It’s time to saddle up for an in-depth look at the ever-changing landscape of human resources.

On May 20, the Society for Human Resources Management Western Colorado (formerly known as Western Colorado Human Resource Association) is holding its annual Spring HR Conference.

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 each and every day while attaining balance with their ever-changing workforce. Such topics include, but will not be limited to:

Legal and Legislative Update: It’s certainly been a wild Colorado legislative session in 2025, and there are a number of human resources bills slated for the governor’s desk in the coming weeks that could greatly shape Colorado human resources law. For example:

• Colorado Worker Protection Collective Bargaining (SB25-005), which concerns changing the manner in which Colorado holds union elections.
• Enforcement Wage Hour Law (HB25-1001), which concerns, in part, an effort to expand penalties to employers for misclassifying workers as independent contractors and expanding employee access to file wage claims against their organization.
• Local Governments Tip Offsets for Tipped Employees (HB25-1208).
• Imposing Limitations on Noncompete/Nonsolicitation Agreements (SB25-083).
• Workers’ Compensation Benefits Proof of Entitlement (HB25-1300), which principally concerns providing employees more physician options.
• Health-Care Workplace Violence Incentive Payments (SB25-166), which concerns assigning quality incentive payments based on incidents of workplace violence in a hospital setting.

This session will also provide information regarding recent developments with federal executive orders, as well as cases from federal and state courts.

Internal Investigations: Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: This talk focuses on the applicability of the attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine to communications, documents and other information produced during internal business investigations. It addresses common misunderstandings and the consequences of losing these protections.

Non-Standard Employee Handbook Policies: Weapons, Drugs, Company Vehicles, and Other Policies for Consideration: This talk focuses on oft-overlooked employee handbook policies, such as weapon possession, drug use and possession, the use of company vehicles and other company property, and other nonstandard policies to consider adding to your employee handbook.

Implicit Bias in the Workplace: In the ever-changing world of employment discrimination, this talk will focus on bias in the workplace, looking at current law on discrimination and DEI efforts, to include an overview of executive orders. The presentation will also offer practical solutions for how to interact with employees in situations where you may find dueling protected classes. The presentation will include group exercises to investigate bias and how it operates in day-to-day decisions and provide advice on how to manage bias in an HR role.

Wage-and-Hour Update: 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’s likely to become law in a few months will implement 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.

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

In sum, it will be a full day of presentations and guidance on the hot employment/HR-law issues with the goal of attaining balance on the tightrope of law requirements and workforce empowerment.

Admission to the conference is currently $250 for WCHRA members and $350 for others. To register or obtain more information, visit www.shrmwesterncolorado.org.

Don’t get caught off guard in this legal frontier. Register now and stay ahead of the game.