Q1 Hotline Confessions: What Employers Are Really Asking
2026-01-15 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online Webinar
Every quarter, California employers turn to the hotline with their toughest workplace questions—wage and hour dilemmas, leave of absence confusion, disciplinary challenges, remote work policies, and more. In this exclusive program, our employment law experts bring those real-world issues to life, sharing the most pressing topics being discussed behind the scenes and how smart organizations are resolving them.
This is not theory—it’s what’s happening right now in workplaces just like yours. You’ll gain practical insights, legal clarity, and actionable strategies to confidently navigate today’s evolving HR landscape.
What You’ll Learn:

The most frequently asked hotline questions from employers
Common mistakes that lead to legal exposure
Attorney-recommended responses and policy best practices

Who Should Attend:HR professionals, business owners, managers, payroll and compliance leaders—anyone responsible for navigating employee issues with confidence and compliance.
Stay current. Stay compliant. Stay ahead.

Handbooks That Hold Up: Build Policies That Protect & Perform
2026-02-19 09:30 - 11:00
Your employee handbook is more than a formality—it’s your organization’s frontline defense and cultural blueprint. In a constantly changing legal landscape, outdated policies can put you at serious risk. This webinar will guide you through the essentials of creating (or revising) a handbook that is not only compliant, but clear, current, and truly useful to both leadership and staff.
Our employment law experts will walk you through key policies that must be included for 2026, explain common pitfalls that lead to lawsuits, and show you how to align your handbook with your workplace culture, values, and operational needs.
What We’ll Cover:

Must-have policies for 2026 compliance
Updates driven by new laws, remote work, and evolving workplace norms
Language that reduces risk and eliminates ambiguity
How to roll out and enforce your handbook effectively

Who Should Attend:Business owners, HR professionals, managers, and anyone responsible for compliance, onboarding, or workforce communications.
A strong handbook doesn’t just set rules—it sets expectations, protects your organization, and builds trust. Make sure yours holds up.

HR Checkup 2026: Is Your Organization Audit-Ready?
2026-03-19 09:30 - 11:00
Examine. Update. Protect.
An HR Audit isn’t just about finding gaps—it’s about fortifying your organization before risk finds you. In today’s environment of new workplace laws, leave regulations, wage claims, and workplace violence mandates, a proactive HR audit is one of the most powerful tools you have to protect your company.
This webinar will walk you step-by-step through the critical components of a comprehensive HR audit—so you can identify vulnerabilities, correct compliance issues, and build a stronger, safer foundation for your workforce.
Topics Covered:

Core elements of a full HR audit: policies, practices, documentation & training
High-risk areas: wage & hour, leaves, hiring, termination, workplace safety
How to prioritize fixes and document your compliance efforts
Tools and checklists every HR leader should have in 2026

Who Should Attend:HR professionals, business owners, operations leaders, and anyone overseeing compliance or employee relations.
A well-timed HR audit can prevent legal exposure, preserve your culture, and boost trust across your organization. Don’t wait for a claim—prepare with confidence.

Q2 Hotline Confessions: The Tough Calls & Close Calls
2026-04-23 09:00 - 11:00
Each quarter, the EAC Hotline reveals what’s truly keeping employers up at night. In Q2, we dive into the most pressing workplace issues trending across California—wage and hour dilemmas, tricky leave requests, remote discipline, policy confusion, and more. This session delivers a behind-the-scenes look at real questions submitted by employers and the legal guidance provided by top employment attorneys.
This isn’t theory—it’s real-world HR in motion. You’ll walk away with practical strategies, legal clarity, and ready-to-implement solutions to protect your organization and support your people.
What You’ll Learn:

The top HR and legal challenges employers faced in Q2
How attorneys advised on tough, real-life scenarios
Compliance tips for emerging risks and policy blind spots

Who Should Attend:HR leaders, business owners, managers, and anyone responsible for compliance or employee relations.
Stay informed. Stay compliant. Stay ahead—before small issues become big problems.

No Plan, Big Risk: The 2026 Workplace Violence Compliance Mandate
2026-05-21 09:30 - 11:00
Comply with the Law. Protect Your People. Strengthen Your Culture.
Workplace violence prevention is no longer optional — it’s law. With SB 553 in effect, every California employer must have a written plan, incident log, employee training, and reporting procedures in place. But beyond compliance, this is about protecting your most valuable asset: your people.
This essential program walks you through how to develop, implement, and maintain a compliant Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) while fostering a culture of safety and readiness. Learn how to identify risks, respond to threats, handle reporting, and train your workforce with confidence.
Program Highlights:

SB 553 requirements and deadlines every employer must meet
Real-world scenarios and response protocols
How to draft, document, and deploy a WVPP
Incident reporting, employee training, and recordkeeping best practices

Who Should Attend:HR professionals, safety officers, business owners, facility managers, and leadership teams.
Creating a safe workplace isn’t just regulation — it’s responsibility. Make sure your organization is prepared, protected, and proactive.

