HR Works: The Podcast for Human Resources

In the last episode we began to explore some of HR's responsibilities when it comes to the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, or the PPP for short. Today we'll continue that conversation and learn about compliance obligations, the likelihoods of audits, and when the loans stay a loan or become forgiven. We are again are joined by Terry Dawson, Partner at Barnes and Thornburg LLP (www.btlaw.com/people/terry-dawson) to discuss this topic. Terry Dawson’s practice involves virtually every issue employers confront today, with an emphasis on labor relations, including arbitrations, collective bargaining negotiation, helping employers remain union-free, business strategy and client counseling. Terry also provides daily counseling to employers on complex FMLA and ADA issues.

As companies struggle to stay in business, many have decided to take advantage of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, or the PPP for short. The details surrounding this type of loan has some HR considerations, like whether you have to hire back the same employees to take advantage of loan forgiveness, whether you can pay employees not to work, to name a few. In this episode we are joined by Terry Dawson, Partner at Barnes and Thornburg LLP (https://www.btlaw.com/people/terry-dawson) to discuss this topic. Terry Dawson’s practice involves virtually every issue employers confront today, with an emphasis on labor relations, including arbitrations, collective bargaining negotiation, helping employers remain union-free, business strategy and client counseling. Terry also provides daily counseling to employers on complex FMLA and ADA issues.

The isolation of stay at home orders are accelerating behavioral health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, but even during the best of times, making sure you are aware of the mental health needs of your employees is very important. That means understanding risk factors, having a well trained HR team to handle everything from benefits to interacting with employees when they have a crisis. In this episode of HR Works we discuss this important topic with Dr. Dan Jolivet, Workplace Possibilities Practice Consultant at The Standard. (www.standard.com/bhpodcast) Dan started working in the behavioral health field in 1980 as he was completing a degree in mathematical statistics and wanted to get some hands-on experience in an applied scientific discipline. His first direct service job in the field was a 1981 work-study position at a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in Seattle, where he quickly became hooked on trying to understand how people change. Dan has held a variety of roles throughout his career. He has worked in inpatient hospitals, residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, employee assistance programs and in private practice. He moved into supervision to multiply his impact and began working in managed care soon after that. He joined The Standard as its Behavioral Health Director in 2016 and says his favorite part of the job is still helping people—both claimants and people on his team—find solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

In the last episode of HR Works: COVID-19 Update we began speaking with employment attorney Jacob M. Monty (https://montyramirezlaw.com/attorneys/jacob-m-monty-managing-partner), managing partner and founder of Monty & Ramirez LLP (https://montyramirezlaw.com) about the potential for concerted activity during the pandemic. Today we dig a little deeper into how collective action happens and what you can do to avoid it. For over two decades, Jake Monty has successfully practiced at the intersection of immigration, labor, and employment laws. A nationally recognized authority on issues facing employers with large Hispanic workforces, Jake has written not one, but three books on the topic and speaks regularly in English and Spanish on navigating labor and employment matters in industries with heightened immigration scrutiny. His clients include professional baseball teams, grocery store chains, single establishment and chain restaurants, and leading companies in the construction and facility maintenance fields. Jake has been interviewed by major media outlets such as Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC regarding national immigration concerns. Jake founded Monty & Ramirez LLP to offer an integrated approach to dealing with Hispanic workforces. He and his bilingual partners address all the critical aspects of employer advocacy, from immigration to union matters, workplace safety, and employment disputes.

Employers beware! The situation we find ourselves in provides unique leverage and incentives for collective action. Many low paid workers have been labelled essential and are obligated to work in hazardous conditions for the same low pay, or in some cases even with pay cuts. Workers in non-essential businesses have watched their companies cut pay, furlough, and layoff in great numbers. That means they are more than likely worried for their jobs and perhaps are thinking of using collective action to protect themselves. We are pleased to have back with us today employment attorney Jacob M. Monty (https://montyramirezlaw.com/attorneys/jacob-m-monty-managing-partner), managing partner and founder of Monty & Ramirez LLP (https://montyramirezlaw.com/) to discuss this important topic. For over two decades, Jake Monty has successfully practiced at the intersection of immigration, labor, and employment laws. A nationally recognized authority on issues facing employers with large Hispanic workforces, Jake has written not one, but three books on the topic and speaks regularly in English and Spanish on navigating labor and employment matters in industries with heightened immigration scrutiny. His clients include professional baseball teams, grocery store chains, single establishment and chain restaurants, and leading companies in the construction and facility maintenance fields. Jake has been interviewed by major media outlets such as Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC regarding national immigration concerns. Jake founded Monty & Ramirez LLP to offer an integrated approach to dealing with Hispanic workforces. He and his bilingual partners address all the critical aspects of employer advocacy, from immigration to union matters, workplace safety, and employment disputes.

