Susan Brecher is the Director of HR Dispute Management and Resolution Certificate and Curriculum/Training Design at the Cornell ILR School’s Scheinmann Institute. She is an employment practices attorney and expert in training and curriculum design for both online and classroom-based workshops. She has served as Director of Statewide Management Programs and provided oversight of EEO, Labor Relations, Human Resources and Management Development programs. Ms Brecher has partnered with over 100 private, public and non-profit organizations to develop and present customized training programs. She has a law degree from Case Western Reserve University.
Overview and Courses
This certificate program is designed to help current and aspiring human resource managers and staff understand employment laws and regulations in order to deal effectively with labor-related legal issues in the workplace. The courses address key employment law requirements in the United States and also provide guidance on the implementation of employment policies and practices in countries with different legal systems.
The program begins with a focus on establishing a structured framework for analysis of workplace legal issues. It then moves into a close look at US laws relating to equal employment opportunity, leave, compensation, safety, employee relations, and other employment issues. The last two courses address a global context with a comparison of employment laws in different parts of the world, followed by a study of best practices in developing HR policies and practices in multinational settings.
The courses feature downloadable, interactive tools designed to help HR professionals assess and deal with a variety of legal issues in the workplace.
Human resource professionals must navigate and deal with a wide range of legal and policy issues in the workplace. They must know the responsibilities and boundaries of their own role, and they must assess issues and consult appropriate legal or expert counsel.
This course will help current and aspiring HR managers and staff to establish a structured framework for systematic analysis of employee issues that may have legal implications. It focuses on the layers of employee rights, the HR role, appropriate consultation with legal counsel, and the use of a step-by-step process in the assessment of workplace issues. By the end of this course, you will develop a systematic foundation for managing employment law issues.
Human resource professionals in the United States must assess and manage workplace issues relating to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, medical and family leave, and other matters dealing with treatment of employees.
This course is designed to give you a broad understanding of US laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and similar laws. The course begins with a look at basic terminology and provisions relating to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, diversity, and inclusion. The focus then moves to legal protections for certain classes of individuals before addressing issues relating to disability, religion, harassment, and retaliation.
The course Employment Law and Policy Issues is required to be completed prior to starting this course.HR professionals today must consider the legal implications of policies and practices relating to employee leave, compensation, benefits, safety, workplace agreements, electronic communication, and privacy. These often go beyond questions of discrimination or employee treatment and require a basic awareness of relevant laws and the need for appropriate consultation when issues arise.
This course provides an overview of US laws in key areas, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and others. You will leave this course prepared to work with colleagues and legal experts to address legal issues within your organization.
The courses Employment Law and Policy Issues and Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Treatment Issues are required to be completed prior to starting this course.Employment laws vary widely from one type of legal system to another, from country to country, and even from one state or province to another. Human resource professionals may be faced with a need to analyze workforce laws and regulations in places where they have little prior experience.
This course provides a bird's-eye view of how employment laws vary by country or region and the underlying reasons for that variation. Practical guidance will be provided for HR specialists who need to research relevant employment requirements and work with relevant authorities and organizations. By improving your knowledge of global employment law, you will gain a competitive perspective allowing you to employ effective strategies with all stakeholders.
These courses are required to be completed prior to starting this course:
- Employment Law and Policy Issues
- Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Treatment Issues
- Benefits, Compensation, Safety, and Other Legal Issues
Human resource professionals may need to go beyond simply gaining a knowledge of how employment laws vary in different parts of the world and in specific countries. When a company begins operations in a new country, HR staff must make changes to their current policies or establish new ones that meet local requirements.
This course examines key practices and issues relating to employment and is designed to help your organization adapt its current policies and practices to a new legal environment. Through a multi-part course project, you will have an opportunity to apply what you learn to your own personal or organizational situation.
These courses are required to be completed prior to starting this course:
- Employment Law and Policy Issues
- Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Treatment Issues
- Benefits, Compensation, Safety, and Other Legal Issues
- Employment Laws Around the Globe
How It Works
Course Length
2 weeks
Duration
3 months
Class Size
Under 35 students
Effort
3-5 hours per week
Format
100% online
Model
Instructor-led
Course Length
2 weeks
Duration
3 months
Class Size
Under 35 students
Effort
3-5 hours per week
Format
100% online
Model
Instructor-led
Faculty Authors
Director of Employee Relations, Employment Law and Diversity and Inclusion, Scheinman Institute
Professor, ILR School, Cornell University
Alexander Colvin is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Diversity, and Faculty Development and the Martin F. Scheinman Professor of Conflict Resolution at the ILR School, Cornell University. He is an associate member of the Cornell Law Faculty. His research and teaching focuses on employment dispute resolution, with a particular emphasis on procedures in nonunion workplaces and the impact of the legal environment on organizations. His current research projects include empirical investigations of employment arbitration and a cross-national study of labor and employment law change in the Anglo-American countries. He has published articles in journals such as Industrial & Labor Relations Review, Industrial Relations, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Personnel Psychology, Relations Industrielles, the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, and the Cornell Journal of Law & Public Policy. He is also co-author (with Harry C. Katz and Thomas A. Kochan) of the textbook An Introduction to Collective Bargaining and Industrial Relations, 4th edition (Irwin-McGraw-Hill).
Prof. Colvin received his J.D. in 1992 from the University of Toronto and his Ph.D. in 1999 from Cornell University. He received the 2003 Outstanding Young Scholar Award from the Industrial Relations Research Association (IRRA) and the 2000 Best Dissertation Award from the IRRA for his dissertation entitled “Citizens and Citadels: Dispute Resolution and the Governance of Employment Relations”. Before joining the faculty of the ILR School in 2008, he taught at Penn State University from 1999-2008.
Key Course Takeaways
- Adopt a structured framework for systemic analysis of employee issues that have potential legal implications
- Apply knowledge of potential legal issues relating to treatment of employees including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and medical and family leave to day-to-day situations in the workplace
- Manage issues relating to compensation, safety, employee relations, and other employee matters in compliance with the law
- Adapt to the differences and commonalities in legal systems and employment laws around the world
- Implement HR policies in multinational settings to comply with local laws
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What You'll Earn
- Employment Law Certificate from Cornell ILR School
- 40 Professional Development Hours (4 CEUs)
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Who Should Enroll
- HR managers and executives in any industry
- HR professionals seeking to develop an area of specialization
- HR leaders expanding into the global market
- Legal professionals
- Global HR leaders
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