CHARLESTON – The annual West Virginia SuperVision event featured attorneys advising business leaders on issues of importance to employers and human resource directors.
That included everything from ultrasound policies for unborn infants and use of social media in the workplace to anti-discrimination policies and updates from the West Virginia Legislature.
Nearly 100 business leaders from the Mid-Atlantic region of the country gathered June 23 for the symposium sponsored by the Charleston law firm of Spilman Thomas & Battle. The discussions included the hottest issues in labor, employment and human resources affecting today's businesses.
The yearly event was launched in 2007.
“Our SuperVision event series is a way to keep clients and friends of the firm up-to-date on the latest changes on all things labor, employment and HR (human resources),” Eric W. Iskra, chairman of the law firm’s labor and employment practice group, told The West Virginia Record. “We offer these symposia, as well as webinars and newsletters free of charge throughout the year in various locations. Our goal is to help attendees prepare for what’s coming down the pike.”
One of the topics of discussion was the new impact to labor and business wrought by the election of Donald Trump as president.
“This year in particular, business owners and managers are faced with new trends in labor and employment law as well as uncertainty at the federal level,” Iskra said. “Our presentations and roundtable discussions focus heavily on these issues - systemic and workplace discrimination, pregnancy-related policies, Title XII (Social Security Act) and sexual orientation protections, and what to expect from the Trump administration. We also touched on what employers can expect when it comes to the legalization of medical marijuana in West Virginia.”
Kevin L. Carr, co-chair of Spilman’s labor and employment practice group, said one new development is the passage of the West Virginia Safer Workplaces Act.
“The act provides immunity to employers who promulgate drug-free work policies that comply with the law,” he told The West Virginia Record. “The statute is a bit technical and we have been working with many companies to ensure their policies are modified to comply with the letter of the law.”
