Helene Horn Figman, an employment law expert and attorney of the Law Offices of Helene Horn Figman, P.C. (www.figmanlaw.com), and David Sawyer, president and founder of Safer Places (www.saferplacesinc.com), a full-service screening, testing, and consulting organization, will hold a Lunch and Learn Seminar on Tuesday, September 25, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at ACTSmart IT, 70 Corporate Park Drive, Pembroke, MA.

The seminar will focus on what employers must do to legally evaluate hiring applicants with criminal records, as well as address criminal acts by employees. Topics covered will include whether employers have to explain if deciding against someone because of a criminal record and why; the legal changes in Massachusetts as far as what you can search/consider regarding criminal records (which go into effect October 2018); the importance of individualized assessments to avoid discrimination claims (EEOC guidelines); social media searches; how the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act impacts employee background checks; and why employers need a CORI policy if they are doing CORI checks.

The fee for the Lunch and Learn seminar is $25; this cost includes the presentation, handouts, and lunch.

Figman is an attorney with over 30 years of experience with employment law and human resources matters. She has hands-on experience creating personnel policies that are tailored to the specific needs of each of her client’s unique businesses, addressing significant subjects such as social media and workplace violence.

Sawyer has over 35 years of experience assisting a wide variety of clientele in creating safer places. He is board certified in security management, having received his Certified Protection Professional (CPP) credentials in 1987.

“Employers need to know how to proceed when evaluating applicants with criminal records,” said Figman. “We’ll help them understand what they need to do and know what they cannot do, as well as how to ensure they are best positioned to give someone a second chance, while keeping their company protected.”

Seating is limited but spots are still available. For more information or to register, please visit https://squareup.com/store/saferplacesinc.

About The Law Offices of Helene Horn Figman, P.C.

The Law Offices of Helene Horn Figman, P.C. focuses exclusively in the areas of employment law and human resource management; a key focus of her practice is the presentation of anti-harassment, anti-discrimination and unconscious bias training.

A member of the Massachusetts Bar for over 30 years, Attorney Figman has successfully litigated before all courts in Massachusetts and the United States District Court. She has also served as an Administrative Hearings Officer for the M.C.A.D., and has presided over all full evidentiary hearings related to workplace discrimination; her decisions are published in the Massachusetts Discrimination Law Reporter. She currently defends employers in actions brought before the M.C.A.D.

Attorney Figman is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Arizona. She is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, 1st Circuit, and before the United States Supreme Court.

The firm maintains offices at 45 Bristol Drive, Suite 207, South Easton, Massachusetts 02375. For more information, please call 508-238-2700, email hfigman@figmanlaw.com, or visit www.figmanlaw.com.

About Safer Places, Inc.

Safer Places, Inc. is a full-service firm that provides pre-employment screening, security consulting, tenant screening, and additional verification services for schools, private and public companies, property managers, property owners and anyone seeking to research an individual’s background. Since the events of September 11, 2001, the importance of background checks has taken on increased prominence, and Safer Places, Inc. has undertaken a number of educational initiatives for the public, including HRintel, a new service that provides education for HR professionals in the form of webinars and workshops; HRintel also includes the benefit of having general HR-related questions answered by an employment law attorney and free access to the State Rules Registry web site to allow clients the ability to research background screening laws specific to the state(s) they operate in. Safer Places, Inc. also offers a series of specialized services including Character Assessment testing, Employee Photo IDs, and Integrated Applicant Tracking (ATS) services. Elements of a background check can include Social Security trace, criminal history search, education verification, checking with sex offender registries, drug testing, driving record/license verification, employment verification/references, terrorist watch lists, and credentials verification/history. Increasingly, companies are using background checks as a condition of continued employment, particularly when an individual is being considered for a new position or promotion. Safer Places, Inc. maintains offices at 25 Wareham Street, Middleboro, MA, and has opened a second location in Portland, Maine. Its principals are board certified in security management, holding the CPP (Certified Protection Professionals) designation form ASIS International and they maintain memberships in a number of organizations including the Society for Human Resource Management and ASIS International. Security Consulting Services: design and installation, but not the sale of actual equipment and systems. Safer Places also operates a Security Consulting Division. For additional information, please visit www.saferplacesinc.com or call (508) 947-0600.