Five things we learned at the 2023 Labor Relations Institute

Early May saw the 2023 Labor Relations Institute return to Yakima. AWC was very pleased with the turnout, which was among the best we’ve seen in many years (over 470!). Thank you to all our presenters, exhibitors, convention center staff, event staff, and of course, our attendees for helping us put on a great conference 2023!

A lot went on at LRI, and we hope attendees left with great information and a chance to connect with your colleagues from across the state. Here, we highlight five things we learned at the 2023 LRI:

1. Creating a people-centered culture is critical to the future workplace.
   LRI Keynote speaker Rosie Ward gave a great talk on how the change experienced by people over the last few years demands that workplaces consider the person behind the worker to build the best team possible. Courageous leaders “build a lighthouse” to attract talent with an organization’s strong sense of purpose, create fearless environments so employees feel safe to innovate, cultivate adaptability and creativity in challenging situations, lead with intention, and building a diverse team to bring creativity and new ideas to the table.

2. HR professionals are still working to understand leave laws.
   Once again, sessions on state and federal leave laws proved to be popular with attendees as everyone from grizzled HR veterans to those new to the game seek to understand the variety of popular (and complex to administer) programs and how they interact with each other and impact local governments’ own leave programs.

3. Equity in action – it pays to practice!
   Microaggressions are harms that take the form of everyday slights, snubs, or insults, not harm that is typically addressed through workplace policies, such as sexual harassment or discrimination, as explained by Tevin Medley, from The Athena Group. Efforts to make amends can be broken down into workable steps, it helps to practice though.  Attendees at Tevin’s session were surprised at how accessible these kinds of conversations can be, especially when practiced before they are needed.

4. Summit Law’s presentations remain popular and full of useful info for HR professionals.
   In addition to a variety of more specific presentations, the always popular session with the Summit Law team – All that’s new and fit to print highlighted recent legal developments in around paid military leave; Washington’s 2022 Silenced No More Act and its impact on asking employees to keep information confidential; and the Long-term Care Act.

5. With all the upheaval in recent years, there are a lot of new supervisors. And they need training!
   Untrained supervisors can create significant liability and problems in the workplace, so its important to make sure that new (and existing) supervisors have the tools they need to foster a good work environment, including knowledge about labor relations, performance evaluations; treatment of employees; and leave and disability accommodation obligations. LRI offered several popular sessions on conducting workplace investigations, basics of bargaining, leave laws, etc. We also offered a session specific to new supervisors that looked at the common pitfalls for supervisors and strategies for success.

Again, thanks to all our attendees for joining us in Yakima, and thanks to all the folks that made the conference possible. Make sure to mark your calendars for next year’s Labor Relations Institute conference, May 8-10, 2024.

LRI attendees may be eligible for HCRI, SHRM, and Certificate of Municipal Leadership credits. Those who signed in for CLE credits should have already gotten credit for the conference. Find more information here.

Check out the photos from the event!