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The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries next month will host a two-day conference geared to help employers understand and comply with labor laws.

The 29th annual Employment Law Conference will take place Dec. 4 and 5 at the Oregon Convention Center. It will feature 24 sessions led by employment attorneys and BOLI experts, said Jennifer Germundson, manager of BOLI’s technical assistance for employers program. Topics will include wage and disability laws, family medical leave, civil rights, workers’ compensation claims, and health care reform, she said.

Many of the sessions will focus on new laws – like the city of Portland’s sick leave requirements – set to take effect at the beginning of next year, Germundson said.

“We’ve really taken the top questions that we get and developed an agenda of topics that seem to be of most interest to employers,” she said.

A session about health care reform at this year’s conference will be especially relevant, Germundson said.

“It’s huge right now for all of us,” she said. “I think that health care reform is going to be very well-attended.”

BOLI representatives at the conference also will help explain the process the agency takes when it receives complaints against employers, Germundson said.

“This is really about prevention,” she said. “It’s intended to prevent some employers from getting into hot water.”

The cost for individuals who register for the full event by Nov. 20 is $449. A single day is $369 per person.