Overview
Catherine “Ree” Harper advises employers, PEOs, and other alternative employer business clients in employment-related matters, including state and federal compliance, risk management, and industry best practices. Ree utilizes her 25 years of legal experience in employment law and human resources, along with her accounting background and previous experience as a business owner, to help clients navigate the ever-changing legal landscape of employment law as well as the drafting and implementation of policies related to privacy, data and records retention, immigration, and tax and benefits.
Prior to joining Fisher Phillips, Ree was General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Human Resources for a staffing agency and national PEO where she had a proven record for leading complex legal and human resources initiatives both internally and externally. Ree draws upon this firsthand experience to develop strong relationships with PEO and staffing clients and to provide tailored solutions that respond to their unique needs.
Ree routinely helps PEO and staffing clients with:
- Managing HR functions, teams, and processes affecting the client and employment life cycle (e.g., recruitment, onboarding, training, employee relations, mentoring programs, policies and procedures, discipline, and terminations)
- Payroll processes and compliance
- Employee benefits programs (both PEO- and client-sponsored), including health insurance, retirement plans, and ancillary plans
- Compliance with labor laws and regulations
- Administering escalated co-employee disputes and EPLI claims
- Managing workers' compensation claims, including analysis of policies and costs
- Identifying areas for process improvement and developing efficient workflows
- Creating and implementing training programs for internal teams and client employees
- IRS certification and Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC) accreditation
She frequently speaks at industry conferences, seminars, and webinars and contributes to PEO industry and legal publications.