Note: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org The topic of this episode is a difficult one, but one that is very important in the context of employee mental health: suicide. What does HR do when an employee threatens suicide? What if they attempt it? What if they succeed? These troubling circumstances are more than a maybe. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States with over 47,000 Americans dying of suicide in 2017. For every successful suicide there are many attempts, and odds are that HR professionals will have to deal with a situation like this at their workplace at some point. In this episode, we feature two guests to discuss this important topic. The first is Andrew Adams, an attorney at Skoler Abbott (https://www.skoler-abbott.com) which operates out of Springfield Massachussetts. After receiving his undergraduate degree in marine biology Andrew enlisted in the United States Navy before eventually returning back home to Hampden County. For the next six years and throughout law school Andrew worked as a Correctional Officer for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, until he left to pursue his passion for the law. In his final year of law school Andrew was a law clerk at a premier tort litigation firm in Connecticut, before finding his home at Skoler, Abbott. We also have with us Jamie Vinck, MC, LPC, NCC and Group Chief Executive Officer at Sierra Tuscon (https://www.sierratucson.com), a residential treatment center for drug and alcohol addiction as well as behavior health located in Arizona. Successfully Operating Acadia Healthcare’s Flagship behavioral health facility, Jaime, is the second female CEO at Sierra Tucson. Jaime has introduced groundbreaking outcomes measurement and recovery programs that have earned the facility top recognition within and outside the industry. The program, which provides support through an industry-leading app, helps individuals stay connected and engaged, while also providing one-on-one access to their own personal nationally-certified recovery coach.

Last week we began discussing the Trump Administration's immigration freeze and what that means for employers with Jacob M. Monty, managing partner and founder of Monty & Ramirez LLP (montyramirezlaw.com/). We discussed furloughs and layoffs affecting the status of foreign national workers, details about the freeze itself, and more. This week we finish that talk and dive into what kinds of ICE activity employers can expect during the crisis, those that rely on highly skilled laborers that get visas like the H-1B Specialty Occupation visa, and what accommodations have been made for employers hiring new employees in light of the crisis. For over two decades, Jake Monty has successfully practiced at the intersection of immigration, labor, and employment laws. A nationally recognized authority on issues facing employers with large Hispanic workforces, Jake has written not one, but three books on the topic and speaks regularly in English and Spanish on navigating labor and employment matters in industries with heightened immigration scrutiny. His clients include professional baseball teams, grocery store chains, single establishment and chain restaurants, and leading companies in the construction and facility maintenance fields. Jake has been interviewed by major media outlets such as Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC regarding national immigration concerns. Jake founded Monty & Ramirez LLP to offer an integrated approach to dealing with Hispanic workforces. He and his bilingual partners address all the critical aspects of employer advocacy, from immigration to union matters, workplace safety, and employment disputes.

As you may be aware, the Trump Administration recently announced a 60 day suspension of immigration to the united states. The freeze is said to prevent green card workers from moving to the U.S. but will allow temporary workers on non-immigrant visas to enter. Today we will discuss the consequences of the ban for U.S. employers. We are pleased to have with us today employment attorney Jacob M. Monty, managing partner and founder of Monty & Ramirez LLP (https://montyramirezlaw.com/). For over two decades, Jake Monty has successfully practiced at the intersection of immigration, labor, and employment laws. A nationally recognized authority on issues facing employers with large Hispanic workforces, Jake has written not one, but three books on the topic and speaks regularly in English and Spanish on navigating labor and employment matters in industries with heightened immigration scrutiny. His clients include professional baseball teams, grocery store chains, single establishment and chain restaurants, and leading companies in the construction and facility maintenance fields. Jake has been interviewed by major media outlets such as Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC regarding national immigration concerns. Jake founded Monty & Ramirez LLP to offer an integrated approach to dealing with Hispanic workforces. He and his bilingual partners address all the critical aspects of employer advocacy, from immigration to union matters, workplace safety, and employment disputes.

In this episode we discuss the new remote workforce. Most of us that remain employed do so from our homes. This has created a host of new problems. That includes people having to setup their home offices that didn’t have the technology or space to do so. People are working alongside their children, pets, and spouses. Risk factors for mental health and other issues are through the roof including isolation, increased drug and alcohol use, and anxiety to name a few. Experts have been calling for the move to remote for years now, but it seems we have finally been pushed there whether we were ready or not. We have two experts with us today to discuss this topic. The first is Andrew Meadows, SVP of HR, Brand, and Culture at Ubiquity Retirement and Savings (https://www.myubiquity.com). He has worked for two decades in the retirement and savings space and is a fierce advocate for the small business. Having worked and transformed every area of Ubiquity including client experience, partnerships, and more, Andrew has now devised a new structure of consistent quality and brand promise, moving on to extend that promise internally throughout the company’s culture. We also have with us today Matt Fairhurst, the co-founder and CEO of Skedulo (https://www.skedulo.com), a mobile workforce management service. Matt is driven by the possibilities technology creates for the ever-growing mobile workforce.

Welcome to the second weekly episode of HR Works: COVID-19 Update. Going forward, will be publishing these shorter episodes every week with the goal of covering employment law issues surrounding COVID-19. For this second episode we are pleased to have our returning guest, employment attorney Jonathan Mook, of DiMuroGinsberg PC, with us. We discuss more details about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, or the FFCRA for short, including how the entitlements, tax credits, and enforcement work for this bill. Jonathan is an attorney at DiMuroGinsberg PC , attorneys at law operating out of Virginia. He is a nationally recognized authority on the Americans with Disabilities Act and is the author of two treatises published by Matthew Bender Company, “Americans with Disabilities Act: Employee Rights and Employer Obligations” and “Americans with Disabilities Act: Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities.” Learn more about Jonathan here: www.dimuro.com/meet-our-attorneys/jonathan-r-mook/ And you can view the FFCRA employee rights poster here: www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/…422_Non-Federal.pdf