FMLA/ADA

Speakers:   Patty Colarossi & Joni Esperian

Patti Colarossi
Community Outreach and Resource Planning Specialist
US Department of Labor
Wage and Hour Division

I have been with the US Department of Labor/Wage and Hour Division since 1990.  I have worked the entire time as an Investigator until August 2011 when I became the Community Outreach and Resource Planning Specialist.  This is a new position  that the Wage and Hour Division has recently created. 
 

Introduction to the Family Medical Leave Act
  
Program Content:
 
The presentation will review the basic understanding of the FMLA which will include employer coverage, employee eligibility, qualifying reasons for leave, employee rights and responsibilities, and employer rights and responsibilities.
 

Joni N. Esperian, Esq. has been Executive Director of the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights in Concord, NH since 2008.
 
 Prior to joining the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, Joni had an active trial litigation practice, Esperian Law Firm in Manchester, NH.  Her expertise included Employment Law, National Labor Relations Act cases, Wage and Hour, Unemployment, Wrongful Discharge, Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, Workers Compensation, Employment Contracts, Small Estate Administration, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist disputes, Wrongful Death and Personal Injury cases.  Joni holds a license to practice in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
 
Before that, from 1992 to 2005 Joni was in private practice litigation with the firm of Moquin & Daley P.A. in Manchester, NH. Her work at Moquin & Daley included briefing and arguing several cases before the New Hampshire Supreme Court, and before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
 
Joni earned both her B.A. with High Honors and M.A. in Philosophy from Stony Brook University in New York and received her Juris Doctorate from the UNH Law Center (formerly Franklin Pierce Law Center) in 1992. While in law school she worked as a law clerk for the defense of the case of State v. Pamela Smart.  She was also selected to compete in a national criminal Trial Advocacy Competition in Chicago, IL.  She conducted research on then candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge David Souter on behalf of the Alliance for Justice.
 
Joni is a Past-President, Vice-President, Program Director and founder of the NH Women’s Bar Association.  She has been a member of the NH Bar Association’s Gender Equality Committee since 1993. Joni undertook 90 hours of training in Mediation in1985 while still living in New York.  She is a member of the U.S. Federal District Court, District of NH’s Mediation program. She conducts conciliations for the Human Rights Commission.  She is a member of the national Joint Standing Committee comprised of state Fair Employment Practice Executive Directors and EEOC District Directors whose input and recommendations on policy and the EEOC national conference is considered by EEOC headquarters leadership in Washington, DC.
 
Joni has authored articles for the New Hampshire Bar Journal and Bar News, including two follow-up studies to the original Women in the Profession survey from 1988.  She participated in research and writing about several of the first 100 women lawyers to become licensed to practice in NH. She has taught classes at the UNH Law Civil Practice Clinic and for the school’s Administrative Law course.  She conducts training and outreach to business owners, property managers, community groups, employees  and has delivered talks to many diverse audiences on anti-discrimination topics, including International visitors through the World Affairs Council as sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

 Legal Update:Jim Reidy of Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green, PA
 
Recertification:
The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.
 
 
Menu:  Fresh Yogurt & Berry Fruit Parfait, Classic French Toast with Sausage
 
Meeting Details:
Please Register by Monday, January 30, 2012.  In order to avoid billing, all cancellations must be made by Friday, February 3, 2012. Pre-paid members must register for each event!