For employers handling day-to-day employment issues, it might seem like the only constant is change.

Consider, for example, three bills under consideration in the Colorado Legislature that would dramatically alter how employers handle hiring, compensation and paid leave. One measure would require employers to implement certain hiring procedures and limit their defenses to discrimination claims. A second measure would limit the way in which employers obtain conviction information about applicants. A third measure would require employers to offer paid leave similar to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor announced it wants to change how organizations compensate employees. Other federal agencies also change employer responsibilities and employee rights.

Finally, state and federal courts change on nearly a daily basis how various aspects of employment laws are interpreted.

Clearly, there’s a lot for employers to track.

For employers interested in keeping abreast of these changes, Bechtel, Santo & Severn will join with the Western Colorado Human Resource Association in presenting an annual spring employment law conference. The conference is set for 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 17 in the Colorado Mesa University Center in Grand Junction. Admission is $230 for WCHRA members, $290 for others. To register or obtain more information, log on to  www.wchra.org.

Bechtel, Santo & Severn, a Grand Junction law firm that advises employers on day-to-day employment issues, will offer keynote presentations, panel discussions and breakout sessions.

The conference is scheduled to begin with breakfast and a morning keynote address offering a legislative and case law update.

After that, participants will break into groups based on the number of employees in their organizations and discuss how to implement employment law changes coming from the Colorado Legislature and  courts.

A presentation will offer an overview of forms employers deal with on a regular basis — as well as those forms employers might not use often, but need to know about.

Those forms include the I-9, job descriptions, FMLA forms and medical questionnaires for Americans With Disabilities Act accommodations.

After lunch, presentations will help participants optimize their efforts to attract, hire and inspire employees as well as cover what organizations need to know about the changing virtual workplace.

Subsequent sessions will focus on proposed changes to federal wage and hour laws and how organizations can implement policies and practices to comply.

Top business executives from Grand Junction will gather for a panel discussion about recruiting employees in a competitive marketplace.

The conference will conclude with a question-and-answer session with attorneys from Bechtel, Santo & Severn.

Bechtel, Santo & Severn, a Grand Junction employment law firm, provided this column on behalf of the Western Colorado Human Resource Association. For more information about the firm, visit www.bechtelsanto.com. For more information about the Western Colorado Human Resource Association, log on to www.wchra.org.