News

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Virtual Chapter of LERA (VLERA) will continue their webinar series with a presentation from the School of Labor and Employment Relations' own Mark Gough, assistant professor. Gough will be presenting on, "Exploring Mandatory Employment Arbitration." The webinar will take place on Tuesday, April 14 at 8 p.m. EST.

Program:

Employment arbitration has animated strong disagreement among academics, practitioners, lawmakers, and other stakeholders since its inception in the 1990s. Some stakeholders view mandatory arbitration as an inadequate substitute for civil litigation, characterized by low employee win rates, inadequate award amounts, and repeat player effects. Others see a fundamentally fair, inexpensive, and accessible alternative to protracted civil litigation. These incompatible characterizations of arbitration have continued for almost three decades despite an abundance of empirical studies.

This webinar with explore the institutional characteristics and contemporary debates surrounding employment arbitration.  Additionally, we will explore implications for various stakeholders including employees, employers, attorneys, and neutrals.

SHRM/HRCI Recertification Credits and CEUs

1.5 credits Pending Approval

Agenda

1. Mandatory Employment Arbitration Background
-What is mandatory employment arbitration?
-Who uses mandatory employment arbitration?
-What is the history of mandatory employment arbitration?
2. Debates surrounding employment arbitration
-Proponents
-Opponents
3. How does employment arbitration compare to employment litigation?
-Win rates, award amounts, expediency, cost, etc.
-Interpretive difficulties
-Stakeholder perceptions (employees, arbitrators, lawyers, employers)
4. Conclusion

About the Presenter 

Mark Gough is assistant professor of Labor and Employment Relations at The Pennsylvania State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and an M.S. in Human Resources and Employment Relations from Penn State. Dr. Gough's research focuses on workplace dispute resolution, employment law, and how legal actors affect access to justice in the workplace. He has been published in top peer-reviewed and legal journals including Industrial and Labor Relations Review and Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law.

April 7, 2020