Category Archives: Legal

Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2024: People Problems—Strategies for Dealing With Problem Employee Situations



In this podcast recorded at Ogletree Deakins’ national Workplace Strategies seminar, Burton Garland (shareholder, St. Louis) sits down with Trina Ricketts (shareholder, Kansas City) to discuss strategies to effectively deal with the ten types of toxic employees that can be found in the workplace—including the bully, the narcissist, the back stabber, the unmotivated, and more. Trina and Burt provide practical insights on dealing with some all-too-common, yet complicated, employee situations. Our speakers discuss how these situations can affect business reputation, employee morale, company culture, and, in some cases, revenue—in addition to practical ways to combat these issues.


Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2024: Out of Office—Managing a Remote Work Environment



In this podcast recorded at Ogletree Deakins’ national Workplace Strategies seminar, Kristin Higgins (office managing shareholder, Dallas) is joined by Mike Mahoney (shareholder, Morristown/New York) to discuss the unique challenges employers face when managing a remote or hybrid work environment. Kristin and Mike, who is chair of the firm’s Payroll, Tax, and Fringe Benefits subgroup, discuss the tax consequences that may arise when employees work in different jurisdictions from those in which an employer is registered to do business. In addition, Mike and Kristin review best practices on a range of remote work issues, including expense reimbursements for home-office equipment and travel back to brick and mortar facilities in different states.


Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region: Proposed Warehouse Worker Protection Act



In this installment of our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, John Surma (shareholder, Houston) and Frank Davis (shareholder, Dallas), discuss S. 4260, The Warehouse Worker Protection Act (WWPA), which was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate. The WWPA would limit production requirements for warehouse workers and the disciplinary measures that employers may impose for failures to meet those limits. Frank and John review which industries would be covered by the WWPA, the proposed creation of a Fairness and Transparency Office within the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, and the steep fines employers would face for failure to comply.


Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2024: Using Mediation in Employment Cases



In this podcast recorded at Ogletree Deakins’ national Workplace Strategies seminar, Sam Fulkerson (shareholder, Oklahoma City), Maria Danaher (shareholder, Pittsburgh), and Mike Sexton (shareholder, Orange County) reflect on the pros and cons of mediation—given the high cost of litigation and the fact that fewer than 2 percent of employment law cases ever make it to trial. Maria, Mike, and Sam discuss what to expect in mediation, covering everything from procedures and logistics to best strategies for optimal cost-benefit resolution. The speakers also cover the benefits and hazards of virtual mediation, including the results of a recent national empirical study completed by an Ogletree Deakins attorney and others on the experiences of employment law practitioners with virtual mediation.


Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2024: Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Download: Updates, Trends, and Risk Mitigation Techniques



In this podcast recorded at Ogletree Deakins’ national Workplace Strategies seminar, Ben Perry (of counsel, Nashville) Hera S. Arsen (Ph.D.) discuss the latest cybersecurity and privacy issues, risks, and challenges that employers are facing. In addition to reviewing what to do in the face of a data breach, Ben discusses how data privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, apply in the employment context, focusing on notice/opt-out requirements and employee rights. Additionally, Ben covers best practices for risk mitigation, managing data breaches when they happen, and handling employers’ legal notification responsibilities. Finally, Ben addresses trending issues such as biometrics, employee monitoring, and the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, including their application to the remote work environment.


Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2024: California Lite? Expanding Employee Protections in Activist States



In this podcast recorded at Ogletree Deakins’ national Workplace Strategies seminar, Jennifer Colvin (shareholder, Chicago), David Zwisler (shareholder, Denver), and Larry Shapero (shareholder, Seattle) discuss state law changes and trends expanding employee protections and employer obligations from CROWN Acts, rules regarding lawful off-duty conduct, and pay transparency mandates to prohibitions on noncompetes and NDAs. Jen, David, and Larry start off with a discussion of state laws on protected characteristics that are growing in number and scope across the country. The speakers also examine how states and local governments are expanding protections for historically and newly identified classes of individuals—varying widely by jurisdiction—and what employers need to know.


Cross-Border Catch-Up: Performance-Based Terminations in South Korea



In this episode of Ogletree Deakins’ Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Eric Lee (New York) is joined by Skye Hao (Atlanta) to discuss performance-based terminations in South Korea. Skye and Eric cover the stringent requirements and objective evaluation criteria mandated by the Labor Standards Act of Korea for an employer to discharge an employee for poor performance. They also review a recent supreme court ruling in South Korea, confirming the country’s high bar for unilateral termination of an employee based on performance.


TECHPLACE™ Talk: The EU AI Act, Part I



In this installment of Ogletree Deakins’ TECHPLACE™ Talk series, Jenn Betts, who is co-chair of the firm’s Technology Practice Group, sits down with Justin Tarka and Patty Shapiro to talk about the European Union’s AI Act—which is the first comprehensive law in the world regulating artificial intelligence (AI). The speakers discuss how the new law regulates AI in employment with a risk-based approach. In particular, they discuss potential risks of using AI for screening employment applications, recruitment processes such as interviews, and related concerns surrounding employment exposure to sensitive and personal information.


Cross-Border Catch-Up: The Trend Away From Lifetime Employment in Japan



In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Komlavi Atsou (Cleveland) and Eric Lee (New York), both of whom are members of Ogletree Deakins’ Cross-Border Practice Group, discuss the trend away from the traditional concept of lifetime employment in Japan. Eric explains the traditional model that has been highly protective of employee rights with respect to termination, including requiring progressive discipline. The speakers also delve into some of the reasons Japan is moving away from lifetime employment, such as the declining population, the need to retain foreign talent, and employee and union demands for greater compensation.


Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2024: The Legal Department’s Role and Responsibilities in a Crisis



In this podcast recorded at Ogletree Deakins’ national Workplace Strategies seminar, Phillip Russell (shareholder, Tampa) and Stephen Quezada (shareholder, Houston) discuss the critical role in-house counsel play in responding to and managing potential crisis situations employers are often forced to face. Stephen and Phillip explain the ways in which legal department lawyers need to manage their roles and responsibilities with varying stakeholders—both internal and external. Our speakers cover effective preparedness and responses and the potential landmines employers will want to avoid in situations ranging from high-profile claims of workplace misconduct, government enforcement actions, social justice issues, labor organizing, or workplace fatalities.