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Professional Experience:
Sara sees herself as a member of a company's HR team. Clients utilize her varied background by treating her as a consultant and advisor on employment law topics. Sara counsels HR professionals on the development of proactive policies, procedures, and protocols drafted to retain talent and create a positive work environment. Sara has previous experience working inside a corporation so she understands the myriad of employment issues that HR professionals and business owners face every day. Her focus is on providing proactive advice by identifying issues before they arise so that her clients can minimize their risk and avoid the expensive legal fees associated with litigation.
Sara is a sought after presenter, and presents nationwide on topics affecting HR professionals. Actively involved in the local Society of Human Resource Management chapter, serving as a board member, she is connected to the HR community and is therefore skilled at providing solutions to real-life situations. She counsels clients in the private sector from a broad range of industries. Her experience includes:
- Counseling employers on every aspect of federal and state employment laws, including laws regarding drug and alcohol testing, background checks, employee privacy, wrongful discharge, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, plant closing and mass lay-off, wage and hour, family medical leave, and reasonable accommodation.
- Representing employers in employment litigation matters and in the administrative setting including Wisconsin and Minnesota state and federal agencies.
- Guiding employers in conducting workplace investigations.
- Representing employers in Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Department of Labor (DOL) audits.
- Reviewing employer wage and hour practices including, exempt/non-exempt position classifications, meal/rest break practices, off the clock and record keeping issues.
- Drafting employee handbooks, separation agreements, disciplinary memoranda, affirmative action plans, employment contracts, non-compete agreements and independent contractor agreements.
- Conducting employment law training, including but not limited to, sexual harassment training for employees and "employment law basics" training for management.
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Education:
B.A., University of Minnesota - Minneapolis, MN (1995)
J.D. (magna cum laude), William Mitchell College of Law - St. Paul, MN (2003)
Admitted to Practice:
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for Minnesota
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Bar Associations:
American Bar Association
State Bar of Wisconsin
Marathon County Bar Association
Minnesota State Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Professional Activities:
Central Wisconsin Society of Human Resource Management, Board of Directors
Civic Activities:
Wausau Child Care, Past President, Board Member
Wausau Area Performing Arts Foundation, Inc., Fundraising Committee
Wausau Area Performing Arts Foundation, Inc., Board Member
| Presentations: |
- Surviving the Perfect Storm - What to do When ADA, FMLA, and Workers' Compensation Collide, CWSHRM Conference - 4/11/13
- EEOC's New Initiatives: Where is Your Next Risk? 11/8/12
- Restrictive Covenants in Employment, WI State Bar Health, Labor, and Employment Law Institute - 8/23/12
- Do's and Don'ts for Conducting Workplace Investigations, CWSHRM Conference - 4/12/12
- Human Resources 101: Fundamentals for Your Business, Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce and CWSHRM - 3/1/12
- Reasonable Accommodation: How Can We Help You?, Annual Ruder Ware Employment, Benefits & Labor Relations Law Conference - 11/4/11
- Hiring and Recruiting for the Facebook Generation, Central Wisconsin Social Media Conference - 10/20/11
- What to do With the Concealed Carry Law - Are You in or Are You Out?, Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce - 9/28/11
- Hiring and Firing: A Top 10 List of Do's and Don'ts! - 4/14/11
- Identifying and Minimizing Liabilities of Employee Social Networking - 9/29/10
- Basic (Refresher) FMLA Track - 6/22/10
- Legal Issues Relating to Social Networking - 4/8/10
- Identifying and Minimizing Liabilities of Employee Social Networking - 11/04/09
- Legal Issues Relating to Organizational Downsizing - 4/21/09
- Noncompete Agreements: Are They Ever Enforceable in Wisconsin? - 4/17/09
- Do You Know It When You See It? A Review of Sexual Harassment Law and Tips on How to Conduct Effective Sexual Harassment Investigations -11/6/08 and 6/8/06
- How Can We Help You? Reasonable Accommodation Under the WFEA and ADA - 11/2/07 and 11/9/07
- Discrimination Laws Impacting Local Government Employees - 8/29/07
- Show Me the Money! A Wage and Hour Forum - 4/19/07
- Stick or Carrot? Employee Discipline & Discharge Issues - 4/20/06
- Show Me The Money - 2/24/06
- Employment Investigation Techniques - Do's and Don'ts - 10/14/25
- Traps for the Unwary WI Employer Under State and Federal Discrimination and FMLA Laws - 10/14/05
- Conflicts of Interest/Code of Ethics for Local Public Officials - What Did I Do Now? - 9/27/05
- Handling Grievances From Board Consideration to Hearing - 4/26/05
- Legal and Policy Considerations in the Development or Updating of Employee Handbooks - 4/21/05
Articles and Publications:
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