(WINTER 2010)

A required course in the Certificate Program in Human Resources Management.
This course covers the primary basic federal and state laws which come to bear on the practice of human resources management, and which govern employer-employee relations. The course addresses employment law topics including employment at-will, wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, harassment in the work place, employment contracts, defamation, leaves of absence, employee privacy issues, wage and hour issues, and collective bargaining agreements. The course also will help students organize and create a fair and positive working environment, and avoid costly lawsuits by learning how to design and implement employment policies and practices that are lawful and effective. Students also will learn effective ways in which to conduct investigations into employee misconduct, will be given an opportunity to apply various employment law subjects to actual and hypothetical problems discussed in class. California approved MCLE provider (provider number 2560). Eligible participants will earn up to 36 hours of general MCLE credit based on attendance. To verify attendance and calculate eligible hours, students must sign weekly MCLE forms.

Laura Overton, JD, M.A., is Corporate Counsel for employment matters at Sun Healthcare Group, Inc., a national, multi-subsidiary provider of long-term care services with over 30,000 employees in 48 states. Her role within the organization includes advising senior management, division, region, and facility-level leadership on all matters related to federal and state employment laws. She partners closely with the human resources department in handling personnel issues, investigations into employee misconduct and responding to claims filed with federal and state agencies. She also manages all of the company's employment-related litigation handled by outside counsel. Her experience with Sun has enabled her to become well-versed in best practices for human resources professionals that are both legal and make sense for the business operation.