Event Details

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Please welcome

Noah Williams

with

Reed, Longyear, Malnati and Ahrens, PLLC

Presenting:

Returning to Work Post Pandemic –

Vaccination and Remote Working Policies

Summary: 

The restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic are starting to ease. Every American who is eligible and wants a vaccine should be able to do so by this summer. This will likely result in a greater opening and return to work for Washington employers and employees. A year from now, many of the kinks in how to do it right will hopefully be ironed out, but for now, questions remain. The two most common questions Noah Williams has lately received are the subject of this presentation: Vaccine Policies and Returning to Work Post-COVID. In this presentation we will dive into these two key questions and discuss tactics that will help move us forward while getting it right.

During the first portion of this presentation we will look at the general guidance from State, Federal and Local sources regarding what an Employer can, and potentially “should” do. Although there is not yet a black and white, easy to follow solution, and many solutions will vary greatly on the type of business and the nature of employee interactions with co-workers and the public, this general guidance on Vaccine Policies as detailed from the EEOC and State or Local sources do offer us some guidance on a few different, likely common policies. Noah will share a few positives and negatives about three main approaches: 

1. Robust Policy: Aggressively seeking vaccination status.
2. Middle of the Road: Seeking limited information for specific purposes, but not otherwise requiring vaccinations or information on vaccinations.
3. Why Bother with Headache: An approach where you simply do not seek or ask any of the information.

Additionally, we have seen massive change in both our ability to work remotely, and the acceptance of doing so. This portion of the presentation will address goals, concepts, and concerns around remote work post COVID.  We will discuss the common problems that must be identified surrounding new remote work policies, and the massive increase in the employees now allowed to work remotely. The specific topics will focus on productivity, how to structure a fair and equitable system, confidentiality, equipment policies, and when to change the amount of time employees are allowed to work from home.

Lastly, we will discuss putting it all together: navigating vaccine policies, returning to work, remote work, accommodations, all while addressing concerns around a specific policy. Though each business has its own context – size, type, interactions with public, customer, co-workers etc., this section hopes to provide some general guidance on the initial return to more in person work, and what the future may hold.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

• Gain an understanding of the general guidance on Vaccine Policies as detailed from the EEOC, State and other Local sources as they are available
• Know what to include, or not include, in vaccine policies ranging from a relaxed policy to a robust policy
• Best practices and policies to address which goals, concepts, and concerns around remote work post COVID employers need to be focused on
• Understand common workplace issues and how to address them in a remote workforce
• Learn about how to craft a fair and equitable system, confidentiality, equipment policies, and when to change the amount of time to work from home
• Putting it all together – how to manage vaccine policies, returning to work, remote work, and accommodations, all while addressing concerns around a specific policy.

1.0 Credit approved through SHRM & HRCI

About the Speakers:

Noah Williams

Noah Williams is an Attorney with Reed, Longyear, Malnati and Ahrens, PLLC.  His practice focuses on employment, trade secret, and intellectual property issues presented to businesses and individuals. Noah enjoys the opportunity to represent clients throughout the Seattle, Pacific Northwest, and Tri-Cities areas.

Noah has lately focused on navigating employment disputes, (wrongful termination, harassment, wage and hour etc.) and addressing trade secret and intellectual property issues. Disputes relating to theft of trade secrets, trademark infringement, contractual violations, non-compete agreements, and claims of workplace harassment, are unfortunately common. Noah is driven to help his clients obtain the best result.

Though litigation can be warranted, Noah Williams excels in helping businesses and individuals eliminate or reduce risks. To do this, Noah provides investigative and educational services to his clients. Noah meets with clients frequently to help avoid common pitfalls in the employment, non-compete, or intellectual property arenas. Noah presents on diverse topics including employment manuals, trademark and confidential information protections, or evaluating best practices with human resources and management. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

**There is limited seating; Late Registrations/Walk-ins may be limited based on number of preregistered.