Mid-Hudson Valley

Society for Human Resource Management

 November 19, 2015 Chapter Meeting

Will I Have A Drunk, Drugged and Stoned Workplace in 2016

 SPEAKER:  Dawn J. Lanouette

 LOCATION:  Dana Distributors, Inc. 52 Hatfield Lane, Goshen, NY                    

DATE & TIME:  Thursday, November 19, 2015          

8:15 - 8:45 am: Registration, Breakfast

8:45 - 9:15: Announcements & Introductions

9:15- 10:30AM: Program

COST:  15 Chapter Member; $25 Non-Chapter Member; $7 Student

 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Will I have a Drunk, Drugged and Stoned Workplace in 2016?

Medical Marijuana and Prescription Drugs in the Workplace 

Topic covers the basics of marijuana laws, focusing on New York’s Compassionate Care Act and its likely impact on the workplace

Recreational Marijuana use and scenarios HR professionals may face

The EEOC’s lawsuits over questions and testing for narcotic prescription drugs

Best practices for drug and alcohol testing going forward

 About the Speaker: Dawn J. Lanouette is a Partner in the Labor and Employment, Litigation , Health Care Law and Not-for-Profit and Foundations Practice Groups at Hinman, Howard & Kattell. Primarily representing both for-profit and non-profit employers, Ms. Lanouette advises both unionized and non-unionized clients on all aspects of their relationship with their employees including hiring, discipline, and termination. She also regularly represents employers in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies.

Ms. Lanouette’s experience includes successfully defending numerous employers in the Division of Human Rights (DHR) both before probable cause determinations and at hearings. She has also represented clients before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) in wage and hour audits with the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) and has defended against unfair labor practices before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Ms. Lanouette regularly assists employers in drafting employee handbooks, employment agreements, social media policies, sexual harassment, discrimination and disability accommodation policies, and discipline and termination letters. She has conducted internal investigations into sexual harassment and discrimination complaints and has provided training to in-house counsel, human resources professionals, and other attorneys on how to conduct investigations into such complaints.

In addition to her labor and employment practice, Ms. Lanouette handles a variety of litigation in both state and federal courts. Having previously served as the confidential law clerk to the Honorable Thomas J. McAvoy in the Northern District of New York, Ms. Lanouette’s litigation experience includes defending employers in claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination Act, and the New York Human Rights Law, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She has litigated claims involving unfair competition issues (including non-compete agreements), breach of contract claims, and commercial disputes. Ms. Lanouette also defends medical malpractice claims against hospitals, physicians, and nurses in state and federal court.

Ms. Lanouette counsels health care clients concerning compliance with Stark, the Anti-Kickback Law, and related matters in mergers, joint ventures, and purchases and sales of medical practices. She also works with clients and their Business Associates to ensure compliance with the HIPAA and HITECH Act.

Ms. Lanouette is a regular presenter of continuing legal education programs and a regular speaker on employment issues to the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, the Otsego Chamber of Commerce, the Tioga County Human Resources Roundtable, the Southern Tier Association of Human Resources Professionals, and other human resources and business groups. Her presentations have included “Technology in the Workplace”, “Wage and Hour Laws in a Blackberry World”, and “Social Media-What Employers Need to Know”.

Ms. Lanouette contributes to the HH&K newsletter on topics related to labor and employment law , healthcare law, and non-profit organizations, and has published articles in the Pace International Law Review and the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal. She is Chair of the firm's Finance Committee, and serves on the Firm’s Recruitment, Marketing, and Technology Committees.

Ms. Lanouette is the President of the Broome County Bar Association. She lives in Vestal, New York with her husband Ron and son William.

 This program has been approved for 1.5 HRCI and SHRM credits.