- May's webinar is FREE for TRIHRA Members ONLY
- Due to our limit of 100 attendees max per webinar, registration is first come, first serve.
- Interested members MUST attend the live webinar program as TRIHRA will not be sending out a webinar recording.
About the Topic:
This webinar will help organizations that need to reduce payroll due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic—whether by a furlough (reduction in hours), temporary layoff with the hope of recalling employees in the near future, permanent reductions-in-force, or a combination of these. Attorneys from Dickinson Law will walk us through steps to take when making these decisions so we can reduce legal risks. We’ll also take a close look at the application of the federal WARN Act, with a peak at the mini-WARN Acts in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Finally, we’ll go over new federal unemployment programs that may apply to impacted employees.
About the Speakers:
Jill Jensen-Welch practices primarily in employment law and civil litigation. She serves clients ranging from small start-ups to large national companies in a wide variety of industries.
Jill’s 16 years of human resources experience before law school informs her counseling of clients in contracts and restrictive covenants, policies and practices, employee relations matters, leaves, job analysis, pay structures, discipline, terminations, and training. In employment litigation, she handles administrative actions such as unemployment claims, civil rights charges, complaints and audits, as well as lawsuits from inception through appeals. Jill also conducts workplace investigations into a variety of issues, including allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and more.
During Drake Law’s 150th anniversary celebration, Jill was recognized by peers, family, students and classmates as one of “150 in 150” for best demonstrating the values of the Law School and helping to shape Drake Law into what it is today.
Jill earned the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) designation from the Human Resource Certification Institute in 1989, and Jill became a Senior Certified Professional of the Society for Human Resource Management in 2014.
Bryan O'Neill is a member of the firm’s Employment and Labor Law Group. Bryan represents clients in numerous employment-related matters before administrative agencies and in state and federal court. He handles all types of cases including discrimination, retaliation, FMLA, wage and hour, and wrongful termination litigation. Additionally, Bryan counsels clients on compliance with state and federal laws and ways to manage and avoid risks.
Bryan has significant trial experience in state and federal court. Prior to joining the firm, Bryan practiced exclusively in plaintiff-side employment litigation. Prior to law school, he worked as a high school history and government teacher in the Des Moines area.
Melissa Schilling represents public and private sector employers in labor and employment matters. In that role, she has successfully represented clients in state and federal cases involving a broad range of labor and employment laws, including Title VII, the American with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Melissa also has extensive experience investigating and handling matters filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and related federal and state agencies. Her work before these agencies includes assisting clients at the early charge stage, during governmental investigations, and throughout any subsequent litigation.
In addition to her litigation experience, Melissa has experience counseling employers on a wide range of labor and employment issues, including cyber security issues, discrimination, harassment, FMLA and medical issues in the workplace, technology issues, and discipline matters. In her counseling practice, she takes a proactive approach to responding and resolving various employment issues and assists her clients in establishing policies and procedures necessary to comply with the ever-changing law.
In addition to labor and employment law, Melissa represents real estate companies, condominium associations, and homeowner associations before the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Melissa’s practice also includes representing real estate companies, banks, and insurance companies in commercial litigation.
As part of her proactive approach to helping clients, Melissa also regularly conducts training for employers on a wide range of employment matters, including prevention of discrimination and harassment, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Family Medical Leave Act, hiring and recruitment practices, cybersecurity risks and strategies, discipline, supervisor best practices, and appropriate investigation techniques.
Prior to joining Dickinson law, Melissa Schilling practiced labor and employment law with a Chicago law firm, where she represented primarily municipal employers in state and federal litigation, grievance arbitration, and matters pending before the Illinois Labor Relations Board.
Tri-State Human Resource Association is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.
This program has been submitted to the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) for review.
