Larry Winger has been conducting training seminars for employers on employment law, labor law, and personnel topics since 1982. A typical seminar is presented for three hours at a company location or at a management retreat to a company's managers and supervisors on one or more topics such as: discipline and discharge rules, documentation, avoiding sexual harassment problems, wage & hour compliance issues, managing problem employees, maintaining non-union status, etc. The seminars provide useful, understandable, non-legalistic information and answers. The seminars are presented in an informal and interactive manner. Question and answer discussions of problems specific to the client company are encouraged. Further information about Lawrence Winger's training seminars is this:

• Typical Seminar Subjects
• Seminar Costs and Fees
• Other Seminar Options and Details
• Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About Training Seminars

Typical Seminar Subjects

Client-Selected Topics: One client may want a strong presentation to all employees on avoiding and handling sexual harassment problems; another may want a presentation to front-line supervisors on maintaining non-union status; a third may want a "refresher course" for its managers and supervisors on discipline and discharge basics. I always ask the client to select the seminar topic or topics that the client wants presented.

Discipline and Discharge: The basic rules of progressive discipline; the need for and various types of documentation; common disciplinary options and problems; past practices and written policies; statutory discipline limitations (ADA, FMLA, workers' compensation, etc.); the "termination checklist;" managing problem employees; etc.

Sexual Harassment Training: 26 M.R.S.A. §807(3) provides: "In workplaces with 15 or more employees, employers shall conduct an education and training program for all new employees within one year of commencement of employment that includes, at a minimum, the following information: the illegality of sexual harassment; the definition of sexual harassment under state and federal laws and federal regulations; a description of sexual harassment, utilizing examples; the internal complaint process available to the employee; the legal recourse and complaint process available through the commission; directions on how to contact the commission; and the protection against retaliation. Employers shall conduct additional training for supervisory and managerial employees within one year of commencement of employment that includes, at a minimum, the specific responsibilities of supervisory and managerial employees and methods that these employees must take to ensure immediate and appropriate corrective action in addressing sexual harassment complaints." Lawrence Winger can provide all the statutorily-required training, and more.

Maintaining Non-Union Status: Why employees get interested in a union; how a union organizing campaign starts; typical problems with employer policies and practices; what a supervisor or manager may do to help an employer maintain a non-union status; the supervisor's "do's and don'ts;" the NLRB union election process; avoiding unfair labor practice charges; etc.

Wage & Hour Compliance Issues: Exempt versus non-exempt employees; what are hours worked; common overtime issues; time card misconduct; intentional and unintentional errors; recordkeeping options and administration; deductions from paychecks; vacation pay issues; the "last paycheck;" recovery of erroneous overpayments; "comp time;" discipline of salaried employees; etc.

Seminar Costs and Fees
The standard seminar presentation fee is $525.00 per half day (about three hours), and this cost includes brief written seminar materials. Travel outside of the Portland, Maine area and other actual costs are additional. More elaborate, unusual, or large volumes of seminar materials, or extensive pre-seminar preparations (such as a comprehensive review of the employer's written policies or employee handbook, or an extensive meeting with management) are additional. Presentations may be as short as 45 minutes or as long as a full day, with the presentation fee adjusted down or up as appropriate. Fees are negotiable as appropriate.

Other Seminar Options and Details
Seminars may be conducted on evenings or weekends, if necessary. Seminar presentations may be as short as 45 minutes or as long as a full day. Seminar presentations may be repeated to multiple groups within a company. Presentations may focus on anywhere from one topic to five topics. Seminar groups may be as small as five to as large as one hundred (of course, if the group is too large, the reception of the presentation may suffer, but seminar group size is up to the client). Continuing education certificates are provided to attendees if requested.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About Lawrence Winger's Seminars
Q. Do we have to be a pre-existing client to get you to do a training seminar for us? A. No.
Q. Do we have to hire you to be our labor counsel if we have you do a training seminar for us? A. No.
Q. Why should we use you rather than an HR consultant? A. I have extensive experience communicating the contemporary legal realities of workplace issues to non-lawyers in a practical, non-legalistic, entertaining way, but I also have a practicing attorney's expert understanding of the details of those "legal realities."
Q. Would you work with our HR staff or HR consultant on a seminar? A. Yes.
Q. Should a seminar be on-site or off-site? A. That depends; there are advantages and disadvantages to each option; ultimately, it's the client's decision; call to discuss further.
Q. How early in the morning can you do a seminar? A. As early as you want.
Q. Do you know what you are talking about? A. Yes; see Lawrence Winger's Professional Resume for my experience and qualifications.