Raleigh, N.C. - Capital Associated Industries, Inc, (CAI), the largest employers’ association in the state, will host the 2008 Employment and Labor Law Update on May 21-22 at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. The two-day annual conference will feature several speakers including Assistant Labor Secretary Victoria Lipnic, who will discuss new regulations concerning the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Under the recently updated law, employers will be required to provide additional leave to those employees caring for family members returning from overseas.

“With North Carolina being such a strong military state, the new Family Medical Leave Act regulations will significantly affect many families here in our own backyard,” says Bruce Clarke, president and CEO of CAI, who has been working in the human resources industry for over 25 years. “Anyone who supervises employees with relatives in Iraq or Afghanistan will want to come to the conference to learn more.”

The Family Medical Leave Act grants eligible employees up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during a given period to care for a family member. This includes child birth, adoption or foster care, and serious health conditions affecting the employee or a family member such as those returning from service overseas.

North Carolina has the fourth largest military population in the nation with roughly 123,000 members including those of the National Guard and Reserves. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, more than 23,000 active military personnel and members of the National Guard and Reserves based in North Carolina are currently deployed.   

The conference will draw top North Carolina executives, corporate counsel, HR professionals, managers, supervisors and others interested in the latest developments in state and federal employment law and how they affect employers. In addition to the FMLA, other topics on the conference’s agenda include employer liability, workplace harassment, employee benefits, N.C. Wage and Hour Act, and immigration audits.

“Employers need to be knowledgeable about new regulations, especially those affecting military families,” says Clarke. “With so many of our soldiers overseas it’s more important than ever to do the right thing.”

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About CAI, Inc.
CAI is a non-profit employers’ association founded in 1963 and serves the greater Research Triangle, Piedmont Triad, and 65 central and eastern counties in North Carolina. With offices in Raleigh and Greensboro, CAI provides 1000 member companies with management information, day-to-day telephone guidance, and training and human resources services. Clients include Burt’s Bees, RTI International, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wake Med Health & Hospitals.

To learn more about CAI, visit their Web site at: http://www.capital.org