Astron Solutions and Bond, Schoeneck and King Announce Partnership Latest Labor Laws Spark an Educational Seminar Series Across New York

With the new Democratic administration in office, the wheels are turning for more pro-employee legislation. If not recognized, employers and business owners may fall victim to the new regulations these new laws are implementing. Human Resources consulting firm Astron Solutions and labor and employment law firm Bond, Schoeneck and King, PLLC have teamed up to give educational seminars across the state of New York to help employers know the new legislation and how to comply with the new regulations.

New York (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 -- Astron Solutions, a leading New York-based human resource consulting firm, announces their partnership with Bond, Schoeneck and King, PLLC (BS&K), New York's #1 labor and employment law firm, to present a seminar series across the state of New York in late March and early April. Astron's National Director Michael Maciekowich and BS&K's Managing Partner Louis P. DiLorenzo will lead the presentations.

The seminar series, "Can Your Compensation System Weather the (Hurricane) Winds of Change From the Obama Administration?," focuses on new labor legislation moving through Washington, DC. America's Democratic administration is promoting strongly pro-employee legislation which will create new compliance issues for most employers across the country.

The first law to pass in the Obama Administration was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This law amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to clarify that the 180 day deadline to file a discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) restarts each time an employee receives compensation in the form of either a paycheck or a pension contribution. This act is retroactive to May 28, 2007.

Another law making its way through Congress is the Paycheck Fairness Act. This law will limit an employer's ability to justify paying different salaries to employees based upon geographic location and cost of living. This bill also lifts the caps on compensatory and punitive damages for which employers are liable, in addition to current liability for back pay.

A third law poised for President Obama's signature is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). This law would allow employees to join or access the help of a labor union without going through the card check secret ballot election process. With employees seeing a faster process for joining labor unions, union representatives will be allowed to talk with employers and bargain contracts within ten days of employees joining the union.

Astron and BS&K are conducting these seminars to inform employers and organizations of the potential effects of this new legislation, and how to take preventative measures to minimize costly frivolous lawsuits.

"As an industry leader in compensation, we are informing our colleagues and clients about these new laws to make sure employers and organizations are not affected negatively," said Maciekowich. "We are excited to be partnering with one of the country's best labor law firms in order to spread the word regarding these potentially very challenging pieces of legislation."

###