Maintaining adequate staffing while properly handling leaves of absence, attendance issues and accommodations is a challenge for all franchisees. Recognizing the legal requirements and the potential pitfalls is critical. Attendees will learn the nuts and bolts of the various federal and state laws affecting employee leaves of absence including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), state leave laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), military leave (USERRA), jury duty, and other leave laws. Attendees will leave with practical solutions to this complicated web of laws.

Phillips McWilliams is an attorney who makes sure he understands his client’s business objectives. He provides a tailored approach to each issue or case a client brings to him with the goal of ensuring the client can reach those objectives, thus ensuring a satisfactory result. Ultimately, he understands that each company he represents is a business that serves the community, and the company can only continue its business if he works to find creative, long-term solutions to their problems.

Phillips regularly counsels employers on a variety of employment and labor issues in an effort to avoid litigation, to include decisions regarding hiring, discipline, investigations, and other related issues. He also gives talks to management and leadership in companies on harassment, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance, the Family Medical Leave Act, and many other areas. An active litigator and appellate lawyer, Phillips handles lawsuits and arbitrations involving discrimination, non-competition, harassment, defamation, wage and hour claims, whistleblower claims, USERRA violations, and other federal and state employment law issues. He has extensive experience with appeals and argued multiple cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of South Carolina.