Event Details

The target audience for this seminar is HR professionals and small business owners.  Your company has just received a charge of discrimination from a former employee.  What is it?  What do you do?  This session will describe the administrative process at both the U.S. EEOC and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights; provide suggestions on how companies should respond to these types of charges, how they ultimately get resolved, and what you can do to prevent one in the first place.

Charges of employment discrimination can be filed by anyone, with or without an attorney, with either the federal or state government and, in some cases, city agencies as well.  The process and deadlines differ for each agency.  We will discuss the differences between the EEOC and MDHR, key deadlines, protected classes, statistics on most popular claims and how many result in a probable cause finding, how long the process often takes.

We will then discuss key steps in responding, including notification and documents, and submitting the position statement.  We will also go over the investigation process and describe available mediation and conciliation procedures.  Employers will come away with a better understanding of the charge process and how to successfully navigate and respond to discrimination charges.

This seminar will be presented by Jillian Flower and Elizabeth Gerling.

Jillian M. Flower is an Associate in the Minneapolis office of Jackson Lewis P.C.

Ms. Flower focuses her practice on representing employers in employment litigation matters, including discrimination; employment agreements, breach of contract; family and disability leave laws, retaliation, harassment, and whistleblower claims.  Ms. Flower also regularly represents clients in non-competition, non-solicitation, and trade secrets lawsuits in both state and federal court.  She routinely provides preventative advice and counsel on a variety of workplace law and compliance matters.

Elizabeth S. Gerling is an Associate in the Minneapolis office of Jackson Lewis P.C.

Ms. Gerling focuses her practice on representing employers in workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counsel.  Specifically, she represents and advises clients in the areas of discrimination and harassment, disability management, employment contracts, commission and related wage-hour issues, drug testing law and whistleblower claims.  Ms. Gerling represents employers in state and federal court and in arbitration.  Ms. Gerling’s practice also includes the defense of employers in wage-hour collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act.