Managing Attendance Abuse in a Protected Leave Law World

Session Time: 11:00am — 12:00pm

Speaker: Kellis Borek, Vice President of Labor & Employment Services and General Counsel, Archbright

Session Description: Regular and predictable attendance is arguably an essential function of every job. Employee absenteeism is a significant problem for most employers. Absence management can take an inordinate amount of time for both HR professionals and managers. Absences for extended and intermittent leave, early departures and late arrivals impact productivity, morale and the bottom line but laws in recent years have challenged the ability of employers to enforce attendance policies. This session will explore legal and risk-averse options available to hold employees accountable regarding attendance, including how to run leaves concurrently if allowable. Attendance management under FMLA, ADA, Washington Family Care Act, Sick Leave and Paid Family Leave will be covered. Case studies will be discussed to illustrate the most challenging attendance issues.

• Core Competency #1: Legal/Compliance

• Core Competency #2: HR Expertise (HR Knowledge)

Speaker Bio:
Borek is the Vice President of Labor & Employment Services and General Counsel for Archbright. She oversees the legal work of Archbright’s team of attorneys who provide advice and counsel regarding all aspects of employment and labor law to employers in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Kellis serves on the Leadership Team at Archbright supporting corporate strategy and compliance. Kellis is an expert in labor and collective bargaining and has a history of providing labor and employment advice to Archbright members. When the opportunity arises, Kellis still provides legal support to Archbright members. Kellis is a thought leader for Archbright; she speaks at events and leads a team that creates all educational and compliance content for Archbright. Kellis has practiced employment and labor law for over 25 years. She is licensed to practice in Washington and Idaho. Kellis earned her B.A. from Washington State University and her J.D. from Seattle University. When not working, she spends time with family, friends, cooking, and traveling.