Join attorneys Rick Vroman and Erin Schroeder for a candid, practical examination of the legal minefields that can arise at the beginning and end of the employment relationship. The program opens with the hiring process, highlighting how seemingly innocuous missteps can trigger discrimination, retaliation, or other statutory claims. The discussion then shifts to performance management, discipline, and termination, with a special focus on the heightened risks that surface when an employee is on, or has recently returned from, job-protected leave under the FMLA, ADA, or comparable state laws. Through real-world hypotheticals, Rick and Erin will tackle the thorny issue of leave abuse and outline defensible strategies for documenting concerns and taking appropriate corrective action, including new legal developments resulting from recent national case law. Attendees will leave with concrete best practices designed to reduce exposure, foster consistency, and promote a compliant, respectful workplace culture.