Appeals courts universally stress the importance of the interactive dialogue. A recent 5th circuit decision summed it up nicely, saying that employers and employees must have “flexible, interactive discussions” about employees’ accommodation requests.
Join MINDSET Doc Debra Dupree with her Guests Workers’ Comp Attorney Mark Barber and Employment Law Attorney Steven Tisi as they discuss how to embrace a MINDSET Shift on how to manage employees with compassion while setting firm and fair accommodations boundaries!
Here’s what Mark & Steven will cover…
1. What purpose does the interactive process meeting (IPM) serve? What can this do for the employer…for the employee?
2. When and how do we, as attorneys representing employers, recommend engaging in an IPM?
3. What are the pitfalls, problems and practical solutions around the IPM (e.g. when multiple medical opinions exist and the implications for employment law and potential civil litigation)?
4. What to do when a pandemic hits? How to show up with resilience, flexibility, compassion and supportive during tough times when we as employees are going through the same stuff?
ABOUT MARK BARBER
Attorney, Mark Barber is a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law in California with 38 years’ experience handling the defense of California employers, carriers and third-party administrators before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. Mr. Barber represents both private and public agency employers of all sizes, including serious and willful employer misconduct applications and workers’ compensation discrimination claims under Labor Code Section 132a.
ABOUT STEVEN TISI
Attorney Tisi is a longtime resident of San Diego but a native of Washington, D.C. He got his start in the legal field as a business litigation paralegal at the L.A. Law Firm of Munger, Tolls and Olson. While at Loyola Marymount, he completed a prestigious clerkship in Washington, D.D. with the U. S. Dept. of Commerce.
After admission to the CA Bar in 1993, he joined the Law Firm of Gibbs, Eppsteiner and Stagg, later known as Gibbs and Fuerst. Quickly rising to Sr. Associate, he defended major retailers in all areas of personal injury and represented various public entities (law enforcement, municipalities and school districts). He then joined Winet, Patrick, Gayer, Creighton & Hanes in San Diego County in 2017.
Throughout his career, Mr. Tisi gained extensive experience in employment litigation, disability retirement, landlord-tenant and civil rights. He enjoys presenting Risk Mgt. seminars to employers to assist with their risk needs and has drafted numerous employee handbooks and policy manuals.
Mr. Tisi is also admitted to the U.S. Federal District Court for the So. Dist. of CA, a member of the SD County Bar Assoc., the SD Defense Lawyers Assoc., Nat’l. Assoc. of Subrogation Professionals and Lambda Legal. In his free time, Mr. Tisi volunteers for the Barking Lot Dog Rescue.