Approved for 0.5 HRCI Business Credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute. Please be sure to note the program ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or re-certification, visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.com. The use of this official seal confirms that this Activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
Approved for 0.5 SHRM Professional Development Credits. Philly SHRM is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. For more information about certification or re-certification, visit wwwshrmcertification.org.
Legal Briefing
Philly SHRM is launching a new initiative to support HR professionals across our region: Live Member-Only Briefings that deliver timely insights into the social, economic, political, and legal developments shaping Greater Philadelphia and its surrounding areas. These briefings are designed to help HR leaders anticipate change, respond strategically, and drive impact within their organizations. Each live briefing will be about 30 minutes. The recording will be available for a week after the event. It is free for all participating members using a code.
The initial briefing will be a legal briefing from Michael Cohen, Partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group
Thanks to our partners:
Internal Investigation in a New HR World
The workplace landscape has changed and the internal EEO complaints are mounting. Are you ready? How do we best prepare and defend ourselves? Conduct the investigation well! If an employee alleges that he or she or they have been subject to unlawful harassment, discrimination or retaliation, an employer ordinarily has an obligation to commence an immediate investigation. In some cases, the investigation may help the employer avoid liability altogether. At a minimum, it may minimize exposure to damages. However, often the focus in litigation becomes the quality of the investigation as opposed to the underlying conduct giving rise to it. This session will focus on when and how to investigate allegations of unlawful harassment, discrimination or retaliation.
Speaker:
Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. Michael concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country on subjects including harassment prevention; diversity, equity and inclusion; combatting implicit bias; performance management; discipline and discharge; hiring and recruiting practices; performance evaluations; FMLA, ADA and FLSA compliance; leave of absence policies; LGBTQ+ issues in the workplace; substance abuse testing; workplace violence; records retention; conducting background checks; and more. Michael also has conducted investigations into claims of harassment and discrimination and has drafted employee handbooks, employment agreements, non-compete agreements and post-termination agreements. Michael regularly conducts in excess of 200 trainings each year. He has represented clients throughout the country in EEO and other administrative proceedings.
Michael has been cited as a national authority on employment issues by The New York Times, The Associated Press, USA Today, MSNBC.com, HR Magazine, SHRM On-Line, Employment Law 360, Inside Counsel Magazine, as well as many other publications. Michael serves as an Advisory Board Member of GenHERation and as a Board Member of Serve, Inc.
Michael has a passion for education and for taking on a challenge. Both of these traits likely were sparked by his mother, a former high school teacher who, after being fired from teaching due to her being pregnant with Michael, challenged a mandatory maternity leave policy all the way up to the United States Supreme Court where she won a victory for all working women, in a case captioned Cohen v. School Board of Chesterfield County Virginia. Michael is a proud husband to Jamie and father to Maddie and Mia, a travel softball coach for the Philadelphia Phillies Urban Youth Academy and a fanatical Philadelphia and University of Michigan sports fan.
