Katie concentrates her practice in school law and labor and employment law. She represents private and public sector employers in a wide variety of industries, including public school education, higher education, manufacturing, health care, and the service and financial industries.
Katie’s practice includes representing and advising clients in all aspects of school law and labor and employment matters, including employee discipline and discharge, Education Law § 3020-a hearings, hearings pursuant to New York Civil Service Law, student rights and discipline, DASA complaints and training, labor arbitrations, FERPA issues, employment discrimination and workplace harassment, layoffs, policy development, employee and separation agreements, unfair labor practice charges, collective bargaining and wage and hour issues.
Katie has represented school districts and other employers before the New York State Department of Labor, the New York State Division of Human Rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board. She regularly defends employers in claims brought under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the New York State Public Employees Fair Employment Act (the Taylor Law), and the New York State Human Rights Law. Katie also advises employers on how to comply with various employment statutes, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).
Katie's practice also includes in-house labor and employment training for management. She is a frequent lecturer and has authored articles on a range of legal topics including the Syracuse Law Review's Annual Survey of labor and employment law.
Arbitration Case Study and Grievance Arbitration Best Practices 2024, New York State Association of Management Advocates for School Labor Affairs, June 14, 2024
Unlimited PTO: The Answer You’ve Been Looking For Or Your Worst Nightmare?, Bond’s Business in 2024 Webinar Series, June 5, 2024
School Law 101: Conducting Thorough Investigations, School Law 101 Webinar Series, May 16, 2024
Workplace Investigations Best Practices, Bond's Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, May 11, 2023
School Law 101: Personnel Investigations, School Law 101 Webinar Series, January 18, 2023
Legislative Update: What HR Professionals Need to Know for 2022, CNY SHRM, January 20, 2022
On the Horizon: Key Labor Law Areas to Watch in 2021, Bond Labor and Employment Law Breakfast Briefing, April 7, 2021
Leave Management and COVID Impacts for Small Business, Camillus Chamber of Commerce, March 24, 2021
Legislative Update: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going in 2021, CNY SHRM, January 28, 2021
Overcoming Age Discrimination in the Workplace, CNY SHRM, November 19, 2020
Moderator, Solving the Leave Management Puzzle, CNY SHRM, June 18, 2020
Returning to Work After the Pause: Anticipating Labor and Employment Issues and Creating a Communications Plan, May 15, 2020
Reopening Considerations, Bond Webinar Series, April 26, 2020
Legislative Update for Human Resource Professionals, CNY SHRM, January 30, 2020
Employee Leave Strategies: FMLA, ADA and More, National Business Institute, November 20, 2019
Workplace Harassment Prevention Laws & Prevention - A Necessity Now More Than Ever Webinar, Community Health Care Services Foundation, Inc., November 7, 2019
Workplace Harassment Prevention, New York State Association of Health Care Providers, November 6, 2019
What You Need to Know About the New State Sexual Harassment Law, CNY SHRM, October 25, 2018
Legal Considerations When Hiring, CNY SHRM, October 24, 2019
Workplace Harassment Prevention: A Necessity Now More Than Ever, CNY SHRM, September 17, 2019
Marijuana Legalization: Impacts on the Workplace, CNY SHRM, June 13, 2019
9 to 5 No More: Regulating Employee Off-Duty Conduct, Bond Labor and Employment Breakfast Briefing, January 15, 2019
Employment Law Basics for Supervisors, Managers and Business Owners, CNY SHRM, March 22, 2018
A Practical Look at the New York State Paid Family Leave Law and What it Means for Your Workplace, CNY SHRM, September 28, 2017
Moderator, Ready or Not: What You Need to Know About the U.S. DOL's Final Overtime Rules, CNY SHRM, October 27, 2016
The Leave Labyrinth: Strategies for ADA and FMLA Compliance, Bond's Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, May 2016
Workplace Violence: Preventing and Responding to the Unthinkable, Bond Labor and Employment Law Breakfast Briefing, April 7, 2016
Hiring Employees in the Age of Social Media, Greater Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce, October 22, 2015
Employee Handbooks – Choose Your Words Wisely, Bond Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, June 9, 2015
New Legal Challenges to Hiring Practices, Bond Labor and Employment Law Breakfast Briefing, March 25, 2015
Employment Law Basics for Supervisors, Managers & Small Business Owners, CNY SHRM, March 19, 2015
It’s Not Just Your Lunch Money at Risk – Standing up to Workplace Bullying and Harassment, Bond Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, May 21, 2014
Revolving Issues of Intermittent FMLA Leave, Bond Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, May 21, 2013
EEOC’s New Guidance on Criminal Background Information, Rochester Business Alliance, August 17, 2012
Schafer, Katherine Ritts and Langan, Kerry W., "Survey of New York Law: Labor and Employment Law," 63 Syracuse L. Rev. 829, 2013
Schafer, Katherine Ritts and Langan, Kerry W., "Survey of New York Law: Labor and Employment Law," 62 Syracuse L. Rev. 709, 2012
Ritts, Katherine A. and Langan, Kerry W., "Survey of New York Law: Labor and Employment," 61 Syracuse L. Rev. 831, 2011
"The Constitutionality of 'Let Them Rest in Peace' Bills: Can Governments Say 'Not Today Fred' to Demonstrations at Funeral Ceremonies?," 58 Syracuse L. Rev. 137, 2007
Katie concentrates her practice in school law and labor and employment law. She represents private and public sector employers in a wide variety of industries, including public school education, higher education, manufacturing, health care, and the service and financial industries.
