• videocam Live Webinar with Live Q&A
  • calendar_month July 15, 2026 @ 1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT
  • signal_cellular_alt Intermediate
  • card_travel Employment and Workers Comp
  • schedule 90 minutes

Employee Handbook Best Practices in 2026

Employer Policy Development in an Evolving Regulatory Environment

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Discount expires 7/1/26

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About the Course

Introduction

This CLE webinar will guide employment counsel on drafting or revising employee handbooks, taking into account the regulatory impact the Trump administration has had over the past year. Many topics contained in employee handbooks—such as employee leave, discrimination, sexual harassment, technology and social media, company confidentiality, employee privacy, and whistleblower/retaliation protection—are the subject of ongoing legal, regulatory, and judicial developments. Failure to take these and other recent changes into account can expose a company to liability. The panel will address recent developments in federal and state law that should be considered when drafting or revising employee handbooks.

Description

Employment law is continually evolving, especially over the past year as the Trump administration changed direction in many key policy and regulatory matters (e.g., anti-DEI initiatives). So, employers (and their counsel) must regularly review and update their employee handbooks. An employer is not protected by handbook provisions that courts have struck down and regulators have nullified. This webinar will discuss recent federal and state employment law developments that practitioners should be aware of to mitigate their clients' risk.

With a thorough understanding of the latest legal developments impacting employee handbooks, along with careful and strategic drafting, employment counsel can help ensure that employee handbooks legally and effectively address complex and evolving workplace issues.

Employers must also consider intersecting leave issues related to state and federal regulations, especially given the increased number of states requiring paid leave, and clarify their policies and requirements for use.

Listen as our authoritative panel provides legal and practical guidance for employment counsel to structure employee handbooks—including multistate, nationwide, and global handbooks—that minimize liability risks for the employer based on the current legal climate.

Presented By

Sarah N. Turner
Partner
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP

Ms. Turner is an active partner with the Employment, Labor and Life, Health, Disability & ERISA practice groups and one of the national leaders of the Firm’s Cannabis, Hemp & CBD practice group. She represents clients in Washington and Oregon and is a Co-Managing Partner of the firm’s Seattle office. Ms. Turner's Employment and Labor practice focuses on employers and includes a hybrid of counseling and litigation. She is an experienced litigator who has represented and defended employers in matters involving claims for wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, privacy, defamation, ADA, leave and benefits, breach of contract, violation of non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and wage and hour. Ms. Turner practices in both Washington and Oregon’s state and federal trial and appellate courts, and her practice includes arbitrations before American Arbitration Association and Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services.

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Renate M. Walker
Attorney
Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Clients look to Ms. Walker for practical guidance to implement effective strategies and resolve the legal and operational challenges associated with employment-related matters. She advises clients on a broad range of employment-related matters, including handbook and policy drafting, leaves and accommodations, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Ms. Walker is experienced in running internal investigations and conducting workplace training on employment-related topics such as sexual harassment and union avoidance.

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Credit Information

  • This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.


  • Live Online


    On Demand

Date + Time

  • event

    Wednesday, July 15, 2026

  • schedule

    1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT

I. Recent developments impacting employee handbooks and policies

A. Federal developments under the Trump administration

B. Notable state developments

II. Best practices for drafting employee handbooks

III. Special issues for multistate, nationwide, and global employers

IV. Key takeaways

The panel will review these and other important considerations:

  • What are the handbook provisions that have been most impacted under the current administration?
  • What effect has new agency leadership—e.g., EEOC and NLRB—had on employment policies?
  • What challenges arise for counsel and their clients related to leave policies given the increase in state legislation requiring paid leave? How may leave best be addressed in handbooks, especially for multistate employers?
  • What are best practices for drafting handbook provisions to mitigate unintended legal liability?
  • What are unique drafting challenges for multistate and global employers? How can these be addressed by counsel when advising their clients?