Minnesota Employment Law Council

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES MELC MEMBERS MEET ON AVERAGE SIX TIMES PER YEAR TO DISCUSS EXPERIENCES, SOLICIT THE VIEWPOINTS OF OTHERS AND SHARE IDEAS ABOUT THE LATEST EMPLOYMENT REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCE POLICY AND PRACTICE ISSUES. THESE MEETINGS REVOLVE NOT AROUND TRADITIONAL SEMINAR LECTURES BUT AROUND DISCUSSION BY THE MEMBERS OF ISSUES THEY ARE CURRENTLY FACING OR BACKGROUND THEY FEEL THEY ARE MISSING RELATIVE TO SPECIFIC CHALLENGES. MELC IS DESIGNED AS A VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH MEMBERS CAN ADDRESS THE QUESTION: WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING ABOUT THIS? SOME MEETINGS ARE CONDUCTED OVER BREAKFAST OR LUNCH FOR 2 HOURS; OTHERS, HOSTED BY MEMBER COMPANIES, SOMETIMES EXTEND OVER SEVERAL HOURS, FOCUSING ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC. EXAMPLES OF THE TOPICS TREATED IN DEPTH DURING THE PAST YEAR ARE PREVENTION OF CLASS WAGE AND HOUR CLAIMS, EMPLOYEE SELECTION, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES AND MANAGING DATA PRIVACY. THESE MEETINGS PROVED TO BE A RICH SOURCE OF FORMS, EXAMPLES, DATA AND IDEAS. IN EACH CASE, THE PROGRAM WAS HIGHLY INTERACTIVE AMONG THE MEMBERS AND DEALT MUCH MORE WITH PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE THAN LEGAL DISSERTATION. IN ADDITION, MELC CLOSELY FOLLOWS DEVELOPMENTS AS THEY EMERGE AND ARE CONSIDERED AT THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE, HELPING MEMBERS KEEP THEIR MANAGEMENT VERY CURRENTLY ADVISED ABOUT LEGISLATIVE TRENDS, SENTIMENTS AND PROPOSALS AND DELIVERING TIMELY EXPERT LEGAL TESTIMONY AT SOMETIMES HASTILY SCHEDULED COMMITTEE HEARINGS AS APPROPRIATE. LOBBYISTS RETAINED BY MELC MONITOR PRIVACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT BILLS AS AND BEFORE THEY EMERGE, GUIDE AND HELP IMPLEMENT MELCS RESPONSE AND COORDINATE MELC ACTIVITY WITH THOSE OF OTHER EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL COMPANY LOBBYISTS WHOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE MUCH LESS SPECIALIZED. MELC IS CONSISTENTLY CAREFUL TO STRIKE A RESPONSIBLE, CONSTRUCTIVE TONE, EMPHASIZING POTENTIAL UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS. FINALLY, ON SELECT OCCASIONS PRESENTING A STRONG LIKELIHOOD OF IMPORTANT POLICY PRECEDENT, MELC IS POSITIONED TO PARTICIPATE IN MINNESOTA APPELLATE CASES IN A AMICUS CURIAE ROLE, AGAIN WITH A VIEW TO SHAPING THE LAW BEFORE IT HAS BEEN FINALLY PROMULGATED.INQUIRIES ANYONE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE OR PURSUING MEMBERSHIP SHOULD CONTACT MELISSA RAPHAN, DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP, 50 SOUTH SIXTH STREET, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-1498;(612) 343-7907.