CA Mid-Year Review – AI, EEOC, and More!
May 22, 2025 | 9:30 AM-3:30 PM PT
Are you ready to navigate the evolving landscape of California legal compliance & AI in the workplace? Join us for a full-day program designed to equip HR professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to stay ahead in today's dynamic environment.
Location
Patelco Credit Union Headquarters
3 Park Place
Dublin, CA 94568
Program cost starting at:
Member: $199
Non-Member: $249
Program Agenda
9:30 - 10:00 AM
Registration, Networking (Light refreshments provided)
10:00 - 11:15 AM
Making Sense of AI: Critically, Practically, and Responsibly
Speaker: Chris McClean PhD, Global Lead, Digital Ethics, Avanade
AI is popping up seemingly everywhere. It's in our browsers, on our devices, in business applications, and in dinner conversations. Professionally, we have the opportunity to get more involved in or even lead AI decisions in a way that will be beneficial for employees as well as the organization. But that will require cutting through the industry hype and thinking through the practical impacts AI technologies will have on us as individuals and in society. This session will cover how organizations are currently adopting AI technology and the impact it's having on their workforce. It will also cover best practices that leaders are taking to prepare their workforce to use AI effectively and responsibly, especially considering the complex regulatory environment and lingering ethical concerns. Finally, we'll look at the emerging and future innovations in AI that we should start thinking about now so we're not caught off guard.
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
The AI Revolution and Your Workplace
Speaker: Catherine Lee
The AI revolution is different than anything that has come before it and is likely to be one of the most significant changes to the workplace in decades. Anyone can use AI to automate or augment basic HR tasks. This session will discuss how HR professionals are currently using AI, with some everyday examples; identify the legal risks of AI; review the status of laws governing the use of AI to perform HR-type functions; and explore best practices to transform HR processes with AI. Join us for this informative session to de-mystify AI and safely incorporate AI to perform HR functions to achieve efficiencies.
12:30 - 1:00 PM
Lunch and Networking (Lunch is included with your registration)
1:00 - 2:15 PM
EEOC Compliance Update 2025: Open for Business, Taking All Charges
Speaker: Linda Li, Lead Outreach & Education Coordinator, U.S. EEOC
Wondering how recent Executive Orders impact EEO compliance and the federal agency tasked with enforcing the laws against employment discrimination? Curious to know more about Acting Chair Andrea Lucas’s priorities for the EEOC? Get insights and examine cases and scenarios relevant to these questions with Linda Li, Lead Outreach & Education Coordinator for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s San Francisco District Office.
2:15 - 3:30 PM
Legislative Mid- Year Review for California Workplaces
Speaker: Erika Frank, Esq., Vice President and Legal Counsel, California Hospital Association
Why Attend?
- Stay Informed: Gain insights into the latest legal updates and AI advancements impacting HR.
- Network: Connect with industry experts, peers, and sponsors.
- Enhance Skills: Learn practical strategies to implement AI in your workplace and ensure compliance with new regulations.
Who Should Attend?
- HR Professionals
- Legal Counsel
- Business Owners
- Business Leaders
- HR Accountables
Key Points:
- AI in Personnel Decisions: Businesses are exploring new ways to harness AI for improved efficiency, especially in creating automated decision-making systems that can streamline hiring and recruitment processes
- Preventing Discrimination: The California Civil Rights Council is developing new laws aimed at preventing potential employment discrimination related to protected characteristics when using AI in personnel decisions
- Regulatory Changes: Employers are required to demonstrate their commitment to preventing unlawful discrimination through anti-bias testing and other proactive measures
- Record Retention: Employers must retain AI-related records for an extended period of four years, including applications, personnel files, and data from automated decision systems
These regulations are designed to ensure that AI tools are used responsibly and do not lead to biased or discriminatory outcomes in the workplace.
Program Speakers
Chris McClean
Global Lead, Digital Ethics, Avanade
Chris McClean is the global lead for digital ethics at Avanade, a tech consulting and innovation company with over 60,000 employees worldwide, In this role, Chris drives the company’s internal responsible tech and responsible AI efforts, and he also leads the company’s digital ethics advisory practice. Prior to Avanade, Chris was a research director and industry analyst at Forrester Research, leading the company’s analysis and advisory for risk management, compliance, corporate values, and ethics. Chris earned his Masters in Business Ethics in 2010, and he’s currently a PhD candidate with the University of Leeds, studying applied ethics with a focus on risk and trust relationships.
Linda Li
Lead Outreach & Education Coordinator, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - San Francisco District
Linda Li (she/her/hers) has served the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s San Francisco District Office as Outreach & Education Coordinator since 1998. Her duties include managing outreach, training and public affairs for the EEOC throughout Northern California, Northern Nevada and the Pacific Northwest. Her chief goal is to tell the human stories behind EEOC’s cases and to make the law accessible to all stakeholders – including small business owners, union representatives, farmworkers, people with disabilities, veterans, trade apprentices and high school students. Prior to the EEOC, Li conducted community outreach for the National Asian American Telecommunications Association (since renamed the Center for Asian American Media) and the Asian Law Caucus. She holds a M.A. from Stanford University and a B.A. from Brown University.
Erika Frank
Vice President and Legal Counsel for the California Hospital Association
Erika Frank is Vice President and Legal Counsel for the California Hospital Association where she specializes in labor and employment, workers’ compensation, workplace safety, workforce, community benefits, and seismic compliance.
Erika leverages more than two decades of legal, regulatory, and legislative experience, and offers a practical and insightful approach to helping employers, regulators and government leaders understand the impact workplace polices and mandates have on employers and employees alike.
Prior to joining CHA, Erika served as Associated Executive Director and General Counsel at the California Lawyers Association. Erika also previously served as the General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs at the California Chamber of Commerce. With a focus on employment law compliance, Erika oversaw CalChamber’s Labor Law Helpline and assisted countless members with their labor and employment law questions. She also played an integral role in the launch and success of CalChamber’s “The Workplace” podcast.
Erika also previously served the Shaw Law Group, where she provided advice and counsel, conducted workplace investigations and developed and facilitated compliance training.
Erika is a sought-after speaker. She has produced and conducted numerous seminars and webinars on topics including leaves of absence, wage and hour compliance, and harassment, discrimination and retaliation prevention. She is known for her relentless energy and ability to transform legal concepts into simple stories and realistic scenarios.
Erika attended Stanford Graduate School of Business, Finance and Accounting for the Non-Financial Executive Program, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and holds a B.A. from University of California, Santa Barbara.
Catherine Lee
Partner, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
Catherine Lee, a partner with Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, specializes in employment, financial institution, and complex commercial litigation, as well as data security and privacy. Ms. Lee counsels and represents employers of all sizes. She has prevailed in state and federal court litigation, agency claims, and arbitrations involving allegations of wage and hour violations, wrongful discharge, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, workplace violence, trade secrets, PAGA, and unfair competition. Ms. Lee provides advice regarding employee hiring and termination, wage and hour issues, employee discipline, and other personnel disputes.