To vaccinate or not, that is the question…no wait, maybe to mask or not is the question?

The speedy arrival of COVID vaccines is a modern day medical miracle. It is also creating dilemma’s for employers as they deal with yet another set of pandemic related decisions and adjustments.

The CDC is counting on employers to help convince people to take the vaccine. SHRM reports 60% of employees say they will definitely or probably get the vaccine. However, 28% of employees are willing to lose their job if their employer requires vaccination. How should employers respond?

In this webinar our panel will look at a variety of questions, including:

• Should we require our employees to get vaccines?
• What are our rights and responsibilities for employees who refuse vaccination?
• Who pays for the vaccine?
• What liability concerns do employers face if they mandate vaccines? Or fail to mandate them?
• How do employers handle the recent lifting of mask restrictions?
• What guidance is CDC and others giving employers? (hint: not much!)

And much more…

Approved for 1 hour of HRCI & SHRM business recertification credit.

Anyone added to the waitlist will receive a link to view
the recording upon completion.

Event Sponsor:

The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) is an Austin-based, statewide, non-profit professional association dedicated to the development of economic and employment opportunities in Texas. We provide information, educational and legislative services to more than 850 members representing more than 500 public and private economic development organizations, including more than 350 cities.  Our objective is to support the economic growth of Texas and develop strategies that promote a positive business climate in our state.

TEDC is proud to be a collaborative partner along with Texas SHRM, The Texas Association of Business Foundation, USTomorrow, North Texas Commission, Alliance for Securing and Strengthening the Economy in Texas (ASSET Texas), Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce, Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives, Better Business Bureaus of Texas and other business /professional organizations as members of the Texas Future of Work Task Force. For more information on the Texas Future of Work Task Force, contact Grover Bynum at grover@ustomorrow.us / 512-705-4830. 

Dustin Paschal, Kristin Bauer, & Patsy Lopez

Dustin Paschal has always had a passion for employment law. He attended Baylor University where he graduated in 2002 with a B.B.A. in Human Resource Management. While at Baylor, Dustin interned with the Vice President of Human Resources at a national manufacturing company where he experienced first-hand the employment issues facing companies and individuals today. After graduating from Baylor, Dustin attended Baylor School of Law and graduated with a J.D. in 2005. Since graduating, Dustin has practiced exclusively in the area of Employment Law and Business Law.

Dustin represents corporations, small businesses, and individual employees and executives. He handles a variety of employment matters, including discrimination and harassment cases, lawsuits involving non-compete agreements, and multi-state collective actions involving wage and hour issues. In addition to his litigation practice, Dustin also reviews individual employment contracts, drafts employee handbooks, and assists companies on a variety of general contractual issues. Dustin takes great pride in helping his clients avoid litigation through proper planning but when his clients need it, Dustin provides aggressive and principled litigation counsel.

Dustin is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association. As a former active member of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Dustin served five terms on the Board of Directors and served as a Co-Chair for numerous committees. Dustin also is a Sustaining Life Fellow of the DAYL Foundation, a Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation and a former Associate Member of the Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court.

Dustin also serves as the President of DallasHR, the Dallas chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. DallasHR is the premier organization in Dallas serving Human Resources professionals.  Prior to his term as President, Dustin served multiple terms on the Board of Directors.. Above all else, Simon | Paschal PLLC provides a true teamwork experience to our clients.

Kristin L. Bauer is an shareholder with the Dallas office of the national workplace law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. Ms. Bauer represents management exclusively in workplace law and related litigation. In addition to handling an active employment litigation docket, she counsels management on preventive strategies, including termination decisions, investigations, employment agreements - including non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, wage and hour laws, policies and handbooks, and other issues affecting the workplace. She also conducts preventive management training and counsels employers on the numerous laws touching ill and injured workers, including the ADA, the FMLA, and related state laws, and implementing strategies to manage those risks. Ms. Bauer has been recognized seven times as a “Rising Star” by Texas Monthly Law and Politics. She has been a member of the SHRM-Texas State Council since 2007, currently serving as a legislative co-chair. Ms. Bauer has also served as pro bono general counsel to The Family Place—a nonprofit agency serving the victims of domestic violence and their families- since 2005. In 2012, Ms. Bauer received the Virginia S. Mueller Outstanding Member Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL). Ms. Bauer also currently serves on the NAWL Board.

Patsy López is a Division Chief in the General Counsel Unit of the El Paso County Attorney’s Office. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2003 and her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 2006. She began her legal career at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and moved to the El Paso County Attorney’s Office in 2009.

Patsy is a native El Pasoan, and first generation American born to a culturally traditional Mexican family where her father worked blue collar employment and her mother was a stay at home mother.  Her family’s experiences directly influenced Patsy’s desire to become an attorney and specifically to work in the area of labor and employment. 

Patsy has a broad legal experience that includes housing, family law, prosecution and general counsel. In 2016, Patsy was assigned as the dedicated Human Resources attorney for the County of El Paso. Patsy focused her practice on County Government with a specialization in Employee Relations, Compensation and Classification and Risk Management. In 2019 she was promoted to Division Chief in the County Attorney’s Office. With the help of her stellar team, she continues to advise the HR Department along with approximately 20 other County Departments, related committees and boards. Patsy regularly provides employment training to County Department Heads, Elected Official Offices and has presented multiple employment related CLE courses on topics such as general employment law and harassment/discrimination policies in light of the #metoo movement.

Patsy has worked closely with County Officials on employment related aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic response since March of 2020.