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Laura Mallory

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Laura Mallory represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. She advises companies on a variety of employment matters and provides counsel to clients on compliance with state and federal employment laws; hiring and termination policies; drug testing and other employment related issues. Her practice also involves the drafting of separation agreements, restrictive covenants, position statements, policies and employment handbooks. Laura also represents employers against various employment claims involving allegations of discrimination, wrongful termination, FLSA violations, retaliation and others.

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Over the past two years, the pandemic has forced employers to navigate unchartered waters. The focus on health and safety, managing a remote workforce, and staying abreast of the evolving COVID-19-related guidance has left in-house counsel and human resources professionals with little time to focus on the fundamental steps that are essential to proactively and successfully manage employee issues. While the challenges associated with COVID-19 remain at the forefront of employers’ concerns, it is time to return to familiar waters and revisit some of the best HR-related practices. We are excited to offer the second installment of this three-part series both in-person and virtually, via webinar. For those local to the Nashville area, we invite you to join us on April 28 for the in-person presentation where we will address best practices across a range of topics, including:

  • Proper complaint intake and investigation planning practices.
  • Best practices for conducting employee interviews.
  • Managing the aftermath of the investigation, including potential disciplinary actions.

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Continue Reading [REGISTER NOW] Labor & Employment Law Update: Returning to Familiar Waters – Best Practices for Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations

We are excited to be presenting a CLE webinar titled, “An Employer’s Obligations in the ADA Interactive Process” on February 11.

This 60-minute webinar will examine employers’ obligations within the interactive process, including how to recognize qualifying accommodation requests, what information an employer should request and be provided, and the process of exploring accommodation options…

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of a disability and requires employers engage in an interactive process and provide reasonable accommodations. A failure to do so may result in liability.

The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants or employees. A “reasonable accommodation” is defined as assistance or a change to a position or workplace that accommodates employees with disabilities so they can do the job without causing the employer undue hardship, such as too much difficulty or expense.

Use the Interactive Process to Determine Reasonable Accommodation

In order to determine the appropriate reasonable accommodation, employers and employees must engage in the interactive process, which requires communication and good-faith exploration of possible accommodations. An employer that acts in bad faith in the interactive process may be liable if it can be reasonably concluded that the employee would have been able to perform the job with a reasonable accommodation.

It’s a two-way street: an employee must also make a good faith effort to comply with any of the employer’s reasonable requests.…

Continue Reading What Are the Employer’s Obligations When Engaging in the ADA Interactive Process?

From the Bass, Berry & Sims Blog Network
From the Bass, Berry & Sims Blog Network

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