Employee Benefits: Compliance and Updates
2026-06-11 09:30 - 11:00
Employee benefits compliance continues to evolve, creating new challenges for employers. Join the Employer Advisory Council of Orange County (EAC-OC) on Thursday, June 11, for a practical update on the laws, regulations, and emerging trends impacting employee benefit plans.
Employee Benefits: Compliance & Updates
Thursday, June 11, 2026
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PDT
Presented by Sheldon Blumling, Fisher Phillips
This session will cover:
• ERISA, COBRA, and employee benefits compliance fundamentals
• Plan administration, fiduciary responsibilities, and reporting requirements
• SECURE 2.0 implementation and retirement plan updates
• Mandatory auto-enrollment and enhanced catch-up contributions
• CalSavers expansion and employer obligations
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and ACA developments
• Current employee benefits litigation and regulatory trends
Whether you are an HR professional, business owner, payroll manager, benefits administrator, or financial executive, this webinar will provide practical guidance to help your organization remain compliant and prepared for ongoing changes.
Register today to reserve your seat.

Mid-Year Legal Checkpoint: 2026 Laws California Employers Can't Ignore
2026-06-25 09:30 - 11:00
New Rules. Fresh Risks. Critical Corrections.
Halfway through the year is no time to coast — it’s when new regulations take effect, court rulings reshape policies, and enforcement agencies sharpen their focus. This mid-year legal update delivers the latest developments California employers must understand to stay compliant and avoid costly missteps.
From wage and hour rulings to leave expansions, workplace safety requirements, retaliation claims, and emerging case law, our employment law experts will break down what’s changed, what’s coming, and what actions you need to take now.
What This Update Covers:

Key legislative and regulatory changes since January 1
New case law affecting HR policies and employer liability
Mid-year corrections needed for handbooks, postings, and practices
Enforcement trends and real-world compliance guidance

Who Should Attend:HR leaders, business owners, executives, compliance officers, and anyone responsible for managing risk in the workplace.
Don’t wait for a citation, claim, or lawsuit to catch up. Get current, get compliant, and finish the year strong.

Q3 Hotline Confessions: The Untold Stories Behind Real Workplace Issues
2026-07-23 09:30 - 11:00
Every quarter, California employers bring their toughest, strangest, and most surprising HR challenges to the EAC Hotline — and Q3 is when things really heat up. From attendance nightmares to leave abuse, social media drama to policy loopholes, this session pulls back the curtain on the real-life scenarios HR is wrestling with right now.
In HR Confessions, our employment law experts reveal the most compelling hotline cases of the quarter — what employers got wrong, how the attorneys advised, and what every organization can learn to avoid similar pitfalls.
What You’ll Learn:

Jaw-dropping, real-world HR scenarios and how they were resolved
Compliance corrections and policy updates you should make now
Practical tips to prevent headlines, claims, and chaos

Who Should Attend:HR professionals, managers, business owners, and anyone responsible for workplace decisions and compliance.
You’ll laugh, you’ll learn — and you’ll leave better prepared.

Leaves of Absence Essentials: Navigating Time Off with Confidence and Compliance
2026-08-13 09:30 - 11:00
Managing employee leaves can feel like navigating a maze of overlapping laws, conflicting obligations, and operational pressures. From FMLA and CFRA to ADA and Pregnancy Disability Leave, California employers must balance empathy with compliance — all while keeping business operations running smoothly.
This essential program brings clarity to one of HR’s most complex topics. Our employment law experts will break down the latest legal updates, walk you through real-world case studies, and equip you with tools to handle leave requests confidently and consistently. Whether you manage a small team or oversee a large workforce, you’ll leave with practical strategies to simplify leave management and reduce risk.

What You’ll Learn

Master the Alphabet Soup: Understand how FMLA, CFRA, ADA, and PDL intersect — and where they don’t.

New for 2026: Legislative updates and emerging trends impacting leave administration.

Documentation & Tracking: Build compliant processes for requests, certifications, and return-to-work.

Avoid Common Pitfalls: Learn how missteps in leave decisions lead to lawsuits — and how to prevent them.

Balancing Compassion with Compliance: Support your employees while safeguarding your organization.

Who Should Attend
HR professionals, supervisors, business owners, payroll and benefits administrators, and anyone responsible for handling leave requests or ensuring legal compliance in the workplace.

