrative agencies to test new avenues for regulatory enforcement and plaintiffs’ attorneys to try new theories to challenge businesses’ decisions during and after the crisis. Employee claims have already begun. Scott Prange and Nate Bailey of our Seattle office will survey new legal claims and administrative challenges and provide examples of legal theories, with the goal of arriving at practical risk mitigation solutions as we head into the “new normal.”

Untangling the Web of Local, State, and Federal Protected Leave During Coronavirus

July 30, 2020, 12:00 pm - 1:00 PDT

Location: GoToWebinar - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3549576884248458511

Join Seattle’s Amanda Buchan for to discuss what employers should know about the tangled web of various federal, state, and local laws that provide employees with protected leave. The webinar will aim to prepare employers for a possible "second wave" of COVID-19, including being prepared when employees ask to take leave for things like school closures, suspected exposure to coronavirus, or government mandated closures.

The New "Reasonable" Test for Accommodations Post-COVID19

September 11, 2020, 12:00 - 1:00 PDT

Location: GoToWebinar - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6413412148953900047

Even after employees return to work and business operations return to normal, the impact of COVID-19 has changed the workplace for the foreseeable future. And until a vaccine and tests become widely available, the threat of another outbreak and employee concerns or fears regarding COVID-19 will continue to permeate throughout the workplace. As a result, employers should be prepared for new accommodations and requests related to employee disabilities and telecommuting, and be able to navigate new ADA guidelines, state guidelines, and even proclamations from Washington’s governor. Together, Margaret Burnham and Ryan R. Jones from our Seattle office will discuss how to define what is "reasonable" and how to engage with employees in the interactive process in the new normal following the COVID-19 pandemic.

All webinars are pending 1-hour WA-CLE and HRCI/SHRM.

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Barry-Smith at  jbarry-smith@fisherphillips.com.