Legislative Update with Richard Simmons: A View of Critical Laws and Case Decisions

Federal and state wage and hour requirements are extremely complex and impact every employer. Richard Simmons will guide us through the labyrinth of regulations and standards to provide a clearer understanding of what employers are expected to do in an entertaining and thought provoking manner.  Richard Simmons will share his expertise about how employers can conduct internal audits and the firm provides clients with day-to-day advice regarding wage and hour compliance.

Wage and hour issues that are often addressed through this legislation and regulations includes the topics below, and the most recent legislation being adopted at the State and federal levels:

• Employee classifications and exemption matters
• Overtime computation
• "Hours worked" issues
• Uniform and tool issues
• Holiday, vacation, sick leave and other benefit matters
• Alternative workweek schedules
• Commissions, bonuses and deductions
• Independent contractor and volunteer relationships
• Travel time

Richard J. Simmons is a Partner in the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in Los Angeles. He specializes in various labor relations matters involving state and federal wage and hour laws, wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, employee discipline and termination, employee benefits, affirmative action, union representation proceedings, and contract arbitrations. Mr. Simmons received his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar and graduated in the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He received his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Industrial Relations Law Journal. Mr. Simmons has lectured nationally on wage and hour, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and other labor relations matters. He is a member of the National Advisory Board to the Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law, published by the

Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley.

Mr. Simmons was also appointed by the California Industrial Welfare Commission as a member of the 1987, 1984 and 1982 Minimum Wage Boards for the State of California. Mr. Simmons is a member of the California State Bar, and has also been a member of the Western Pension and Benefits Conference, the California Society for Health Care Attorneys, the American Society for Health Care Attorneys, and the labor law and tax sections of the American and Los Angeles Bar Associations. He has also been a lecturer at graduate labor law courses presented by the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Southern California, and has appeared as an authority on labor law on the CBS Evening News, NBC News, as well as radio and television talk shows.