Lead with Impact: Mastering the Art of Managing Employees
2026-09-17 09:30 - 11:00
From Expectations to Accountability — Build Stronger Teams in 2026
Effective employee management isn’t about authority — it’s about alignment, communication, and trust. In today’s workplace, managers must navigate performance, personality, remote dynamics, and legal boundaries while keeping teams engaged and productive. This webinar delivers practical strategies and real-world tools to help leaders manage with confidence, clarity, and consistency.
What We’ll Cover:

Setting clear expectations and driving accountability
Coaching through conflict and difficult conversations
Balancing empathy with performance standards
Legal do’s and don’ts every manager must know
How to build retention through recognition and feedback

Who Should Attend:Supervisors, managers, HR professionals, team leads, and executives who want to strengthen leadership skills and elevate team performance.
Great management isn’t accidental — it’s a competitive advantage. Give your leaders the tools to inspire, engage, and retain top talent.

Stay or Go? How Creative Recognition Keeps Your Best People
2026-10-08 09:30 - 11:00
Smart Strategies to Boost Loyalty, Morale & Performance
Retention isn’t about perks — it’s about people feeling seen, valued, and inspired to stay. In today’s competitive talent market, employers must rethink how they recognize and reward employees beyond paychecks and plaques. This program explores innovative, budget-friendly recognition strategies that build connection, strengthen culture, and turn employees into long-term champions of your organization.
What You’ll Learn:

Fresh ideas for meaningful recognition that employees actually want
Low-cost, high-impact ways to boost morale and engagement
How to personalize rewards for different generations & work styles
The link between recognition, retention, and performance
Real-world examples from companies doing it right

Who Should Attend:HR leaders, managers, supervisors, culture champions, and anyone responsible for developing and retaining talent.
If your best employees are quietly disengaging or planning their exit — it’s time to rethink recognition. Creativity is your new retention strategy.

Q4 Hotline Confessions: Year-End Lessons from the Hotline
2026-10-22 09:30 - 11:00
The Biggest Risks, Wildest Cases & Must-Fix Mistakes Before 2027
As the year comes to a close, the hotline has heard it all — policy blind spots, leave mishaps, termination disasters, and the “you won’t believe this happened” moments every HR professional dreads. In this Q4 edition of HR Confessions, we reveal the most impactful and eye-opening cases of the year, along with the legal guidance that helped employers avoid costly consequences.
This candid, year-end session isn’t just about stories — it’s about solutions. Learn how to close compliance gaps, strengthen your policies, and reset standards before the new year begins.
What You’ll Take Away:

The most surprising real HR cases from 2026
Red flags employers missed — and how to catch them early
Legal insights and policy fixes straight from employment attorneys
A year-end checklist to protect your organization in 2027

Who Should Attend:HR leaders, business owners, managers, and anyone responsible for compliance, risk, or people management.
End the year wiser, stronger, and ready for what’s next. Every confession is a lesson.

Wage & Hour Wake-Up Call: Avoid the Compliance Crisis
2026-11-19 09:30 - 11:00
Overtime, Meal Breaks, Final Pay — Get It Right Before It Costs You
Wage and hour mistakes are the most common — and most expensive — compliance errors employers face. In California, one miscalculated break, late paycheck, or misclassified employee can trigger penalties, lawsuits, and PAGA claims. Our annual Wage & Hour program is your final compliance checkpoint, delivering clarity on the latest rules and real guidance to protect your organization.
Led by top employment law experts, this session breaks down high-risk areas like overtime calculations, remote work tracking, independent contractor status, pay transparency, and meal/rest break compliance — with practical examples you can apply immediately.
What You’ll Learn:

New wage & hour regulations and court rulings affecting your business
Common payroll and break period mistakes — and how to fix them
Best practices for timekeeping, remote work, and final pay
Misclassification risks: employee vs. contractor vs. exempt

Who Should Attend:HR professionals, payroll managers, business owners, and anyone responsible for compensation compliance.
One mistake can cost thousands. One session can save you from it.

Hire Without Regret: Mastering the Modern Hiring Process
2026-12-03 09:30 - 11:00
From Job Post to Day One — Find, Vet & Keep the Right People
A strong hiring process doesn’t start with an interview — it starts with strategy. In today’s competitive market, employers must balance speed with compliance, culture with qualification, and legal guardrails with gut instinct. This program walks you through every step of a legally sound, high-impact hiring process designed to attract top talent while minimizing risk.
Whether you’re refining your recruiting pipeline or rebuilding it from scratch, this session offers practical tools and real-world strategies to help you hire smarter — not faster.
What You’ll Learn:

Best practices for compliant job postings, interviews, and offer letters
Legal pitfalls to avoid — salary history, AI screening, bias & ban-the-box rules
Behavioral interviewing techniques that reveal true fit
How to create a candidate experience that boosts your employer brand
Turning great hires into great onboarding

Who Should Attend:HR professionals, hiring managers, recruiters, business owners, and anyone involved in talent selection or onboarding.
The cost of a bad hire is high. The value of a great hire is priceless. Get the process right.
