SHRM West Sound Fall Conference
November 12, 2026
8:15 AM - 12:00 PM
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Kitsap Conference Center
100 Washington Ave
Bremerton, WA 98337
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Diving Deep: Navigating Washington's Leave Landscape with Confidence
Session Description
Washington's leave laws continue to evolve, making it increasingly challenging to navigate FMLA, Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML), Paid Sick Leave, ADA/WLAD accommodations, and other state-specific leave requirements. Understanding how these laws overlap is critical to reducing legal risk and ensuring consistent employee experiences.
This interactive workshop goes beyond the basics, providing practical guidance on coordinating leave laws, managing intermittent leave, medical certifications, health benefit continuation, documentation, return-to-work, accommodations, and difficult employment decisions. Through real-world scenarios and discussion, participants will gain the tools and confidence to manage Washington's complex leave landscape.
Session Outline
Hour 1 – Understanding the Leave Landscape
- FMLA, Washington PFML, Paid Sick Leave, ADA/WLAD, and other Washington leave laws
- 2026 PFML job-protection changes
- Determining which laws apply to each leave request
Hour 2 – Coordinating Leave in Practice
- Concurrent vs. sequential leave
- Intermittent leave administration
- Medical certifications and documentation
- Health benefit continuation and premium collection
Hour 3 – Real-World Application
- Return-to-work and accommodations
- Attendance, performance, and separation decisions
- Interactive case studies and Q&A
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn to:
- Navigate eligibility, notice, and benefit requirements across Washington's major leave laws.
- Coordinate overlapping leave programs and manage intermittent leave effectively.
- Evaluate medical documentation and maintain legally sound records.
- Handle return-to-work, accommodation, and separation decisions with confidence.
- Apply best practices through practical workplace scenarios.
SPEAKER BIO:
Amy Robinson, a partner with Miller Nash LLP and chair of the firm’s employment law & labor relations team, represents public and private employers throughout Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. She advises on a broad range of workplace-related issues and provides experienced counsel on compliance challenges and disputes covering the entire employment life cycle from hiring to separation. She skillfully handles matters for clients regarding wage and hour, leave laws, disability and accommodation, and complaints related to discrimination, retaliation, and harassment. Before becoming an attorney, Amy was in the trenches as an HR professional, so she knows first-hand how workplaces function and the daily pressures and many responsibilities that fall to HR.
Tickets
$129.00 Member Ticket
$149.00 Future-Member Ticket
