Bracewell & Giuliani Attorneys to Address Current Trends in Human Resources at Annual...

SAN ANTONIO -- Firm attorneys to discuss Americans with Disabilities Act and Uniformed Services and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994

Bracewell & Giuliani attorneys Jim Kizziar, Stan Pietrusiak and Natalie Rougeux will speak at the San Antonio Human Resource Management Association's

Jim Kizziar, a labor and employment partner with Bracewell & Giuliani in San Antonio, will review significant changes under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

With more than 30 years of labor and employment law experience, Kizziar previously served as chairman of The University of Texas Law School Conferences on the Americans with Disabilities Act and chairman of The University of Texas Law School Conferences on Developments in Labor and Employment Law.

"There have been quite a few significant changes in many areas of labor and employment law within the last year," said Kizziar. "It is important for human resource professionals to be aware and take necessary measures to be compliant with these changes."

Pietrusiak, who will be discussing the recent changes in the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), said employers need to be particularly aware of the recent changes in light of the country's many returning veterans. In August 2005, approximately 2.5 million veterans reported having a service-connected disability and of the nearly 800,000 veterans discharged between January 2002 and August 2005, 167,000 reported a service-connected disability.

"While most employers understand that USERRA requires them to engage in a series of progressive actions regarding veterans seeking restoration to employment, most do not realize that their obligations do not necessarily end with the reemployment of the returning service member," Pietrusiak explained.

Under the current Department of Labor regulations, an employer's reasonable accommodation duty is not satisfied once the employer returns a veteran to work. For disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, which may not be discovered for months after the veteran begins work, an employer is still obligated to "restart" the reinstatement process and assist the veteran.

Additional aspects of USERRA that Pietrusiak will discuss include:

--Denial of initial employment, reemployment, promotion or any employment benefit

--Discharge based on membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service or obligation to perform service in a uniformed service

--"Escalator principle"

--Permanency requirements of a disability

Practicing in the firm's labor and employment law section in San Antonio, Pietrusiak's expertise includes the representation of management in labor and employment law matters, counseling and advising corporate managers, formulating preventative strategies, drafting employee handbooks and personnel policies and procedures, representing clients before administrative agencies, mediations, arbitrations, court proceedings and settlement negotiations.

Natalie Rougeux, an attorney with the San Antonio office of Bracewell & Giuliani, will discuss how to effectively address workplace dress codes. Rougeux will present practical real-life employment scenarios on how employers can deal with body piercings, tattoos and expressive grooming and how to effectively manage them. Rougeux will also address the best practices for employers to develop a written policy for their dress code.

Rougeux represents employers in federal and state courts and administrative agencies, and her practice focuses on a variety of labor and employment matters, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Texas Payday Act. Additionally, Rougeux's practice includes the representation of management in a full range of labor and employment issues, including counseling and advising, and formulating preventive strategies.

Other topics to be covered at the event include appearance discrimination, the aging workforce and romance in the workplace.

About Bracewell & Giuliani

Bracewell & Giuliani provides Fortune 500 companies, major financial institutions and governmental entities with practical advice spanning law, business, and public policy. With offices in Texas, Kazakhstan, New York, Washington, D.C., and London, Bracewell is well positioned to serve clients worldwide. For more information about Bracewell & Giuliani, visit www.bracewellgiuliani.com.