2025 Labor & Employment Law Seminar

11:00 a.m.
Check-In Opens for Optional Pre-Seminar Lunch Workshop

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Scary Times: Preparing for ICE Raids and Audits
Pamela J. Bourne and Erin L. Ebeler, Attorneys, Woods Aitken

As the spooky season approaches, the threat of ICE raids and audits remains looming. Join us for a chilling presentation on how to prepare for these haunting scenarios and craft your response plan to protect your organization from unforeseen nightmares.

Labor & Employment Law Seminar

12:30 p.m.
Check-In Opens for Labor & Employment Law Seminar

1:00 p.m.-1:45 p.m.
Compliance Nightmares: Don’t Get Tricked by 2025 Labor & Employment Law Changes
Pamela J. Bourne, Attorney, Woods Aitken

Avoid the legal cobwebs — and stay compliant in the face of scary new developments. Pam Bourne will provide an overview of this year’s most significant labor and employment law developments. Pam will cover key court decisions, updates from federal employment agencies, and the legality of medical marijuana in Nebraska. Armed with these practical insights and best practices, you’ll be ready to dodge the tricks and treat your workplace to compliance confidence—no haunted HR nightmares here!

1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Don’t Get Spooked: Best Practices for Navigating Religious, Disability, and Pregnancy-Related Accommodation Issues
Ashley H. Connell and Laurel E. Stoncius, Attorneys, Woods Aitken

As workplace accommodation requests continue to grow in frequency and complexity, it’s easy for employers to feel spooked by compliance demands and haunted by the specter of legal risk. This session will clarify employers’ obligations to provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act, and Title VII—highlighting the similarities and key differences in the interactive process, permissible documentation, and undue hardship standards when dealing with accommodation requests related to disabilities; pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions; and religious beliefs and practices. Attendees will walk away with practical strategies and best practices to confidently navigate the accommodation labyrinth—and avoid lurking compliance traps and legal pitfalls.

2:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
Break

2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
The DEI Monster Under the Bed: Navigating Administration Changes and the Impact on Your Organization
Erin L. Ebeler, Attorney, Woods Aitken

Following the change in presidential administrations, policies relating to DEI feel a bit like the monster under the bed: scary and with unknown risks. We’re going to shine a flashlight on the executive orders and federal agency guidance documents attacking DEI-related efforts to understand what’s real, what’s scary, and how employers can sleep at night given conflicting DEI obligations under executive orders, court decisions, agency guidance, and state/federal statutes.

3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Ghoul-rilla Tactics: The NLRB’s Scary Reach into Non-Unionized Workplaces 
Jerry L. Pigsley, Attorney, Woods Aitken

• Learn about the new acting NLRB General Counsel’s memos rescinding prior guidance on non-compete agreements, severance agreements, electronic monitoring, and rights of student athletes.
• Learn about Trump’s new Board’s decisions overturning prior Biden’s Board decisions.
• Learn about employer actions found lawful in union organizing campaigns.

4:15 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Don’t Get Haunted by AI: Avoiding Legal Nightmares in the Workplace
Sarah L. Carstensen and Karen B. Rogers, Attorneys, Woods Aitken

Step into the haunted house of HR, where artificial intelligence tools are reshaping workplace decisions—from hiring to promotions to surveillance—but may summon legal spirits if left unchecked. This eerie and enlightening session explores how AI intersects with discrimination law, privacy rights, and compliance obligations under Title VII, ADA, and emerging state and federal regulations. You’ll leave with new information for your spellbook of best practices and a glimpse into the future of AI governance, litigation risks, and employer responsibilities in an increasingly automated world.

5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks