From Unemployment to Reemployment – Prepare Your Business for HB4

Raleigh, N.C. - Smith Anderson partners Travis Hockaday and Kim Korando recently partnered with the North Carolina Chamber to present a webinar series addressing the North Carolina General Assembly’s reforms to the state’s unemployment insurance system.  These reforms, included in House Bill 4 (HB4), were signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory on February 19, and many of the changes became effective on June 30, 2013. 

The first session, A View From the Top: A Primer on NC Unemployment Insurance Reform for the C-Suite, provided business owners and senior management officials with key information about how the new laws will affect their businesses, both financially and operationally, and focused specifically on employer tax rates, restrictions on the use of attached worker claims, and recommendations for policy and practice reviews in light of the new laws.  

The second session, Nuts and Bolts of Unemployment Law Changes: A Primer for Managers and Human Resources Professionals, addressed the practical implications of the reforms for line managers and human resources officials.  This session focused on best practices for performance management and terminations in light of the new laws, preparing effective responses to requests for information from the Division of Employment Security, and prevailing in unemployment appeals hearings.  

Travis is recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” for his work in defending employers against employee lawsuits. He also focuses his practice on providing employment-related counseling and risk management advice to clients in a variety of industries, both public and private. He has represented clients in state and federal courts and agencies throughout North Carolina, as well as in South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, Utah and New Mexico.

Kim is a frequently sought after speaker and writer on employment and human resource issues in the business and legal community. She is recognized as one of North Carolina’s leading labor and employment lawyers by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, North Carolina Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America®. She leads the Firm’s Employment, Labor and Human Resources group.

The webinar sessions, View from the Top: A Primer on NC Unemployment Insurance Reform for the C-Suite (Part 1) and Nuts and Bolts of Unemployment Insurance Law Changes: A Primer for Managers and Human Resources Professionals (Part 2), are available here.

For more information regarding HB4 and its effects on North Carolina employers, please contact Travis Hockaday.