A panel of experts discussed changes to employment laws and regulations expected in 2009 and beyond at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s 2008 Business Policy Conference. Attributing the revisions to several factors, including the economy, the rising unemployment rate, the transition to a new Congress, and entrance of the Obama administration, the panel referred to the changes to come as “seismic.”

The panel was moderated by Elizabeth Torphy-Donzella, Partner with Shaw & Rosenthal, LLP and included Ron Adler, Chairman of the Maryland Chamber’s Unemployment Insurance Subcommittee and President of Laurdan Associates Inc.; Mike Levin, Chair of the Maryland Chamber’s Workers Compensation Subcommittee and Managing Partner of Dirska & Levin; and Darrell VanDeusen, Partner with Kollman & Saucier, P.A.

Adler said businesspeople should be concerned about the reintroduction of two bills defeated last session. The first bill deals with the definition of part-time workers. The second would address maximum weekly benefit amounts.

Listen to Adler’s take on the outlook for employment law in the 2009 General Assembly Session.

Levin said that despite negative forecasts for other aspects of employment law, the outlook for workers compensation is positive. He said that with a rate reduction just approved in Maryland and the continued stability of companies insuring Maryland’s businesses, the state’s ranking among programs across the nation is rising in terms of quality of service. He also said that Maryland businesses have made great strides toward preventing more accidents, which has benefited the insurance industry.

Listen to Levin’s overview of the current state of the insurance industry in Maryland and the outlook for its future.

Van Deusen spoke about changes that occurred last session and changes expected in the 2009 General Assembly as well as changes on the federal level in regard to employment law. He spoke about actions taken last year and changes expected this year to legislation including Maryland’s Flexible Leave Act (H.B. 40/S.B. 344), the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 3195/S. 1881), the Patriot Employers Act (S. 1945), the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 579/S. 1843), the Healthy Families Act (H.R. 1902/S. 1085), and others.

Listen to VanDeusen discuss what happened in the last Maryland General Assembly Session and the future of legislation passed.

Listen to VanDeusen’s overview of what happened in the last legislative session and what to expect on the federal level this year.