IAML
Employment Law Brief

When Employees Speak Up

Protected Concerted Activity and the Manager’s First Response

Group complaints, workplace messages, policy objections, and one employee speaking for others can raise labor relations concerns even in a workplace with no union. This complimentary, attorney-led Employment Law Brief helps HR and managers recognize those moments, avoid common first response mistakes, and know when to involve HR or counsel.

Next BriefAugust 26, 2026
Time1:00 to 2:00 PM EDT
CreditHRCI/SHRM/CLE
Complimentary live virtual session

Reserve your place in the August Employment Law Brief.

Join the August 26 session with a simple reservation form. IAML provides HRCI/SHRM/CLE credit for attendance.

After you reserve: IAML will send access details, reminder information, and credit documentation for attendance. You can optionally share team/training preferences on the confirmation page.

August Brief Focus

The moment a shared concern reaches a manager.

When Employees Speak Up follows a familiar workplace sequence: employees raise a concern together, a supervisor responds first, that response becomes part of the record, and HR later has to decide what happens next.

August 26 · 60 minutes · live virtual Practical issue spotting before a first response hardens.

Participants receive HRCI/SHRM/CLE credit for attendance. Final access and credit details are sent after registration.

What the Brief follows From first signal to next-step judgment.
01
A group concern reaches a supervisor

A message or conversation about scheduling, pay, safety, workload, remote work, or a policy arrives, and one employee appears to be speaking for others.

02
The first response shapes what follows

Questioning, discipline, monitoring, promises, or selective policy enforcement can turn an ordinary conversation into a labor relations problem.

03
HR inherits the next decision

HR may need to review the facts, guide the manager, preserve the communications, and decide whether counsel should be involved.

04
The August Brief gives teams a practical check

Participants leave better able to recognize protected group activity, respond carefully, and escalate at the right point.

What participants leave with

Practical judgment for the moments employees raise shared concerns.

A practical lens for recognizing protected group activity earlier, responding more carefully, and knowing when to involve HR or counsel.

01

Clearer recognition

When an individual concern may become protected group activity, including group chats, petitions, social posts, and objections to a workplace policy, and why this can matter in a workplace with no union.

02

A steadier first response

How managers can listen and gather facts without interrogating, threatening, promising, monitoring, or retaliating, and what to preserve while the facts are still fresh.

03

A next step framework

Where discipline and policy enforcement can add risk, what signals suggest the issue is growing, and when to bring in HR or counsel.

After the BriefWhere the deeper labor relations work happens.

The Brief helps HR and managers recognize a labor relations moment and respond carefully. IAML’s Comprehensive Labor Relations program develops the broader framework for organizing activity, manager communication, representation issues, bargaining, grievances, contract administration, and labor disputes.

August 26, 2026 · 1:00 to 2:00 PM EDT · Complimentary Ready to join When Employees Speak Up?
Reserve My Place
Who should attend

Built for teams that influence workplace decisions.

The Brief is best for professionals who advise managers, review employee relations matters, support compliance, or make workplace decisions that need a practical employment law lens.

HR
HR leaders and HR business partners

For teams guiding managers through complaints, discipline, performance, leave, accommodation, and documentation questions.

Employee Relations
Employee relations professionals

For people who need consistent issue spotting and escalation habits across recurring workplace matters.

Risk
Legal, compliance, and training partners

For teams that need a shared, practical vocabulary around workplace law decisions.

Managers
Managers and supervisors

For organizations preparing managers to respond carefully and involve HR before problems grow.

Participant results

Practical employment law guidance people can use at work.

IAML programs are taught by practicing attorneys who connect legal developments to the workplace decisions HR, employee relations, and compliance teams face every day.

“The class was very useful to me, I was able to take what I learned and apply it back at my job. A lot of times training seminars only cover the basics – this seminar really got down to the detail of things which was great.”

Stephanie CalhounVice President People Strategist and Global Culture Transformation, Lumen Technologies

Common threadParticipants point to the same value: current employment law context translated into practical decisions for HR, employee relations, and workplace leaders.

Will it be practical?

“John Wymer filled every segment of the conference with practical advice and the legal reasoning to support it.”

Roy ThrashChief Counsel, Labor and Employment, International Paper
Will it help decisions?

“Excellent as usual! The instructors do a great job of covering recent court cases that may impact our decision making.”

Janet LarsonCorporate Employee Relations Manager, T-Mobile
1979Trusted since
80k+Professionals trained
Attorney-ledPracticing faculty
PracticalWorkplace decisions

Participant comments reflect individual attendee feedback. Organization names provide workplace context and are not presented as organization endorsements.

Future Briefs

Not the right August topic?

Leave your work email and we’ll notify you when the next Employment Law Brief topic is announced. This is separate from August registration.

Bringing colleagues?Keep it simple: each person can reserve a seat for the August Brief.

If you are considering a broader team or private-training path, share that after registration or contact IAML for help choosing the right fit.

Get future Brief updates.

No extra form fields needed.

FAQ

Questions before joining the Brief.

Use these answers to decide whether the August Brief is the right first step for you or your team.

What is the August Employment Law Brief topic?

The August Brief is When Employees Speak Up: Protected Concerted Activity and the Manager’s First Response. It covers how to recognize when group complaints, workplace messages, policy objections, or one employee speaking for others may raise labor relations concerns, what managers should do first, what can make the situation worse, and when HR or counsel should become involved.

Who should attend?

HR, employee relations, legal, compliance, training, managers, and workplace leaders who want practical employment law context for recurring workplace decisions.

Can a team attend together?

Yes. Each person can reserve a seat for the August Brief. If you need help deciding whether several seats or a private training path fits better, IAML can follow up after registration or through the contact page.

What if the August topic is not the right fit?

Use the future topic updates link if August is not the right fit. The registration form is reserved for people who want to attend the next Brief or bring a team into the session.

Is this the same as a full IAML program?

No. The Employment Law Brief is a complimentary 60-minute briefing and a lighter first step. IAML’s live virtual programs provide deeper training for specific employment law and workplace decision areas.

What if our team needs deeper labor relations training?

The Brief helps HR and managers recognize a labor relations moment and respond carefully. IAML’s Comprehensive Labor Relations program develops the broader framework for organizing activity, manager communication, representation issues, bargaining, grievances, contract administration, and labor disputes.

Will continuing credit be available?

IAML provides HRCI/SHRM/CLE credit for attendance. Final session details are sent after registration.

Next step

Join the August Employment Law Brief.

Reserve a spot for When Employees Speak Up. If August is not the right fit, you can still get future Brief updates without starting registration.