The Western Colorado Chapter of the Society for Human Resources is hosting its annual conference May 20, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Colorado Mesa University Ballroom.

Admission to the conference is currently $300 for WCHRA members and $400 for others. To register or obtain more information, visit www.shrmwesterncolorado.org.

Attendees will receive lunch as part of the conference, and there will be a question-and-answer session where attendees can ask the attorney panelists their most pressing questions.

Bechtel & Santo, a Grand Junction law firm that specializes in advising employers on day-to-day human resources issues, will present at the conference and offer sessions on a variety of employment topics that all companies face every day while attaining balance with their ever-changing workforce.

Topics will include:

• Legal and Legislative Update – This year’s Colorado legislative session has a number of human resources bills slated for the governor’s desk in the coming weeks that could greatly shape Colorado human resources law. This includes bills that focus on union elections, wage matters, protections for LGBTQ+ employees, and protections for extreme temperatures at work. This session of the conference will also provide attendees with updates from federal and state court cases and administrative agencies, of which there have been many.
• How to Correctly and Efficiently Handle Wage-and-Hour Issues – While other claims certainly draw more headlines (e.g., discrimination, harassment, retaliation, etc.), wage-and-hour claims remain the primary source of claims, administrative audits, litigations, etc., against employers. Further, a new Colorado bill that became law last year implements a system that makes it easier for employees to file a wage claim to a more sympathetic ear. So, this session will focus on ensuring that employers are properly complying with the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Colorado Wage Act, and the Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards Order.
• Day-to-Day of HR Compliance – This section will present attendees with a number of HR/employment-law issues, including hiring, promotions, demotions, written reprimands, terminations, etc., and then provide attendees with practical and lawful solutions for each scenario.
• More Layers than an Onion: Lawfully Handling All of Colorado’s Employee Leaves – Colorado in recent years has enacted numerous requirements regarding leaves for employees (e.g., Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, Colorado FAMLI, etc.). These leaves are on top of the previously existing leaves (e.g., federal Family and Medical Leave Act; vacation leave; jury duty; military leave; national guard leave; leave under the Americans with Disabilities Act, etc.). Further complicating matters is that these leaves can not be handled in a silo. That is, each of the leaves overlap most of the other leaves. So, this section of the conference will provide attendees with updates on these leaves and discuss how to handle requests for leaves from employees.