Katie’s practice includes representing and advising clients in all aspects of school law and labor and employment matters, including employee discipline and discharge, Education Law § 3020-a hearings, hearings pursuant to New York Civil Service Law, student rights and discipline, DASA complaints and training, labor arbitrations, FERPA issues, employment discrimination and workplace harassment, layoffs, policy development, employee and separation agreements, unfair labor practice charges, collective bargaining and wage and hour issues.
Katie concentrates her practice in school law and labor and employment law. She represents private and public sector employers in a wide variety of industries, including public school education, higher education, manufacturing, health care, and the service and financial industries.
Katie’s practice includes representing and advising clients in all aspects of school law and labor and employment matters, including employee discipline and discharge, Education Law § 3020-a hearings, hearings pursuant to New York Civil Service Law, student rights and discipline, DASA complaints and training, labor arbitrations, FERPA issues, employment discrimination and workplace harassment, layoffs, policy development, employee and separation agreements, unfair labor practice charges, collective bargaining and wage and hour issues.
Katie has represented school districts and other employers before the New York State Department of Labor, the New York State Division of Human Rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board. She regularly defends employers in claims brought under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the New York State Public Employees Fair Employment Act (the Taylor Law), and the New York State Human Rights Law. Katie also advises employers on how to comply with various employment statutes, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).
Katie's practice also includes in-house labor and employment training for management. She is a frequent lecturer and has authored articles on a range of legal topics including the Syracuse Law Review's Annual Survey of labor and employment law.
Arbitration Case Study and Grievance Arbitration Best Practices 2024, New York State Association of Management Advocates for School Labor Affairs, June 14, 2024
Unlimited PTO: The Answer You’ve Been Looking For Or Your Worst Nightmare?, Bond’s Business in 2024 Webinar Series, June 5, 2024
School Law 101: Conducting Thorough Investigations, School Law 101 Webinar Series, May 16, 2024
Workplace Investigations Best Practices, Bond's Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, May 11, 2023
School Law 101: Personnel Investigations, School Law 101 Webinar Series, January 18, 2023
Legislative Update: What HR Professionals Need to Know for 2022, CNY SHRM, January 20, 2022
On the Horizon: Key Labor Law Areas to Watch in 2021, Bond Labor and Employment Law Breakfast Briefing, April 7, 2021
Leave Management and COVID Impacts for Small Business, Camillus Chamber of Commerce, March 24, 2021
Legislative Update: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going in 2021, CNY SHRM, January 28, 2021
Overcoming Age Discrimination in the Workplace, CNY SHRM, November 19, 2020
Moderator, Solving the Leave Management Puzzle, CNY SHRM, June 18, 2020
Returning to Work After the Pause: Anticipating Labor and Employment Issues and Creating a Communications Plan, May 15, 2020
Reopening Considerations, Bond Webinar Series, April 26, 2020
Legislative Update for Human Resource Professionals, CNY SHRM, January 30, 2020
Employee Leave Strategies: FMLA, ADA and More, National Business Institute, November 20, 2019
Workplace Harassment Prevention Laws & Prevention - A Necessity Now More Than Ever Webinar, Community Health Care Services Foundation, Inc., November 7, 2019
Workplace Harassment Prevention, New York State Association of Health Care Providers, November 6, 2019
What You Need to Know About the New State Sexual Harassment Law, CNY SHRM, October 25, 2018
Legal Considerations When Hiring, CNY SHRM, October 24, 2019
Workplace Harassment Prevention: A Necessity Now More Than Ever, CNY SHRM, September 17, 2019
Marijuana Legalization: Impacts on the Workplace, CNY SHRM, June 13, 2019
9 to 5 No More: Regulating Employee Off-Duty Conduct, Bond Labor and Employment Breakfast Briefing, January 15, 2019
Employment Law Basics for Supervisors, Managers and Business Owners, CNY SHRM, March 22, 2018
A Practical Look at the New York State Paid Family Leave Law and What it Means for Your Workplace, CNY SHRM, September 28, 2017
Moderator, Ready or Not: What You Need to Know About the U.S. DOL's Final Overtime Rules, CNY SHRM, October 27, 2016
The Leave Labyrinth: Strategies for ADA and FMLA Compliance, Bond's Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, May 2016
Workplace Violence: Preventing and Responding to the Unthinkable, Bond Labor and Employment Law Breakfast Briefing, April 7, 2016
Hiring Employees in the Age of Social Media, Greater Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce, October 22, 2015
Employee Handbooks – Choose Your Words Wisely, Bond Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, June 9, 2015
New Legal Challenges to Hiring Practices, Bond Labor and Employment Law Breakfast Briefing, March 25, 2015
Employment Law Basics for Supervisors, Managers & Small Business Owners, CNY SHRM, March 19, 2015
It’s Not Just Your Lunch Money at Risk – Standing up to Workplace Bullying and Harassment, Bond Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, May 21, 2014
Revolving Issues of Intermittent FMLA Leave, Bond Statewide Labor, Employment & HR Conference, May 21, 2013
EEOC’s New Guidance on Criminal Background Information, Rochester Business Alliance, August 17, 2012
Schafer, Katherine Ritts and Langan, Kerry W., "Survey of New York Law: Labor and Employment Law," 63 Syracuse L. Rev. 829, 2013
Schafer, Katherine Ritts and Langan, Kerry W., "Survey of New York Law: Labor and Employment Law," 62 Syracuse L. Rev. 709, 2012
Ritts, Katherine A. and Langan, Kerry W., "Survey of New York Law: Labor and Employment," 61 Syracuse L. Rev. 831, 2011
"The Constitutionality of 'Let Them Rest in Peace' Bills: Can Governments Say 'Not Today Fred' to Demonstrations at Funeral Ceremonies?," 58 Syracuse L. Rev. 137, 2007
