Ethics and the Law—The “Frenemies” of Workplace Decision-Making?

About the Topic:

HR professionals continually face the difficult task of navigating what is best for the organization and what is best for its employees, all while not running afoul of the law. But just because a decision is “legal,” does not mean it is the most fair or ethical choice. Similarly, the “ethical” decisions one makes may not, in fact, be permissible under relevant laws. In other words, sometimes ethics and the law play well together (“friends”), and other times they very much conflict (“enemies”). This session will explore these “frenemies” through a variety of ethical and legal issues inherent in HR’s day-to-day decision-making, to include topics such as discrimination, affirmative action, and diversity initiatives; social media; and leave management.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will learn the ethical and legal distinctions between discrimination, affirmative action, and diversity initiatives
• Participants will identify issues with social media use, monitoring, and enforcement.
• Participants will learn to consider both the legal and ethical options in any workplace scenario.

About the Speaker: 

Kelli P. Lieurance is a partner who focuses on labor and employment law compliance, assisting employers with proactive, rather than just defensive, compliance efforts. Her practical approach not only offers clients a realistic view of their legal obligations, but also assists clients in implementing such obligations in a way that best suits their business needs.

To learn more about Kelli, check out: https://www.bairdholm.com/attorneys/kelli-p-lieurance/